lexina

It is like saying "I can cook any food in 1 min", I do believe it and surely it can be done. There isn't any other tool besides oil cap/socket, extension, and ratcheting wrench.

BertNelson

I'll have to completely agree with you on the over priced part. But only needing to change it 3x a year i don't see the price as much of a problem.

BertNelson

Have to agree on this one too. I have NO problem changing the filter. ESP. when the engine is cooooold. ;-) ANDDDDDD I do it from the top. WHY take all that crap off the bottom over and over and over EVERY oil change? Whaaaaat a major pain that would be.

fastnoypi

8 or so 10mm bolts? its hardly a major pain to remove that 1 lower access panel.
Cordless driver removes them in seconds if you go from the bottom.
Agreed you don't have to change your oil when everything is hot. Burning yourself isn't a great experience. I prefer to change oil when it has been sitting minimally an hour after running and the surrounding oil is tolerable to touch. The oil is more fluid when warm, and i just might drain just a little bit more than when cold.
To each their own.

lexina

Spinning oil filter in and out from the top is not a problem, but I for once couldn't take the filter out of the car without spilling oil out of the filter. How would you do it without spilling the oil?

BertNelson

But WHY remove and do more work on your back if you don't have to?? If you like taking that panel off just to remove the filter that's your call. I see it as extra work, because it obviously is. As far as the oil being "thinner" it is....but not enough to make any difference. After 3,00 or 4,000 or 5,00 miles (depending when you change it) the oil is as thin as water anyway. Hot OR cold. It's not like we are compairing molasses to oil. It's thinned out, used up cold oil or SLIGHTLY thinner HOT burning oil. Anyway it's you that have to do the extra work and scald yourself. So my hats off to ya. and even after lettering the engine sit an hour or two that filter is STILL ridiculously HOT!!

BertNelson

When I do it the engine is cold. So ALL the oil has drained out of the filter back into the engine. That is 1 reason why I do it cold. Then, even with EXTREMELY large hands I am able to flip the filter right side up and remove from the right side. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.

lexina

Many thanks from everyone for the tips. I will have to try it again from the top, as doing it from the bottom is always a pain.

salimshah

I think it is not the flow capability of oil, it is the flow capability of the suspended particles in the oil. When you let the engine cool, the particles end up at the bottom of the pan and when you open the proverbial spigot, you get the oil + what_ever_oil_drags_from_the_pan.

So the recommendation is to drain with engine still warm. Has any one dropped the oil pan on their well maintained RX?

Yes I agree the exhaust takes lot longer to cool, even after the engine has cooled to touch. I have used shop towel to cover my wrist as I reach for the oil filter when I am in a hurry.

Salim

fastnoypi

Go re-read my statement again. I change my oil when its a tolerable temperature. What's tolerable to me might be burning HOT to you. I don't like to touch burning stuff. 30 seconds of my time to replace bolts is nothing. I'll be under my car anyway to wipe up any drips by the oil pan after i replace the drain bolt. No one is timing you to be on a RX300 Nascar team. Anyways, how to change your filter detracts from the OP's topic of filtering.

Salim, exactly my reasons why i change my oil when it is warm, any particles that haven't been caught by the oil filter are in a suspended state. Even more so, if i use an engine flush additive in the oil prior to the change. All other dealerships do that too and make you wait.

I have seen in person but not yet on a Toyota/Lexus, sludge buildup on oil pans from cars that have had oil changed cold or just from sitting long durations in storage. Anything that contaminated the oil...gels and sits at the bottom of the pan and has the potential to clog various solenoids that activate with oil pressure as well as the oil pickup. In our RX's the variable timing solenoid would be the most susceptible to sludge.

hypervish

I've dropped the pan on both my RX & ES300. Both pans were clean, and no signs of sludge. I was very pleased upon seeing that. I always drain my oil hot.

pilot2

Thank you all for your tips. I sense that the best practice is to drain when the oil is at least warm but to be patient and let things cool down significantly before removing the oil filter. Top or bottom removal of the oil filter clearly seems to be a personal preference issue--I guess I will try it both ways and see which is preferably for me. Thanks again.

pilot2

BTW, will this type of oil filter wrench work?

salimshah

IMHO ... No. There is no room to maneuver.

Buy the one that fits the flutes at the end of the filter, assuming you are going with OEM.

Salim

pilot2

Very good, thank you.