I'll go first, the above Cadillac 4900 (and probably some other engines in the series) put the can right over the back of the transmission on a brittle aluminum filter housing. If some yahoo overtightened the filter or didn't lube the o-ring then there was a good chance you'd break the filter housing trying to get enough leverage to spin it loose. Once it was loose it drained onto the top of the transmission and ran down the back of it and around the lip of the trans pan. Oil stayed in the trans case ribbing too. Total mess, terrible location. Thankfully we don't see these anymore.
Worst oil filter locations.
- Thread starter Bitter
- Start date
I'll go first, the above Cadillac 4900 (and probably some other engines in the series) put the can right over the back of the transmission on a brittle aluminum filter housing. If some yahoo overtightened the filter or didn't lube the o-ring then there was a good chance you'd break the filter housing trying to get enough leverage to spin it loose. Once it was loose it drained onto the top of the transmission and ran down the back of it and around the lip of the trans pan. Oil stayed in the trans case ribbing too. Total mess, terrible location. Thankfully we don't see these anymore.
I remember those. Made a mess. Never heard of a Mount breaking though.
One of our former employees snapped one, car had been at a quick-lube for the last oil change and the filter was still seized to the broken housing when the customer picked up. The customer couldn't loosen it either when they asked to see it lol. Car was 30+years old at that point and not in great shape, who knows what happened to it before we laid hands on it.
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My friend's Olds Cutlass Cierra had the oil filter in such a bad location that the front passenger side wheel had to be taken off to reasonably access it.
I think I'm familiar with those, similar location as some of the 3800's where it was pointed out toward the wheel well.
AZjeff
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Any oil filter that's above an underbody cover that has to come off. The 14 RAV4 and the 18 Titan had them. Daughter's 15 CX-5 has a removeable door for filter access in the cover.
on the side of the engine facing rearwards so you get oil all over the axles 
I got used to them, but the saturn s, short 3614 over the axle on the back side of the engine. A 3600 was much easier to put on as it was longer.
Oh the GM 3.6 transverse engines have the oil filter over the front engine mount bracket in such a way that the oil drains down the mount and engine block making a big mess, it's also adjacent to hot exhaust manifold. Toyota 3MZ's were in a similar bad location too.
And they ran a wiring harness right over the top.
my Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.6 JTDM2 also has a stupid oil filter location. To replace the filter you have to jack up the car, remove the passenger side wheel, wheel arch liner and then you can fiddle open the oil filter housing (limited space of course) to change the oil filter.
When the car is jacked up then change the air filter as well - it can only be changed by opening the air filter housing from underneath the car.
italian cars - form follows function for sure.
When the car is jacked up then change the air filter as well - it can only be changed by opening the air filter housing from underneath the car.
italian cars - form follows function for sure.
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The fact that they couldn’t put the full size filter on from the factory says a lot about the location.
I've also ran across a German car, can't recall which one at the moment but VW/Audi I think, that the oil filter sits inverted on top of the engine (TFSI or FSI I think). When you loosen the filter the oil drains around it into a dish and through a hole across the front of the timing cover. I guess the way you're supposed to do those is to punch a hole in the filter so they drain back into the oil sump before removal.
12 Impala 3.6. Filter is under exhaust manifold on top of front motor mount. If you don't burn your arm then you are lucky. Oil goes all over frame and mount..
My son's '06 Suzuki Vitara. The filter is accessible only by reaching up inside the driver's wheel and very near the hot exhaust manifold. Good luck if you don't have long arms.
98-04 Toyota Tacoma. It's wedged above the suspension in a real tight spot, above the skid plate. Not accessible from above. On the 4runner, it's easiest to remove the wheel, but still in a real tight spot.
What's wrong with putting it on top or at the bottom facing straight down? My 2013 Taurus and every modern German/Korean car has them in very easy, mess free places.
What's wrong with putting it on top or at the bottom facing straight down? My 2013 Taurus and every modern German/Korean car has them in very easy, mess free places.
Agreed, and it drips oil all over the sway bar and/or cross member. I've tried multiple "solutions" without much success because the exit path makes it near impossible to get the filter out without spilling.
Yup. Makes a huge mess. My skid plate was rotted out so I just pulled it off lol
All the Honda engines with the filter mounted in the rear of the engine block.
On a 1st gen TSX with the mighty K24, it is even more of a pain. And a mess.
I love Hondas, but sheesh. What were they thinking?
On a 1st gen TSX with the mighty K24, it is even more of a pain. And a mess.
I love Hondas, but sheesh. What were they thinking?
