Well i got to say it was quite challenging, first off is the flap that is covering the oil drain plug and filter i find it very annoying as it gets in your way if your using ramps as a from to lift your car and working from the front and theirs this form padding that just paints your arm with black grease , second the oil filter cap, that sucker was stuck the hell in there i had to use a 2 foot long pipe to break it loose i suspect the dealer over tighten it as like they always do so with everything. Anyways new oil, new filter, and the engine is running like a kitten, way smoother when i first got the car, again I think the dealers used some wonky conventional oil. Oh and oil filters BUY THEM ONLINE AS I DID, i cant believe why is it so expansive $7.99 is the cheapest i found STP at Autozone and $10 at Walmart (fram) for one measly little filter, you would think the metal spin on oil filter would be more but it just seem so illogically opposite. Anyways that's my rant P.S. OK Toyota dealer are Cheap @$$...
I also just did my own oil and filter change and the oil filter housing cap was a real PTA to remove. This was courtesy of my dealer putting the o-ring on filter cap dry. Just a small amount of oil applied to the o-ring prevents this from being a problem. Next time it'll come of without the use of a 24" breaker bar. Leaving it to the professionals is sometimes a crap shoot, too. They should know better.
the Toyota dealers by me charge less than $5 for the oil filter. I just saw your PS I think they are good filters I have a few from auto parts stores fall apart on me, so I see no difference in quality.
I find that the Toyota recommended oil and filter are a good buy at my dealer. They have a customer discount if you purchased your car there. It's less than most after market products.
Yeah i soaked that oil filter cap o ring in oil, and I hand tighten it and a snug hopefully it wont give me the beans. I cant complain on Toyota's oil filter as the old one seems to hold up pretty well for what seems like its glue together at both ends, no crinkles, twist, stretch, or stress indications on the filter element after 5k miles and 5.5 months later.
After nearly 5 years of ownership, I finally did my own oil change and it was the simplest and cleanest oil change I ever did. The filter was under $4 at Walmart, and the oil comes in a 5-quart jug for around $24.
Hi All, Quick question. What guide do you follow to do an oil change? I've searched the forum but haven't found a guide on gen 3. Appreciate it much. Dealers charge $80 for oil (every 10k) and rotate tires (every 5k). Thanks, Ra I'm in mpg heaven
I thought my first oil change at 1200 miles was a piece of cake. I used that giant aluminum socket that fits the plastic cap and lifted my car with a floor jack and put stands under there for safety. I lifted it high enough so the plastic cover opened up and was out of the way. The only way that insulation pad would be greasy would be from a leak or some meathead spilling oil on it and not cleaning it up. I had purchased a few Toyota filters on eBay and Mobil 1 from Wally World. It would be even easier if a person had a pit or a lift in their garage/shop Mike
That would get her up higher in the air. I was always scared of ramps for fear of driving off them Mike
My last change didn't go well (7th). The cap was on very tight. I do not tighten very much, probably less then spec so it surprised me. I ended up rounding and breaking off some of the cap. Also had to tap on a tab to help loosen it (block of wood and hammer). I guess my point is, I am not sure if it is so much incompetence at the stealership, but perhaps a design that causes these caps to freeze on. In any case, I need to order up a new cap before my next change.
I think is the design that is faulty because its under the car and you dont have a good leverage position (if using jacks and ramps) to break them free, if they were to place the oil filter like how the German cars or recent Subaru dose them, by placing top side of the engine bay, it would made oil change so much more easier.
First, it's important to invest in the proper filter cap wrench/socket. Trying to remove the cap with anything else can lead to damage. Secondly, you must grease the o-ring to avoid future hassle when you do your next oil & filter service. Lastly, mark the housing and cap with a white marker (I used "WhiteOut") for a reference when you re torque the cap down. The cap should align to the index for the safety clip.
Thing is, prior to that, I did five changes with ease... that cap came right off. Something about that last change though. And our 11 Rolla has exactly the same system, cap everything (same engine) and I have yet to have any problem there either. Just did one today. Our Kia van had the housing on top of the engine too and that was a blessing, no pain, no mess. However the drain plug was still under so and was a hassle.
