Owners of other Nissan vehicles equipped with the QR25DE engine such as the Sentra, Murano, Frontier, Rogue, Bassara, Serena, X-Trail, Presage and Teana may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The items needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack with two jack stands (or automotive ramps), a 14mm socket, a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench and a small flathead screwdriver, a new oil filter and 5 U.S. quarts (4.6L) of new SAE 0W-20.

A few compatible replacement oil filters with their part numbers are as follows: Mobil 1 M1-108, Bosch 3300, K&N PS-1008, Royal Purple 10-2876, Wix # 51358, Fram PH6607, Pennzoil HPZ-37, Purolator L14612, Mann-Filter ML 1014, Ecogard S4612 and ACDelco PF1237.

I already had the engine cover off to check the spark plugs, but it is not necessary to remove it in order to change the oil.

If you do choose to take off the engine cover, remove the three bolts with a 5mm Allen Key wrench or a 5mm hex head socket by turning them in the counterclockwise direction.

I'd recommend warming up the engine for a few minutes to help suspend any contaminants within the old oil and also to ensure that the old oil drains out quickly.

Twist off the oil filler cap in the counterclockwise direction and pull up the yellow plastic handled dipstick an inch or two.

Removing the oil filler cap and pulling up the dipstick will help prevent a vacuum from forming when you drain out the old oil and also allow it to drain out more quickly.

An alternative method is to drive the car up on to automotive ramps.

Slide under the front passenger side of the engine bay with a 14mm socket, a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench and the used oil catch container.

The oil drain bolt is located at the rear edge of the black metal oil pan.

Loosen the oil drain bolt in the counterclockwise direction with the 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench.

Be careful when you remove the oil drain bolt. The old oil may still be hot enough to burn your skin depending on how long you warmed up the engine.

Continue spinning out the oil drain bolt in the counterclockwise direction and remove it.

Allow the old oil to drain out for at least a few minutes or until the flow slows to just an occasional drip.

If the drain bolt is equipped with a crush washer, inspect it and replace it if necessary.

Re-insert the oil drain bolt and tighten it in the clockwise direction to just past hand tight or about 22 to 29 lb-ft of torque.

Double check that the oil drain bolt is tight.

To make more working room for yourself, you may choose to turn the front wheels all the way to the right.

First pry out the center part of each pop rivet with a small flathead screwdriver before removing the entire fastener.

Twist off the the old oil filter in the counterclockwise direction until it can be removed.

If you have trouble removing the old filter because it is on too tight, try using an oil filter wrench such as the Lisle 63600.

Allow the old oil to drain out for at least a few minutes.

I recommend using either the Mobil 1 M1-108 or the Purolator PL14612 oil filters since they have the best reviews on Amazon.

Lubricating the rubber o-ring gasket will help it form a better seal and also make it easier to remove the filter during the next oil change.

Twist on the new oil filter in the clockwise direction to about 1/3 turn past hand tight.

Double check that the oil filter is tight before moving on to the next steps.

Push down the center part of each pop rivet to secure them in place.

Insert an automotive funnel in to the oil filler hole.

It is much better to have slightly less oil than necessary in the engine than to run the engine after it has been overfilled.

Running an engine that has been overfilled with oil may cause damage to seals, gaskets or other components.

The QR25DE 2.5L I4 engine's total capacity for an oil change with an oil filter replacement is 4 7/8 U.S. quarts (or 4.6 liters or 4 Imperial quarts).

Temporarily replace the oil filler cap and push down the dipstick.

Run the engine for a few minutes, turn it off and then allow the oil to drain back down to the oil pan for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

If necessary, slowly in pour in more oil and repeatedly check the level on the dipstick until it reaches just at or below the upper metal hole near the end of the dipstick which indicates the "Full" or "Maximum" line.

In the picture above, the oil level barely went past the lower metal hole which indicates the "Low" or "Add" oil mark.

You may not need to pour in the entire 4 7/8 U.S. quarts of new oil in order for the oil level to reach the maximum line.

Once the oil is at the correct level, replace the dipstick and tighten the oil filler cap in the clockwise direction.

Be sure to record the oil change in your car's service records. It would also be a good idea to check your parking spot, garage or driveway for drops of oil which may indicate a leak from the drain bolt or the new filter.

For more, check out my other 2013-2015 Nissan Altima DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.