Hey everyone! Great site. Just bought an '04 and am getting it on Friday. ANd I am going to do an oil change and air filter. Thanks for all the tips on the oil change. I bought a Fram from local auto parts store. Funny they had two with the same part # but they were different from each other. I think I'll go to dealer tomorrow and get one there.

Any problem with used Castrol Full Syn? Or Kendell? Have both in garage.

And what about getting to the air filters?

Sorry to ask such dopey questions but I didn't want to go down raod alone. THANKS!

Herb in Michigan

ps I'll see you guys at Dream cruise

'73 Spitfire
'07 Ducatti
'07 Triumph Tiger

 

Hi everyone, new guy on site. Picking up an '04 on Friday. Glad to see the oil change discussion. I am attempting one this w/e.

Bought a Fram at local auto parts store. Had two boxes with same number but different looking filters inside. I think I'll go to dealer.

Any problem with using Castrol full syn instead of Mobil 1? Also I'm changing air filters. Tricks to getting to them so I don't break anything?

Sorry to ask such stupid questions.

Herb near Detroit.

 

Boy what a dope. Posted same message twice. Sorry. btw, Great photos of the oil change!

 

This link says:
Now you must replace the 4 o-rings on the shaft. Use a small screw driver to remove all of the old o-rings. Coat all 4 new o-rings with some motor oil and install on the oil filter shaft.

I know some of these filters come with 5 o rings but only 4 are used on the Crossfire.
I have been doing it this way and no issues in 12000 miles.

 

All fine and good but I removed 5 so I put 5 back on. is there a chance SRTs have 5?

 

I just did my first oil change, and noticed there was an extra ring in the MB filter kit. There were only four on the filter housing when I took it out of the car. Believe me, I am absolutely sure of this since this was my virgin oil change and I was a little nervous...

 

Had your oil been changed previously by someone else? The engine in the SLK350 uses the same filter but has 5 o-rings. That is why there are 5 in the box. Maybe someone changed your oil before and saw the 5th o-ring so they stuck it next to the other one in the only place it would fit on the bayonet.

 

Possible I guess. Only other thing is that there was a definite spot for the mystery o-ring. On the bayonet pictured in the above post shows one distict groove, mine clearly has two grooves.

A real mystery I guess.
I am also guessing that since they are so close together it is not hurting anything.

 

I've been planning to do my first oil change and this thread has now scared the crap out of me. Is there any way to double-check that things are seated properly and not leaking before closing the hood?

 

When you first screw filter cap back in, the "last" big O ring on the filter shaft should be a tight fit going into metal filter canister. If it goes in too easy you will have a problem.

Mine didn't leak for the first 2000 miles after changing the oil, just DON'T buy a Purolator or Fram, I guess the big O ring was thinner than OEM filter.

It didn't leak a full quart, oil mark is still between the marks.
however the belt came off because the pulleys bacame too oily.

 

I would not be scared. I actually thought it was great as oil changes go. The position of the oil filter is the best! No spilling oil from a filter that is mounted sideways or one you have to fish out of a mess of wires & tubes.
It is the "cleanest" oil change I have ever done.
The only thing to be ready for it the volume of used oil. Remember there is about 8.5 quarts, make sure your drain pan is large enough.

 

Hey, another new owner on the forum here! Had my 04 for a couple of months now and just had the same exact thing happen to me that the original poster had. I think it was the purolator in my situation. It must be total trash because I know how to change an oil filter, and know I had the rings in the right place ect. Perhaps its to do with the rings being thin as mentioned already here.

Anyway, I have to get the belt back on asap, luckily it fell off seconds after pulling out of my driveway and sustained no damage. Has anyone else here had to put their belt back on their own? Just looking for advice because I've never put a belt on any car before and I can't afford/even get to a repair shop. I think I just have to loop it back in through the order listed in the serice diagram apkano posted and then move the tensioner pulley to get the belt to fit on the last step. Basically wondering how to move the tensioner pulley, if I need certain tools, or if I'm just an idiot who's completely off on the process.... cause yeah... my xfire is my sole mode of transportation and I'm a long ways from a shop, haha. Thanks guys! oh, and I just bolded the question cause my post was sort of long and everone skips drawn out posts in forums from new guys right

 

Just use a socket wrench and put the socket on the bolt that holds the pully, then simply use the wrench handle as a lever to compress the pulley enough to get the belt around it.

 

Wow, not only quick response, but totally just solved my problem! Read all last night about the process of moving the tensioner pulley and for some reason none of it quite clicked until you said to latch on and use your tool as a lever. I thought (from stuff I was reading) that one of the pulleys would either just move with a small amount of force or would require a locking key that could be various sizes to physically take it off, all dependent on your car. My horrible and confused interpretation. Now I get it though... the pulley will have the "key" of some sort, either a bolt like the crossfire or I read stuff like hex drive slots, and then, to move it, you apply pressure. Socket over bolt, handle as lever, push down, slip on belt, release.

Your post was the missing link. Very much appreciated sir.

 

Damn... just went outside and failed again. Apparently I still have no idea.

Here's what I'm assuming: there is a pulley that has like a mini shock arm (don't know the technical term) coming out up and to the left of it. I believe its pulley number 7 on apkano's diagram. This is the tensioner? There is a bolt directly left of it. I believe this bolt to be my objective, and way of moving the pulley.

Here's the problem: I don't know if it just turns like any other bolt to unlock the pulley or is welded in place so that it can be latched onto and a tool can serve as a lever where force will move the entire assembly. Not sure if that makes sense, but the difference would be huge. If its a turning bolt, it could be either a righty or lefty and I would have to know as to not shear it clear off by accident, which is what would happen if I was just forcing the hell out of it assuming its not supposed to move but work as said lever mechanism to move entire assembly.

Is there somewhere online I can go that would have the exact procedure specific to the Crossfire? Like: this is the order of pulleys, x pulley is the tensioner, its bolt size is y, turn y-bolt counterclockwise z number of times....

 

Redxfire go here,
http://www.majormotorshotrods.com/_d...ice_Manual.pdf

once there go to section 7 (which is the cooling section), once in section 7 go to page 82 (that is the table of contents for accessory drive), once there you will see a lot of information about everything your looking at pertaining to the drive belt, read up on all this, but the page your looking for is page 94. The link I gave you is at the top of the SRT section in this forum thanks to MMZ Timelord, there are a bunch of documents in that same thread (it's sticky'd).

 

Did you completely clean all the pulleys and belt? They will have to be oil free or the belt will slip off everytime.

 

Thanks for this thread. Exact same thing happened to me except it was an oil change at a dealership. I'm taking it in tomorrow and can direct them here to show them what went wrong.

 

 

Thanks. Showed the description/picture to the service manager. Got the car back today. They washed the car for my trouble, guess it's one way to get the brake dust cleaned.