Conventional oil hard to find?

It's really hard for me to understand why this is such a long thread that includes so many erudite discussions of motor oil chemistry and operation.

Of course you change your filter every time you change your oil!

Here's why: You're already underneath the vehicle. The drain pan is in already place. You already have oily hands and a greasy smear on your face. You've already skinned your right hand knuckles and yelled Damn it! Walmart sells a standard Fram oil filter for $3.88 while Fram's "Ultra Synthetic 20,000 Mile Change Interval" filter goes for $8.57.

I haven't run the filter/car cost ratio/percentage yet...but I paid $44,762 for my ride...

You forgot "You already broke the cheap Harbor Freight open-end wrench on the drain plug and had to go find another one in your tool box. While looking for the other wrench you find the 10mm socket you lost a few months ago. While contemplating this miracle you forget you were looking for the other wrench..."

When I bought the Corolla I decided I was never going to fix another car thing. At some point "I'm getting too old for this shit" becomes the driving force.

BTW, while walking I found both a regular and a deep 10mm 3/8 socket. Different walks, different locations. This is really disturbing.

I'm quick for look for a way to save a buck- but not on tools; top-drawer stuff all the way.

Of course, if I can find it on sale, I'm on it!

Go out right now and get a set of Wright wrenches. It will save you a lifetime of torn-up knuckles.

You might not be too old, it might be your tools.

--scott

You have not changed the filter on some of the newer cars. Toyota has gone to an old timey cartrage type filter instead of the screw on ones. You often have to remove much of the shielding or whatever you call that stuff under the engine that helps with the wind resistance.

As I have gotten lazy in the last few years and don't drive much, I just take my car and truck to the dealer once a year and let them service it and inspect it. Doubt they change the filter, but who knows ?

I have good tools by Craftman and SK, also some HF junk tools. I am another that decided I am too old to fool with most thing on a car.

Speaking of HF, I saved a club members night. His fan belt had jumped off and he needed a 3/8 inch ratchet or pull bar. Out of about 20 men there I was the only one that had the tool. It was in a $ 29.95 (with coupon) HF tool kit I keep in my truck for just emergencies. The tool seemed ok after use, but it may never work again.

You're right, it's been a while since I've been underneath a Toyota. Didn't know about the change to hidden cartridge filters.

The oil filter in my wife's Subaru Forester is located on the top side of the engine opposite the battery with its threaded end facing down. You can remove the filter wearing white gloves and stay clean. The mess that drips down into the engine and onto the garage floor is another story however.

There are a lot of vehicles with cartridge filters. That started over 20 years ago. Some are easy, some are a pain. Then you have some cars that no longer have drain plugs and use spin on filters. Just keeping track can be fun. I do like some of them though, top mounted oil filter and easy access dipstick that you can pull all the oil out of. Nothing like not even getting dirt on your hands to do an oil change.

I was thinking that a few weekends ago when I swapped the studs for street tires. Then I realized I'd just covered my next gym day and could skip it.

1. 40 yard farmer's walk with 2 tires -- 4 reps
2. Breaker bar curls -- 40 reps
3. Squats -- 8 reps
4. Pushups -- 4 reps
5. various cardio maneuvers
6. Probably did some crunches or situps along the way

That makes changing oil a piece of cake. 1 pushup to see if anything is dripping.

He would have been SOL with me if I had the Toyota since all the tools are metric. He would have been in luck if I had the pickup since the '86 F150 is a half breed born in Canada and I need both.

My Toyota has a spin on filter that I can reach down from the top and spin off. If I'm lucky I don't drop it in the pan.

Disclaimer: that's after the first change. The first time around I need a filter wrench to break the OEM filter loose.

When I'm looking at cars I open the hood and take inventory to make sure it's maintainable. I'll admit the first Yaris fooled me. I thought the ignition wires were hiding under the plastic panel but it doesn't have any.

I had a 1998 Forester and filter and drain plug were on the bottom of the engine and I had to use ramps to get at it and remove a cowling with half dozen or so plastic push ins to get at it. In next few years they put in a small entry point in the cowling with still push ins to remove then finally drain point unrestricted with filter on top of engine.

I have a Crosstrek now configured the same and in latter years with not much driving just have the dealer service it. Out of curiosity I watched a You Tube video on a guy changing the oil and he had a struggle getting off the factory installed filter.

They haven't read the part about a quarter turn after the seal touches at the factory. I've gotten a collection of those end cap things over the years and generally have one that fits. If not I fall back on the strap wrench.

I had the dealer put on a filter I could not get off in the limited space under my Forester when I went to change the oil. I made the dealer take it off and replace it with my filter. I had been screwed on a 60,000 mile service where I had changed the oil a couple of months before I went in and did not realize that they had done an unnecessary engine flush.

Surprising the dealer would install a part you supplied.

The usual party line why they won't do it is that the dealership agreement prohibits installing anything but factory/OEM parts due to liability and fit/function issues...the real reason being they don't make any money on the part- just on the labor to install it.

OTOH, I can't imagine going into a nice restaurant and saying "here, please cook and serve me this nice sirloin steak I bought in the supermarket across the street" ;-)

Some apply courking fees to cover their costs when you bring your parts.

Waterfront Restaurant on Anna Maria Island advertises "You catch, we cook"

It was a while back but the complete story was I had taken the car to the dealer for the 60,000 mile check up and when I brought it in asked the cost and what it entailed and they told me to wait and they would get back to me. I waited several minutes but then my wife came to take me home and I did not get it and found out when I picked up the car. I was pissed at the cost in part as engine flush is not really required along with necessary oil and filter change. Then to find they put on a filter that I could not remove must have got me really pissed because they changed the filter at no charge.

To answer other response, I have had plumbers install items that I bought.

On 22-03-2021 23:20 mike snipped-for-privacy@address.is.invalid> wrote: I called Kirkland (Warren Distribution is the blender in Omaha Nebraska).

(800)825-1235 x1 customer service, x1 again for customer service They called back but I missed it so I'm gonna have to try again.

Meanwhile I spent about an hour on the line with Mobil.

Mobil

x1 (non commercial) x1 (motor oil) The guy who answered wasn't good enough so he patched me thru to the second level technical support after he pointed me to the datasheets. But the guy didn't know how to answer my questions about motor oil selection so he transferred me to a second level who transferred me to a supervisor after a while (which was nice of them as each knew more than the prior).

What I did while I was waiting was pullup a random Costco Mobil 1

And pulled up the datasheet The 2nd level just gave me more lookup engines for personal vehicles For example you can put in your year make and model to find their oil But it pretty much suggests all their oils (not surprisingly) If it says Super it's a blend, if it says Mobil 1 it's full. (Except the exception of Mobil Super Synthetic 10W-30).

If it says "Extended Performance" it's high mileage (20K / 1 year). If it says "Advanced Fuel Economy" it's not for high mileage.

Basically they only gave me mostly the marketing that was on the outside. High Mileage & super blends don't meet the dexos spec. He basically said the full synthetic is better than the blends. But he said there are no rules anywhere for what constitutes what.

As an aside, he said synthetic oil finds leaks not causes them. He defended oil detergents as exposing leaks (by cleaning out gunk).

When I asked about filters he said they don't make filters. He said all Mobile oil filters are rated at 1 year 20k miles. Mobil contracts out to Mann-Hummel who also makes Wix & Purolator filters.

1-919-926-4210 (temporary covid number for Mann-Hummel) x1 product information hotline (M-F 8am to 7:30pm, Sat 9am to 5:30pm) Mann-Hummel didn't know the answers to the questions so they said they'd have a support person write to me over email (so I'm waiting for that).