Oil Filter Position on Cars

[LS6 Tommy]

What surprises me is that they still need to design and bring out new filters. You'd think there were enough different sizes and shapes now that there would be something on the shelf already... Now each new engine seems to need a new oil filter.

Please don't take this as another "bash the engineers" thing, but I notice unecessary change is becoming much more frequent, almost as if the people tasked with designing certain things are just making changes for the sake of change to set themselves up for pay increases. "Look! I made a NEW version!"

Tommy

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Serviced the wife and my cars this weekend.

Did you service her before or after your cars? After would certainly be a "slippery" service!

 

[Jeepster04]

So far all of the Jeeps Ive changed oil on have been fairly easy. They typically have a small funnel to channel the oil away from the filter if its in a tight spot. Ive done changes on a 3.7, 3.8, 4.0, 4.7, 5.7, 5.9(both AMC and Chrysler), and 6.1.

'14 honda accord 4 cylinder is pretty easy. Typical spin on but its upside down so very little spill.

My fathers 18 nissan altima takes the cake. Gotta take part of the inner fender lining out then it drains all over the sub frame.... Nice

 

[red61cj5]

Did you service her before or after your cars? After would certainly be a "slippery" service!

Damn, you beat me to it!

 

[HenryAZ]

Subarus have an upside down spin on next to the oil fill on the right front of the engine.

At least they were thoughtful enough to put a pan under the filter, to catch anything when you did spin it off. The Toyota 2F engine (FJ-40) had the filter in the same place and orientation, but without the pan. The filter did not drain easily when you drained the sump, so the best I could come up with was to punch a hole in the bottom of the filter (on top, as oriented), and that helped drain the filter. But not completely. I wrapped an old rag completely around the base of the spin on to catch the invariable run-out when you spun it off.

 

[Falcon67]

The 5.4L filter (F150 Crew) points out the front. Have to remove the air silencer and bend way over to get it loose, then it runs down part of the frame and misses the catch basin. The Fusion requires putting on the lift, finding lift points near the pinch welds for the extension posts, lifting to first lock, then removing a cover under the transaxle to get to the bitty filter. It's like $60 to have the dealer do the change it and it's worth every $. The F350 is a regular old 460 with the fliter out the side at an angle, standard stuff, standard Ford spillage but drips right into the catch basin.

 

[Deception]

Best vehicle that I have had to change oil on is my 99 s10 four banger, you can unscrew the filter from the top and it has an actual drain chute to divert the spilled oil so it doesn’t splatter all over the engine and frame. All you have to do is put the oil catch in the right spot and you can do everything from the top.

I also have a Toyota RAV4 which has a paper filter and it ***** because I make more of a mess than anything trying to change the filter...

I waste more paper towels on the Toyota than anything


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

my 92 sentra se-r has the same thing, but its in a tight spot.. i use the k&N filters for it since the little nut at the end makes it easier with a socket.. zero oil spilled though which is nice

 

[kbs2244]

I never heard of the disposable diaper idea before.
I like it.

 

[gtae07]

Hmm.

My old 93 Mustang was the best. I could change the oil on that without spilling a drop, no ramps required.

My 2013 C-Max hybrid, funnily enough, was pretty easy too. I needed ramps and there was a fairing to remove, but the oil filter came off without spilling. The drain plug was a bit of a hassle because something blocked it and meant I couldn't use a socket.

My 2005 F150 ***** sweaty hairy donkey balls. Not only does it drip all over the frame, but the first time I did it I didn't realize that the 5.4 actually comes with two different oil filter sizes but it's not marked anywhere. I got the wrong kind. To top it off, my new catch pan sprang a leak. That was a bad day. I scared some neighbor kids with the cursing and filter-throwing...

My 2016 Tucson isn't bad either; it's like the C-Max but the drain plug's easier to get to.

All use spin-on metal filters.


I still change my own oil, because it costs less and takes no more time than driving to and from somewhere to have it done. Even when we had free changes at the dealer I didn't bother; setting up the appointment, driving in, waiting an hour, etc. was a huge PITA. I can do it myself in the same time, including the drive to Walmart and back.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Great, I just bought a 2005 F150 5.4L!

