Changing the oil filter. What did I do wrong??

[canadajohn]

Hello,I hope that there is someone there who can help me. I did my first oil change on my 2009 Vibe last week. All seemed to go well. But coming home today the oil light went on and soon there was pinging. Fortunately I was only a few blocks from home. When I looked under the car the oil was spurting everywhere.What did I do wrong? I tried to tighten the filter housing but that only caused the oil to leak faster. As I felt around the edge I could even see that the o-ring was squeezing out.All I can conclude is that I tightened the filter too much. So how does one know how much to tighten it? It seemed to be on pretty tight when I first removed it.I've been trying to think if there is any other possible reason fro this failure. I've begun to question if I put the o-ring on on the right place. When I took off the one that came with the car the ring seemed to be right up against the last bit of protruding plastic housing of the cap you screw in - and that seems to make sense. Yet when I examine that lip of the metal housing that the ring would press against it seemed rather thin, not deigned very well if it is to receive the ring. Also when I look at the plastic cap I see there is a groove just above the threaded area and about a quarter of an inch or so before the end of the plastic housing where I had placed the o-ring. Could this possibly be where the ring should be? That doesn't make intuitive sense and when I felt inside the metal thread that receives the external cap I couldn't feel any natural and tight place that the o-ring could fit against. So it seems I have to conclude that the ring does go up against the final lip of the plastic housing and compress against the lip of the metal housing that received the filter and plastic cap.Can anyone help me here? I hoped I could Google an image of the plastic filter cap with the o-ring in place but I've had no luck.John

[Water boy]

Generally, the first time you remove the filter it is a real *itch to unscrew. Tighter than a tick.After the filter is off, be sure the gasket is off as well.Fill the new filter 3/4 full with new oil and lube the gasket with that oil. As you screw it on, wiggle it until the wiggle stops. Then go about 3/4 ~ 4/4 turn more.Check for leaks.Done.

[canadajohn]

Thanks. Can you also give me some specific information about where the o-ring should be placed?John

[Caretaker]

John, let's start at the beginning. I'm having trouble figuring out if you have a 2.4 liter engine with a screw on oil filter, or the 1.8 liter engine with the paper cannister?I'm guessing the latter, but did not want to inject any comments until you answered. I have the 1.8 liter Corolla Vibe and have done (and will again tomorrow) a successful oil change with the new cannister design and paper filter. Let me know.OK: while I'm waiting, I'll assume I'm right since I can't understand why you would be talking about O rings with a screw on filter.First, do you have the Toyota box the paper filter and O ring came in? On it, it clearly indicates that the o ring should slide all the way to the end of the housing and fit in the groove near the end. I can't see how you can over tighten since, the outer housing bucks up to the metal wall. It only goes so far and won't budge any further. If the O ring was bulging out as you say, that's not good. I'm not sure you can even tighten it hard enough to get the O ring to protrude out from the cannister housing.'Also: how long did you drive before the oil came gushing out? I can't see how you could have gotten out of your neighborhood if you did something wrong. I can't understand how it would suddenly happen while you were "returning home" without having hit a rock or something to smash into the outer cannister.You also did not mention the security pin on the outside of the housing. I can't see that it does anything, although it appears as though the intention was for it to stop the cannister from unscrewing itself. My pin doesn't even come close to grabbing any of the plastic fins to prevent this. I'd like to hear your take, because my first thought was that your pin prevented you from screwing the cannister on far enough; but again, that should have meant a catestrophic failure before you even got out of your driveway, and I'm sure you checked for leaks after tightening the cannister and starting the car.

[RIT]

JohnIf you care about your car and its warranty don't let the dealer know what happened with the oil change. Running a car until the oil oil pressure light comes on is generally not the best thing for the lng term life of an engine. Nest time you do an oil change, run the engine in your garage for 30 seconds, or so, just to make sure that the filter is not leaking. Oil if the life-blood of your engine !

