Oil changes are a blast.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

I don't know if all engine sizes work this way, but I'll assume so. I did my first oil change today. I didn't know about that big honking "service panel" underneath I had to deal with.    This was a case where taking things apart was MUCH easier than re-assembly. Keep in mind, I'm a shade tree mechanic working on my back, without any car lift. After you remove the (4) 10MM screws from the panel, the oil change is easy. You slide yourself under the front end after jacking it up a little, then the oil pan is right there, with a notch in the front of it for the vertically mounted oil filter. It was the was the easiest oil change ever for me at this point. I used a K&N 2010 oil filter to replace the dinky stock filter. It's interesting this is the same filter I used on my Mustang.    Then things went down hill when I tried putting that service panel back on.     I think I used every word in the cussing dictionary.   

My purpose of this thread is to help anyone in the future. IF you don't have a lift, have a partner to hold up one end of this panel as you try to fish for the screw holes. Getting one screw in isn't good enough. After you get the second one in, the other two have no choice but to play nice. I swear this took me over an hour to do.     "Jiify Mike" I'm not.   




  Mike

[GoodysGotaCuda]

haha, 'ol Bimmers and Mercedes have done that for yearrrrs with the panels. You'll get the hang of 'em after not too long. 

[MEK-Dangerfield]

haha, 'ol Bimmers and Mercedes have done that for yearrrrs with the panels. You'll get the hang of 'em after not too long. 

Mike,

  Do you know the purpose of them?? I mean...sure it keeps the motor clean from road grime I guess, but if something is leaking, it might take a while to know it this way.   



   Mike

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Undercar aerodynamics is the biggest reason for them. More important than most think!

[71bigblock]

Thanks for the warning on the 3.5's.   

[sleepychallenger]

they also work well as crap collectors. i have found trash and rocks in everyone that i have ever removed. every so often you will find a small animal too.

[70_challenger]

Mike:
I have not seen the belly pan on the Challenger, but there is one on my 300C, which should be nearly identical.  Like yours, it is held in with (4) 10mm screws.  On the 300C, that belly pan tucks under another piece of plastic in the front.  So when I reassemble it after an oil change, I just tuck the belly pan under that other plastic (or set it on the radiator support), and start the back 2 screws.  Once the back ones are started, the front ones go in easily.  It took me about a half hour the first time, too, but now it is 2 minutes.  (Almost as frustrating as the oil filter on my Hemi, which was torqued to 8,847 foot pounds from the factory).

As sleepychallenger stated, the belly pans do collect a lot of crap.  When you take it off each time, be sure you are not directly under it, or you will get covered.  (Don't ask me how I know...)

And yes, those are usually important for aerodynamics, and sometimes even for engine cooling.  Leave it on there.  After a while, it just becomes part of the oil change routine.  It is a good chance to take it off and hose off all the crud.

-Tom

[Killer_Mopar]

Yeah those belly pans are a pain in the a$$. My mom's crossfire has one and if it wasn't for that pan, I could do an oil change without having to jack the car up. Just be glad you dont have a 335i, I did a set of downpipes on my cousins car and that pan had like a dozen bolts holding it in place. One other thing, be careful with that pan because I hear they can be quite expensive to replace (at least on that same 335i)

[Moparal]

I thought when you bought a new car, you got free oil changes and stuff for a year or so?   If not- +  Ha haha ha ha

[matt63]

Porsche had it right.  My '95 has a separate engine and tranny cover that release very quickly via approx. 6 screws that only need about 1 turn to come loose.  They are some kind of quick release deal.  How much extra would it have been to add these?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

I thought when you bought a new car, you got free oil changes and stuff for a year or so?   If not- +  Ha haha ha ha

Al,

   I wasn't going to let someone else do a simple oil change on my car(that took me an hour+     ). I wanted to put my own preffered oil and filter on there. You are correct though, they did offer me free oil changes. With any luck, maybe I can do this in less than an hour next time.   


  Mike

[Supercuda]

Matt, the fasteners that you refer to, are called "Dzus" fasteners (usually), or also "quarter-turn" fasteners. I like them too, as they make the removal of panels from a vehicle SOOOO much easier, and servicing a vehicle equipped in this way makes having those #$@%&***^$$## panels to contend with, not so much of a chore. The original purpose of the undercar panel was indeed, aerodynamics. Skidplates, as often installed on Dakotas, Durangos, GM S-10s, and others, are another important class of undercar panel. Sometimes, a panel can serve both purposes, and then it is heavy, in addition to being awkward to maneuver. REALLY fun when you are trying to re-install one of these panels on your back, balancing the panel in one hand. The manufacturers usually try to make the bigger and heavier panels easier to deal with, by having slots for some hardware, or the miraculous, 1/4-turn fasteners. BMW and MB do not seem to be on board with this, and I also question the wisdom of VW/Audi's use of plastic panels under their autos. These things can be huge! And the fastener count is always through the roof. My experience has been that every car with a panel underneath, is missing at least a third of its mounting hardware by the time I get to see it.

[go-fish]

My little VW diesel Jetta had one of those on the belly and I took it off. We live near the beach and during storms the sand gets blown up on the roads and will get up in the engine compartment. After the first oil change after the sandy roads I noticed about a pound of sand collected by the aero pan.
I decided to leave it off. I also decided to leave the top cover off that served no purpose other than looks also.
I didn't notice a mileage difference but I do know that I got a best ever mileage on a trip where I didn't have the pan and cover on. I was also using Power Service anti-gel/cetane booster and got an average of somewhere around 52 MPG. It wasn't but maybe a mile or two per gallon more than before ditching the plastics.
IMO, the pan isn't a big deal. I know it doesn't make a difference on my car and the engine compartment stays cleaner. The sand would collect on the pans upper side and would just blow around and get recycled from engine bay to pan, engine bay to pan, blowing around all willy-nilly. At least this way dirt and sand is allowed to escape through the bottom.

On the actual oil change? Yes, my Apsens oil changes are a breeze witht the filter on the Hemi's being straight up and the groung clearance of the Durango platform. The suspension does get in the way a little and catches some of the stream and diverts some of it. I hate it when the oil doesnt drain directly into the pan.

[cuda]

Mek are u using synthetic in your new car ?? I want to use it in my wifes 300 but chrysler dealership wants me to dump it every 6 months and not to wait the time frame sugested is 1 year by amsoil.  Dealership says to wait till waranty is up, and then do what u want. 

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Mek are u using synthetic in your new car ?? I want to use it in my wifes 300 but chrysler dealership wants me to dump it every 6 months and not to wait the time frame sugested is 1 year by amsoil.  Dealership says to wait till waranty is up, and then do what u want. 

Yes, I went with Amsoil synthetic. I'm not sure at what point I'll change it again.


   Mike