How easy is your oil filter access?

[UG_Passat]

My Avalon I would consider easy. The Fusion is harder because it requires the hassle of removing a plastic shield first to access the filter.

Both have easy access for filter removal tools if needed.

How about your vehicles?

Previous toyotas: Easy but can burn you due to being below an exhaust manifold (had to wear welding gloves to protect me).
Golf TDI: right on top.

Passat: had to get the car on ramps and remove a splash shield

Tiguan, right on top, after pulling of the engine cover

Highlander, under car, and pulling off a cover

 

[redbone3]

2014 Passat is on top, easy peasy. 1995 Miata is difficult, have to take off a wheel to get at it.

 

[andyd]

I understand that Toyota has gone back to the spin on type oil filter

I needed to build a match for the 2x8 ramp I found down in Sandwich. I used some old wood from a porch re-hab to make it. I have a 2 wheeler to cut down on the lifting. I spread a piece of carpet and I'm all set to change the oil. I'm living large with a special socket on a 72 tooth 1/2" ratchet from HF for the cartridge.

 

[Whimsey]

2017 Explorer with the 2.3 EcoBoost the oil filter is easy to change while on ramps. It's right in front of the engine and the oil plug is easy to reach also. The 2005 Explorer with the 4.6 is a bit more difficult to get to the filter but it's not bad,it's in the front of the engine also, just more suspension to work around, again the oil plug is easy. The most difficult oil filter to remove is on my 2.0L Zetec in my 1996 Ford Contour. The filter is on the back of the engine buried in the suspension making it extremely difficult to remove unless the suspension is hanging without support. Such as being on a lift or removing the tire while the car is jacked up in the driveway.

 

[14Accent]

Every "personal" vehicle I service, I consider easy as far as oil changes go:

'18 Accent: plug and spin-on filter, no skid plate
'10 Mazda6 2.3: skid plate, but with access panels for plug and filter
2x Jeep WJ's with the V8: easy access
'06 Kia Spectra: easy access
'09 Kia Soul: easy access

 

[wlk]

'93 C1500 right beside drain plug, no ramps or jack, super easy.
04 Expedition up front very easy, no ramps or jack
'05 Element, ramps and up the back of the block, rack in the way- Pain. Esp if it gets super tight, most of the time, as wrench has limited space to turn.
92 Cutlass easy, ramps but right up front.
94 Dakota, easy, drive up on a board

 

[14Accent]

'05 Element, ramps and up the back of the block, rack in the way- Pain. Esp if it gets super tight, most of the time, as wrench has limited space to turn.

I have yet to need a tool to remove any spin-on filter I've ever installed personally. When I stick to the "seated + 1/8th turn" guideline, I have no issue removing a given filter with just arm strength.

20 years of oil changes and I've yet to experience a leaky filter. Same goes for filters coming loose.

 

[kebabaluba]

2003 Volvo S60 = easy. Good access to oil drain plug and oil filter, they are right under the engine. You need a bespoke socket to remove the filter but the tool is cheap. Also there should be skidplate/cover under the engine but mine is missing.
1993 Ford Taurus SHO = easy. Spin on filter and good oil drainplug access. Oil filter removal is a bit messy due to slanted oil filter placement.
2000 Kawasaki ZZR = relatively easy. Oil drain plug can be accessed through the fairing but in order to change oil filter, said fairing needs to be removed. Horisontal oil filter placement means somewhat messy oil filter change.

 

[ctechbob]

My 07 Acura tl filter access is from underneath but if you unscrew the filter itwill drip and drain right on top of the suspension wishbone so you make a mess....when I diy an oil change I take off the right wheel and fashion and place a cardboard "slide" to direct the filter oil away from the control arm so no mess

Good lord, that's a lot of work.

I just wipe the arm off on my J-Series cars. It really doesn't make that big of a mess if you just crack it loose and let it drain a little before you spin it off.


J-Series cars - Very easy. Can reach from the wheel well or from underneath.

Ranger - Everyone complains but it really isn't THAT bad. 3 Plastic screws and the filter is right there. No need to remove the wheel and there is a little drain gutter for the oil the drain down. The hardest part is properly placing the pan to catch the oil.

 

[wlk]

I have yet to need a tool to remove any spin-on filter I've ever installed personally. When I stick to the "seated + 1/8th turn" guideline, I have no issue removing a given filter with just arm strength.

20 years of oil changes and I've yet to experience a leaky filter. Same goes for filters coming loose.

I do a half turn once seated and this has been the only vehicle that has ever given me an issue. Or ever felt like it was tighter than installed.

 

[Joel_MD]

Ram 1500 hemi Drain drains directly into swaybar splatters all over. Oil filter is off side of block above axle.. drains all over messy hard to get to. even using the ziplock bag trick I cant manage it without a mess.

Yes, my Ram 1500 has the worst oil filter location of any car that I've owned. Like you said, even the plastic bag trick doesn't help much. My Ram is 2WD and the oil from the filter mount drips onto steering components.

 

[Rand]

Yes, my Ram 1500 has the worst oil filter location of any car that I've owned. Like you said, even the plastic bag trick doesn't help much. My Ram is 2WD and the oil from the filter mount drips onto steering components.

I think 4wd might be worse the axle is right there too.

 

[thastinger]

My Avalon I would consider easy. The Fusion is harder because it requires the hassle of removing a plastic shield first to access the filter.

Both have easy access for filter removal tools if needed.

How about your vehicles?

98 5.4 F150 and 04 3L Escape are easy, both take the 820s filter, no plates to remove and no ramps needed.
14 Armada, no ramps needed but have to drop the front skid plate to get to that tiny filter (my ATV takes the exact same filter as a 5.6 V8)
09 Mazda 5...PITA. Have to get it on ramps and drop an aero panel, then it is a plastic filter housing.
13 GT500, PITA simply because it is so low, have to stack up 2x12s as a drive on pre-ramp to the actual ramps, once on the ramps it isn't difficult to access the filter. Takes twice as long to get it on the ramps as it does to actually change the oil.

 

[VolkswagenFox21]

Filter on the FRS is super easy since it's a Subaru, so it's just on top of the engine.

Worst is on the Jetta. Not really a bad location compared to other cars, but it's not pointing straight down. More like it's tilted a few degrees so it always leaks a lot when unscrewing it, which makes the filter very slippery while it's still kind of tight (maybe I should just get Fram Ultras for it in the future...) and oil gets all over the A/C hoses. At least I can get to it from above so I never had to jack it up or drive it on ramps to change the oil. It does require a bit of a strange leg spread "battle stance" in order for me to get to the filter, so that gets weird looks occasionally.

The Tucson is easy. Oil filter points straight down, does leak a little oil, but at least it doesn't get on anything other than the oil pan.

 

[The Critic]

Good lord, that's a lot of work.

I just wipe the arm off on my J-Series cars. It really doesn't make that big of a mess if you just crack it loose and let it drain a little before you spin it off.

Tires should be rotated at every oil change anyway, so the R/F tire is always off for me.

 

[ctechbob]

Tires should be rotated at every oil change anyway, so the R/F tire is always off for me.

True, oddly I do that in 2 steps usually. Oil change on ramps followed by tire rotation on jacks.

Although, with 5k changes on the Acura the tires are an every other change thing.