[canadajohn]

Thanks for the reply.Sorry, it is the 1.8 with the paper filter. The filter I put in was a Fram and its box does not have any information suggesting where the o-ring goes. Since posting my initial message I've kept looking through this site a finally saw a photograph someone submitted showing where the o-ring is to go. The picture is not that clear so I can' t quite see where the o-ring belongs - in that channel or below it. But the one place it doesn't belong is where I put it - at the top of the plastic screw-on housing. I rushed off to my local service station (on foot) after I got home to get more oil and told the mechanic what had happened. Hopefully I'm lucky. The pinging and oil light didn't come on till I was a few blocks from home. He suspects I have done no damage.So could you just confirm for me again that the o-ring is to go into that channel that's about 1/4 to 1/2 inch below the top lip of the plastic screw-on housing and just above the last of the threads. The picture that is posted with a message on this site does not make that exactly clear and I want to be super sure I don't screw up again.Thanks fro you help.John

[canadajohn]

I did check the filter after I installed it. there was no leak until today.

[ou.grizzly]

You more than likely have engine damage if it was pinging. I would get it to a shop/dealer and have it looked at.

[djkeev]

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »You more than likely have engine damage if it was pinging. I would get it to a shop/dealer and have it looked at. Hmmmm Go to the dealer, get an oil filter.Get that Fram filter out of there.Clean up the mess, maybe pay a detail shop to clean the bottom and back side as well.Go for a ride and listen and observe your engine. How it runs, what it sounds like.If you hear problems wait a tad and go to your dealership with the GM filter in there.Sadly the check engine light has taught the motoring public that warning lights are meaningless and to be dealt with at some time in the future. An oil warning lights means STOP THE CAR NOW AND TURN OFF THE MOTOR!!!! DO NOT DRIVE AT ALL!!!!! DANGER DANGER DANGER YOU ARE ABOUT TO DESTROY YOUR ENGINE!!!!!I hear this story a lot. "I rushed right home or to the shop" That's when the damage happens, the mad dash to somewhere so you're not stuck wherever. Best of luck to you. Sorry for your troubles but maybe you are one of those who should pay others to service your car?Dave

[Caretaker]

John, I want to absolutely make sure I am telling you the correct thing; therefore, it will be few hours before I get to my oil change. I have to run out and do a chore first.But if you can, I agree with one of the other postings: go to your local Toyota dealer and get a different filter. I have nothing against Fram, but it now worries me that it may not be the correct one, given the fact that GM didn't even start carrying the filters until the car was out for 6 months. I'm kind of suprised to hear that anyone else (Fram) is carrying the filters already. The Totota filter only costs $5.68 after tax and is part number: 04152-YZZA6.Now, for your most recent post: if you are telling us that you put the O ring at the "top of the cannister"........I'm assuming that means you put the ring on at the wrong end (the beginning portion that goes INSIDE the engine). The ring must slide over all those threads until you get to the groove nearest the OUTER end of the cannister (where your hand tightens the cannister) until the O ring fits into the slightly wider channel at that end. The O ring therefore acts as a buffer against overtightening and sealing where the outer end of the cannister butts up against the metal wall it is screwing into. If you put the O ring on at the begining of the cannister as it screwed intothe engine, then indeed, oil would have gushed out since the rubber barrier was not where it needed to be (where the cannister hits the metal wall). Again, I'll triple check my sanility in a few hours when I get to doing mine again, but I'm 100% sure I'm correct since that is what the drawings show on the side of the Toyota box.

[Caretaker]

OK, I now have the cannister in my lap as I type. You do indeed need to slide the O ring over all the threads. Do so until you come to the first larger GROOVE which holds the O ring. That is where I put the O ring, since the instructions on the Toyota box say to put it in the O ring GROOVE. What is confusing is that there still is another 5/16ths of an inch until you get to the plastic wall. That 5/16ths area is much wider than the O ring, but one could easily assume that you are supposed to roll the O ring up onto that "shelf" since that is where the plastic wall will tighten up against the metal on the engine. The small drawings do not help very much on whether it goes in the GROOVE or on to the final "shelf." But since it uses the word GROOVE, I am confident that it is the proper place for the O ring since it is just about the right size for the ring. Did this help?

