The Worst Car you ever changed oil on?

[levi]

92 Olds Silhouette, 3.8. Drive vehicle up on ramps so my fat a$$ can get under it to drain pan. Use floor jack (while van is on the ramps) to jack up passenger front wheel. Remove wheel. Place jack stands under vehicle. Reach in behind wheel well to loosen/snake out filter.

Time consuming.

 

[97f150]

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1996 Pontiac sunfire 2.2L

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My dad used to have a 2.2L Sunfire. The filter is a little hard to get used to but is okay after you finally find that dang thing. The biggest problem I has was wedging my fat arm between that air condition line (changing from the top, never could get to it from underneath), I always came up with new cuts on my left arm. That one is still not as bad as a few others I have done. My dad now has a Chevrolet Aveo and that one is among the easiest, so was my friends old Hyundai Accent, its almost like the Koreans designed these cars around an easy oil change.

 

[artificialist]

Nissan 240SX and Nissan Hardbody trucks are way up there. They really buried the filter.

For some reason, the Nissan Altima is not a pain, despite having the same engine. I guess the transverse mount moved the filter far enough away from other stuff.

I also hate Ford F150 trucks that are made after 1997 and have V8 engines.

VW Jetta and Passat models with the 1.8t engine are a pain. They have oil cooler lines are are stiff and in the way of the filter.

With GM trucks made after 1999 that use a V8 engine, it is too easy to burn your arm on a catalytic converter while loosening the oil drain plug.

The Toyota 3.0 V6 and 2.2 4 cylinder have the filter located in such a way that oil is garanteed to spill oil on the side of the engine. Putting a hole in the old filter helps sometimes. The Toyota Tercel puts the filter so close to the exhaust manifold that getting a tool in is difficult, and getting it by hand is nearly impossible.

 

[Axe Man]

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I just changed the oil on my son's new Suzuki Gran Vitara and this is my entry into the 'Oil Change Hall of Shame'.

The oil filter is wildly inaccessable on the driver's side of the engine tucked tight under the exhaust maifold. The view from underneath the vehicle almost makes the filter as hard to see as a white tailed deer standing still in a wooded thicket.

Of course this exercise can cause burns and lacerations to the right arm. This oil change will go the full 7.5K as recommended by the owners manual and I advised the son that the next OC can be at Whiffy Lube.

Of course the engine got treated right by me. Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 and a Pure One filter.

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My wife's friend bought one of these, and asked if I would change the oil. Same story here. I told her I'd never do it again. Worst design I've ever seen.

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Another nomination here. Just changed the factory fill on my '07 Grand Vitara at 1300 miles. I've got the burns and abrasions too from trying to get at the filter.

5w30 PP went in and I'll be doing 6K OCI's.

 

[javacontour]

Probably either my 4cyl Ford Contour or my former MIL's Honda CRV. Both had difficult to reach oil filters.

I'd probably have to put my '95 T-Bird with the 4.6L V8 in there for the same reason.

Easiest, my 1979 Ford Fairmont. Could do the entire oil change under the hood if I kicked the drain pan under the drain plug. One could reach the drain plug and filter from the the top of the engine.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

My Mom's 85 Accord SEi...in typical Honda fashion they mounted it on the side of the block, and left you just enough room to cram your hand between the engine and firewall to remove the filter. Usually a cussfest.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

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I also hate Ford F150 trucks that are made after 1997 and have V8 engines.

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I know what you mean...

Best: 1997 Ford F-150. Not sure what the combination of packages was that got this (changed after 1997) but the oil filter was mounted remotely in the front bumper. Turn the driver wheel slightly and you could remove it easily. Loved it!

Worst: 1993 Mercury Sable. Filter is mounted right above the starter, which failed over time...wonder why.

I cover the starter with a plastic bag before removing the filter and let all the crud drain over the bag and a cross member. Removing the filter is like playing "Operation" to avoid draining oil down your arm, burning your arm, and getting electricuted.

 

[meep]

97 PATHFINDER.

There's a 2'x4' splash guard that has to be removed, like a dozen bolts. Then the filter is sandwiched below the motor, next to the pan, right above the frame-mounted diff. You can touch it, but can't get your hand around it. Must use a filter socket w/ ratchet to remove.

