DIY oil change?

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Bhebert449

Joined
Apr 4, 2020
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I am considering completing an oil change on my 2015 LX. It has been going to my local Toyota dealer.

A few questions. Is there anything special about this vehicle I should know about before digging in? Is the drain plug and filter easily accessible? I am not sure what brand and weight of oil the dealer has been using but what is recommended? Can I purchase the oil and filter at my local auto parts store?
 
Where in Texas are you? If it's near austin I'll walk you through it.

Yes you can get everything at oreilly, but you'll also need a decent drain pan, and a toyota-specific oil filter housing cap tool, and a torque wrench. Our filter caps have wings on each side and the good tools have notches to interface with these, vs just the 14-sided tool. Get a good synthetic 0w-20, mobil 1 or pennzoil platinum, whichever is cheaper. People have their favorites but the consensus among people that know about this stuff is they are all VERY good these days, just get the name brand stuff that is cheapest. Avoid high-mileage oils, even if you have high miles.

I recommend OEM toyota filters. They are quite cheap, and the quality is guaranteed. Just go to the dealer and buy 4 or 5 to have sitting on the shelf for your subsequent changes. They come with new o-rings for the filter cap, and a tool to push in and drain the oil from the filter housing to avoid a mess when pulling the cover. Some people have reported seeing these at walmart.. or there's amazon. But amazon has issues with counterfeit parts and this is somewhere I'm not willing to take that risk.

Also get a handful of drain plug gaskets from the dealer. Very cheap, and need to be replaced every time.

You do need a torque wrench. The oil drain plug is 30ft-lb, the filter cap is 18, and the filter cap plug is 9. Many torque wrenches do not go this low, FYI. People that over-torque the filter cap often regret it. With the usual heat-cycling of daily use it will get stuck and break when you try to remove it later, as it's made of plastic. An aluminum part is available from toyota, but requires some easy mods to make it fit.

This is one of the better videos out there, with the one detail that it's an australian diesel so the oil filter is on the other side of the truck, so you'll need to pull the driver's side front skid plate, not the passenger side

 
^^ Well said.

You will need to drop the front metal skid plate on the driver's side, which involves also pulling the plastic cover in front of the front tire. You'll need 10mm & 12mm wrenches for this, and a 14mm wrench for the drain plug.

bloc said:
You do need a torque wrench. The oil drain plug is 30ft-lb, the filter cap is 18, and the filter cap plug is 9.
Click to expand...

This makes me wonder if the tech at the dealership is actually using a torque wrench, or they just put it on "good-n-tite".
 
KLF said:
This makes me wonder if the tech at the dealership is actually using a torque wrench, or they just put it on "good-n-tite".
Click to expand...

I’d bet money they aren’t using a torque wrench. Then again they are breaking our recirculate doors too.

And good catch on the skids. 12mm socket and extension for a couple of the skid plate bolts that are recessed.
 
I don’t torque anything on an oil change. Go by feel. Never had an issue - especially with triple checking everything.

Torque values are flung around here for everything from plastic fender fasteners to head bolts. Use your head and you will be fine on the vast majority of bolted joint work you do. I torque lug nuts, spark plugs, and suspension components. But a drain plug.....give me a break.

Oil changes on a 200 absolutely suck. They suck so much I have little if any confidence a shop would do the whole job correctly. I go so far as to coat everything with anti seize when I button it back up and ensure all 12 of the bolts are reinstalled. Takes me about 45min taking my time per 200.
 
04UZJ100 said:
Oil changes on a 200 absolutely suck. They suck so much I have little if any confidence a shop would do the whole job correctly. I go so far as to coat everything with anti seize when I button it back up and ensure all 12 of the bolts are reinstalled. Takes me about 45min taking
Click to expand...
X2 on the oil/filter changes sucking. I've done all of the changes on all of our vehicles for the last 15 years. Several Tacomas, A few Subarus, A Titan, An Acura, A Jeep, a Honda, an FJ40, and a Miata, and the 200 series is the worst to change. It's almost always a little messy, no matter what I do, and between dropping the skids and the cartridge oil filter, it's just an unnecessary pain in the ass. I don't understand why it can't be a simple drain, spin off old filter, spin on new filter, replace plug, and refill like most of the others are. Hell, the filter on the Tacoma is even right on top with a little drain tray for any drips. That said, I still change my own because I can do it when I want (8pm on a Sunday or whenever), and at least I know it is done right...
 
04UZJ100 said:
I don’t torque anything on an oil change. Go by feel. Never had an issue - especially with triple checking everything.

Torque values are flung around here for everything from plastic fender fasteners to head bolts. Use your head and you will be fine on the vast majority of bolted joint work you do. I torque lug nuts, spark plugs, and suspension components. But a drain plug.....give me a break.

Oil changes on a 200 absolutely suck. They suck so much I have little if any confidence a shop would do the whole job correctly. I go so far as to coat everything with anti seize when I button it back up and ensure all 12 of the bolts are reinstalled. Takes me about 45min taking my time per 200.
Click to expand...

I agree and I've been wanting to make similar comments. What holds me back is that you and I both have had the benefit of time and experience to "calibrate" that feel. Experience meaning I've done my share of doing things wrong enough including breaking bolts on a couple occasions in my earlier wrenching years. What is tight enough is a learned skill.

