oil filter, can't get it off!!! grr!!! advice?

[#1Tango]

how hard is it supposed to be to take the stock oil filter? seriously ive spent too long on it. maybe im missing a step to taking it off. i just unscrew it right??? or is there something else i have to do before? i already drained my oil.

seriously its pissing me off and i can't get it off. is it supposed to be THIS hard?

any advice? tips? personal experience? anything would be great thanks!

[Versa Madness]

When I did the first oil change on the Versa, I found the filter to be a bugger to remove as well. My filter wrench could not get a good grip on the filter body and kept slipping. I finally found a piece of rubber that I placed between the filter wrench strap and the oil filter for added grip and was able to break it loose. It is helpful as well to remove the under shield for better access and leverage. Good Luck!

[#1Tango]

thank you for your reply, yes this thing is a monster... GRRRRRR i managed to break it loose. but i still have to twist it and with oil making everything slick, its proven to be quite the task. my mom is gonna kill me when she sees the oil everywhere, it looks like a damn murder scene

[#1Tango]

so far ive gottn several good turns in but every turn feels like the last one. i did the whole screwdriver in the filter and its workd but now destroyed and i cut myself pretty good. GAH im not even sure if i can turn it ne more. this sux and its 1.40 in the morning, shoot me i feel like im goin nowhere fast

[fjwagner]

I used one of the oil filter wrenches that actually fits over the top of the filter rather than the sides. A socket wrench is then used to twist off. I also had to tap the filter wrench/cap with a hammer to make sure it was snug. Plus had the car on ramps. To be perfectly honest, I plan to take it in next time as it was not enjoyable. I fully believe that Nissan made it hard to do so that you are more inclined to take it in. Fred

[frankoV]

my mom is gonna kill me when she sees the oil everywhere, it looks like a damn murder scene

Get some WD-40 (bulk, in a bottle, not the spray stuff); pour it onto the oil (don't be cheap); cover it liberally with sawdust (don't be shy); put a garbage can lid or something of the sort over it so the sawdust doesn't blow away; leave it a day or two and sweep up. Repeat if necessary (probably will be). Will leave a bit of a stain but may make your mom not so all-bent for murder.

[XterraVersa]

Or better yet if it is on concrete, go get some kitty litter. Wipe up as much oil as you can with a rag. Then pour kitty litter over the are. Gring the kitty litter into the concrete with your shoes. Sort of like dooing the twist.

Sweep up the kitty litter & there should be no stain. If there is use more kitty litter & repeat.

[CodeRed]

The factory likes to tighten it with a torque wrench to extremely tight. A little trick i learned (yes it's safe) take a hammer and a smaller flat head screwdriver and hammer the screwdriver into the side of the filter, yes oil will come out, and just turn it using the screwdriver as a lever. Had to do it on the first oil change to prevent this just 'hand' tighten

[#1Tango]

thanks for all the help guys, very much appreciated. i ended up doing the whole screwdriver in the filter thing and it worked for several turns. it was so tight that the filter collapsed and i couldn't twist it anymore so i got the car towed this morning to jiffy lube. what a nightmare. most expensive oil change i hope ill ever do hahaha. thanks again guys.

[destroyyourmind]

sand paper really really rough sandpaper aroudn the filter and it should come off easily

[Samyo]

Wow, sounds like a lot of work for an oil change. Luckily mine wasn't on so tight from factory. It was definitely tight but it eventually budged.

[xtwoonamatchx]

yeah, i noticed that too with the first oil change, but the first time, i changed the filter and use the fram filters, i suppose theyre more universal cause me and my stepdad can get it on and off much easier than taking off the stock one... just some advice i suppose, go with fram... NOT OEM

[bigdaddychia]

Channel Locks work wonders

[CodeRed]

Fram is for people who like crappy filtration. Cardboard FTL. OEM FTMFW!

[XterraVersa]

go with fram... NOT OEM

That has to be the worst advice I have seen on this forum.

[superskunk]

what kind of oil did you change to? i only use full synthetic from ez lube, its the mobil 1, and also the synthetic oil filter.... my oil changes cost about $71 bucks, but luckily thats every couple of months or like 5000 miles...

[bigdaddychia]

what kind of oil did you change to? i only use full synthetic from ez lube, its the mobil 1, and also the synthetic oil filter.... my oil changes cost about $71 bucks, but luckily thats every couple of months or like 5000 miles...

