The 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4.0-liter engine is a powerful vehicle that requires proper maintenance to keep it in excellent condition after all these years and following a

basic maintenance schedule

is the easiest way to do that. However, nobody said vehicle maintenance was cheap.

That’s why many vehicle owners decide to perform some of the simpler car maintenance tasks, such as oil changes, at home to cut costs and you can too! You’ll just need your 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 engine oil capacity and oil type to get started.

We’ll cover that and step-by-step instructions for your 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 oil change in this

car repair

guide. Let’s begin!

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2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 engine oil capacity

Before you can change your Grand Cherokee engine oil, you’ll need to know the amount of oil you need to fill your vehicle’s engine or engine oil capacity.

The 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 engine oil capacity is 6 quarts or 5.7 liters, with a filter. You can also check your

owner’s manual

for the engine oil capacity, but make sure you aren’t getting your engine’s displacement instead. That spec indicates the volume of cylinders rather than how much oil you’ll need to fill your engine.

The two specs will be denoted in the same way (quarts or liters) but beware: the engine oil capacity and engine displacement are not interchangeable and you’ll end up with the wrong quantity of oil if confused.

What kind of oil does a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 need?

Knowing the right type of oil to purchase for your engine is crucial when performing a do-it-yourself oil change. That’s right, not just any oil will do. The 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee's 4.0-liter engine requires either 5W-30 or 10W-30 full synthetic motor oil to run properly.

Both

5W-30

and

10W-30

grade engine oils have a low viscosity that performs well in cold weather and reduces wear on the engine. Now let’s break down what the engine oil grade actually means.

The “W” refers to winter and the numbers indicate the viscosity or thickness at different temperatures. The first number in the oil grade is the thickness of the oil at low starting temperatures while the second is the thickness at high operating temperatures.

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How often to change the oil on a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0

Jeep recommends changing the oil in your Grand Cherokee 4.0 every 7,500 to 10,000 miles for full synthetic motor oil while conventional oil will require more frequent oil changes—

every 3,500 to 5,000 miles.

Whether you use full synthetic or conventional oil on your 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 will affect how often you should perform an oil change, as will your driving habits and where you live. For instance, the average American drives 15,000 miles per year. If you drive more than that, you’ll need more frequent oil changes.

With such wide mileage ranges between recommended oil changes, it’s important to check your oil once a month or every other refuel for harmful contaminants and low levels. You should also keep an eye (and ear) out for these signs:

Engine oil that’s dark like the color of coffee instead of an amber or caramel color

Exhaust smoke

coming from your tailpipe

Sluggish performance

Illuminated

check engine light

oil pressure light

Coarse, gritty, or textured motor oil

You

smell oil in your car

or burning

Knocking sounds or

loud engine noises

Low oil levels

All of these are symptoms of bad engine oil and indicate that it is time for an oil change.

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Oil pressure light is on inspection cost

How to change your oil and oil filter

So your Grand Cherokee 4.0 needs an oil change but you want to save some cash. You’re in luck—changing your engine oil is a fairly straightforward process and one of the easiest car maintenance tasks you can tackle. You’ll just need a socket and filter wrench, a drain pan, a replacement filter, and 6 quarts of 5W-30 or 10W-30 full synthetic motor oil to get started.

First, warm up your Grand Cherokee by running your engine till it heats to normal operating temperatures. After about five minutes your engine should be warmed up and you can change your oil. Here’s how to do that:

Put the drain pan under the drain plug

Unscrew the oil cap

Using a wrench remove the drain plug and washer

Drain the oil into the drain pan

Replace the old filter with the new one

Clean and reinstall the drain plug and washer

Refill the engine with oil

Screw the oil cap on

After you’ve completed these steps, start your engine to make sure there aren’t any leaks, and use the dipstick to check your oil levels to wrap up your do-it-yourself oil change.

All that’s left to do is clean up! Just pour the old oil into a sealed container and check your local regulations to properly dispose of the contaminated oil.

MORE:

How long does an oil change take?

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