M

 

[addyguy]

2.2 OHV Cavaliers are the worst. The shop I work in dreads doing changes on them, and they are one of the more common cars that come in!

Whats worse? I drive one.....did my first-ever oil change on it in September, and I don't know if it is worth the hassle to do it again. I probably will, though, as I loved the feeling of doing the change myself.....

 

[dickwells]

Old Fiat Spyder - IIRC had to loosen the motor mounts and jack up the engine to get the filter out and replace it.

 

[mazduh30]

Pathfinders(skid plate), Cavaliers, Dodge 5.9 cummings, some of the new Japanese where the filter is high mounted and little clearance. Some of the older GMs are a hoot.

 

[rriddle3]

1982 Ford Escort with the filter pointing upward between the engine and firewall. There was hardly room to get a hand back there and grab it.

 

[brianl703]

The worst would be a 1997 Honda Del Sol. You cannot reach the filter from the top. So far that is the ONLY car I've done an oil change on where I actually had to jack the car up to reach the filter.

The easiest would be the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. Cartridge filter right on top and I can reach the drain plug without jacking it up. My 2006 Saab 93 should be the same way but I do have to remove a cover to get to the oil filter. At least Saab was thoughtful enough to provide the Torx screwdriver to remove the cover.

Other than that, the 1997 Ford Escort and the 1988 Ford Mustang are pretty easy to do, no need to jack them up to drain the oil or remove the filter.

The 1996 Ford Contour 2.5L is a bit of a pain due to the position of the filter but I could still get it off without jacking it up. And, of course, I could drain the oil without jacking it up, either.

A car should be designed so that it is not necessary to raise it to reach the filter or drain the oil.

 

[PF52]

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The easiest would be the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. Cartridge filter right on top and I can reach the drain plug without jacking it up.

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Ah, that would be the Ecotec engine.

Truly a dream to change the oil and filter on. I have a Cobalt SS with this engine and even though it has less ground clearance than the base model Cobalts, I can still reach under and get the drain plug. Its all a matter of attacking it from the right angle.

I really can't complain; I haven't ever had a car that was a real pain to change the oil on. My old S-10 was easy but messy; always wound up with oil on my arm. My Fiero requires a jack to gain enough ground clearance, but nothing out of the ordinary. Filter is on the front of the block, but very easy to reach. None of my previous vehicles required jacking to reach either the drain plug or filter.

 

[Matt_S]

My wife's old '99 Honda Civic VP was my worst. The filter was on the back side of the engine block in close promixity to the exhaust and right above a CV joint. It was very difficult to get any sort of wrench on there. Thank goodness for my strap wrench, though.

 

[wagsg]

Ford Windstar... oil filter is right above a cross-member and there is almost no room for tools let alone a hand to screw/unscrew the filter. Very akward set up. It tempts me to use a Fram filter with the grip stuff on the end. Also, the filter must be angled and turned somewhat to get past the cross-member so oil spills out on to it, me and the floor in the process.

I can't wait to get rid of the van. Only a couple more years!!!

 

[Matt_S]

Wagsg, Advance Auto's house brand filters (I wanna say they're Purolator-made filters) are painted all over with that stuff if you can get 'em there. They come real cheap on sale, too.

 

[artificialist]

I forgot a big one. Every Jeep 4.0L inline six has the oil filter so close to the starter that you will probably make sparks with tools, or burn your hand.
Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, they all do it.

Also, the oil fill cap tends to fall apart on those vehicles too.

 

[Dave Hess]

For Honda owners, just use an oversized oil filter (Purolator L-20073) and you will see how easy it is to remove.

 

[Master ACiD]

the honda filters are a pain if you dont know how to do them properly. im 6'6 and i have big manly arms. yet i can manage to get my bear paw of a hand behind a honda motor and grab the filter and twist it off the block. i can even prefill the new filter by 50% and install it without spilling any oil. all this is done from the top of the motor too. no floor jack or jackstands needed.

just remember to put the drain pan under the engine before removing the old filter.