RAV4 Prime Oil Change For Beginners: Harder Than You Think
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- In this video I change the oil on my RAV4 Prime. It's surprising how tech's don't follow manufacturer specifications torque specs on the oil filter and drain plug. Be prepared for some complications if you do this yourself. I also show how to update carfax with your oil changes.
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U have a great attitude! Im 71, have had HS auto shop/Certificate frm General Motors as a teen, & have repaired my own cars for decades. I broke bolts, stripped them, & broke parts, u name it. Thats how I learned.
Next time, bring your filter WITH u when u buy your wrench. Try sticking to OEM parts & u can't go wrong.
TIGHTEN FILTER BY HAND, u do NOT use tool. When u feel it bottom, turn it a 1/2 to 3/4 turn.
Great safety practices u use.
Tip: When RAV sits for a while, take a paper towel wipe it & read dip stick by laying it across dry clean part of paper towel. Will leave an oil mark. I TOTALLY agree with hard reading dip sticks. I own a 2019 Prius Limited.
I keep a paper log of my mechanical work. I run winter tires/rims & car fax "hounds" me on rotating my tires. ALSO, I change cabin filter and traction battery filter & car fax doesn't log such work. So, MY method is more accurate. What year IS your RAV?
OH! PS. Toyota tightens the "hell" out of bolts. Wait until u attempt to change your CVT fluid. (U loosen FILL plug FIRST, BEFORE drain plug.)
Thanks for the post. Yeah, I have a 2021 RAV4 Prime. Luv it !!
Yes, that cap wrench is the best way to get these filters off. They come in 2 types: a steel one which works okay, usually, and plastic ones, which are worthless. For anyone doing their first oil change on a Prime, let's assume you have one of the steel cap wrenches. You might discover that it keeps slipping on the filter canister if the previous one was wrenched on extra-tight, as Toyota technicians tend to do. In this case, you need a small prybar, a 12" one will be sufficient. You will place the prybar in a position where the tip of the blade is up against some part of the suspension, and the shaft of the prybar is pressing your ratchet wrench and the cap wrench harder against the oil filter can than you can manage by just pushing with your own muscles. Now turn the cap wrench. The extra force from the prybar will engage the cap wrench more firmly onto the top of the filter canister and prevent the slippage. Experiment with the prybar: you only need just enough force to prevent slippage. Once you break the o-ring loose from the filter mount, 1/8 of a turn should do, you won't need the prybar, and the filter will come off the rest of way with ease. If you needed to use the prybar, the cap wrench may be stuck too hard onto the old filter canister to easily remove it. If this happens, clamp the canister in a bench vice and tap around the cap wrench with a wood mallet and a large flatblade screwdriver or any piece of scrap steel bar stock or angle iron you have lying around. A couple of firm taps will free the cap wrench.
To install the new filter, oil the o-ring, then screw it on as tight as you can by hand (not using the ratchet wrench), then 1/4 turn more with the ratchet and cap wrench. Note that these cap wrenches will usually work well with official OEM Toyota oil filters, but may or may not work with aftermarket ones. To make your subsequent oil changes a little less messy, you might want to invest $34 in a Fumota F-133 oil drain valve. You can order these on Amazon. You want the one with 12x1.25mm threads for most late model Toyota's with 4 cylinder engines, including the Rav4.
Wow.. such a wealth of knowledge. Thank YOU so much !!
you are making the job a lot harder than it really is (this is coming from a guy who is a stickler for doing oil changes the right way, and in a safe manner). I do admire your perseverance though.
Please share!! Thanks.
How did he make the job harder?
That's how he/we learn. It shows we're all human.
Good for you for doing your own oil change. A few comments - (1) you can continue to use oem toyota filters or get better aftermarket ones. Toyota doesnt manufacture the filters. They are contracted out and generally supplied by Denso (formerly nippon-denso) and boshoku (toyota-boshoku). There are service grade (economy), oem/daily, oem+ and heavy duty grade filters with better internal filtering media (and probably even cheaper too). (2) Do not assume that your vehicle will take the full 4.5 qts. Initially Underfilling is ok. Start the vehicle when it is on LEVEL ground and not when jacked up and tilted from the front. Run the car, let the oil circulate a bit and check for leaks, check the disptick and fill as required. For the oil filter wrench, a strap style (rubber belt) will work better as it will leave no marring or denting on the filter housing. Not all oil filters will fit the cap style filter remover. You can skip prefilling the oil filter since your filter is installed sideways. In some cars with the filter installed upside down or topside on the engine, this is not even possible. (3) Chock opposite the jacking location. If you are lifting only 1 wheel (say the front driver side), then chock the rear passenger wheel/tire. Since you are lifting the entire front, chock either of the two rear wheels.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Good Advise. You can also prime the oiling system by using clear flood mode if your car has it. If not, you can disable the injectors by pulling the relay (you can pull ignition relay as well) and crank it for 8-10sec. Oil light should go out when doing this, indicating good oil pressure.
