Oil Change Door - Permanent Solution

The picture is of "Carhenge" in Alliance, Nebraska. We stopped there on a northwest U.S. road trip vacation that included Carhenge and a lot of the other wonderfull large and small sites of interest that abound in that part of the country, i.e: I-80 Archway, Mammoth Site, Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Black Hills, Sturgis Rally, Corn Palace, Wall Drug, etc. The Carhenge website is:

The official website for Carhenge

 

I appreciate your comments. Did you actually install the hinges?

I am also retired and have plenty of time. The only solution I know for too much stuff on the workbench is a bigger workbench. I am resisting the urge to get a bigger tool box, since it just perpetuates the process of getting more tools, then needing an even bigger tool box, etc.

 

It may be possible, but having done this job with the undercover removed, I do not recommend installing the hinges without removing the undercover for the following reasons:

• The undercover is easy to remove. Takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
• The rivet washers would be difficult, maybe impossible, to install without removing the undercover.The rivet washers are needed to insure the rivets do not eventually pull through the plastic.
• Rivets are a more reliable fastener for this application. Screws and nuts can loosen. Rivets also leave a smoother surface under the car that is not as likely to catch debris.
• The hinges need to be aligned with each other and the crease so the door opens and closes smoothly. Making sure the hinges are aligned would be difficult working on your back under the car.
• There are only two or three flat spots on the cover for hinge placement. You want to be sure you drill the holes accurately in the right locations the first time, which is easy with the cover removed and not so easy on your back under the car.
• All considered, I think the job takes less time, effort and you will achieve a better result with the undercover removed.

Don't let removal of the undercover discourage you from doing the job. Its really easy and you will be happy with the end result.

 

You can find lots of debate in other threads about whether to secure the door or just let it fall off, but this thread is more about how to prevent it from falling off. I think it is a good idea to keep the undercover/door intact because it is part of Toyota's system design to retain heat and improve undercar airflow, one of the many small improvements that helped Toyota increase the fuel efficiency of the G3 over the G2.

 

Glad to hear that the quick release hinges are working well for you.

I got the new improved undercover under the warranty-covered TSB and decided to again install hinges on it because although the new undercover is improved in several ways, it looks like the plastic hinge area will eventually crack and break. Also, the door was a pain, just like the old one, to open and bend back. However, this time I decided to use a continuous aluminum with stainless steel pin (piano) hinge because it covers the front edge of the door better than two or three small hinges. The hinge is 2.5" wide by 14" long, cut from a 72" piece (Stock no. AC065025050) I ordered from Northeast Hinge Distr., Inc. Continuous Hinges | Custom Continuous hinges | Stainless and Aluminum Continuous Hinges
Below are some pictures.

 

I am posting this update because the 2010 G3s are now approaching three years of service and many more will be losing their oil change access doors, especially as the outside temperature falls and the plastic undercover becomes cold and brittle.

Of the two types of hinges I tried, both operate well, but I like the continuous hinge in post#30 best because it secures the entire length of the hinge area.

 

Car lifts used to be bulky and expensive, but now you can get a good scissor lift for $1,000 to $1,500 and a two-post lift for under $3,000. The key issue is the ceiling height of your garage. You need about fourteen feet for a two post lift to raise the car so you can walk under it. I have only about ten feet ceiling height in my four-car garage so I opted for the scissor lift below.

Automotive Scissor Lift

I have used it to lift everything from my current Prius and Lincoln Town Car to VWs, Crown Vics, Buick LeSabre, Corolla, Camry and garden tractors. It has allowed me to do things like brakes, struts, air suspension, hitches, front axle replacement, etc. that are much more difficult or impossible without a lift. It has been a good investment and has more than paid for itself over the 10+ years I have had it. It is also very safe, much more so than ramps or jacks. A disadvantage of a scissor lift is that it blocks some of the underbody of the car, but that has never prevented me from doing what I needed to do.

If you have the ceiling height, the two-poster is the optimum choice, but a scissor lift is the next best thing.

 

Looks like a good hinge.

Earlier this year I had the misfortune to run over a large piece of truck tire tread on the interstate at about 70 mph. The tire tread made a direct hit on the hinge and oil change door. The hinge came through it with only a black mark and a slight deflection which I straightened easily by hand. The oil change door suffered no damage. A less secure attachment would have probably resulted in the oil change door being ripped off the undercover.

Hope the job goes well. Interested in seeing some pictures of the completed job.

 

I used the aluminum hinge, with a stainless steel pin, because I wanted to avoid adding a lot of extra weight to the undercover and having it sag below the car. However, I used the stronger stainless steel pin because it is more durable than an aluminum pin. We get a fair amount of salt and chemicals applied to our roads in the winter. The aluminum hinge has held up well without any corrosion. A stainless steel hinge and pin would also be a good choice, as long as it is lightweight. Let us know what you decide and post a report after you do it. Good luck.

 

I didn't consider mounting the hinge on the top side. If that works, it might be better. You would need to be sure the hinge operates correctly and might have to cut away part of the plastic hinge groove area to do that. The existing plastic hinge groove protrudes on the top side. I was more concerned with maintaining door to undercover fit and alignment, and having a tightly closing door after the hinge was installed.

Don't recall how much heavier the SS is over aluminum. You would need to determine that for the particular hinges you are considering.