Update: Failed Toyota Highlander Oil & Filter Change Effort

[CrackyWainwright]

I began this morning with better tools that I rounded up in for a second day of trying to loosen the Highlander V6 oil cartridge housing . . . all to no avail. Wouldn't budge no matter what I tried even with a better steel removal cap that didn't slip off or get damaged.

I ended up taking the car to a local shop to get their opinion. Only with two men and a *5-FOOT BREAKER BAR* would the housing loosen after several attempts. I think it's now reached a new level of insanity for a simple oil change. I had the new oil and filter already, so I let the mechanics finish the oil change and was HAPPY to pay them $34.00 for their effort!

I don't think the last technician intentionally tightened the the filter housing that tight. You'd have to go out of your way to do so. I think there's something about this design that creates suction or additional tightness if the driver goes the full 10,000 OCI that Toyota recommends. I don't know that I'll ever be able to change the oil on this vehicle.

 

[SZR48207]

Yup it can be a tough one to loosen. Did you first drain it by unscrewing the "top" cap first? That would relieve any pressure.

 

[y_p_w]

It doesn't have to be on that tight given that there's the O-ring sealing the housing. I'd say give it another try since most people posting here indicated they were able to do it.

But yours is the plastic housing? If it was I'm surprised it didn't break as a result of that much effort to loosen it.

 

[Sayjac]

Congrats on finally accomplishing the filter change. I think you made a wise move taking it to a shop and having it put on a lift. I think that addition alone helps some as far as gaining leverage. All things consider $34 doesn't sound too whacked. Hopefully, it's not tightened so much this time and you will be able to do it next time. Been an interesting experience to follow, and agree

 

[LeoStrop]

Don't give up yet, you have another 10K to prepare yourself for the next OCI.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
It doesn't have to be on that tight given that there's the O-ring sealing the housing. I'd say give it another try since most people posting here indicated they were able to do it.

But yours is the plastic housing? If it was I'm surprised it didn't break as a result of that much effort to loosen it.


It's tough plastic but a 5' breaker could certainly crack plastic.

My housing doesn't even tighten. It turns and turns until it seats and then it stops. There is no where to go from there to over-tighten it.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by Leo99
Originally Posted by y_p_w
It doesn't have to be on that tight given that there's the O-ring sealing the housing. I'd say give it another try since most people posting here indicated they were able to do it.

But yours is the plastic housing? If it was I'm surprised it didn't break as a result of that much effort to loosen it.


It's tough plastic but a 5' breaker could certainly crack plastic.

My housing doesn't even tighten. It turns and turns until it seats and then it stops. There is no where to go from there to over-tighten it.

Theres probably a little bit of give from the O-ring, but it sounds like its more like a radiator petcock. But one could always be overtightened by someone paranoid that the housing might leak.

 

[Nukeman7]

Did you use the special residual oil drain nipple tool to relieve the suction pressure before attempting to unscrew the plastic housing? Here is a video tutorial that shows how it should be done.

Highlander Oil Change Video

 

[JustinH]

Never had much trouble with those toyota cartridges.

You take off the metal cap, then release the pressure with the plastic widget, then remove the canister with the Lisle tool and a breaker bar.

My tip is to clean the canister up with dry paper towels, then lube up the new O rings with motor oil.

I never really torqued anything to spec and never had a leak or a problem.

Replace all the O rings every time also.

I always used an 18 inch breaker bar to loosen the canister, sometimes it gets tight but never that tight.

 

[Nick1994]

I have no trouble every time I change the oil on my aunt's 16' Avalon with the 2GRFE.

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted by Leo99
Originally Posted by y_p_w
It doesn't have to be on that tight given that there's the O-ring sealing the housing. I'd say give it another try since most people posting here indicated they were able to do it.

But yours is the plastic housing? If it was I'm surprised it didn't break as a result of that much effort to loosen it.


It's tough plastic but a 5' breaker could certainly crack plastic.

My housing doesn't even tighten. It turns and turns until it seats and then it stops. There is no where to go from there to over-tighten it.


That's my experience also.

