Chrysler 300 oil change.... I guess I missed the memo

[timmycharger]

Since when did we have to take off a 3 x4 foot piece of plastic to change the oil?  Doing the oil change on my Dad's new Chrysler 300 6cyl yesterday and I couldnt believe my eyes.  First of all, it took me 10 minutes to figure out how to safely jack the car and put a stand.  Then I realize I cant see anything underneath as there is a huge plastic sheild under there that you have to unbolt.

Lastly, the oil filter looks like something from my ride on mower and drops in from the top of the motor (great idea but why does it cost 2x as much as a regular filter?)

Im sure many of you have already done this on other cars but I guess Im out of touch with new cars. My 300 is from 2000 and my wife just bought a new Dodge Journey, not sure what Im store for there but Im assuming its going to be covered in plastic 

rant over

[Aero426]

Huge plastic shield under the car = aerodynamics. 

[Baldwinvette77]

The journey doesn't have the plastic, Not any i've seen anyway.... F**king hate lube jobs 

[rt green]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

[Baldwinvette77]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

Especially on the rusted out caravans that dont have any framerails left 

[Paul G]

Oil changes are a breeze. Cookies and coffee and everything. Go the dealer and see if they have specials. My local CJD has a 3 oil changes deal, with tire rotate and wash each time for $75. It doesnt make sense for me to do that much work for $25 a pop. You cant buy the oil and filter for that.

[myk]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

My biggest issue was with owners and super-dirty cars, as in having to push trash out of the seats and floors just so I could get in the damn car...

[69 OUR/TEA]

Bought a new Caravan SXT in 03 , sticker was $24,xxx , had them on special sale for $18,500 plus lifetime oil changes !!!!! Still have it today ,even after being totaled last summer ,repaired ,now deems a salvage title ,but I'm still the orig owner and lifetime oil changes still in place !!!! LOL , gonna keep it another 10 years !!!

[JB400]

 

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

My biggest issue was with owners and super-dirty cars, as in having to push trash out of the seats and floors just so I could get in the damn car...

Try cleaning up after these people.   They leave trash everywhere.  It's hard not to lose all sense of respect for people in general because of it.

[myk]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

My biggest issue was with owners and super-dirty cars, as in having to push trash out of the seats and floors just so I could get in the damn car...

Try cleaning up after these people.   They leave trash everywhere.  It's hard not to lose all sense of respect for people in general because of it.

Too late brother, I lost respect for mankind a long time ago...

[JB400]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

My biggest issue was with owners and super-dirty cars, as in having to push trash out of the seats and floors just so I could get in the damn car...

Try cleaning up after these people.   They leave trash everywhere.  It's hard not to lose all sense of respect for people in general because of it.

Too late brother, I lost respect for mankind a long time ago...

Don't blame you one bit.  I can easily understand why.

[Ghoste]

Its worse when they don't own it.  Managed the rental division at a dealership a lifetime ago and it was absolutely disgusting what people would do to the interior of a car in a few days just because they don't own it.

[timmycharger]

ya the old man got some free oil changes when he bought the car but they wouldnt put in synthetic, the deal was for regular oil only.   He's retired and has plenty of time to find the deals on Mobil 1 and hates dealing with dealerships so either I watch a 74 year old man roll around on the ground with 3 sets of glasses on or I suck it up and do it for him. I dont mind but I just thought it was ridiculous as to how much plastic is under there.

I have lots of respect for you guys who have to deal with the public face to face, In my job i deal with them on the phone and thats bad enough.

[LaOtto70Charger]

On my 2003 Dakota it also has a plastic air deflector on the front under the engine.  It has a nice access panel though that rotates out for oil filter changes.  Someone must have found a way to save 5 cents and remove that.  Wait until you try to change the belt.  I changed the one on our 2005 T&C and had to borrow a special tool from Autozone because the engine is 0.250" to close to the frame rail to use a standard ratchet.

Too many people with MBAs and engineers with no wrenching experience.

[Cooter]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

Amen. Just wait till one attempts their own engine swap.....no dipstick thing? Mercedes. And I just love how the Mopar faithful tout they are "Mopar or no car" and they are buying Mercedes junk.

[John_Kunkel]

Modern owners manuals show the safe lift points, you can hurt the car if you don't follow the instructions.

[rt green]

quote author=Baldwinvette77 link=topic=114793.msg1417417#msg1417417 date=1417481182]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

Especially on the rusted out caravans that dont have any framerails left 
[/quote]            word

[Paul G]

A while back a friend wanted me to rotate the tires on his Sebring convertible. I had a real hard time finding solid lift points. Basically when the floor jack has it in the air using a solid lift point, there is no where else to put a jack under that corner of the car. It is amazing

[tcs69rt]

Hey timmycharger! We just got a 2013 Journey RT and you can easily get to the oil pan, no covers. However the oil filter is on top of the motor, there is an access cap on the cheap looking plastic cover for the V6. Good for you dealing with people over the phone. I do the same on the child abuse hotline...until I get a walk in interview 

[odcics2]

wait till you are working in a shop and everyone is in a hurry.  setting the hoist on some of these vehicles is kind of an art.

My biggest issue was with owners and super-dirty cars, as in having to push trash out of the seats and floors just so I could get in the damn car...

Try cleaning up after these people.   They leave trash everywhere.  It's hard not to lose all sense of respect for people in general because of it.

Back in the old days, I was doing rear shocks on a car and popped the trunk to get to the top bolts.
Well, much to my surprise, the guys groceries from the week before were in there.

Steaks don't smell so good after riding around in a closed trunk in July ....   

[oldgold69]

I change the oil in my dads 300  you cant even drive up rams to take the shield off  you have reach under and get the shield off  then jack it up lots of fun