Changing the oil in a 2006 Saturn Vue will help to prolong the life of the engine. The engine needs constant lubrication as it runs hot, and all the moving parts need to stay cool to keep from breaking down. After 5,000 miles, the oil will begin to break down and lose its lubricating qualities. Changing the filter will also be required to keep the oil fresh.
Allow the car to idle for five minutes. Ensure it is on a flat and level surface. Set the parking brake and turn the car off. The oil is easier to drain when it is warmed up.
Place a jack under the front of the car along the frame rail. Raise the car up and place jack stands under the pinch points in the door. If jack stands are not available, drive the car onto wheel ramps.
Place a drain pan under the engine. The engine's drain pan is on the bottom of the engine. Loosen the oil drain plug with a socket wrench. Allow all the oil to drain out of the drain pan. This may take 5 to 10 minutes to fully drain. Tighten the drain plug back onto the drain pan.
Crawl out from under the car and pull the hood release latch in the car to access the engine compartment. Locate the oil filter housing next to the battery.
Open the canister with a socket wrench. The filter will be attached to the cover. Pull the old filter off and replace with the new filter. Tighten the cap back onto the filter housing.
Pour four quarts of 5w20 engine oil into the engine. The oil fill cap is located on the top of the engine.
Screw the engine fill cap back onto the top of the engine. Start the car and pull it off the wheel ramps. If the car is on jack stands, raise the car high enough to pull the jack stands out from under the vehicle. Lower the car to the ground. Turn the car off.
Check the oil by pulling the dipstick out of the tube. The dipstick is located by the oil fill cap. Wipe the dipstick clean. Insert back into the tube. Pull the dipstick out and verify the level by seeing where the oil stops on the dipstick. If it does not stop at the full mark on the dipstick, use a fifth quart of oil and fill at half-quart intervals. Check the level again. Repeat until the level is full.
Ensure the oil cap is screwed in place and the dipstick is back in the tube. Close the hood.
