Loose Filter From Toyota Dealer Oil Change

[hk33ka1]

Just had a lady pull into our shop off the highway with an oil light on in here 2002 Highlander 3.0 V6. We checked the oil, nothing showed on the stick. After being parked less than a minute there was a 6-8" oil puddle underneath. Upon closer inspection the oil was steadily dripping from the filter area. We removed the filter (barely hand tight) and replaced it with a wix equivelent. Then topped up the oil with over 4 qts. I'm not sure what the sump holds on these but it must be between 4 and 5 qts, so it was almost empty, although no lifter tick or any other sounds. The lady had the oil changed 24 hours ago at her local dealer drove home then drov 25 miles to our place while on a 150 mile trip. So in less than 35 miles of driving she leaked over 4qts of conventional 5W30. If she had driven another ten miles or so that could have been the end of that engine. I gave her an invoice and the Toyota filter 90915-7ZZA1 to show her dealer. Was this the right OEM Toyota filter in the first place? I don't have a guide for Toyota Handy just one for Wix to Engine/Model.

[ March 11, 2004, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: hk33ka1 ]

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Was it a gasket problem?

 

[timmy8151]

quote:

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Originally posted by GROUCHO MARX:
Was it a gasket problem?

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I put on a filter before, with the previous filter's gasket still there. However I didn't have a leak, I had the filter blow off.

 

[hk33ka1]

Well the Toyota OEM filter looked ok as far as filters/gaskets look. I don't know if it was the wrong filter for that motor or not. The A1 was on it (6cyl) and the A2 is listed in my book as the filter for the 4cyl. There was not a double gasket. The problem was first off that the filter was only on finger tight, and it may be the wrong filter for that motor. The Wix for that motor has a little bigger based (gasket) diameter than the OEM that was leaking. No problems with the Wix. She decided not to continue on her trip and went home (25 miles) and will see the dealer about it tomorrow. I wonder what they will do for her? and if it is the wrong filter (I sent it back with her) will they tell her they messed up or just say "oh sometimes they loosen up, or sometimes you get a bad filter etc."

 

[Swift]

Just another story as to why NOT to go to the stealership.

 

[harper]

quote:

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Originally posted by Swift:
Just another story as to why NOT to go to the stealership.

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As long as humans are doing the work things like this will happen. There are probably people who do it themselves and forget to tighten the filter or drain plug enough.

Fortunately it does not seem to be very frequent.

 

[hk33ka1]

Well the lady stoped in again today. They admitted that they put the 4cyl filter on here 6cyl Toyota. She did not say what else they did but I would assume at the least they refunded the money I charged her and gave her one free oil change maybe more? I also found out here husband went on a trip right after the oil change so that added up to about 175 miles with the bad filter before she ended up in my shop.

 

[FL-400S]

Hmm interesting. Is it a fact then that the I4 and V6 highlanders use completely different filters? I find that odd. Almost every toyota truck in the last 25 years uses the same type of filter, 4, 6, or 8 cylinders. The highlander is camry based, so probably not the same as the trucks though. But then again the truck filters will thread/fit on tercels, corollas, etc.

 

[Hajoca]

quote:

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Originally posted by FL-400S:
Hmm interesting. Is it a fact then that the I4 and V6 highlanders use completely different filters?

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Toyota uses 4 filters, 2 diameters (one small one large)

Well, the dealer#90915-yzzA1 and dealer#90915-yzzA2 are interchangable,
they are the Smaller diameter filters, mainly for 4cyl use, but also some 6cyl engines.

A1 is taller, A2 is shorter for better accessibility or fit to clear obstructions.

Then there is the larger diameter filters, the part numbers I am not able to quote but the same goes here, one is taller than the other.

All are 3/4"- 16 threaded

[ March 18, 2004, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: Hajoca ]

 

[FL-400S]

Toyota seems to be using the same threads for most (probably all) of its vehicles. My Tundra v6 and my Tercel I4 specify different filters but have the same threads, very slightly different (but interchangeable) gasket diameters, and same bypass valve pressures (8-11 psi). Why there are two different filters specified, I dont know. Tercel is a 4967 (small), Tundra is a 3614, bigger. TRD filters for Tundra V8s are 1 qt filters. According to wix.com, the V6 Highlander filter is the same as the V6/V8 tundra filter. The I4 and V6 highlander filters have different gasket sizes, possibly responsible for the leak. The I4 filter is tiny, like a tercel filter. The gasket probably didnt seal well.

quote:

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Originally posted by Hajoca:

quote:

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Originally posted by FL-400S:
Hmm interesting. Is it a fact then that the I4 and V6 highlanders use completely different filters?

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Toyota uses 4 filters, 2 diameters (one small one large)

Well, the dealer#90915-yzzA1 and dealer#90915-yzzA2 are interchangable,
they are the Smaller diameter filters, mainly for 4cyl use, but also some 6cyl engines.

A1 is taller, A2 is shorter for better accessibility or fit to clear obstructions.

Then there is the larger diameter filters, the part numbers I am not able to quote but the same goes here, one is taller than the other.

All are 3/4"- 16 threaded

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