The 2003 Honda Element is a versatile and durable vehicle designed to handle the unexpected. Like any good adventure vehicle though, it needs a little care and attention now and then. And to take proper care of your car, you’ll need to know its engine oil capacity.

If you want to keep your ‘03 Element rolling, and not break the bank doing so, you might want to consider handling your future oil changes at home. It’s pretty easy to do once you know the right oil type and engine oil capacity.

Luckily, you can find that information and more right here!

Jerry

, the brokerage super app and

car insurance

savings expert—has prepared everything that you’ll need! Read through this article, and you’ll be changing your own oil in no time. And if you stick around till the end, you could find out how to reduce your

Honda Element insurance costs

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2003 Honda Element engine oil capacity

Let’s start from the top. As the title of this article suggests, the key piece of information you’ll need is how much oil your car’s engine needs. For the 2003 Honda Element, you’ll need exactly 4.4 quarts of oil.

Without this information, you would very likely add too little oil—which would lead to excess engine friction, overheating, and possibly a seized engine.

Either that, or you’d add too much, which would bring the oil in your pan into contact with the crankshaft. The shaft would agitate and churn the oil into a froth, which would then no longer function to lubricate and cool the engine—once again leading to friction, overheating, and catastrophic engine damage.

MORE:

How much does it cost to fix a seized engine?

What kind of oil does a 2003 Honda Element need?

So, we know that the ‘03 Element need 4.4 quarts of motor oil and we know why it’s so important that it gets just the right amount. Now it’s time to run out and buy our 4.4 quarts and get started with an oil change, right? Well, no—not just yet. There’s still more to learn.

When you buy replacement oil, it needs to be just the

right kind of engine oil

. It’s important that you use only motor oil with the approved viscosity rating—which for the 2003 Honda Element is 5W-20. Otherwise, you guessed it, the damage to your engine could be severe.

If you’re wondering what that 5W-20 rating actually means, it just indicates that the oil needs to have a viscosity level of 5 at winter temperatures (0°F) and a rating of 20 at normal operating temperature (212°F)—but you probably won’t ever need to know that. The important thing is just to make sure that you’re always using oil with that rating.

Here are a few examples of great motor oil products that would work:

The genuine article: It’s always a safe bet to go with the brand that the vehicle manufacturer recommends. In the case of the Honda Element, that would be the

Honda Genuine 5W-20 oil

that Honda makes itself.

For high-mileage vehicles: Given the age of the 03s, there’s a good chance your Element has a few miles on it by now.

Mobil 1’s High Mileage 5W-20

is great for more worn-out engines.

Good on a budget:

STP’s 5W-20

oil is compatible with the ‘03 Element. It’s not quite as high a quality, but you can usually get it for a significantly lower price. Fair warning, it’s

conventional oil

, not a synthetic—so it’ll be harder on your engine and require more frequent changes.

MORE:

Ultimate FRAM oil filter guide

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How often to change the oil in a 2003 Honda Element

You’ll need to change the oil in your 2003 Honda Element about every 7,500 miles. Unless you’ve made the switch from synthetic to conventional oil, in which case you’ll need to change it much more often (about every $3,500 miles).

You should also be on the lookout for any new strange sounds or smells coming from your engine—those can be a clue that you’re overdue for an oil change.

And remember to

check your oil

once a month for signs that it has been leaking and evidence of debris in the oil. Rub a bit of the oil between two fingers to see if it has a rough texture. All of those symptoms are indicators that it’s time for an oil change.

MORE:

Basic car maintenance schedule

How to change your oil and oil filter

Now that you have all the important details and specifications regarding your Element’s oil needs, it’s time to learn how to

change its oil

. The process is actually pretty easy. Plus, doing it yourself will save you about $140-$200 each year.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Make sure that you have the replacement oil and a fresh oil filter ready. Then, get a drain pan, a saleable plastic container (used shampoo bottles and old milk jugs work well), a clean rag, a socket wrench, and a filter wrench.

In a well-ventilated area (the garage is fine, just keep the door open), start your Honda’s engine and allow it to run for 5-10 minutes while it works up to normal operating temperature.

Once it’s warmed up, shut the engine off and pop the hood. Then, find the oil fill cap and remove it.

Slide underneath the engine bay and locate the oil drain bolt. Position the drain pan directly under the bolt and then remove it—the oil will begin draining immediately.

While the oil is draining, remove the old oil filter, then wait until it finishes draining. Once it’s done, install the new filter.

Replace the oil drain bolt and tighten it. Then, pour the old oil out of the drain pan and into the sealable container.

Congratulations! You’ve just successfully changed your own oil! It’s a good idea to run the engine for another few minutes at this point, just to make sure there aren’t any leaks.

And don’t forget to take your sealed bottle of old oil to a recycling center when you get a chance—disposing of it in any other way would be considered a crime in most states.

Don’t forget regular insurance policy maintenance

Changing your own oil is just one of many ways that you can work to reduce your

Honda car insurance costs

. Another great money-saving strategy is to use

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, the

trustworthy licensed broker app

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That way you can always identify and switch to the provider who is offering the best deal at that particulate moment. It’s a quick and simple trick, but it saves Jerry users an average of $800+ a year—that’s quite a bit more than how much you’ll save from changing your own oil.

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