Most annoying oil change

Yours must have been a manual. The automatic 2.2 Sunfires/Cadavers the transmission wraps around the back of the engine blocking access from below.

Oh, yeah, that would suck, I forgot how GM FWD autos are built.

Run_Away wrote: Yours must have been a manual. The automatic 2.2 Sunfires/Cadavers the transmission wraps around the back of the engine blocking access from below.

It is the worst oil change I've done. I often just change the oil and not the filter. Thankfully it doesn't seem to care.

Tyler H wrote: IS300. Have to unbolt the transmission filler tube and even then, it is very complicated to snake the filter out between the intake mani and brake master. Meanwhile, pissing oil everywhere and skinning up forearms.

This. On my 5-spd IS300 my forearms were too large to reach the filter. I HAD to take it to a shop or find somebody that had small arms AND still loosen the filter.

I used to think the Miata was pretty bad, but since we removed the intake manifold brace, it's much easier.

Newer nissan Frontier 4x4 4.0l. Suck!

Front cover thing has a hole that my hand almost fits in. The edges of the hole are SHARP! Once you get your hand in the hole, you can easily unscrew the filter.

The oil from the filter runs down your hand out the hole and all over your face (because you are looking through the small hole that your hand is in).

Next, you need to figure out a way to get the oil filter out. It is kinda funny that your hand will not fit out of the hole while holding the oil filter. You need to kind of flip it around and hope it falls through the tiny hole.

Its awesome!

Rob R.

Tyler H wrote: IS300. Have to unbolt the transmission filler tube and even then, it is very complicated to snake the filter out between the intake mani and brake master. Meanwhile, pissing oil everywhere and skinning up forearms.

Seconded, I found that if you take a broom handle you can pry the engine enough to gain the 2mm extra space needed to get the freaking filter out, but not without oil going everywhere.

Miata you get from the bottom, is300 from the bottom. Newer nissans u just take that damn shield off. Its about 20 bolts, but well worth the effot. Just buned the E36 M3 outa my arm with a 2008 malibu wth a 3.6, right next to the converter, no heat shield. I guess I'm blessed with a lift. V6 jeeps are uber easy....

novaderrik wrote:

accordionfolder wrote: I probably brag about it too often, but I love the engineers at Subaru if only for the ease of changing the oil in the Forester. To the left of the battery and down, that's the filter. You can drain the pan w/o jacking the car up. Why can't more manufacturers make that happen (not the not needing to jack it up part, the filter placement)?

they might have made the oil filter easy to get to, but holy crap do they love using yellow caps for everything...

Yellow on a Subaru means DIY and something that you should check plus they all have pictograms to indicate what it is. Older Subies have the filter on the bottom of the motor where it will drain into the same pan as the oil pan drain. Both easily reached without a jack. Easiest car to change the oil on ever.

Worst one I've had is my old 2002 Jetta with the 2.slow. You had to take of not one, but two heat shields, and there were about 20 fasteners holding them on, and 3 different types of fasteners in total. When you finally got it off, you had to bend back A/C lines to get access to it, fearing they would snap off in your hands each time. What a PITA.

The easiest by far has to be my Mazda 3. You put it on ramps and everything is right there. No heat shields to remove or anything. Takes 15-20 minutes, including getting the car up in the air and back down.

SilverFleet wrote: The easiest by far has to be my Mazda 3. You put it on ramps and everything is right there. No heat shields to remove or anything. Takes 15-20 minutes, including getting the car up in the air and back down.

Do you have the 2.0 or 2.3?

In reply to SilverFleet:

You must be missing your undertray on your 3. My former 2.0 and my gf's 2.3 are a pita because of the tray. The hole for the oil filter is too far rearward.