HadYurPhil

I've dealt with this for years... unscrewing the oil filter and having a big cleanup afterwards. Has anyone figured out a way to get the filter unscrewed and turned upright without oil running down the side of the engine block?

salimshah

In DIY section, I have posted the tool you can buy for the filter.

Patience is the key, you undo couple of threads to get the stream going. If the alignment is correct you can collect at the bottom or just lay a wad of newspaper (non-glossy) or towels to absorb the oil. When the stream stops, you can proceed and undo the rest and make sure you dont tip it.

I drain from bottom with engine warm and work the filter from the top when the engine is cold. Involuntary reaction to the hot exhaust always causes spill.

I have stayed with oem filter which requires bit of contortion to get it out from top.

Service bays remove the filter from below and they take off the engine splash shield.

It is still a good idea to wipe clean the front engine mount and use simple green to remove oil residue from the mount (rubber does not like oil).

Salim

hypervish

I take the filter out from the bottom and remove the splash shield. IF I take my time getting the filter out, I can ensure that barely any oil spills. I usually wait till the engine is cool to do this though.

Toyota/Lexus added a oil collector gizmo in my ES300 under the oil filter. So all of the oil goes into that and then drains out at the bottom. Kinda neat.

imherenow

well i just changed my oil and filter and ya that filter is pain to remove . I mean its the same engine on Es300 so removing the filter is easy but having it on a SUV wow its more work. But i must say in the RX i noticed that oil spill is very minimum compare to ES. Like hypervish mentioned from bottom by removing splash guard in more easier.
All about patience

HadYurPhil

Interesting... I always have taken the splash shield off but have never been able to get my hand on the filter to turn it from below. I always take it out from above. As the filter is slightly tilted on the engine, there is always oil in it. I guess I could try to let some oil trickle out after loosening it, but there is too much to use newspaper to collect it. Guess this is as good as it gets, mess-wise.

Anyway, the deed is done again, so I won't have to worry for several thousand miles!

Actually, I do have the correct size tool but I find it easier just to use my hand.

I'm not sure where patience enters into this. I let the oil drain out of the pan for 20 minutes, but that doesn't eliminate the oil from being trapped in the filter.

salimshah

Did not mean to lecture you on patience I meant you have to wait for the engine to cool down and then wait for the drp to finish.

If you have the splash shield off, then there should be minimal mess .. just use a wide collecting tub. Just unthread the filter and let it drip. Once it stops dripping then spin it off with care as if you tip it more than how it comes off, you will spill.

In service bays, the mechanic reaches up from below, but they are standing upright. If you are on the floor and RX on ramps, then it can be difficult to reach. There is exhaust pipe exiting from below, but one can reach the filter without getting burnt, which is impossible from top with a hot/warm engine.

Also I would not go too many miles without changing the oil. I used to change dino oil every 3k miles and since I have switched to synthetic, I change every 5k. You may prefer longer period, but do not extend too much. RX300 engine can not handle old oil.

Salim

Briand_OH

Just my $0.02:

An economical catch tray is the galvanized tray that came with a large fold-up metal grid dog cage. It's like three+ feet long x ~two feet and only about an inch high. IIRC, some auto parts chains sell something similar.

salimshah

Here is an idea .. if you remove the bottom plastic ...take a pick and puncture the low side of the filter. This will drain the oil in the filter. Needless to point out that once you puncture the filter, the filter has to come off.

Salim

rome6809

I lay a rag under the filter to help keep clean not perfect but with a pan under the car i don't leave a mess.

colenzae

After dealing with this mess for about 10 years, I had an epiphany.
I tried changing the filter BEFORE draining the oil. Believe it or not, much less of a mess.
As always, your mileage may vary......

kalali

It is not intuitively obvious (to me) how this could be possible. Did you actually try this a couple of times to prove a pattern? I would have thought the opposite as removing the drain plug would release pressure in the system allowing more oil to drain from the filter back into the pan.

colenzae

Yes, that's what I thought but it was noticeably less oil. I need to try this a few more times to confirm. It was a pleasant surprise to be sure

kalali

Well, our RX is due for an oil change and I'm going to try this approach and I'll post the results.
Expect either some complements or nasty cuss words...

hypervish

Just changed the oil last night, and once again barely any oil spillage near the filter. I slowly let it loose, let it drip out into my pan. And then pulled it off quickly making sure not to turn it over till i had it out from under the car.

jbl-1985

Not the most practical, but I drained my RX300 one Friday night and on Saturday morning, unscrewed the oil filter and nothing came out. Seems if you let it sit all the oil runs out of the filter if it sits long enough...again not the most practical way to do it but it was much cleaner.