Owners of other Hyundai or Kia vehicles equipped with the Nu 1.8L or 2.0L engines such as the Elantra, Tucson, i30, i40, Optima Hybrid, K5 and the new 2014 Kia Soul may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The steps should be similar for the 2010-2011 Soul with the 1.6L Gamma or 2.0L Beta II engines and the 2012 to 2013 Soul with the 1.6L Gamma GDI or Diesel motors.

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands (or automotive ramps), a 17mm socket with a 3/8" or 1/2" drive ratchet, a used oil catch container, a new oil filter, an automotive funnel and 5 quarts of new SAE 5W-20 oil.

A few compatible replacement canister oil filters with their part numbers are as follows: Mobil 1 M1-104, K&N PS-1004, Fram PH9688, Purolator PL14459, Royal Purple 10-2808, Mahle OC 707, Pennzoil HPZ-37, Hastings LF565, Pennzoil PZ-37, Bosch 3312, Wix 51334, Mann-Filter ML 1002, ACDelco PF1127, Ecogard X4612 and Beck Arnley 041-8151.

Warming up the engine will help suspend any contaminants within the old oil and also allow it to drain out more quickly.

Then open the hood, twist off the oil filler cap in the counter clockwise direction and pull the yellow handled dipstick out a few inches.

Removing the oil filler cap and pulling up the dipstick will help prevent a vacuum from forming and also allow the old oil to drain out more quickly.

Raise the front of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with the two jack stands.

You may also choose to drive the car up on automotive service ramps.

Slide under the front passenger side of the vehicle with a 17mm socket, a 3/8" drive ratchet and a used oil catch basin.

The oil filter is located just in front of the oil pan.

Place the used oil catch container just below the oil drain bolt.

Loosen the oil drain plug by turning it counter clockwise with a 17mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet.

If your vehicle's drain plug is equipped with a crush washer, it should be replaced at every oil change.

Clean the area around the oil drain hole and spin in the drain bolt a few turns by hand to prevent it from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the oil drain bolt in the clockwise direction with the 17mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet to just past hand tight or about 25 ft-lbs of torque.

Note - The service manual's torque specification for tightening the 17mm oil drain bolt is 25.3 to 32.5 lb-ft (or 34.3 to 44.1 N*m).

Slide the used oil catch container forward to just below the old oil filter.

Spin off the old oil filter in the counter clockwise direction by hand or use an oil filter wrench such as the Lisle # 63600.

Allow the old oil to drain out from the oil filter receptacle for a few minutes.

I recommend buying the Mobil 1 M1-104 oil filter since it has excellent reviews on Amazon.

Dip your pinky finger in to some new SAE 5W-20 oil and lubricate the rubber o-ring gasket on the new oil filter.

Lubricating the gasket will help the oil filter to form a better seal, prevent oil leaks and make it easier to remove during the next oil change.

Clean the area around the oil filter receptacle and spin on the new filter in the clockwise direction to about 1/4 to 1/3 turn past hand tight.

Do not over tighten the new oil filter and do not use an oil filter wrench to tighten it. Over tightening the oil filter may damage the o-ring gasket and lead to oil leaks.

Double check that the oil drain bolt and new oil filter are tight before moving on to the next steps.

Lower the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack.

(The oil capacity for the 2012-2013 Soul with the 1.6L Gamma GDI for an oil change with filter replacement is 3.49 U.S. qts. or 3.3L.)

Please double check your owner's manual for the correct oil capacity for your vehicle.

Insert an automotive funnel in to the oil filler hole and pour in only about 3 3/4 to 4 quarts of new SAE 5W-20 oil.

It is far better to have slightly less oil than necessary in an engine than to overfill it. Running an engine that has been overfilled with oil can lead to damaged seals, gaskets or other components.

Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, re-insert it, pull it out again and check the oil level.

If necessary, slowly pour in more oil and repeatedly check the level on the dipstick until it reaches just at or below the top of the cross hatched area at the end of the dipstick.

You may not need to pour in the entire 4.23 U.S. quarts of new oil depending on how long you allowed the old oil to drain out.

Make sure the oil filler cap is securely in place and replace the dipstick.

Don't forget to record the oil change in your vehicle's service records.

For more, check out my other Kia Soul DIY Maintenance Guides.