What are you thinking Nissan?

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So I do my first OC on my new 09 Nissan Frontier. The oil filter was on sooooo night I had to take channel locks to it. I could not believe how tight this thing is. Even then I could hardly get it off.

Also there is a little access door to get to the filter that is tiny. I took the door off and the edges are sharp! how sharp? well my thumb slid across the edge and required 6 stitches! [censored]! They could have atleast rolled the edges of that metal. After this next OCI I will be gla dto be going synthetic and doing 7k OCI that is a year for me not to have to deal with it. I cant go over 7k because of warranty.
 
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Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

So I do my first OC on my new 09 Nissan Frontier


They are thinking it is so annoying you will go to the dealer.


Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding! We have a winner!
 
If you cut your thumb opening the filter access door, you should contact Nissan USA to inform them of the injury, also inform your local DA and other state and federal agencies about it.
 
Heh, I stilled finished the OC and then mowed the lawn before I got the stitches but, I mean seriously, if they are going to make an access door hardly big enough for a mans hand with a filter in it atleast rolld the edges instead of lining them with what seems to be Ginsu sharp edeges.
 
I have a 2007 Frontier. First thing I did after talking to others was to take off that little door, and file the edges of the hole so they were not sharp. You are right. They are like razor blades. Sounds to me like a visit to an attorney might be in order. At least get them to pay your medical expenses and something for your time. I would start with a letter to Nissan, enclosing your mediacal bills and see what they do. Small claims court is a wonderful place to pursue these types of claims.
 
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Does it at least face down? You could always punch the filter so it drained and cooled off before using a tool to pull it out of the dangerous hole.
 
I like nissans generally, but it seems they have a filter location problem. on my brothers hardbody P/U w/ the 3.0 V6, you cannot see the filter; it has to be installed/removed by feel through the top (at least I didn't see a way from the bottom, your results may vary).
I did a friends later model P/U w/ the 3.3 and that one also was very hard to get to.
this sharp edge stuff though, that's ridiculous! I have a friend w/ a frontier, I'll have to warn him about this, no, wait, he has an xterra, never mind.
 
install a oil filter relocation kit..thats what I did with my 91 Pathfinder, My oil filter sits horizontal ontop of the starter motor which gets soaked with oil everytime I change the filter.
 
I experienced the same thing with the girlfriend's Murano on it's first oil change. I think I invented some new cuss words during that change.
 
I always invested in a cap style wrench for my vehicles. It makes things so much easier and they are really cheap.
 
It's because they put the filters on dry at the factory and that seal/gasket bakes itself on with engine heat. By the time you take it off for the first time it's practically glued on.

My Hyundai was the same way. I spent almost and hour trying to get mine off.
 
My Xterra is the same setup and, yes, it's very sharp.

It isn't very difficult to just take the whole skidplate off. This also allows easier cleanup of all the oil that runs down the little trough and over the swaybar.

I've also found that when laying under the front, with the skidplate on, I can get a much better grip on the filter by snaking my arm in from the passenger side above the skidplate instead of going up thru the access hole.
 
Hardest filter access I've seen was on a '03 Tacoma w/ TRD package (skid plates). I had to go in through the wheel well. It was super tight in there and getting the factory filter off was a [censored].

As for cuts...my current Mazda CX-9 has an aluminum oil pan. The aluminum was not smoothed or finished or anything and has rough/sharps spots all over. Every time I forgot about this I end up with a million tiny cuts on my right arm after reaching back to take off the drain plug. No stitches required but still annoying.
 
My Nissan Titan has a excellent location for the oil filter. Just remove the protective plate 2 screws and loosen 2 more and the filter is right there out in front of the engine. You can grab it with both hands no problem, and there is a drain to catch the oil.

However, the Titan's filter is kinda small. I saw a zero turning radius lawn mower that had an oil filter about the size as the one on my Titan. I've gotten good UOAs though, so the filters must be doing it's job.
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
That is just what the Auto industries needs. A shade tree mechanic who cuts himself and write letters and complains.


You dont think that on $30,800 they could have spend the extra .01 cent to atleast roll the edge of a very sharp piece of metal that would to be accessed on a semi regular basis?
 
Originally Posted By: Canawler
My Xterra is the same setup and, yes, it's very sharp.

It isn't very difficult to just take the whole skidplate off. This also allows easier cleanup of all the oil that runs down the little trough and over the swaybar.

I've also found that when laying under the front, with the skidplate on, I can get a much better grip on the filter by snaking my arm in from the passenger side above the skidplate instead of going up thru the access hole.


The filter is in a different location on my truck it is right behind the middle of the bumper. They did add a nice oil channel (ramp) for the dirty oil that comes out of the filter which is a nice touch, but then the cheap out on the access hole so people get injured.
Now that I know the danger I probably wont get cut again. I would have liked to know beforehand (no pun intended) however.
 
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