Oil filter cap stuck

[DeadPool]

Hey everybody

I wanted to make this thread to see what everybodies thoughts are on these issues I'm having and hopefully get it resolved. I went to do my oil change and I noticed underneath I'm missing 3 clips that attach the bumper to the plastic dust cover. Than I noticed that one of my skid plate bolts isn't tight the washer was loose when I fit the socket over the bolt. Turns out the bolt is stripped and so is the hole... okay no big deal right than I go to remove my oil filter cap only to find this thing will not budge I used two different torque wrenchs to get a idea of what kind of how tight it was installed. I set my clicker torque wrench to 30ft lbs and it clicks and the cap doesn't budge. I than used my old school torque wrench with the pin that moves and put about 80ft lbs and I'm still not able to get the cap to budge. My oil cap tool ended up spreading and jumping a notch that's how tight it was. I've done oil changes on this type of set up before on a Scion tC and yes the car was warmed up and yes the square 3/8s drive plug was removed and cap was drained before my attempt to pull the cap off.

TLDR

My oil filter cap has 80+ ft lbs of torque, stripped out skid plate bolt, missing 3 bumper clips.. last person to touch my car was the dealer when they performed the no cost maintenance at 20k miles. Going to call the dealer later today but I don't feel comfortable with them working on my car when they couldn't do a simple oil change. What are my options moving forward?

 

[4runr4eva]

Hey everybody

I wanted to make this thread to see what everybodies thoughts are on these issues I'm having and hopefully get it resolved. I went to do my oil change and I noticed underneath I'm missing 3 clips that attach the bumper to the plastic dust cover. Than I noticed that one of my skid plate bolts isn't tight the washer was loose when I fit the socket over the bolt. Turns out the bolt is stripped and so is the hole... okay no big deal right than I go to remove my oil filter cap only to find this thing will not budge I used two different torque wrenchs to get a idea of what kind of how tight it was installed. I set my clicker torque wrench to 30ft lbs and it clicks and the cap doesn't budge. I than used my old school torque wrench with the pin that moves and put about 80ft lbs and I'm still not able to get the cap to budge. My oil cap tool ended up spreading and jumping a notch that's how tight it was. I've done oil changes on this type of set up before on a Scion tC and yes the car was warmed up and yes the square 3/8s drive plug was removed and cap was drained before my attempt to pull the cap off.

TLDR

My oil filter cap has 80+ ft lbs of torque, stripped out skid plate bolt, missing 3 bumper clips.. last person to touch my car was the dealer when they performed the no cost maintenance at 20k miles. Going to call the dealer later today but I don't feel comfortable with them working on my car when they couldn't do a simple oil change. What are my options moving forward?

This is why I wont go to a dealer for an oil change. I have heard this time and time again. They just muscle everything on/off using an impact driver. Maybe time for an RCI skid plate with a trap door and a fumoto valve.

2010-16 Toyota 4-Runner Front Skid Plate

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Hey everybody

I wanted to make this thread to see what everybodies thoughts are on these issues I'm having and hopefully get it resolved. I went to do my oil change and I noticed underneath I'm missing 3 clips that attach the bumper to the plastic dust cover. Than I noticed that one of my skid plate bolts isn't tight the washer was loose when I fit the socket over the bolt. Turns out the bolt is stripped and so is the hole... okay no big deal right than I go to remove my oil filter cap only to find this thing will not budge I used two different torque wrenchs to get a idea of what kind of how tight it was installed. I set my clicker torque wrench to 30ft lbs and it clicks and the cap doesn't budge. I than used my old school torque wrench with the pin that moves and put about 80ft lbs and I'm still not able to get the cap to budge. My oil cap tool ended up spreading and jumping a notch that's how tight it was. I've done oil changes on this type of set up before on a Scion tC and yes the car was warmed up and yes the square 3/8s drive plug was removed and cap was drained before my attempt to pull the cap off.

TLDR

My oil filter cap has 80+ ft lbs of torque, stripped out skid plate bolt, missing 3 bumper clips.. last person to touch my car was the dealer when they performed the no cost maintenance at 20k miles. Going to call the dealer later today but I don't feel comfortable with them working on my car when they couldn't do a simple oil change. What are my options moving forward?

Are you turning it the right direction? Should be applying force counter clock wise, or with the wrench end pointed towards the front of the vehicle, going from driver's side to passenger side. They're big, plastic and fairly easy to remove.

 

[Lester Lugnut]

Given everything said in the opening post, I'm surprised the PLASTIC oil filter housing has not cracked/broken.

 

[Dillusion]

My wifes Highlander's filter was stuck on there good. Dealer had 2 years of free oil so why not right?

I had to find the deep tool that had the notches to hold on to the filter. My original tool did not have these notches and kept slipping.

 

[CavPro]

#toyotajiffylube

What are the chances if the dealer did all the oil changes, that the filter was never changed?

 

[Lester Lugnut]

#toyotajiffylube

What are the chances if the dealer did all the oil changes, that the filter was never changed?

It would scare people to know just how much work they pay for in a dealership that is charged for(any dealership - not just Toyota), but never done. This sort of thing is not limited to oil filters.

 

[nb rob]

Given everything said in the opening post, I'm surprised the PLASTIC oil filter housing has not cracked/broken.

I cracked a stuck one when removing it. The tool ripped the tabs right off it.

It was a total nightmare.

OP, Make the dealer fix that if they over torqued it. I should have. Instead I had a disabled 4Runner in my driveway for days while I removed the broken plastic housing in bits and pieces. It was a true worst case scenario.