 

[ekpolk]

The housing on my wife's 07 Avalon was very difficult to remove the first time too, though I was eventually able to get it. I was under the car which was on ramps. It was a serious struggle, but didn't require a 5' breaker bar.

I'm not sure why it was this way, since as another poster noted, you can't really "tighten" it in the traditional sense -- the threads stops when it's on all the way, and that's it.

Be encouraged, though, while that housing is a PITA on a good day, it was never that hard to get off again. I've been doing OCs on this car since 2007.

Sidenote: Toyota is finally listening to its customers, and switching back to spin-on filters for most of its engines. I was so happy to discover that my 18 Prius's engine, the 2ZR, which previously had a similar cartridge, is back to spin-on!!! According to the parts guy at the dealer, the 2GR is also among the engines going back too. Won't do us current owners any good, but nice to know for next time.

 

[Audios]

Ive had to chisel a few of the plastic toyota caps off, most times the tight ones were from quickie lubes, but I had a tight one on one of my employees uncles corolla, so we put it on last. Split on my 1/2" 4 ft breaker. I think Dorman sells a metal cap now that we replaced it with.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted by Audios
Ive had to chisel a few of the plastic toyota caps off, most times the tight ones were from quickie lubes, but I had a tight one on one of my employees uncles corolla, so we put it on last. Split on my 1/2" 4 ft breaker. I think Dorman sells a metal cap now that we replaced it with.

Yes, there is a tool for it, I have it and use it, it's worth having.

FWIW, the cartridge housing on our 2007 Avalon 2GR is nice, solid cast aluminum, so at least we have no worries about breaking plastic.

Please someone tell me that they didn't start making that thing out of plastic?!?

 

[anndel]

It's not supposed to be on that tight. I even hand tighten some cars with the cartridge style filters and it doesn't leak, especially Toyotas. Most times I use the Motivx filter tool with a ratchet and screw it in until it bottoms out but don't torque it. Either the last tech crossed threaded it or used an impact with the cartridge tool.

I don't recall being that hard taking the cartridge housing off on our 05 Avalon the first time. It was just messy as [censored] with that stupid plastic nipple you shove in after removing the small little bottom cap to drain the housing.

 

[das_peikko]

Originally Posted by Nukeman7
Did you use the special residual oil drain nipple tool to relieve the suction pressure before attempting to unscrew the plastic housing? Here is a video tutorial that shows how it should be done.

Highlander Oil Change Video


I watched the video. Just so you know you didn't post it for nothing.

 

[Gokhan]

I did several oil changes on the 2009 Corolla that I bought brand-new and sold in a couple of years. It was no more difficult than a spin-on oil filter, except it was a long reach and my arm felt like about to separate from my shoulder blade. I never had the smallest problem loosening or tightening anything.

The only reason you had problem with it was because some incompetent mechanic overtightened it and/or didn't apply oil to the O-ring. That's why I always change my oil myself. I always keep a good clamp wrench handy just in case things don't go well, even though it would likely damage the housing.

The OEM oil-filter cap wrench are barebones and nothing special. In my experience, good hard plastic wrenches work better than such metal wrenches:

65 mm:

100 mm:

Here is a guy who doesn't take chances with anything and has all the tools at hand just in case (watch it starting at 24 minutes):

 

[CrackyWainwright]

Originally Posted by Reddy45
Yup it can be a tough one to loosen. Did you first drain it by unscrewing the "top" cap first? That would relieve any pressure.


I did.

 

[CrackyWainwright]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
It doesn't have to be on that tight given that there's the O-ring sealing the housing. I'd say give it another try since most people posting here indicated they were able to do it.

But yours is the plastic housing? If it was I'm surprised it didn't break as a result of that much effort to loosen it.


Mine isn't the older plastic one; rather, it's the metal/aluminum one.

 

[CrackyWainwright]

Originally Posted by Nukeman7
Did you use the special residual oil drain nipple tool to relieve the suction pressure before attempting to unscrew the plastic housing? Here is a video tutorial that shows how it should be done.

Highlander Oil Change Video


I did use the drain nipple first. It was hard to insert and even harder to take out. No kidding, I got oil splattered EVERYWHERE taking the nipple out before trying to loosen the larger housing. And mine is metal/aluminum rather the older plastic design.