It's time to perform the 72k mile maintenance on the Cirrus. Because this car sees in-town driving almost exclusively, I change the oil every 3k miles.

I need parts: Oil, filter, washer fluid, and coolant. Since I noted at last service that my front brake pads were getting low, I'm going to replace them also.

I need tools. A floor jack and jack stands will get the car in the air. An electric impact wrench will take care of the wheel lug nuts. And I'll need a few wrenches and sockets as well.

I always start with the outside of the car first. Check the lights, signals, horn, and windshield washer and wiper blades.

Adding washer fluid to the reservoir.

The fluid level in the coolant reservoir has been virtually constant for years.

The radiator cap is located remotely from the radiator on this car.

I have a small tester to check the protection level of the coolant. In my case, I'm protected to 0 degrees F. In this part of the country, 0 degrees is fine. But it should be protected to -30 degrees F or thereabouts. I should probably change the coolant before winter.

Chrysler put the power steering reservoir in the most inconvenient place they could find.

The fluid level is full and looks pretty good.

the brake fluid level in the master cylinder is low because my front brake pads need replaced, which I'm doing today.

I replaced my air filter at the last service. So it's in great shape.

I like to check the oil level before I drain it. Being in the center of the operating range is always a good thing, as is the light brown color.

Since I don't have a vehicle lift at home, I have to use jack stands. Always support the vehicle on a solid part of the chassis, in this case, the front sway bar brackets.

In back, I am using the brackets for the rear suspension arms.

Removing the drain plug requires a 13 mm wrench. A small oil filter wrench will take care of the oil filter.

I've had this oil drain container for about 25 years now.

The process is pretty straight forward - remove the drain plug and try not to make a mess.

While the oil is draining is a great time to check out the underside of the car for anything out of the ordinary. I can see I have a small amount of seepage from the transmission pan, which is no big deal at the moment.

Everything looks good toward the back of the car.

This is the rear of the engine. The right front drive axle sits below the power steering pump. Everything is dry like it should be.

The same is true at the front of the engine. The a/c compressor looks good as does the front of the oil pan.

I'll let the oil continue to drain while I check the front wheel bearings. Grasping the wheel at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions and trying to move the wheel up and down should result in no vertical movement.

My front tires are in good shape with 6/32nds of tread remaining.

The rear tires are in good shape as well showing around 6/32nds of tread remaining.

An electric impact wrench has been one of the best investments for my home garage.

After removing the lug nuts, always place them somewhere where you can't accidentally kick them into the small but very powerful black hole that exists around the car. You can't see it, but believe me it's there.

All of my tires show a smooth tread wear pattern. A choppy pattern would indicate an alignment issue of some kind.

Once the oil pan has drained sufficiently, the oil filter can now be removed.

This is also a straight forward process - give it a twist and try not to make another mess.

I'll change the front brake pads while the oil filter is draining. Removing the two bolts from the brake caliper allows it to be slid out of the way.

I knew from last service that the front pads were getting low.

At 2/32nds of braking material remaining, it was time to change the pads.

The LR brakes are in good shape. I see no broken parts or leakage from the wheel cylinder.

The RR wheel cylinder, however, is starting to leak.

Seeing liquid while squeezing the rubber boots is a sign of leakage. It's not real bad yet, but the wheel cylinder needs to be replaced soon.

The rear brake shoes are in good shape. I've got about 3/32nds remaining, which is actually about 75%.

With all the brakes checked, I can now install the new oil filter. Be sure to lubricate the gasket with oil first.

The oil filter should be tightened by hand only.

I use a torque stick when reinstalling the wheels, in this case, 100 ft-lbs.

With the wheels installed, I can now fill the car with oil and start it to check for any leaks. This is also a good time to check the transmission fluid level. Since the car was cold, seeing the fluid level at the lower hole on the dipstick is fine.

ALWAYS check the oil level after changing it. Even if it calls for 5 quarts and you put 5 quarts in it, ALWAYS pull the dipstick and check the level.

And since I changed the front brake pads, I always check the fluid level in the master cylinder when I'm finished.