I posted a few months back about changing oil myself on my 2018 XT and 2012 3.6R. I did it on 3.6R relatively easy, so now it is time for the 2018XT!
So I crawled under the car without jacking it up. I don't want to jack up my car for safety reason, and also I don't have the appropriate jack or ramp. First thing I notice is the XT clearance is not as much as my 3.6, but no problem since I can access the drain plug. So I used 6-point 14mm socket with a ratchet and a short extension. I tried to ensure that the socket fit snugly on the head, but the plug won't budge. And also I think my ratchet is kind of crappy, so it slipped three times.
After that I stopped because this is not a good sign and from the look of it, the plug hex head had been rounded off a little bit. I ordered an extra long 6-point wrench (Tekton), I preferred non flex as I'm afraid the flex-head will increase the chance of the wrench slipping of the plug, but that's all I can find for now. One problem with not having enough clearance under the car is that I cannot use my other hand to keep the wrench stay on the plug.
I took a picture of the plug (attached), and it shows that some damage is done, but it is not very bad and I think I still have chance to pull this off. I want to ask you guys' opinion on this. based on the way the plug look in the picture, should I try it again with my 6-point wrench? Or should I just take it to a garage/dealership? Thanks a lot!
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So I crawled under the car without jacking it up. I don't want to jack up my car for safety reason, and also I don't have the appropriate jack or ramp. First thing I notice is the XT clearance is not as much as my 3.6, but no problem since I can access the drain plug. So I used 6-point 14mm socket with a ratchet and a short extension. I tried to ensure that the socket fit snugly on the head, but the plug won't budge. And also I think my ratchet is kind of crappy, so it slipped three times.
After that I stopped because this is not a good sign and from the look of it, the plug hex head had been rounded off a little bit. I ordered an extra long 6-point wrench (Tekton), I preferred non flex as I'm afraid the flex-head will increase the chance of the wrench slipping of the plug, but that's all I can find for now. One problem with not having enough clearance under the car is that I cannot use my other hand to keep the wrench stay on the plug.
I took a picture of the plug (attached), and it shows that some damage is done, but it is not very bad and I think I still have chance to pull this off. I want to ask you guys' opinion on this. based on the way the plug look in the picture, should I try it again with my 6-point wrench? Or should I just take it to a garage/dealership? Thanks a lot!
