How to Drop the Oil Pan in a Nissan Maxima

The Nissan Maxima is a mid-sized vehicle produced by Nissan from 1976 on. The vehicle is currently being produced for model years 2004 through 2008 as the line's sixth year. While there are several engine sizes available, the 2.0L engine is the most common in this series. Drop the oil pan on this vehicle if there is damage to it, or if there is a need to clean it.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of the vehicle and locate the battery which is by the front, right wheel of the car. Use a wrench to disconnect the negative battery cable.

2

Use a jack and jack stand to raise the vehicle off the ground and support is safely. Use the directions provided by the jack manufacturer to do this safely.

3

Place an oil drip pan under the engine oil pan under the vehicle, between the tires. Use a wrench to remove the drain plug at the back of the oil pan, which allows the oil to drain into the oil pan below. Drain until no oil comes out and reinsert the oil plug.

4

Disconnect the engine undercover by removing each of the bolts holding in place using a wrench. Then, disconnect the lower steel oil pan bolts and the steel oil pan. To pry the steel oil pan off the engine, place a cutting tool between the steel oil pan and the aluminum oil pan and tap along the edge until the pan comes off.

5

Remove the oil baffle bolts and oil baffle, followed by the front exhaust tube, which will require the use of another jack stand under the transaxle to raise the engine slightly. Remove the center cross member, transaxle shift control cable and the compressor gussets.

6

Locate the aluminum oil pan bolts, located around the edge of the oil pan. Loosen each of the bolts in a crisscross fashion for even release of pressure. You may need to use a cutting tool to cut off the gasket material to allow the oil pan to drop.