Perhaps a way others can learn this skill is to adopt an exercise from the heralded Takumi masters in Toyota's most elite plants. To your point, it's not necessary and sometimes impossible to put a torque wrench on certain bolts. The feel can be learned on the bench with a bolt on a vice and torque wrench to get an idea of what 13 lbft or 97 lbft is. Even better is to torque a bolt into a nut on the bench to feel how the tightness increases right near target torque.
 
This is all great information. Sounds a bit involved and am second guessing doing it myself. Toyota dealer charges around $100
 
I did it myself....as the 2nd oil change I have ever done. It was intimidating at first, but google, youtube, and the legends on this forum pretty much walk you thru the steps.

In my case all the previous oil changes were done by the highly trained Lexus techs....and they had messed up the filter...
 
Bhebert449 said:
This is all great information. Sounds a bit involved and am second guessing doing it myself. Toyota dealer charges around $100
Click to expand...

It is not scary. It's a great spot to start! The only thing that makes it a little more work is removing the bash guards and putting them back. You don't even have to remove them all. But the first time just do it so you see how it works. You do need that tool to remove the oil filter but that you can pick up at any auto parts store for cheap. Other than that a standard metric 3/8" socket set. ( the extender for the 3/8" socket set is what is used for oil filter adapter you need ) As far as tightening the oil filter and oil pan bolt goes if you don't know the correct pressure you can use a torque wrench the first time. Some auto parts stores will rent them. It's more like training wheels for these parts. You really can feel it after you've done it a few time. The bolt and filter you don't have to ham hand.

It does take about 45 min. Watch some videos, toyota oil filter set, crush washers, oil filter tool thing. Oh put some old carpet down and or card board to catch any mess. The oil pan will shoot the old oil out a 6ish inches at first and then slowly trickle back to the drain hole. The filter can be messy but the oil drops straight down. Wear disposable gloves and keep a roll of paper towels around. Take your time. You got this.
 
Bhebert449 said:
Is this the correct filter removal tool?

Click to expand...

Nope, this is the one I bought, very different:

Amazon product ASIN B00XTAGHU0
I don't mind the oil changes at all. The BudBuilt skids make accessing the filter easier, and I have a Fumoto valve on the pan, that takes a hose. 45 minutes? Mine take all night, because that's how long I let the filter and pan drain. Meanwhile I rotate all 5 tires, lube the spare tire winch, lube all the door hinges, other moving parts that I think of. Give the KDSS bleeder plugs a shot of chain lube. Grease the shafts. I get in the zone, man! Be one with your vehicle!

Kum by yah...
 
Last edited:
I’ll take the 200 with filter hanging down and tool to drain the housing over a car with a cartridge filter upside down under an exhaust manifold any day. With a 3/8” impact, nitrile gloves, and a creeper my changes are less than 30 minutes and I typically don’t spill a drop. Including the important stuff (not the skids) torqued to spec.

As for torque.. with a filter cover that is known to stick and break on people I will absolutely not be advocating going without for someone new enough at this to be asking whether you can get oil & filter at OReilly. Let’s keep it in context. With my experience wrenching on cars is it needed here? No. But I still use it because I have them, know the numbers by memory, and it absolutely avoids problems down the road. Plus on atypical stuff like our drain plug with the plastic gasket, the 30ft-lb the factory asks for “feels” too tight and takes a long time to get there. But that is what they specify for whatever reason.

OP like I said if you are near Austin I’d be glad to help you learn.
 
KLF said:
Nope, this is the one I bought, very different:

Amazon product ASIN B00XTAGHU0
I don't mind the oil changes at all. The BudBuilt skids make accessing the filter easier, and I have a Fumoto valve on the pan, that takes a hose. 45 minutes? Mine take all night, because that's how long I let the filter and pan drain. Meanwhile I rotate all 5 tires, lube the spare tire winch, lube all the door hinges, other moving parts that I think of. Give the KDSS bleeder plugs a shot of chain lube. Grease the shafts. I get in the zone, man! Be one with your vehicle!

Kum by yah...
Click to expand...
Thanks. I was hoping to be able to pick up the parts and tools locally so I could work on it tomorrow. Can I pick up that wrench at oreilly?
 
Bhebert449 said:
Thanks. I was hoping to be able to pick up the parts and tools locally so I could work on it tomorrow. Can I pick up that wrench at oreilly?
Click to expand...
OReilly will definitely have a toyota filter wrench of some type. Just make sure it has the little notches to catch the tabs on the sides. You’ll recognize it when you see it.
 
Quick comments:
Change filter every time when changing oil
Fumoto valve with short hose into catch pan and the Jowett filter cartridge make it all better
MOST IMPORTANLY: All of the bolts requiring removal for oil change, driveshaft lube and TC and front diff fluid change gave me an excuse to buy an air-powered socket driver. Now all that removing and replacing is fun!!! :beer::clap::cheers:
 
FinallyGotOne! said:
Quick comments:
Change filter every time when changing oil
Fumoto valve with short hose into catch pan and the Jowett filter cartridge make it all better
MOST IMPORTANLY: All of the bolts requiring removal for oil change, driveshaft lube and TC and front diff fluid change gave me an excuse to buy an air-powered socket driver. Now all that removing and replacing is fun!!! :beer::clap::cheers:
Click to expand...
Question (actually a stupid question) why an air socket - won't one of the re charge electrics work?
 
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