A Jeep Wrangler JL 3.6L DIY oil change, tire rotation and brake inspection are regular maintenance tasks that any Jeep Wrangler JL owner, with the 3.6L engine, can perform themselves, and save a lot of money every year by doing so. The CheaperJeeperTV Jeep Wrangler Maintenance Schedule video and article illustrates this, and highlights other possible DIY maintenance items that can also be done by the keen Jeep owner. This article below will quickly outline the basic steps on how to perform these routine maintenance tasks, for those considering the significant savings potential. The significant savings and the pride that comes from looking after your own Jeep make it worth it.
DISCLAIMER: Any and all content provided on this site and YouTube channel is Cheaper JeeperTV’s opinion and for educational and discussion purposes only. Seek a professional’s advice where appropriate for your vehicle.
Cost Breakdown Illustrating Savings from the DIY 8k Maintenance Service
An FCA certified dealer will charge $167 for the every 8,000 kilometer( 5,000 miles) maintenance service. As stated, this is essentially an oil change, tire rotation and brake inspection. You can do this work easily yourself for ~$41(CDN) in total, just by buying the oil and filter on sale, and doing the labour yourself. That is a savings of $126. If you drive ~ 24,000km (15,000 miles) per year, that would mean three 8,000 km services, so you would be saving over $378 (CDN) in one year, which would be $3,780 over a 10 year period of ownership. That’s a significant amount of money left over for you to buy…maybe something for your Jeep?
The next series of articles will describe the steps involved in the performance of this regular 8k service.
PART 1 of 3:
DIY Oil Change Instructions (Also as seen on CheaperJeeperTV)
I will take my time to provide some amateur tips in the form of lengthy instructions in the hopes that you’ll feel encouraged and confident enough with some idiosyncrasies of the process addressed along the way for you.
Tools and Material Required for a DIY Oil Change, 2018 Jeep Wrangler 3.6L Pentastar Engine
For starters, here are the tools and materials you will need. Notice a jack isn’t even required for the Jeep.
Items: 5 Quarts(4.73L) of Oil (0W20 Full Synthetic, Chrysler MS 6395 Compliant), Mopar Filter 68191349AC,
13mm & 24mm socket, ratchet and extension, torque wrench, small pic/flat head, gloves, rag, drain pan or empty jug.
Oil Change Instructions
- Double check that the oil and filter you acquired are correct for your vehicle’s engine.
- Ensure the Jeep is parked on a level area, and the engine is warm to facilitate oil drainage.
- Remove the oil filler cap by hand to facilitate oil drainage.
- Using the ratchet, extension and 24 mm socket, unscrew the oil filter cap.
- Carefully lift the oil filter, attached to the underside of the cap, from the housing. Make sure to catch any drips of oil with a rag or plastic bag.
- Tug the paper oil filter off from the cap and discard.
- Use a small pick or flat head screwdriver to remove the rubber O ring from the cap. Then discard the O ring.
- Take the new O ring in the new filter box, rub some oil on it to lubricate it, then slip the new O ring onto the cap where the old O ring was located.
- Snap the new oil filter onto the underside of the cap.
- Rub some oil on the small O ring on the end tip of the new oil filter.
- Insert the newly attached filter into the oil filter housing, and tighten the cap, using a torque wrench to 18 ft lbs. If you don’t have one, tighten the cap snugly, but be careful not to do it too tight.
- Remove the drain pan bolt with a 13 mm socket, and allow the oil to drain. (This step can be done before step 4 if desired. That way the oil can drain while you are working on steps 4-11)
- After the oil has drained, reinstall the drain bolt and tighten to 20 ft lbs with a torque wrench, or with a tighten snugly with a ratchet.
- Using a funnel, add 5 quarts(4.73 L) of 0W20, MS-6395 compliant, full synthetic oil to the 2018 Jeep WranglerJL, 3.6L engine. Double check the requirements for your Jeep engine.
- Re attach the oil filler cap.
- For good measure check the oil level on the dipstick.
- Lastly, reset the oil life indicator on your dash display by:
- pushing the Engine Stop/Start button without pushing the brake, leaving the ignition in the On/Run mode
- use the up/down arrow keys on the wheel to navigate to the Vehicle Info Window
- use the left/right arrow keys to navigate to the Oil Life Display
- push & hold the OK button to reset the gauge to 100%.
- Also, be sure to dispose of your oil responsibly at any recycling centre.
Nice and simple. You’ve done it.
Warranty Concerns over the Jeep Wrangler JL 3.6L DIY Oil Change
Some people have been told by their dealer that as long as they keep their receipts, that there shouldn’t be any concerns about voiding your warranty by doing your own Jeep Wrangler JL 3.6L DIY Oil Change.
For those still concerned, there is still another option. Some Jeep dealers offer a quick lube service where they will simply charge ~$25 to just change the oil and filter that you provide. This way, there is official documentation of the oil changes during your time of warranty.
So if you still do the tire rotation and brake inspection yourself, you will still be saving over $100, per maintenance interval.
Coming Soon….
PART 2 of 3: DIY Tire Rotation
Further Reading