Changing your Sonic's oil.
- Thread starter Gimpster
- Start date
JTee2017
Well-known member
I have the Sonic Under Body Cover on my 2017.
Got it NOS. No problem changing oil on a 1.8L like we have since the oil pan drain bolt is clear of the pan. So nothing to remove or get messy.
Wanted the 1.8L from the start. Way less problems and enough get up for us and still fun to drive.
Occasionally, I like to drop the automatic into manual mode, run the RPMs up to 3,800 to 4,500 and the secondary intake tuning kicks in. Few know that by keeping the RPMs up on the 1.8L that it can have quite surprising results.
Got it NOS. No problem changing oil on a 1.8L like we have since the oil pan drain bolt is clear of the pan. So nothing to remove or get messy.
Wanted the 1.8L from the start. Way less problems and enough get up for us and still fun to drive.
Occasionally, I like to drop the automatic into manual mode, run the RPMs up to 3,800 to 4,500 and the secondary intake tuning kicks in. Few know that by keeping the RPMs up on the 1.8L that it can have quite surprising results.
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2012 Sonic Under Body Pic 1 Lrg Edit.jpg
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My Particular Oil Change Tools and Reasons I Chose Them. So Easy!
I did my first oil change a couple weeks ago. Car is a 2016 1.8L Automatic LT Hatchback.
First, I stopped by AutoZone to buy some Rhino ramps. I bought the heavier 16K# Rated vs. the 12k# rated Black Resin Ramps. Price was only $7 more; $48 vs $55 and both had identical exterior dimension. Stronger model just has a bit more ribbing underneath, barely noticeable if not side by side. Go heavy duty. Affordable, light, comfortable to move around. I have identical ramps a work. Rhino is very common. Use only on flat ground, as the strength of anything at an angle is greatly reduced. Ramps worked very well and gave tons of room. No metal to metal jack stands on the car. Far easier overall.
Second, I installed my Fumoto Valve and it does not hang as low as the exhaust. I feel totally safe with it. Easy to screw into place. I have used these for 15 years on my truck and had on several generators prior to that. Model F106S about $24.
Did not really need to purchase a special extra short 24mm socket to remove the Oil Cap, but cool to have. Maybe the 1.4T is tighter clearance? I keep the basic oil change tools in each vehicle, so never have to think what did I "borrow that wrench for last". I liked how the oil canister was very empty, made for the neatest oil change I've ever done.
Be careful driving on the ramps, I did it by myself and simply stopped twice on the way up and verified all was lined up perfectly. Lots of room underneath as I already shared, and it will just be a little twist of the valve in the future, and a single socket to change the filter. No hands in the way of filthy warm oil. All can be done while on the ramps. Drains perfectly! Filled with 5 qts. Jug of Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 made from Natural Gas. Cost $22.
Filter was a WIX 57674, only because the 57674XP was not in stock. But careful reading of the WIX site reveals the standard version is rated for synthetic oil service up to 7500 miles. No surprise there. I will change sources to get the XP in the future.
For a drain pan, I now use a galvanized 3 gallon steel pan from Behrens, bought at a Tractor Supply store or similar. I also use a huge offset galvanized 3 quart funnel of same brand, as it allows easy transfer of the drain oil into 5 gallon plastic gas cans for disposal. I have access to a Used Oil Tank at work. The Behrens will last the rest of my life! Sturdy.
I tend to keep enough oil and filters for 2 changes in stock. Don't go overboard, never know when you will change cars. I didn't expect to need to buy the Sonic.
Link for Fumoto Valve: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D99BSPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I did my first oil change a couple weeks ago. Car is a 2016 1.8L Automatic LT Hatchback.
First, I stopped by AutoZone to buy some Rhino ramps. I bought the heavier 16K# Rated vs. the 12k# rated Black Resin Ramps. Price was only $7 more; $48 vs $55 and both had identical exterior dimension. Stronger model just has a bit more ribbing underneath, barely noticeable if not side by side. Go heavy duty. Affordable, light, comfortable to move around. I have identical ramps a work. Rhino is very common. Use only on flat ground, as the strength of anything at an angle is greatly reduced. Ramps worked very well and gave tons of room. No metal to metal jack stands on the car. Far easier overall.
Second, I installed my Fumoto Valve and it does not hang as low as the exhaust. I feel totally safe with it. Easy to screw into place. I have used these for 15 years on my truck and had on several generators prior to that. Model F106S about $24.
Did not really need to purchase a special extra short 24mm socket to remove the Oil Cap, but cool to have. Maybe the 1.4T is tighter clearance? I keep the basic oil change tools in each vehicle, so never have to think what did I "borrow that wrench for last". I liked how the oil canister was very empty, made for the neatest oil change I've ever done.
Be careful driving on the ramps, I did it by myself and simply stopped twice on the way up and verified all was lined up perfectly. Lots of room underneath as I already shared, and it will just be a little twist of the valve in the future, and a single socket to change the filter. No hands in the way of filthy warm oil. All can be done while on the ramps. Drains perfectly! Filled with 5 qts. Jug of Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 made from Natural Gas. Cost $22.