[canadajohn]

Thanks Caretaker. You analyze the situation I faced very well. Unfortunately the Fram instructions say nothing about where the o-ring is to go. I made the mistake you describe. I pushed the o-ring up past the grove so that it abutted the "shelf", as you describe it. I've just installed a new filter and have placed the o-ring in the groove. I've run the car in the garage for about 20 minutes and all seems well. No leaks and the engine sounds fine. Hopefully I've dodged the bullet. The Fram filter, by the way, is #CH10358. I picked it up at Canadian Tire. I watched as they searched their records to see what filter was to go with my Vibe 1.8 L and this was it. It is identical in size and shape to the factory one I removed, as is its O-ring, so I know this is the right filter.Thanks again for your careful and thoughtful response.John

[Caretaker]

Well, wouldn't you know.............Toyota in their effort to unconfuse everyone changing their Corolla Vibe's oil, put a picture of where the O ring is supposed to go on the inside flaps of the paper filter box. I (obviously) did not see that picture until I opened the box to take out the new filter. I compared the new box to the old one (now storing my oil plug washers) and see now that only the newest boxes have that picture on the flaps. I must say, the picture still is not a good one and does not help much more than their outer box drawings. All they need to do is simply state in the directions that you should roll on the new O ring over the threads, until you come to the first groove. DO NOT shove the O ring up against the final plastic wall. However, the new picture on the flaps does indicate that there is a 10 mm distance between the final plastic wall and the O ring groove. I had to just call up a conversion table to find out that 10mm = .3937 inches. Since I early reported that it was 5/16ths, 5 divided by 16 = .3125 Either way, it now gets the point across that you are NOT supposed to roll the O ring up on to that last shelf against the plastic canister wall (end point).

[Caretaker]

You are welcome John. Some other observations: 1. I still cannot comprehend what the metal clip is for. Oh, I know it is supposed to stop the last plastic flange from moving, thus keeping the cannister from unscrewing while you drive, but it doesn't stop my last plastic clip on the cannister!! Worthless.2. I still don't understand why the O ring has to be replaced each time. I can't believe that there is any undo wear and tear over a 5,000 mile interval. Whatever; since the O ring comes with the paper filter, I continue to change it out.3. Even after I scraped off the last oil plug washer, this one also stuck to the wall of the oil pan. This time I just left it there and didn't attempt to replace it. Keep in mind that I have NEVER replaced the washer on my 2003 Vibe and have never leaked a drop of oil.

[djb383]

Hope this pic helps..........and there's no way you can fill the canister/filter with oil before screwing it on to the new 1.8L engine. Just be sure to oil the o-ring. click

[canadajohn]

Thanks very much for this picture. Wish I had seen something like it earlier. I spent a lot of time on the internet trying to find pictures of the filter and o-ring before I first put mine on. Yesterday after my problem I was able to find an image posted by a user of this chat room. I've looked for it again today but cant find it. On it he's posted an arrow showing the groove/channel that the ring goes into. Happy to report too that I've just taken my car out for along drive. No leaks and the engine is purring away like it always has.John

[Old Tele man]

djb383 -- +1,000 on that picture (worth 1,000,000 words!)...let me guess, you used to be a MoPar driver with a 383 engine?

[djkeev]

Glad to hear all is good. You are one lucky person!FYI, do some research on filters, you will find out that Fram comes out at the bottom in almost every rating of oil filters. So much so some consider it to be the benchmark of the worst possible filter.Oil is the life blood of your engine, it would be wise to invest a few $$ in a quality filter.Mobil 1 and Pure One often gets ranked very high though you will pay the price for them also. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.Best of luckDave

[canadajohn]

Thanks for the reply. The Fram was $7.99 which I'd actually thought was a fairly expensive filter. But I will look for the two you recommend.

[vibedrivermatt]

Hello canadajohn. Glad to hear it sounds like your engine is ok. Even though it looks like your problem is solved, you might be interested to look at star_deceiver's oil change tutorial for 1.8 in the DIY section. He took the time to make a nice tutorial with lots of pictures. I love tutorials with pics! Matt

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by canadajohn » The Fram was $7.99 which I'd actually thought was a fairly expensive filter. But I will look for the two you recommend.I buy the filter from the Pontiac dealer where I bought the car, costs less then $8 after tax.Quote, originally posted by vibedrivermatt » He took the time to make a nice tutorial with lots of pictures. I love tutorials with pics! Thanks!!!

