For 1990-2009 cars

If you want to change the oil and oil filter yourself, here's how to do it.

If you have the 2.2L four cylinder (L61) engine, the oil filter is located in the front left side of the engine and must be accessed from the top of the vehicle.

If you have the 3.0L V6 (L81) engine, the oil filter is located on the front of the engine and must be accessed from underneath the vehicle.

Both engines use different paper cartridge-style oil filter elements rather than a spin-on canister-type oil filter. The oil filter elements for the two engines look similar but can't be interchanged. Make sure you use the proper oil filter.

Remove the oil fill cap. Put a suitable container under the drain plug and remove the drain plug. Then, remove the oil filter cap.

### 2.2L Four Cylinder (L61) Engine

Use a 32 mm (1 1/4 in.) shallow socket or 14-flat 68 mm (2.68 in.) oil filter wrench to remove the oil filter cap. The oil filter element should be attached to the cap. If not, remove the element from the oil filter housing on the engine block.

Inspect the condition of the O-ring seal. Ensure the O-ring seal is free of debris, nicks, cuts, or damage before installing the cap and element to the engine oil housing. Replace the O-ring seal if it is damaged.

Install new oil filter element into the oil cap. Apply clean engine oil to the O-ring and cap threads before installing the cap and element into the engine oil housing. Screw the oil filter cap down into position. Ensure the cap and O-ring seal are fully seated to the oil filter housing. When tightening the oil cap filter cap.

Tighten:
Tighten cap to 25 N·m (18 ft lbs).

### 3.0L V6 (L81) Engine

Use a 24 mm socket or wrench to remove the oil filter cap. Once the oil filter cap is removed, the oil filter can be removed from the housing by pulling the filter outward. The O-ring seal should stay attached to the oil cap.

Inspect the condition of the O-ring seal. Ensure there are no nicks, cuts, or damage to the O-ring before installing the cap and element to the engine oil housing. Replace the O-ring seal if it is damaged.

Install a new filter into the oil filter housing. Screw the oil filter cap down into position. Make sure the cap and O-ring seal are fully seated the oil filter housing. When tightening the oil filter cap.

Tighten:
Tighten cap to 15 N·m (11 ft lbs).

### 2.2L Four Cylinder (L61) and 3.0L V6 (L81) Engines

Install drain plug back into the oil pan and tighten.

Tighten:
Tighten drain plug to 25 N·m (18 ft lbs).

Add new engine oil (Saturn P/N 21007582) and install oil filter cap. It takes about 5 minutes for the new oil to drain back into the oil pan. If you don't wait about 5 minutes, or if the vehicle is not on level ground, the oil dipstick will not show the actual oil level. If your engine's oil level is 3/16 in. (5 mm) above or below the MAX line after the engine's oil and filter have been changed, your engine's oil level is correct.

After adding oil, start your engine and check for oil leaks around the filter and the drain plug(s). Each time you change your engine oil, the "CHANGE OIL SOON" light must be reset. To find out how to do this, see "Resetting the CHANGE OIL SOON light, earlier in this section.