Oil Pan Removal

REMOVAL

PROCEDURE

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.

If the vehicle is equipped with an audio system with an anti-theft code, make sure you have the correct code to reactivate the audio system before disconnecting the battery!
2. Chock the rear wheels and apply the parking brake. Raise the front of the vehicle and support it on jack stands.
3. Remove the engine undercover.
4. Drain the engine oil and remove the oil filter (see Chapter Maintenance and Tune-Up).
5. Unbolt the exhaust front pipe section from the exhaust manifolds (see Section Exhaust Manifold Removal and Installation) and from the catalytic converter flange (see Chapter Fuel and Exhaust Systems). Remove the exhaust front pipe section.
6. Remove the oil pan bolts/nuts and lower the oil pan. To remove the bolts on the timing belt side of the oil pan, use a 1/4-inch drive flex socket with a ratchet and breaker bar. A stuck oil pan can be separated from the block by carefully prying with a flat-blade screwdriver inserted between the raised tabs of the casting.

Never insert a screwdriver between the mating surfaces of the oil pan and the block!