Also sir jackn all 4 points on stands is I think way overkill, you should get some of those ramps at Harbor Freight, they work perfect for oil changes and it is a lot simpler procedure, and if your worried that it won't be level enough to drain all the oil, well it will drain just fine or you could just use your jack in the rear after it drains to see if more oil comes out to satisfy your doubts the 1st time you use this method, and if any more oil comes out i'm sure it will be a insignificant amount, so why over work yourself, I hope you don't mind my tips as I find simplifying any procedure that gets the same result is always a good thing, oh and don't forget to clean that battery filter in rear seat regularly, very important for the life of your battery, and yes I learned all these tips from Ahmed the Car Care Nut Channel.....Javi G.
Thanks Javi G.. yeah, that car care nut channel is great. The reasons for the jack stands is I did a tire rotation as well. I decided not to include that because of all the problems I had. I'll probably do a seperate video on the tire rotation.. and next time.. assuming the oil change goes well.. video both the tire rotation and oil change as you're supposed to do that at basically the same time. Appreciate your feedback.
You have done everything right and you will not have any leaks. You are obsessing about too much.
Just double checking.
the motive x filter tool fits the toyota oem oil filter perfectly. I just changed the oil in my lexus nx 350h hybrid (same engine as your prime) with no issues. not sure why there seems to be so much trouble with yours other than things being overtightened and non oem filters being used. ps - make sure you replace the oil drain plug gasket washer each time, which I think you said you were going to do.
Thanks. That Motiv oil wrench did fit really well. I think it was because of both overtightening. and the fact that it was a Toyota OEM Filter. Won't have that problem again though !!
Since the early 70s, I've used an oil filter metal strap wrench the more you pull the tighter it gets around the filter. Most of the time it'll break free. I have an assortment of those cup style, unless you have the proper one they'll slip for sure. Two of my vehicles have the top mount plastic oil canisters, that's a whole different procedure..I agree, you can save 50% on changing it yourself. 👍
Thanks for sharing !!
Awesome Video !!!!
Thanks so much !! I'll get it eventually !!
Hey Good job, buddy. I admire your tenacity and perseverance. Don't worry, WE all make mistakes now and then. It's a fact of life. Experience is always the best teacher. Just a tip for ya. After you fill er up with oil. Put it in maintenance mode by doing the following:
PUTTING RAV4 PRIME IN MAINTENANCE MODE
PRESS POWER BUTTON 2X
PUMP THE GAS 2X
THEN STEP ON THE BRAKE AND PUT IN NEUTRAL
HOLDING BRAKE PEDAL DOWN PUMP GAS PEDAL 2X
PUT IT INTO PARK
PRESS GAS PEDAL 2X
THEN PRESS THE POWER BUTTON
Let her run for a few minutes to circulate the oil and checking underneath for leaks... (I doubt you will have one). Then simply turn her off and don't worry, when you start back up, everything will go back to normal and it will run as usual.
Also 1/4 turn after you hand tighten it is sufficient. Try the EZ Drain plug I told you about. And don't let the nay-sayers scare you when they say "It is a good way to damage your engine". It will only happen if you drive like you are Mad Max doing a circuit Beyond Thunderdome. Take care and stay safe.
Hey JT !! Thanks for the tips. I didn't know about maintenance mode. Very cool !!
@@GoldenK9Campers Anytime...always glad to share.
Great job!
Thanks!
The filter you couldn't remove was blue and from Valvoline. Perhaps that was the problem with the tools, that Valvoline's filters are a slightly different size than those from Toyota.
Yep, that's what I was thinking. Will never quite know, but I won't have this problem again. Once you've started doing your own and only tightened to specs, you should have no problem removing. Thanks for sharing.
Oil filter should be spun on and tightened up by hand only. Next time you should be able to remove it by hand.
I agree. Just wanted to use the tool I spent money on!! I think I could have turned it 3/4's of a turn just with my hand.
That used to work on filters with gaskets, but on these Toyota filters with O-rings, doing them up only hand tight will usually result in them leaking after only a a couple of hundred miles. You've got to get them hand-tight, then 1/4 turn more with the wrench, to prevent the o-ring from developing a leak. If you notice the oil level dropping on the dipstick, and the engine isn't burning oil or leaking it out of some more visible place like the valve cover or EGR plumbing, the #1 culprit is a leaky oil filter o-ring.
@@laura-ann.0726 Thanks again !!
@@laura-ann.0726 I appreciate what you’re saying. Everyone has their own style and ways to do their maintenance work. Just saying.
I did see that one, and it was entertaining, well you know what they say, practice makes perfect....Javi G.
For the last 35 years, I've been able to remove the oil-filter using the same 35-year-old metal-strap-style oil-filter removal tool on 8 different vehicles that I've owned (Chevy's, Olds, Ford, VW, & Acura). It's not clear to me if your RAV-4 has enough space for a strap-style oil filter wrench. Probably does. I put oil-filters on hand-tight yet I've never had one leak. I think 3/4 of a turn past snug is probably overkill-- despite what Toyota specifies. (Toyota and the oil-change shops have a vested interest in making it difficult to do your own oil changes, instead of taking it to them.) 1/4 to 1/2 turn past snug should be sufficient. You can always tighten it if it leaks.