I now have a metal housing, it is touched by only me, and I tighten it by hand only until the indicator lines up. HARD lesson learned.

 

[DeadPool]

Are you turning it the right direction? Should be applying force counter clock wise, or with the wrench end pointed towards the front of the vehicle, going from driver's side to passenger side. They're big, plastic and fairly easy to remove.

Soooo you're that guy huh.... yes I turned it the right way....

 

[YelloLab]

X2. This is why I will not go to the dealer either. Just not worth the headaches.

You may want to try a can of air duster. Turn the can upside down and spray the base of the oil filter so it freezes and shrinks the O-ring seal.

 

[DeadPool]

My wifes Highlander's filter was stuck on there good. Dealer had 2 years of free oil so why not right?

I had to find the deep tool that had the notches to hold on to the filter. My original tool did not have these notches and kept slipping.

Thank you I will definitely put this in my shopping cart

 

[DeadPool]

I cracked a stuck one when removing it. The tool ripped the tabs right off it.

It was a total nightmare.

OP, Make the dealer fix that if they over torqued it. I should have. Instead I had a disabled 4Runner in my driveway for days while I removed the broken plastic housing in bits and pieces. It was a true worst case scenario.

I now have a metal housing, it is touched by only me, and I tighten it by hand only until the indicator lines up. HARD lesson learned.

Where did you get the metal housing?

 

[DeadPool]

Given everything said in the opening post, I'm surprised the PLASTIC oil filter housing has not cracked/broken.

I'm very thankful that it didn't..

 

[nb rob]

Where did you get the metal housing?

I was literally stranded, and the local POS toyota dealer told me that a new plastic housing would take a week to get. (original conversation was: "oh, we'll get you one for tomorrow, rush delivery"... tomorrow came, I called, and it was as if that conversation never happened. It wasn't even ordered) So I called Napa and I got a doorman metal one which I intended to be for a limited use until I got a toyota replacement. They had one in a town 2 hours away, and they had it delivered within 4 hours.

Well, once it was installed, I decided i didn't need to replace it. I've done 3 oil changes since then, and it goes on and off buttery smooth. So I'm using the doorman replacement, and I have no issues with it.

I did file some burrs off of the threads when I received it. It sure didn't look pretty.
But the threads themselves do not see any pressure. The entire housing is designed to properly place the O ring, and there is not a lot of torque required to do so properly.

Toyota makes an aluminium filter housing that fits. I had intended to get it, but I probably won't now. There's some threads on this forum about the proper metal oil filter housing from Toyota.

TLDR: I use the doorman parts-store replacement. I wouldn't recommend it based on the look of the casting, but it's been working fine for me. At a fraction of the price of the OEM composite housing.

 

[mteolus]

I had Kwik Kar do my oil change. I asked them up front if having an RCI skid plate was a problem. They said no problem, we change oil in them all the time. Yea right.

They effed up the oil filter and it leaked oil all over the place, on both sides of the skid plate, on the outside of the diff skid plate, all over the driveway road etc. I ended up doing the entire damn oil change myself and the cleanup. After draining the oil it looked as if they didn't even do the oil change. From now on, I will be doing it myself. At least I know the oil and filter were actually changed. I am about to go ask for my money back so I'll see what happens.

If I were you, I would remove the skid plate and use a battery powered impact wrench without using any extension. I was able to get mine off, but if not I have an impact wrench that I would have used. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCF88...sr=8-4&keywords=battery+powered+impact+wrench

Also I bought the filter removal tool from Toyota for $40 at the dealership. The non-Toyota auto parts store won't have one. Make sure you use that.

One other note, there are two o-rings that come with the filter. The smaller one is hard to put on as it seems a bit bigger than where it is supposed to go. Keep working it until it is in there good and won't come out on it's own before you screw in the metal piece that goes on top of it.

The impact wrench won't be a one use tool if you have to buy one. I use it to remove my lug nuts quickly and easily. When on road trips I bring it with me.

 

[pDubs]

I cracked a stuck one when removing it. The tool ripped the tabs right off it.

It was a total nightmare.

OP, Make the dealer fix that if they over torqued it. I should have. Instead I had a disabled 4Runner in my driveway for days while I removed the broken plastic housing in bits and pieces. It was a true worst case scenario.

I now have a metal housing, it is touched by only me, and I tighten it by hand only until the indicator lines up. HARD lesson learned.

EXACT same thing happened to me. I actually broke the oil filter wrench tool, went and got a better quality one, then broke the plastic housing while it broke loose. Luckily I was able to it off, it was just cracked.

Truck was stranded for a few days while I waited on the metal housing to arrive.

This one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BHP68A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just swapped over the little metal cartidge piece in the middle. You just bend the little metal prongs to be able to spin the inner piece and remove, with spring. Then swap over and bend back. Super easy and oil changes have been 10x easier since.

 

[catrains]

Hey everybody


ya this is what happens . I would bring it back to dealership and show the pictures . then have them loosen the cap then torque it to 15ft lbs with a torque wrench .. why should you pay for the floor sweeper idiot mistakes ..

also have them fix that stripped bolt .

 

[renau001]

Have them fix, then never go back. What is tight? The center cap to gain access to the drain port or the whole housing.

 

[mteolus]

I guess there is a reason why the 4Runner doesn't come with the easy screw on oil filter like most vehicles?

 

[JAXJeremy]

great thread to be reading right before I go in for my complimentary 10K oil change...makes me just want to go ahead and do it myself..