2008 - 2010 Chrysler Town & Country / Dodge Grand Caravan 4.0L oil change

For those having the 4.0L engine in the Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Grand Caravan it is difficult finding sources on the Internet regarding any engine-related procedure.  The oil change is quite easy on this vehicle.  I'm able to do this oil change without raising the van in a matter of approximately 30 minutes.

Chrysler 4.0L engine

Materials
5.5 quarts of 10W-30 motor oil
Oil filter (Purolater PL-12222 or equivalent)
Oil catch pan that holds at least 6 quarts
Funnel for adding oil
Rags.  Lots of rags!

Tools
13 mm socket
Socket wrench
Oil filter cap-style wrench

Procedure

Make sure the oil filter comes with a gasket!

• Get your motor oil.  The warranty requires 10W-30 that meets Chrysler MS-6395.  This Chrysler spec will be posted on the back of the bottle.  Most oil brands meet this requirement.  A notable exception is Mobil oil.  I believe this is due to lack of acquiring the spec from Chrysler more than not being compliant.  If your engine is still on warranty, make sure you use the correct stuff.  This is not a high performance engine.  Conventional oil is good enough; the engine almost always outlasts the rest of the vehicle!
• Get your oil filter.  I generally use Purolater PureOne filters.  Have a store associate look the the correct model.  Note: Make sure that there is a gasket on the filter!
• Warm the engine.  Drive it a couple miles so the oil is nice and hot.
• Park the van on a level surface.  Before shutting off the engine, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right to ease access to the oil drain bolt.
• From the passenger side, lay on the ground in front of the tire.  Looking up you should see the oil pan.

View from passenger-side.

Oil drain bolt o left.  Oil filter on right.

• Place oil catch pan under the bolt.
• Loosen the oil drain plug by turning counter-clockwise using a 13-mm socket and wrench.  I generally grab my torque wrench simply because the added length increases the torque I can apply to the bolt.
• Once its loose, slowly turn while keeping pressure on the bolt so the hot oil stays in the engine's oil pan.  When you can tell its ready to come out, quickly remove the bolt.  The oil will be hot!  Also, don't drop the bolt into the oil pan.  Its no fun fishing it out of hot motor oil.
• Pop open the hood.  The hood release is on the dash near the driver's left knee.
• Unscrew counter-clockwise the engine's oil cap.  It is easily identified with a picture of an oil can and 10W-30 printed on it.  Removing this cap will increase the speed at which the hot oil exits the engine.  Make sure oil is still draining into the catch pan and not overshooting it!
• Wait until the oil merely drips out of the oil pan.
• Move the oil catch pan so it can get oil from the drain bolt hole and the oil filter.
• Put a cap-style oil filter onto your wrench.

Cap-style oil filter remover on wrench.

• Place the cap onto the oil filter.  Turn counter-clockwise to remove.  When its fully removed, it will dump hot oil.  Make sure your catch pan is placed accordingly.
• Make sure the old oil filter still has the gasket attached to it.  If its not there, it could be stuck to the engine.  Remove it!  If you don't, you will have a serious oil leak later!  I have changed oil for 25 years and this van was the first that ever had the gasket stick to it.  It was easily removed after I wasted about 4 quarts of oil.
• Wait for all oil to drip from the engine. This will take approximately 20 minutes.
• Screw the bolt back into the engine block by hand.  Use your socket and wrench to further tighen it.  Do not over-tighten!  Use a torque wrench to be sure.  Note: The oil bolt contains a gasket.  See the diagrams below:

Correct placement of gasket on oil bolt.

Incorrect placement of gasket on oil bolt.
This needs pushed down into the seat.

• Using your finger, smear oil on the oil filter gasket.  This will ensure a good seal.
• Put the oil filter onto the oil filter shaft as tight as you can using your hands.  You may use a torque wrench to make sure its on tight enough.  Generally, I just make it as tight by hand as possible.
• Place a funnel into the oil filler location in the engine compartment.
• Add 5.5 quarts of oil.
• Put oil filler cap back in place.
• Fire up the engine and make sure the oil pressure light goes out.  If it doesn't, shut off the engine immediately.  Something is wrong.  Consult a car guy!
• If there are any leaks, tighten the bolt or filter.
• This Chrysler engine is odd.  It takes mine an entire evening for all the oil to drain into the oil pan.  Do a precursory check now to make sure its within spec on the dipstick.  Add if necessary.  Check a second time in the morning!