Oil change WTF???

alchik

alchik

New member
Well, I decided to change my oil the other day. First time on a 4Runner. Decide to go with Mobil 1 synthetic and just synthetic all the way around for transmission/drivetrain. Anyway, after draining my oil I start looking for the Oil filter. I look high and low plus side to side and then decide to look from below. No oil filter. So I decide to take off the skidplate and look. Well, lo and behold there is the errant oil filter. Not only is it hidden it's installed in this ass backward angle! Getting the thing off almost gave me an oil shampoo! This has given me second thoughts about doing this myself again. I'm I the only one that's annoyed by this? Jeez..... At least I eventually got it done!

Mostly rant vs any question....
 
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It is definitely a lame location for an oil filter, a few people have relocated them to a better, more accessible location.
 
Changed mine for the first time last night, Shell 5w-30 non-syn, oil everywhere i didnt line the floor well enough and forgot to vent the oil pan, my dad laughed at me.
 
alchik said:
Well, I decided to change my oil the other day. First time on a 4Runner. Decide to go with Mobil 1 synthetic and just synthetic all the way around for transmission/drivetrain. Anyway, after draining my oil I start looking for the Oil filter. I look high and low plus side to side and then decide to look from below. No oil filter. So I decide to take off the skidplate and look. Well, lo and behold there is the errant oil filter. Not only is it hidden it's installed in this ass backward angle! Getting the thing off almost gave me an oil shampoo! This has given me second thoughts about doing this myself again. I'm I the only one that's annoyed by this? Jeez..... At least I eventually got it done!

Mostly rant vs any question....
Click to expand...

If you liked chainging your oil Just wait untill you have to change your starter!
 
It is the worse location for the filter in any car I have owned. Recently, last year, they changed the filter at Toyota and my old oil wrench won't fit. I had to go out to quite a few stores to find the right "new" oil wrench. I curse a few times, everytime I change the oil filter in my 3rd gen.

Now if they only had it like the 4th generation model. (Here is a picture of my 4th gen. model. Note the nice shining yellow filter, right on top. As in easy to get to....)
 

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I find the 3rd gen 4runner very easy to change the oil, I don't have to jack it up or get on ramps. If you turn your front wheels to the full left position and look threw the side skirt you get full access to the goods :wink2:
 
yes the oil filter spot sucks just turn the wheel all the way to the left pull the rubber slash guard off ive never had to take the skid plate off now the 3.0L is way worse
 
Houston said:
I find the 3rd gen 4runner very easy to change the oil, I don't have to jack it up or get on ramps. If you turn your front wheels to the full left position and look threw the side skirt you get full access to the goods :wink2:
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Elton H said:
yes the oil filter spot sucks just turn the wheel all the way to the left pull the rubber slash guard off ive never had to take the skid plate off now the 3.0L is way worse
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How do you get it off? Do you use one hand and after it is loose, you grap it, loosen it some more and pull it through the skirt?

Right now, I use one hand through the middle and one hand through the skirt, oh yes I have to curse a few times and it comes off.
 
peter78 said:
It is the worse location for the filter in any car I have owned. Recently, last year, they changed the filter at Toyota and my old oil wrench won't fit. I had to go out to quite a few stores to find the right "new" oil wrench. I curse a few times, everytime I change the oil filter in my 3rd gen.

Now if they only had it like the 4th generation model. (Here is a picture of my 4th gen. model. Note the nice shining yellow filter, right on top. As in easy to get to....)
Click to expand...

yeah, I see it's at an odd angle too but at least you can get to it.

I did notice I could sorta get to mine from the fender mud guard but I couldn't get a good enough grip or get the wrench in there. I had to go through the bottom and one hand up through the fender mud guard.
At least if I do decide to do it again I'll know where it is and what to expect so it would go much quicker.
 
I use a filter wrench that I put in from the top, then actually loosen it through the wheel well. An 1/8 of a turn with the wrench gets it lose enough to do the rest by hand. First time ever it totally sux, but now I've got it down to a five minute job.
 
the oil filter shouldn't be on tighter than what you can screw off with some rubber coated gloves! my god lol
 
IMO, if you're needing a filter wrench, you put it on too tight.

I find the 3rd gen filter one of the easiest to do. Guess you guys never worked on Honda's. They're not bad either, but definitely more hassle than the 4Runner. Also, on the new Tundra's, you HAVE to drop the skids to get to it. I wouldn't call 3rd gens hard by any stretch of the meaning. I just have the wheel turned slightly, reach through and pull out. Easy peasy.

And good suggestion above on the rubber coated gloves.
 
rdgt4r said:
the oil filter shouldn't be on tighter than what you can screw off with some rubber coated gloves! my god lol
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Actually, there are pretty specific instructions on how tight to screw the filter in. I prefer to follow those guidelines rather than guessing how tight it will be in the future. As I'm sure you'll agree, over time they can sometimes become harder to break free than simply twisting with your hands.
 
jeez, you complain about getting to it, that was easy, i didnt even turn the wheel, the annoying part was all the oil that spilled all over the skidplate
 
filter wrench on a universal joint, with an extender hooked into my drill on a low torque setting. presto chango, filter is off
 
JohnsD90 said:
jeez, you complain about getting to it, that was easy, i didnt even turn the wheel, the annoying part was all the oil that spilled all over the skidplate
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I unbolted my skidplate and it made the whole thing so much easier. It wasn't hard and it cleared a lot of space. Well worth the extra 5-10 minutes. With a cordless impact, it took my 2 min. I then spent a whole lot of time cleaning it up and making it shiny again after 10+ years of grime and grease from the previous owner.
 
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