I've only owned 1 car that required jacking to change the oil-- a 1992 Acura Legend that I still own. For that vehicle I jack up the left front side a bit, remove the drain plug, and lower the jack so that the vehicle is level and can fully drain. (It still has enough space for the oil-catch container.) Then I jack it up again, replace the plug and change the filter. If it's possible for you to do that, you may find it a LOT faster & easier than putting the vehicle up on jack stands.
Your filter-removal saga is the story of my life with DIY projects (especially on my 74 year old house) that I think are going to take minutes but end up taking forever because I can't loosen a bolt or something stupid that I didn't anticipate. As the old saying goes... If you want to make a realistic time budget for DIY projects, make your best estimate and add 15%. Then double the total.
Thanks so much for sharing Dave. Yeah, the reason I put the car on jack stands is I was also doing a tire rotation. I intended to include that in the video.. but just with the oil filter saga taking up so much time, decided to do that seperately.
The Rav4 Hybrid and Prime have the oil filter in a really tight space down below the engine block. It's not easy to get at. I have used the metal strap wrench you describe on a lot of different cars and pickup trucks I've owned, but I'm not sure if you could get some of these with really wide straps onto the filter on a Rav4 Prime. The cap wrench does work, although I usually have to press the ratchet wrench against the filter with a small pry bar to prevent slippage.
@@laura-ann.0726 Thanks for sharing. That's an interesting idea !!
Pro tip for beginners and other who don’t do this.. never use any type or wrench to tighten oil filters.. always hand tight , if u don’t know what this means.. it means tighten it with ur bare hand …. Fail to do so.. your gana wish you did next time u have to remove it… because they really stick.. 👍👍👍👍👍
Great advice.
So if that's a crush washer. There is a Torque specification that should be applied.. that looked like it was just Jammed on with an impact wrench
I agree.
@@GoldenK9Campers I wish I could do my own oil changes but I don't have the correct environment / place to do it - The wife gets upset if I get oil on the driveway... I don't like it either. So I'm held hostage by the situation and have the dealer do it.
@@justincase9638 Just find a random parking lot to do it. That'd work fine.
Would you please suggest a vehicle that is easier than you think without the right tool?
You are correct, having the right tool does make the difference. But really, anytime the oil filter is torqued down way behind the specs can make any oil change difficult. I supposed vehicle that have better access to the oil filter would help, as the RAV4's are really squeezed into a tight spot and doing the oil change from the garage floor as opposed to a lift makes getting leverage difficult.
I leave the jack on just in case. Think safety.
Absolutely !! Can never be too careful !!
You should change the crush washer on the plug...
I changed the gasket for the drain plug?
hi you used all the oil from that gallon?
Nope, just 4.5 quarts.
@@GoldenK9Campers thanks got it
Toyota filters come prelubed for ease of installation
Huh.. Thanks for sharing !!
Dont't all toyotas now use the canister style oil filter? The tool you had the first attempt was what that was for.
I think they all use the spin on filters now. But not sure.
Oh yea, no need for gas shocks on your hood, don't fix what's not broken, sorry sammydavis 991 😁😉 Javi G.
Yeah.. no big deal without the gas struts.
How much money did you save doing it yourself?
Probably $75 for synthetic oil change. $30 for diy
Not much. I think my dealer charges $125 for the service. For me it's not about the money, it's the satisfaction of doing it yourself and learning something. Or trying to.
Jiffy Lube charges $120 for 4 to 5 quarts of synthetic oil and a filter, most Toyota dealers about the same. You can get 5 quarts of Mobil1 0W-16 for $26 from Wal-Mart, and OEM Toyota filters in 10 packs for about $5.50 each. That's $34 with sales tax, so you save $86. Basically, if you do your own oil changes, you can do three of them for what 1 costs at Jiffy Lube or a Toyota dealer.
@@GoldenK9Campers “Peace of mind“ is priceless. I often wonder if those oil change companies substitute cheaper filters and oil. I put a bit of research into the product brands that I prefer. Bonus - you likely will not leave greasy fingerprints on the hood or scratch the paint while smearing them off with an abrasive cloth. Speaking from experience at the dealership.
you gotta be kidd''n , WTF Im sure Toyota has the right tool....Javi G.
The last tool should have worked.. could be because it was a aftermarket valvoline oil filter instead of the toyota OEM one. Hopefully never again.
I lost count of the times he said “Basically”
What about the "so's and um's". Being on camera is not easy.
Really not necessary to fill the oil filter. Just tighten it with your hand.
And since the filters go on sideways on the Rav4, you can't actually fill them more than about 1/4 before screwing them on anyway.
Thanks.. makes sense.
Thanks.
Add some gas shocks to your hood.
Thanks for sharing
@@GoldenK9Campers you would love them!
He should take to Toyota and have it done.
Probably.. but what's the fun in that.
@@GoldenK9Campers - If you buy Mobil1 0w-16 from WalMart, and a 10-pack of Toyota filters (about $55 on-line), you can do three oil changes yourself for what 1 costs at Jiffy Lube or a Toyota dealer. I'll keep doing my own until I get so old that I can't get back on my feet after lying under the car. And if you do it yourself, you know exactly what brand and weight of oil went into the engine.