[Wavey]

I just did the first oil change on my '17 SV 4.0. I found myself making up new cusswords and asking "Who the #@&% designed this?!?" It would have been nice if they had made the access panel large enough for actual human adult male hands. Plus the panel and drain funnel thing were manufactured with razor-sharp edges.

Is there any reason to NOT remove that front pan and leave it off? If it has to be there, I'll pull it, enlarge the hole and make a new cover. What a giant PIA.

OK, rant over. Otherwise I am loving this truck in almost every way! Wish the bed was a bit longer and the seats had better lumbar support, but otherwise very happy. Nissan built a lot of bang-for-the-buck in these trucks.

 

[raine]

Well it's there to keep your oil filter and lower radiator parts from being exposed. Keep it on or risk one day getting some random rock or debris puncturing your oil filter and/or radiator.

And BTW the front skid comes off completely in 1 minute by removing about six 10mm bolts. That panel up front is to drain the oil, you're supposed to reach behind the front skid from the side to remove/replace the oil filter. You made up a bunch of new cusswords for nothing. lol

 

[Clint]

Put door edge molding or slit a length of rubber hose to cover the sharp edges. Enjoy the truck.

Clint

 

[Ryno_7]

I turn my wheels all the way to the right and reach through the wheel well.

 

[AndysLog]

i reach through the wheel well too. super easy. i think the drip pan is a complete joke though.

 

[mtaylor]

Going through the wheel well is the best way to avoid injuring tendons in your wrist.

 

[Calder]

I usually reach around the front wheel as well. Only remove the hatch to keep used oil from sitting on top of the skid plate.

There's no lumbar support lever anymore? I know your truck is both newer, and higher trim than mine ('10 P4X) but mine has a little lever mid way up the right side of the seat that flips 90* ccw from drivers perspective to adjust the lumbar support. I love that little lever, didn't find it for a solid year! haha

 

[Wavey]

Yeah, I tried the side access and still had problems, but I'll turn the wheels and give it a try again next time. Thought about dropping the whole apron too, good idea. You guys must have little girly hands. HA! But thanks for the suggestions, and who couldn't use more cuss words, huh?

The new SVs don't have lumbar now, it's only in the next level with leather seats. But I had a hand-pump bag from an old Recarro seat and I installed that. Super easy because the seat backs zip open to allow access to the side airbags, heaters, etc. The lumbar bag squeezed right between the seat springs and the foam, and a couple of zip ties hold it in place. Routed the tube and hand pump to the console area and problem solved.

 

[invasion08]

You have to go through the side. That cover only comes off to let the oil drain out of, not to stick your hand up there.

 

[mdashoot]

Pull the whole skid off. I made my own schute out of an empty gallon antifreeze container that I stick in between the filter and that metal schute. No mess at all.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[Wavey]

Thinking about modifying it to hinge down and to be retained with a couple of lynch pins or Dzus fasteners. Shouldn't be too hard to fabricate, as long as it didn't rattle.

 

[mtyler11]

I just did the first oil change on my '17 SV 4.0. I found myself making up new cusswords and asking "Who the #@&% designed this?!?" It would have been nice if they had made the access panel large enough for actual human adult male hands. Plus the panel and drain funnel thing were manufactured with razor-sharp edges.

Is there any reason to NOT remove that front pan and leave it off? If it has to be there, I'll pull it, enlarge the hole and make a new cover. What a giant PIA.

OK, rant over. Otherwise I am loving this truck in almost every way! Wish the bed was a bit longer and the seats had better lumbar support, but otherwise very happy. Nissan built a lot of bang-for-the-buck in these trucks.

Only time you might take the skid off is if you buy an aftermarket skid. Attack from side (wheelwell). Didn't think the SV ever had lumbar. Its always been a ProX/SL thing. One thing that makes me jealous of the Xterra, mid trim has adjustable seat.

 

[Junior9]

I just did the first oil change on my '17 SV 4.0. I found myself making up new cusswords and asking "Who the #@&% designed this?!?" It would have been nice if they had made the access panel large enough for actual human adult male hands. Plus the panel and drain funnel thing were manufactured with razor-sharp edges.

Is there any reason to NOT remove that front pan and leave it off? If it has to be there, I'll pull it, enlarge the hole and make a new cover. What a giant PIA.

OK, rant over. Otherwise I am loving this truck in almost every way! Wish the bed was a bit longer and the seats had better lumbar support, but otherwise very happy. Nissan built a lot of bang-for-the-buck in these trucks.

My first oil change, I tore all that garbage off. Plastic lower valance and the factory "skid plate". In hindsight, I've taken off quite a few useless plastic pieces. Mudflaps are trash, tore off the factory nerf bars, etc. Nissan gave a good starting point. I perfected it in my garage.

 

[Dark Night 18]

Only time you might take the skid off is if you buy an aftermarket skid. Attack from side (wheelwell). Didn't think the SV ever had lumbar. Its always been a ProX/SL thing. One thing that makes me jealous of the Xterra, mid trim has adjustable seat.

I have an 06 SV with no lumbar support. On long trips north it would be nice to have. Oh Well, perhaps in my next one in say 5-6 yrs. I like the idea of the hand pumped support.

 

[nmum]

I agree with the others.

I think the general thought/thinking is that access panel is just to drain the oil filter not to access it. I used to cut my wrists on there all the time.

Others on this board have suggested turning the wheels to make it easier to access through the side of the skid plate. I forget to do this the majority of the time but haven't any issues accessing the filter from the side with the wheels straight.

The other tip from this board, if you're not already doing it, is to first unscrew the oil filter a little bit to let the oil trickle out slowly down that little ramp. The once that drain slows down, unscrew it a little bit more to keep the flow going until it stops and you can remove the filter all the way. Otherwise oil will overflow that ramp and get all over the skid plate and everywhere. I tend to get impatient about this step but actually did it this more recent time.

Whether or not a skid plate is required is probably debatable. Don't some lower levels of trucks and SUVs not come with skid plates? If you go offroading, it's probably a have to have. I still think it's a nice to have even if you don't go offroading though.

Glad you like the truck!

 

[Burt]

Ive been doing oil changes since 06 on my 2007 frontier, its the easiest thing ever and ive never ever taken off the access panel before. You can take the filter off I think in a crouched position.

 

[Wavey]

Thanks guys - I'll give all this a try next time.

 

[jamesr90]

mdashoot,
Could you post a photo of your modified antifreeze container schute?

 

[mtyler11]

... Whether or not a skid plate is required is probably debatable. Don't some lower levels of trucks and SUVs not come with skid plates? If you go offroading, it's probably a have to have. I still think it's a nice to have even if you don't go offroading though...

depends on your use, but the radiator hangs a bit low & unprotected without one. It may not protect from rocks or stumps but it keeps away the sticks & gravel. And that stuff will hole a rad just as well as a boulder, but you are more likely to find sticks & gravel even on roads...

mdashoot,
Could you post a photo of your modified antifreeze container schute?

I use one of these foldable funnels

 

[Clint]

Ive been doing oil changes since 06 on my 2007 frontier, its the easiest thing ever and ive never ever taken off the access panel before. You can take the filter off I think in a crouched position.

So the oil pours all over the back side of the pan? You have to drip oil wherever you're parked for a while.