[djb383]

Quote, originally posted by Old Tele man »djb383 -- +1,000 on that picture (worth 1,000,000 words!)...let me guess, you used to be a MoPar driver with a 383 engine?Nope, no "No Nopower's" here. As a hobby, I enjoy building Chevy small block stroker motors and the 383 stroker is my favorite. I buy the new 1.8L cartridge filter at the local 'yota dealer at $5.40 ea. Gotta a coupon in the mail from the dealer - buy 2 'yota filters for $8.

[Old Tele man]

...oops, yes, I totally forgot about the punched out small-block 383 cid engine....I used to be a MoPar fan, but that came to a screeching halt when Daimler "castrated" the company. I was a small-block fan (273, 318, 340), although a couple of my cars had 383 engines.

[djb383]

Actually, a stock 350 is punched out very little, only .030". It's that extra 1/4" + stroke on the crank (3.75" vs 3.48") that makes the big difference. My 1st ride was a 1970 Dodge Dart "Swinger 340". Oh, to still have that car...........but that's 20-20 hindsight.

[Whelan]

The new 1.8L uses that thing??? Everyday I'm more and more glad my low powered AWD from 2005 has standard parts. Screw on filter, cable throttle, etc.

[star_deceiver]

Ever have a screw on filter's O-ring get stuck to the engine... then have a new filter + O-ring installed... then start the engine and have 1 of the rings blow out and dump all that new oil down the driveway...My friend did that about a month ago, it's a simple mistake. All systems have their flaws but at least the canister filter is easy to access and change.

[djb383]

Yep, the cartridge/canister type is no big deal and like 'yota says, "it's greener".....the paper cartridge will bio-degrade much quicker than that steel spin-on.

[Whelan]

If I was Al Gore, I would probably care more about the environmentally friendly factor. But given that Earth is on a cyclical pattern and we just finished a warming pattern and have been in a cooling pattern I am not too worried.I'll be sure to check my next car to be positive I don't have this eco-filter on my car. Otherwise I may have ot move to SF and go bum cash out on Ashbury Haight.

[star_deceiver]

I like the cartrige because you can peel back the layers of paper and see what you've caught from your engine without having to saw the can off.

[djb383]

+1..........and why would you buy a car based upon the oil filter????? LOL

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by djkeev »Hmmmm Best of luck to you. Sorry for your troubles but maybe you are one of those who should pay others to service your car?DaveLike me.

[vintagegz]

with all the cutbacks at GM and Pontiac going away, why take a chance to get warranty denied by using a non GM part, especially an inexpensive oil filter. stay away from Fram what ever you do.

[star_deceiver]

I used to buy fram filters when I changed the oil on the sunfire. I used fram, cch9108 to be exact. It was a thick white paper filter with lots of pleats and a small internal passage about the size of a dime. Then about 2 years ago, buying the usual filter, I had a look inside and it was the normal ch9018 inside the cch package. Rooting through the back of the filters and opening every box I finally found one, complained to the counter guy. From that point on all the cch9018's were thin yellow paper with few pleats and a center passage the size of a quarter. Go to wal marx and have a look at the diffrence between any ch and cch filter (there is non as far as I can tell except for the label). From that point on every oil filter for the Sunfire and the vibe have been bought from the dealer for about the same price.To sum it up, FRAM SUCKS!!!!

[Whelan]

I'll play Devil's Advocate here.Did you gain anything from using a different filter and complaining, in terms of performance or maintenance, etc?

[star_deceiver]

I felt much better about not supporting a crap company! (By supporting another crap company)Did switching to GM brand do anything? I have no Idea!!!

[Caretaker]

Even more reason to pick up the filter at Toyota since they now have the O ring picture on the box and it only costs $6. The picture helps all of us struggling to understand the new cannister design.

[djb383]

Quote, originally posted by Caretaker »Even more reason to pick up the filter at Toyota since they now have the O ring picture on the box and it only costs $6. The picture helps all of us struggling to understand the new cannister design. "...............the new canister design" If you really are 109 years old, then you should know that canister filters have been around way longer than modern spin-on filters. Just kidding. +1 on getting the new 1.8L oil filter at the 'yota dealer......it's cheap, not a Fram and comes with pictures on how to install.