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Goddamn F*%KING oil filter. EDIT: THanks ATOT! :D

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NEVER USE A WRENCH TO PUT ON A OIL FILTER.

A Oil filter just needs to be snug and then another1/8 to 1/4 of a turn. Anything more than that and you are asking for a BIG headache. And I have gone to some of my customers cars just like yours and they would tell me no I didn't use a wrench even though I know they could not have gotton it on that tight by hand
rolleye.gif


 
Originally posted by: vi_edit
I've never had an oil change last more than 10-15 mins on my car It's too easy on my car, everything's within reach, don't even have to jack the car up to drain the oil.
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My longest part about changing the oil on my camry is waiting for the oil to drain. The oil filter is just sitting out wide open the top side of the engine and very easy to get to.

The passat is a different story. There's this plastic shield that goes on the bottom of the engine bay that is an absolute PITA to take off and put back on every time you change the oil. Once you get that skirt off, it's a synch, but then putting it back on the right way is a challenge.
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vi_edit, I had a similar situation with my Dodge Status. There was a plastic shroud that partially obstructed the oil filter ... until I got out my utility knife for some post-factory modifications. You might consider doing a minor modification if it isn't too much plastic to cut. Small cuts are quite easy - and do make your life better when it comes to future oil changes by not having the hassle of the extra plastic.
 
vi_edit, I had a similar situation with my Dodge Status. There was a plastic shroud that partially obstructed the oil filter ... until I got out my utility knife for some post-factory modifications. You might consider doing a minor modification if it isn't too much plastic to cut. Small cuts are quite easy - and do make your life better when it comes to future oil changes by not having the hassle of the extra plastic.
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Well, not only is the oil filter itself covered by the plastic shield, but the oil pain and drain plug are a too. It'd take quite a chop job to make it work. At that point I'm just better off leaving the shield off forever. One that that is nice from it, is the shield helped me locate a coolant leak. So that was actually one unexpected, but helpful side effect 🙂

The plastic shield is roughly 2/3 the size of the hood and covers the entire bottom of the engine bay. The whole thing is a solid piece of plastic that has to be removed.
 
hopefully, it wasn't Skoorb.)
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We can hope, but alas our hopes are dashed, for it was I. I thought it should be turned 1/4 past when you can't turn anymore by hand. Not sure why I thoguht that but I torqued it on good with the filter wrench last time. This time I only did it with hand, so getting it off should be significantly easier. Lesson learned 🙂

And in regards to quality I had my last oil change on the sentra done at a nissan dealer and they overfilled it significantly. It takes exactly 3 quarts, so they didn't even bother to measure accurately at all.

I briefly looked at the maxima and am wondering if it has that silly skirt that vi_edit mentioned.

THing about the sentra is the bitch is so small that anything peculiar - like putting a screwdriver into the filter and turning it - is a hellish operation because the thing is so confined.
 
THing about the sentra is the bitch is so small that anything peculiar - like putting a screwdriver into the filter and turning it - is a hellish operation because the thing is so confined.
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Yeh, the filter on the camry is dinky too. Take a campbells soup can (the small ones) and cut it in half. That's all the bigger the filter is.
 
my 4.0L's oil filter isnt too bad to get to but the thing is right next to the oil sending unit, which, if bashed with anything, stops working and my oil pressure gauge jumps to 80PSI all the time. My 5.2L is much easier to get to and my 2.0L is a pain in the butt since i have to jack it up to get to it.
 
My Subaru Legacy has the easiest oil filter to get to I have ever seen. It hangs straight down in a wide open space at the front of the engine. Contrast that with the one in my Ford Windstar that is angled and obscured by a crossmember so there is now way to remove it without getting oil all over everything. Absolute dumbest design I have seen to date.
 
Mine is 5 inches away from the oil drain plug, nothing to reach around, nothing to dump on, twist and drop into the bucket 😀
 
Contrast that with the one in my Ford Windstar that is angled and obscured by a crossmember so there is now way to remove it without getting oil all over everything. Absolute dumbest design I have seen to date.
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Try changing the oil on a late model Ford Escort. IMPOSSIBLE!!!! WORST. ENGINEERING. EVAR!

For starters, the drain plug is about 1/2 an inch from part of the frame. Can't fit a standard socket wrench on it because the frame prohibits the top of the wrench from reaching the plug. I couldn't even get a normal hand wrench to fit up there well without stripping out the plug. And then, to add gasoline to the fire, you have to bury your arm up the to elbow reaching down inside of the engine bay snaking around 4 different hoses and belts to even get to the filter.

GAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I pulled my buddies escort up on the ramps, looked at the oil filter, tried getting to the oil plug and said fuggit after about 5 minutes. I'll let somebody else bust their knuckles working on it.
 
For starters, the drain plug is about 1/2 an inch from part of the frame. Can't fit a standard socket wrench on it because the frame prohibits the top of the wrench from reaching the plug. I couldn't even get a normal hand wrench to fit up there well without stripping out the plug.
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Christ I hate designs like that! I thought that the rear speaker housings on the sentra were built by satanic monkeys as well.
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
For starters, the drain plug is about 1/2 an inch from part of the frame. Can't fit a standard socket wrench on it because the frame prohibits the top of the wrench from reaching the plug. I couldn't even get a normal hand wrench to fit up there well without stripping out the plug.
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Christ I hate designs like that! I thought that the rear speaker housings on the sentra were built by satanic monkeys as well.
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I've got the fuel and air filters from HELL. You're not alone.

-PAB
 
Speaking of hard to change Ford, I think someone mentioned the contour? thats the 3.0 right? I looked at a 3.0 in a Ranger... no thanks, if I owned that I would take it to Grease Monkey 😉
 
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FRAM now has oil filters with some sort of grip material that makes it easier to turn. It looks like very wrinkly dried paint, and is VERY rough. Even with oily hands, it is a cinch to grab and turn.

It's called something like SureGrip, I think.
 
Originally posted by: teddymines
FRAM now has oil filters with some sort of grip material that makes it easier to turn. It looks like very wrinkly dried paint, and is VERY rough. Even with oily hands, it is a cinch to grab and turn.

It's called something like SureGrip, I think.
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It was a fram oil filter, but the damn thing was on so hard that the filter lost its strength and the gash appeared. The sure grip stuff is nice though!
 
Mew and my crappy American car, where it takes all of 30 seconds to get the oil filter off...

That's assuming I didn't install it torqued to 80ft/lbs 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: teddymines
FRAM now has oil filters with some sort of grip material that makes it easier to turn. It looks like very wrinkly dried paint, and is VERY rough. Even with oily hands, it is a cinch to grab and turn.

It's called something like SureGrip, I think.
Click to expand...
It was a fram oil filter, but the damn thing was on so hard that the filter lost its strength and the gash appeared. The sure grip stuff is nice though!
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Did it get the gash from using a wrench or your bare hands? I've found that using bare hands is best because it will be only slightly tighter when you go to take it off. I've switched to the SureGrip filters for good now.

 
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