My first oil change with an extractor.

[GI_GRIFF]

My Toyota dealer says with short trip city driving like my wife and I do, it is "severe service". They told us to change our oil and filter every 6 months or 5000 miles, whichever comes first. With all the different engine issues these days on the newer stuff, I actually think Toyota may be correct. I would, however switch to a brand name oil. At Walmart you can get the Mobil 1 products at good prices not a lot higher than the Super tech. The dollar amount spent on the oil change should not be the "main" factor in determining what products you use, though there is nothing wrong with trying to save a little money. Super Tech will work, are there better oils out there for not much more money? Absolutely. That is my opinion, wrong as it may be. At least you are concerned about doing the oil changes, that is a good thing. Mobil shows three oils for your car; I will put a link here.

https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants...ndation/15635/101927/0-2024/Toyota/Highlander

 

[ecotourist]

Did you pull the drain plug after the extractor was finished? I'd want to do that the first time to make sure the pan was drained as well as with a pulled drain plug.

If nothing further drains, you know it's at least as good as a conventional change. It could be better too.

 

[ecotourist]

The worst oil filter location I ever had was a 1981 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am.

The turbo exhaust came to a Y - you had to reach between the top of the V section to reach the filter and the space was so tight if I had the filter in my hand it was too big to fit.

The worst filter I ever had was on my '86 Volvo 740 Turbo. The filter was between a motor mount below it and the turbo above it. I couldn't get at it from above or below. So much for DIY oil changes. A mechanic could get it off from below, on a lift, with a strap wrench, by feel.

They relocated it on '87 and newer models.

The irony is I checked the oil filter location on a non turbo model and it was right out in the open.

 

[AZjeff]

First choice is -
Next oil and filter change "starts the clock"
Then oil only at 6 months or 2,500 miles
Oil and filter at 12 months or 5,000 miles

You're doing the severe service OCI with one less filter.

 

[BHopkins]

The oil filter on a D series is on the back of the block above the axle, it's accessible but is a bit awkward reaching it. I used a Boss which seems a bit larger than the ones I typically use and had trouble finding the correct size, I use the cup style. I've purchased 2x universal sets but the strap wrench is the one that I don't have. I keep it all recorded in Google Sheets so really just need to check the miles on the filter and go from there but should be able to put it off at least until Spring when it warms back up.

The truck is easy to change oil but the filter is really close to the oil pan so you can't get a good grip with your hand, also it's verticle so chances are it's going to run all down your arm. I took the aluminum skid plate off because the oil would pool there when draining

The worst filter I ever had was on my '86 Volvo 740 Turbo. The filter was between a motor mount below it and the turbo above it. I couldn't get at it from above or below. So much for DIY oil changes. A mechanic could get it off from below, on a lift, with a strap wrench, by feel.

They relocated it on '87 and newer models.

The irony is I checked the oil filter location on a non turbo model and it was right out in the open.

Filter on our Highlander is horizontal -

The worst oil filter location I ever had was a 1981 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am.

The turbo exhaust came to a Y - you had to reach between the top of the V section to reach the filter and the space was so tight if I had the filter in my hand it was too big to fit.

Those top notch GM engineers must not do any maintenance.

All these sound like great candidates for using extended life filters, and changing the filter every other oil change.

Does everyone else also wonder how many automotive engineers may be good engineers, but must not be car enthusiasts. At least not the kink of car enthusiast that likes to work on cars.

 

[Panda87]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SR4MM?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_4

View attachment 317758



This tool has removed filters that I could not get off with other oil filter wrenches.


I agree with keeping inside warranty.


Toyota included oil quantity with and without changing the filter. Makes me think they recognize an oil only change, but someplace it does say oil and filter every 10K of 12 months whichever comes first.

While under warranty I will do that for sure.


I have a 5.3L GM in my Tahoe - I have not tried to extract oil from it - didn't plan to because it is so easy to go under.
But that makes me want to try it just to see if it works.

I’ve never seen a strap wrench like that before. Looks pretty nifty and a lot less likely to snap than the strap wrenches I’ve broken before.

 

[ecotourist]

All these sound like great candidates for using extended life filters, and changing the filter every other oil change.

Does everyone else also wonder how many automotive engineers may be good engineers, but must not be car enthusiasts. At least not the kink of car enthusiast that likes to work on cars.

I've often thought that auto makers should require that their engineers demonstrate how to do normal maintenance procedures on prototypes. Can't do it - then back to the drawing board. But that would assume auto makers had any interest in auto maintenance which I'm not so sure about.

Come to think of it, buyers should insist on maintainability - but then again many (maybe most) buyers don't care about it either.

Maybe they would if maintainable used vehicles carried a premium price.

 

[CleanSump]

The easiest American vehicle I've done are S10 Blazer V6. There's a little trap door in the front of the underbelly plate that you open and the filter is remotely mounted there. The pain with them is the lines will eventually leak and have to be replace. And they sit high enough you don't have to use a lift or ramps to pull the plug.

 

[z71bill]

I’ve never seen a strap wrench like that before. Looks pretty nifty and a lot less likely to snap than the strap wrenches I’ve broken before.

I try with one of my other wrenches first - if they give me any problem I use this strap one - it make quick work of any tight filter + seems to fit in tight spots.