Help! Ive been searching for the past 30 minutes and cant find anything. Is there a how to, with possible tips and tricks, on an oil change for a tC? I have no idea where the oil filter is, and dont know if the drain valve is placed vertically or horizontally. Any help, links, or flames will do. Thank you

 

crawl under the front of your car and look up you will see the filter and drain plug close to each other. The filter is side of the motor beside the exhaust.

 

Ok, here goes...

1) Make sure the engine is warm, but let it cool down if you've just been driving it. This will make sure the oil is warm so it will flow and drain better, but it won't be so hot it will burn your hands.
2) Either jack up the front of the car and support it with jackstands, or drive it up on a pair of ramps (I use low profile Rhino Ramps. I'm not sure if regular ones are too steep.)
3) The drain plug and filter are on the passenger's side of the car. Position your drain pan under the plug and remove it using the a 9/16" wrench or socket. Allow oil to drain then replace plug.
4) To remove the filter I use a rubber strap wrench which gives me enough leverage to loosen it. It's tough to get a hold on it with your bare hands because of the positioning. Make sure the drain pan is under it when loosening. If you keep it upright the oil in the filter will not spill until you turn it upside down in your drain pan.
5) Lubricate the rubber gasket on the new filter with new oil (not grease) the tighten by hand. Once the gasket makes contact with the engine block tighten the filter by hand another 3/4 turn.
6) Refill with 4 quarts of fresh 5w-30 oil.
7) Start engine and check for leaks before lowering car or driving off the ramps.

 

jason, do you ever feel the need to flush the engine with clean oil? as in drain, add, drain again, then add some more? I've always kind of wondered about that.

chris

 

me too, I always want to have a CLEAN CLEAN oil change!

 

i think thats too much

 

ya, too much. You only need to change your oil once.

 

So do I... LOL. I use synthetic here on Guam hot and humid climate. Just lift the car on a car jack. I have a 2 ton. Put it on jackstands for support. Dont want your tC falling on you. Find the Plug. Have the pan under it and go! When its drained, remove the oil filter, replace it with a genuine TRD filter, then replug. Add about 4 quarts, then measure. Add as necessary.

AND BE SURE TO CHANGE TO OIL AFTER THE CAR SITS for at least ONE HOUR! lol. My friend tried to do his truck right after he parked it! IDIOT!

 

I run Mobile1 Synthetic, and change every 4k or so.. so I do not do a flush. The engines of mine that I have driven forever and rebuillt have stayed very clean this way. Now, if you use 10k intervals(which I would never do, but that is my opinion) then a flush may be in order, as you will have 10k worth of combustion byproducts and condensation in your system (which does not change with the type of oil you use).

One thing nice about the scion is that they put the filter in an intelligent place! Some vehicles filters are in such a tight place that you get oil everywhere changing them. Plus it faces straight down, so you can actually fill the filter before installing.

 

^^^^Is filling the new oil filter before you start it a good thing to do? I have never done this before, but I would be interested in hearing the benefits of doing this.

 

I always fill the filter about 3/4 of the way before installing it, just to have it nice and ready. I've always heard that that is what you are supposed to do.

 

I helps to fill the oil as close to full as possible before the first start, and gets the oil through the system a little quicker. I doubt you have to worry about hurting anything on an engine with such a small filter (smaller percentage of overall capactiy), but it is a good habit to get into.

 

I've done a lot of oil changes in my life... I even worked at an oil changing place and did a lot of oil changes... there is no need to flush the oil... it's a waste of money and oil... second... studies have shown that it really doesn't matter if you change your oil at 3000, 5000, 7000, 10,000 intervals.. the wear and tear is the same... pushing 13,000 is kinda extreme... the study showed that after doing this study for like 100000 miles and they took the engine apart.. all city driving.. the wear and tear was the same... the whole point of oil is to transfer heat and lubrication... as long as the oil is clean, the heat transfer will be good, but once there is dirt and contaminants in the oil, the heat transfer is not as good... I'd recommend every 7000 like the manual states... sythetic will be fine... or the blend.. I'd use 5-30 now and then move to a heavier oil like 10-30 or 10-40 as you get clos eto 100000 miles, because the seals get thinner as the car gets more miles... sorry about the long rant

 

Could you point me to those studies? Not to argue.. but it does not follow the real life experiences I have seen with long change intervals. And the longer between changes, the more combustion byproducts that build up.... this not only affects heat transfer as you said, but also trashes up the system..... reducing oil flow... which we all know is not good. The reason I ask about these studies is that I want to see the number of cars they tested, how well it was controlled, and the source of the study....

 

A properly functioning car should have no condensation in the oil system. Oil heats up to far above the boiling point of water in normal driving, so any water vapor will escape through the vent system.

Filling the filter with oil is a matter of personal preference. Yes, you will have oil pressure more quickly if you fill it, but when draining the oil it's not like you're going to get every last drop out anyway. If you were building a new motor, then yes, you should probably fill the filter and anywhere else oil is supposed to be before starting it (and possible run the oil pump before actually starting the motor.) I've never filled a filter on the many cars I've owned and I don't feel it made any difference.

The filter supposedly holds .2 qt., so you can fill the engine with 3.8 quarts if you fill the filter as well (or if you're changing the oil without changing the filter for some reason.)

 

moved...

 

thanks all, I think my q was answered.

chris

 

Thanks! Wait, what kind of oil filter are we using, size... part number?

 

just take your old filter to the parts department.
slap it on the counter and say "gimme another one of 'dem!"

 

...so after a Slapped it on the counter, a big ball of oil spurted out and smacked the clerk in the eye. She screamed for a minute straight, I didnt know what to do, so I ran to help her wash her eye out, when her manager cut me off and ended up stepping on a spot of oil that gushed out of the filter... he slid right into her, and as a reaction, tried to grab anything to keep himself from falling over. Instead, he ended up grabbing her left breast, and pulled her down on top of him. After all that happened, the company CEO came in with a furious look on her face, and fired them both. I didnt know what to say except that its what "Stinky Wizzleats" from the Boards told me to do