How NOT to change oil......

**vaking** · 06-11-2012, 02:15 PM

I cannot say about Toyota - never had one. But I can speak for Chevy. It is easy to drain and to refill transmission fluid. But to change transmission fluid filter is a pain in the behind.

**woodturner** · 06-11-2012, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by durango dude

why the heck did Toyota make it dang near impossible to fill it back up????????

Normally it is re-filled through the dipstick tube - is this vehicle filled differently?

**durango dude** · 06-11-2012, 02:35 PM

Try to find a transmission dipstick on a Toyota Sequoia ---- and you'll look for a very long time....... (there is none --- Toyota figures you don't need it)

**Cochese** · 06-11-2012, 02:46 PM

That's a 'lifetime' (yeah, right) fluid on that, and I hear it's a **** sight expensive. I believe the plug is above the drain, and you'll need a pump to get it back in.

Here is a PDF for a 2005, which should be the same: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forum...ranoper-1-.pdf

**JimD** · 06-11-2012, 03:38 PM

I do an oil change event at my church most quarters. Saturns were bad for us for several years. They put a spin on filter on the transmission and have a drain plug for the transmission much easier to find than the corresponding filter and drain plug for the oil. Fortunately they weren't hard to refill. I caught a guy dumping his "oil" at the 55 gallon drum we use and commented it was awfully red, almost like transmission fluid. He crawled back under and guess what.... Another time I unscrewed a somewhat funny looking "oil" filter and saw red fluid start to drip out. I screwed it immediately back up tight and didn't loose enough to have to add.

It's kind of nice to have a drain plug and filter on the transmission but it also gives you a chance to mess up.

Our current "bad actor" is the GMs with the cannister filter and a plastic cap with a huge hex head. They bury this cannister at various points on the engine and sometimes it is not very accessable. There is a special wrench sold by GM for this and with it you can get it off pretty easily. The church bought one but now we can't find it. I bought a cheap Northern Hydraulic socket of the right size and it worked until they started putting the cap under the inlet manifold. Then my cheap socket was too tall. So I cut it down with an angle grinder. Still too tall for one car last time. I need to pick up a 1/2 rachet that is thin so I can use it instead of a 3/8 with adapter before the next event.

Jim

**T...K21** · 06-11-2012, 04:32 PM

Give your kid a big pat in the back. Most kids nowadays can't even change a tire not alone attempt to change oil in a rig.

I had a T100 with almost 250K on the od before I sold it. With proper maintenance...Toy pickups last.

**durango dude** · 06-11-2012, 05:17 PM

hey - he can change discs on the Wii ------ figure he can learn to change oil.

**greenacres2** · 06-11-2012, 07:07 PM

I use a mighty vac to pump oil out of the dipstick tube on both of our cars. Mine, an '02 MB C-230 has a cannister on top of the engine. I could (and have) changed oil in that car in a white dress shirt. On LOML's Scion xB ("The Toaster")--a Toyota product, is easy to evac the oil, but the oil filter is mounted vertically at the bottom of the engine--there is no way to remove the filter without dumping several ounces of oil which runs across the various suspension members that are below it. I get grungy just thinking about changing her oil.

At any rate--while an inconvenience for you, it was a great lesson for your son and when he sets out to do it on his own for the first time--he'll know. Great skill to teach.

earl

**Pappy** · 06-11-2012, 08:52 PM

Filter on my 5'9 Dodge is accessible but a bit of a pain. You have to work around the frame and exhaust pipe. The 4.0 Jeep I just got rid of was easy. Horizontal mounted on the side of the engine. You could change the filter standing up!

I haven't look at the filter location on the '99 Windstar yet. Picked up the oild and filter last weekend to get it switched over to Mobil 1.

My boys were both taught to maintain their cars.

**Cochese** · 06-11-2012, 09:28 PM

That I-6 filter is indeed a dream. One of the easiest I ever changed.

One of the worst was the filter on the 4 cyl Hondas of the last fifteen years or so. Back of the block, right next to the exhaust.

SBC's are in a nice spot too, no drips.

**cabinetman** · 06-12-2012, 06:32 AM

I don't change my vehicles oil anymore. No more crawling underneath, and having oil drip all over other parts. I do though change oil on my mower, edger, pressure washer, generator, and compressors. All of them need some assistance, like a funnel or an extension tube to keep drained oil off frame parts. Poor engineering IMO.

.

**JimD** · 06-12-2012, 06:46 AM

My son and daughter were both expected to change a tire but I don't think I asked my daughter to change oil. My son does a lot more on cars these days than I do. He asked last Saturday what he could give me for fathers day. I suggested another valve clearance check on my 2006 Grand Vitara. It is a big time pain, you have to remove the dual plenum intake just to get at the valves and changing clearance involves removal of a shim, miking it's thickness, obtaining the proper shim, and installing it. He'd done it once before. He also rebuilt the engine in his old truck and has done several good sized jobs for others (including fixing up vehicles for people without the money to pay through his church).

My 2 vehicles are at opposite ends of the difficulty spectrum. My BMW convertible has a cannister oil filter with a plastic cap on the front of the engine. A special cap wrench removes the cap and replacing the paper cartridge is just a matter of installing the new o-rings on the new filter, putting it in place, and reinstalling the cap. The drain plug is behind a trap door in the plastic under-tray so it is easily accessed too. My SUV, on the other hand, had a drain plug on the side of the pan so the oil squirted horizontally. After one very messy oil change I bought a quarter turn ball valve drain plug and put a short hose on it. Now I can drain the oil without tools and with no mess. The filter is still high on the drivers side of the motor best reached by removal of the front drivers side wheel and sitting in the wheel well. Terrible design.

Jim

**T...K21** · 06-12-2012, 12:01 PM

Originally posted by Pappy

Filter on my 5'9 Dodge is accessible but a bit of a pain. You have to work around the frame and exhaust pipe. The 4.0 Jeep I just got rid of was easy. Horizontal mounted on the side of the engine. You could change the filter standing up!

I haven't look at the filter location on the '99 Windstar yet. Picked up the oild and filter last weekend to get it switched over to Mobil 1.

My boys were both taught to maintain their cars.

I definitely agree with Pappy. I got rid of my TJ early last spring. Those 4.0s and older 4.2s were one of the easiest to service and maintain.

**T...K21** · 06-12-2012, 12:18 PM

Originally posted by CocheseUGA

That I-6 filter is indeed a dream. One of the easiest I ever changed.

One of the worst was the filter on the 4 cyl Hondas of the last fifteen years or so. Back of the block, right next to the exhaust.

SBC's are in a nice spot too, no drips.

The 70s-80s and 00s SBC were. The 90's SBC weren't...I thought they were a PITA. (not trying to pick a fight...just expressing my opinion)

Wife had a late 90's Sub and we kept an old 93 6.5TD to do house chores and lumber runs. It only gets serviced couple times a year because it doesn't get driven often. But when I do service it always seems I'm always elbow deep in oil.

Anybody tried to perform major service on the newer Ford P/Us? I heard those can be a bugger.

How NOT to change oil......

How NOT to change oil......

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