Why dont you do it yourself and save 35-40 bucks. It costs me about 30 dollars to change my oil.

[superskunk]

i service oil wells for a living, do you think i want to spend my time off around more oil? NO! that and im really busy most of the time....

[Samyo]

I use Castrol GTX 5W-30 and a Purolator pureONE oil filter. If I ran synthetic I would change less often, 8,000-10,000 miles (more if it is a higher grade), as synthetic lasts much longer. Just ask the mechanic who changes his car's oil with your "old" oil. Happens more than you would think.

[#1Tango]

what kind of oil did you change to? i only use full synthetic from ez lube, its the mobil 1, and also the synthetic oil filter.... my oil changes cost about $71 bucks, but luckily thats every couple of months or like 5000 miles...

i got mobil 1 synthetic and a mobil 1 filter, everything costed me $35 at autozone. its the first oil change ive ever done and it was a nightmare thnx to the oem filter. but i lost quite a bit of money in the end. gettn oil and filter $35, getting car towed $55, getting everything serviced at jiffy lube $34, doing your first oil change that kept you up 6hours into the night finishing at 3am realizing your screwed, priceless.

i service oil wells for a living, do you think i want to spend my time off around more oil? NO! that and im really busy most of the time....

haha kind of reminds me of my job, i work at a mexican restaurant where im surrounded by burritos, enchiladas, beans, and everything imaginable, so when my friends want to go have a burrito i just have a blank reaction haha

[kcourtad]

a belt works too... the one u wear with your jeans... i use that when i cant get one off i wrap my belt around it and pull and it works out pretty well...

[#1Tango]

haha i tried that and no luck, my mom sighed at a new belt DESTROYED hahaha

[joven]

The K&N oil filters have a nut built into the end so you can take it off with a 1" socket or crescent wrench. I've changed my oil for years and have always hated getting the filter off. IMO the extra $3 for the K&N filter is worth it just so I don't have to take my filter wrench out of the toolbox.

[fjwagner]

The K&N oil filters have a nut built into the end so you can take it off with a 1" socket or crescent wrench. I've changed my oil for years and have always hated getting the filter off. IMO the extra $3 for the K&N filter is worth it just so I don't have to take my filter wrench out of the toolbox.

I will try those. Thanks for the advice. Fred

[matttail]

Just wondering, why did you take it to jiffy lube instead of the dealer? I would have made the dealer cover the costs of this one - seems to be a problem with the car and covered under warranty to boot. Unless jiffy lube did the last oil change that was the problem?

[#1Tango]

i didn't want the hassel of probably waiting in line because i had to rush to work afterwards and was cuttn it close. plus jiffy lube is right around the corner where i live.

[scooterbob]

That has to be the worst advice I have seen on this forum.

Just what is the best oil filter, in your opinion? I know OEM is what is recommended, but what about the rest? Some facts/knowledge to back up the comment would be helpful, rather than just bashing with no explanation.

[biggie]

Just what is the best oil filter, in your opinion? I know OEM is what is recommended, but what about the rest? Some facts/knowledge to back up the comment would be helpful, rather than just bashing with no explanation.

One review I found:http://home.earthlink.net/~cewhite3nc/id3.html

In an update/new section he rated the Nissan filters, looks to him to be completely the same as the Denso filter (probably relabeled).

[matttail]

http://www.knizefamily.net/min....html

I found that link on this forum a long time ago, but the old posts seem to have been culled off. Anyways, this guy has been reviewing all sorts of filters for many years now. There a lot of different brands and lots of in depth review - including cutting open the filters and seeing how they are manufactured.

He also lists what filters are all just re-lables of the same - for instance Fram Extra Guard, Fram Tough Guard, Fram Double Guard, Fram High Mileage, Pennzoil, and Quaker State are all the same filter.

[sooner4x4]

On my first oil change on the Versa, I couldn't remove the filter. I tried severeal different types of filter wrenches. I thought about the screwdriver and hammer solution and didn't want to take it past the point of no return if that proved difficult. It is just such an akward and tight location.

I just added the new oil, and left the old filter on. This bugged me to no end of course, so a few days later I took it into the dealership for an oil change. I visited with the oil change tech at the dealership and he said the factory oil filters are usually on very tight.

I have since done all of my oil changes and the filter comes off easy with a filter wrench, the type that fits on the end and is turned with a 3/8" ratchet. I have been using the Nissan filter, which I can buy for $5 at the dealership.