I sold the Infiniti G35 and replaced it with a 2012 Subaru WRX in February 2025. The Infiniti had just too many issues and had left me stranded a few times already, so I sold it to another enthusiast and bought a WRX. In May of this year, I also sold my Porsche Boxster. It was in great shape but I just needed one lesser car, so I stuck with the WRX since it was a 5-speed manual.
The WRX has a 5 speed manual with a short-shifter, had a tune from Cobb, Invidia headers and a Cobb intake. I have not researched the details of these modifications yet but I will and note them down in another post in the future.
I had driven it about 2500 miles and the oil change was now necessary to do. So this post describes how to do it. Sadly, I was in a rush and did not take enough pictures, but I have some as you will see.
Lifting or Jacking Up the WRX
First step is to jack up the WRX at the jacking points mentioned in the user manual, or use ramps or use a lift like the one I have.
Make sure you do this safely and the vehicle is stable on the jack stands or ramps or lift before you go under it.
Drain the Old Engine Oil
Once the WRX has been raised safely, you can slide under with a creeper. If you have a splash shield, you will need a 10mm socket to remove the splash shield. After the shield has been removed, locate the oil drain plug and oil filter as seen in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. View of the undercarriage with oil drain pan bolt and oil filter
Get the parts you need ready as seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4. You will need a 17mm socket to remove the drain plug, a socket wrench, a replacement drain plug and washer, a Mobil-1 M1-108A oil filter or equivalent and 5 gallons of 5W-30 Mobil1 synthetic engine oil. We used a Dorman M20-1.5 replacement drain plug and washer, but you can buy the correct size washer and re-use the drain plug if it is in good shape. As you can see in Figure 1, the existing drain plug was too rusty so I used a new one. You will also need an oil filter pliers and a 14 flutes oil filter socket wrench.
Figure 2. 17mm socket, socket wrench and new oil drain bolt (plug) and washer
Figure 3. Mobil1 M1-108A oil filter we will be using
Figure 4. M-20 drain bolt and washer by Dorman
NOTE: Place a 5 gallon oil drain pan to catch the draining oil before you open the drain plug.
Using the 17mm socket, loosen the drain plug. Position the drain pan so you can catch the oil correctly. Use gloves to open the drain plug as some oil may hit your hand while you take it off. Figure 5 shows the oil draining into the drain pan.
Figure 5. Oil drain bolt removed and oil draining
Remove the oil filler cap in the engine bay to alleviate pressure in the engine and aid the downflow of oil into the drain pan.
The oil can take about 30-40 minutes to fully drain out. Once it has drained, clean the area with a shop towel and install the new drain plug as seen in Figure 6. Remember to use the new washer otherwise there maybe an oil leak in the future. Then torque the bolt to 30 ft-lbs or hand tighten followed by an extra 1/4th turn.
Figure 6. New drain bolt and washer installed
Replacing the Oil Filter
As seen in Figure 7, we now remove the old oil filter using an oil filter pliers. Most shops will tighten it heavily, so you will need an oil filter pliers.
Figure 7. Remove the old oil filter with an oil filter pliers
Use an oil filter pliers to remove the old filter and carefully lift it out with a shop towel or rag around it, as it will drip oil as seen in Figure 8.
You must clean the oil filter socket with a shop towel as seen in Figure 9 before installing the replacement oil filter.
Figure 8. Old oil filter removed
Figure 9. Oil filter area cleaned
Now prepare the new oil filter by filling it 3/4th with the 5W-30 oil. Then use your finger to dab the top part of the filter so that it is lubricated fully as see in Figure 10.
Figure 10. New oil filter prepared
Once that is done, twist the new oil filter back into the cleaned socket and tighten with the 14 flutes oil filter socket wrench. You may need to tighten it to 25ft-lbs of torque.
In Figure 11 we show the wrench we used for tightening, but this is for a different engine as we did not take a photo while doing it for the WRX.
Figure 11. Tighten with oil filter wrench
Filling up with New Oil
Now remove the drain pan filled with old oil from below the vehicle and keep it out of the way.
Using a long neck funnel, pour 4.4 quarts of Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic oil into the engine from the oil filler spout slowly. Do not go overboard with the oil, and check the level with the oil dipstick. Once done, clean the oil filler cap and install it back on.
Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes and check for oil leaks. Once you are satisfied that there are no oil leaks, take the vehicle off the jack stands using a jack or the ramps or the lift.
Remember to pour the old engine oil into the empty cans and drop it off at a recycling place or at an auto parts store that takes old engine oil. Do not throw the old engine oil into the trash or pour it in the ground. It is dangerous to wildlife and your water supply.
The oil change is now complete and you can drive the car around for a while, and then check for leaks again.