Filter was a WIX 57674, only because the 57674XP was not in stock. But careful reading of the WIX site reveals the standard version is rated for synthetic oil service up to 7500 miles. No surprise there. I will change sources to get the XP in the future.
For a drain pan, I now use a galvanized 3 gallon steel pan from Behrens, bought at a Tractor Supply store or similar. I also use a huge offset galvanized 3 quart funnel of same brand, as it allows easy transfer of the drain oil into 5 gallon plastic gas cans for disposal. I have access to a Used Oil Tank at work. The Behrens will last the rest of my life! Sturdy.
I tend to keep enough oil and filters for 2 changes in stock. Don't go overboard, never know when you will change cars. I didn't expect to need to buy the Sonic.
Link for Fumoto Valve: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D99BSPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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JTee2017
Well-known member
Just something to note. . . If it were me I'd be careful with changing oil on the ramps and refilling with 5 quarts. Five quarts is 6.4oz too much.
The 1.8L takes 4.8 quarts. Five qts is over filled. And. . . with the car on ramps, not all the oil will get drained out.
You could end up with 8, 10, or +12oz more oil than it should have.
I've always been careful of over fill on small engines. The crank shaft pounding on too much oil level in the pan doesn't do the engine any good.
Nissan was infamous for that. They always were something like 4.2 or 4.3 or 4.7 quarts.
What would happen is that over time that extra oil got forced around in the oil pan and would cause main seal leaks and blow outs.
One more thing. If you let the 1.8L sit level over night and check the oil, it will show way past the "full" marks on the dip stick. For whatever reason and even with the proper amount of oil, the oil gets pushed up the dip stick tube as the engine cools. Some say it's because the oil filter drains into the pan.
Anyway. . best way to check oil level is when the engine is warm, shut it off and let it sit for 5 minutes or so and then check. Much longer than that and the oil level will read high. Really a quirky thing, but I'm convinced that some blow main seals because they have too much oil in the engine.
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I have little worry of being over 0.2 quarts of oil vs. the spec. But do appreciate what you are sharing. It is still at the full mark on level ground after coming off the ramps and running for 3 minutes and wiping of the dipstick and rechecking it twice. I find it difficult to think 0.2 qts. spread over the square area of the oil pan will be significant enough to cause harm, but have read plenty from those on here who are concerned with that. That's really less than a half pint. With the drain plug being on the bottom not much can be left inside.
Yes, I have seen the dipstick show about 2 + inches above full when I got the car in October. That is really odd, and I don't know how that happens. Must be gravity and the path machined in the block. I was impressed how little oil was in the housing, it made for a very neat oil change.
My other engine is a Nissan VK56DE in a 2006 Titan pickup, that says is to take 6.5 qts. Most of us simply do 7 qts. and it puts us at the full mark, 6.5 does not ever. But some guys have a slightly different result. The 7 qts. has never been known in the Titan community to cause a problem. I also use a slightly larger filter on that engine, identical OEM specs otherwise.
Now that I know what brand of oil is in my Sonic, I will get a Blackstone UOA at next oil change, which I will be doing at 5K intervals unless the UOA indicates otherwise. A primary risk of overfill s over agitation by the crankshaft, causing it to fam p and not lube as hot air is pumped instead of just oil.
We had in our fleet, an International with a 13L engine that would lose power after running for 30 minutes. The International shop took 3 months to figure out why. They had over filled it by 3 inches on the dipstick which is 3 gallons! Once the oil got hot, and expanded, it also got foamy, causing the injectors to no longer open up fully. Oil pressure pushes open the injectors. Thus, the loss of power. "Engine Overfilled" was first note on the multipage report I was not supposed to see. They did nothing about correcting that until 3 months later when they did another oil change.
Yes, I have seen the dipstick show about 2 + inches above full when I got the car in October. That is really odd, and I don't know how that happens. Must be gravity and the path machined in the block. I was impressed how little oil was in the housing, it made for a very neat oil change.
My other engine is a Nissan VK56DE in a 2006 Titan pickup, that says is to take 6.5 qts. Most of us simply do 7 qts. and it puts us at the full mark, 6.5 does not ever. But some guys have a slightly different result. The 7 qts. has never been known in the Titan community to cause a problem. I also use a slightly larger filter on that engine, identical OEM specs otherwise.
Now that I know what brand of oil is in my Sonic, I will get a Blackstone UOA at next oil change, which I will be doing at 5K intervals unless the UOA indicates otherwise. A primary risk of overfill s over agitation by the crankshaft, causing it to fam p and not lube as hot air is pumped instead of just oil.
We had in our fleet, an International with a 13L engine that would lose power after running for 30 minutes. The International shop took 3 months to figure out why. They had over filled it by 3 inches on the dipstick which is 3 gallons! Once the oil got hot, and expanded, it also got foamy, causing the injectors to no longer open up fully. Oil pressure pushes open the injectors. Thus, the loss of power. "Engine Overfilled" was first note on the multipage report I was not supposed to see. They did nothing about correcting that until 3 months later when they did another oil change.
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