 

[firebirdparts]

What surprises me is that they still need to design and bring out new filters.

I was going to mention this, but I figure nobody really cares. We went through a phase at my house where one filter fit everything I had, and it was happily the Motorcraft FL-1A.

There is no doubt that one oil filter attachment layout is enough for the whole world. It's just silly that they change those dimensions around in the past, let alone in the future.

 

[plinker]

Great, I just bought a 2005 F150 5.4L!

There not too bad, just put the pan straight under where the filter is and it'll go in the pan. Not sure why they put the stupid drain trough there on the front when it doesnt work.

 

[homeschool]

This^^^. A must have for the 6.5, especially if it's a 4*4. I went with the bypass kit when I relocated. Gotta love 40-50k miles between oil changes!

Edit: didn't quote for some reason. I was referring to the part where someone talked about relocation kits.

 

[rande]

I keep a roll of aluminum foil in the shop. It can make a funnel or ramp to avoid a mess.

Form-A-Funnel does the same thing but will hold its shape and is reusable. They work great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010BZ26EQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rande]

I'm a Toyota guy. Recent Toyotas have paper cartridge filters that hang down. This requires a bottom cap to be removed. Talk about oil f'n everywhere!!! OMG. On my 2017 Tundra truck I found a really nice (aircraft aluminum material) aftermarket cartridge cap that comes with a Fumoto valve in the cap to drain out all that cartridge cavern oil. YEA.

Where did you find the cap with valve? Everything I am finding is either the cap or the valve but not both.

 

[frank001]

Sounds like every BMW built since 1997, or possibly earlier. Yes, great design, but nothing really new.

My 1991 535i BMW was the same. Super easy.

Also my 2013 Mercedes C250 and my 2006 Mercedes Sprinter Van are very similar to the BMW with filter replaceable from the top. Just unscrew the cap and drop the new filter in.

 

[Worsedog]

Please don't take this as another "bash the engineers" thing, but I notice unecessary change is becoming much more frequent, almost as if the people tasked with designing certain things are just making changes for the sake of change to set themselves up for pay increases. "Look! I made a NEW version!"

Tommy

Right on point. My latest gripe is automotive fuses. Just how many different shapes do we really need?

 

[Nero]

If you have the time, punch a hole in the bottom of vertical mount filters. It'll save some of the mess and let it drain. I just wear my HF blue gloves, and wrap a rag around the filter to remove once it drains a bit. Toss the glove and the rag when you're done.


Ecotecs are about the easiest location, at least the 2.2/2.4 gen. The new ones in the cruze aren't terrible, just less room, especially on the 1.4 turbo. 2.5 ecotec is now back to a spin-on metal filter.


For ****** design, the finalists are:

GM 3.6, filter basically touches front manifold converter.
First gen of honda k20, wiring in the way, dumps directly onto axle boot, awkward.
Toyota 3.4 (and some abomination of a GM/suzuki V6 2.5 maybe?), buried on drivers side, obscured by diff and unibody.
Toyota v6/v8, COULD have been mounted horizontally, like the 1.8, but was not. Messy and hot.
Nissan VG/VQ RWD orientation. Tiny access hole, skid plate bolts snap off, impossible to clean without removing skid plate.
Honda earth dreams 2.4 and new R18. Stupid metal skid plate, held on with Phillips head bolts. The seize all the time, and lube-techs bend the metal shield all up.
Those VWs where you need triple square, and two different torx to drop the skid plate.
Goddamn LS engines with no room between the pan and the filter, so you have to use a band wrench, but the front driveshaft is in the way.

Those are the most current annoyances anyways.




Being that I work on cars, I would like easy to access filters. Being that the average car going 200k, at 5k intervals, is getting 40 LOFs, that the owners typically don't do..... they don't give a damn where they go. Luckily that's why lube techs exist.

Don't get me started on some of the places they bury crank sensors, or hide connectors so you can't reach them to backprobe.

Depending on the version of the GM 3.6, some of them have the filter underneath the car now (new Acadia for instance).