Dear Tom and Ray:
I have a 2006 4.7-liter V-8 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 50,000 miles, and we change our own oil every 3,000 miles. We always have. This last time we went to change the oil, my husband and I battled for two and a half hours to get the oil filter off! We started with a cap-style oil-filter wrench, which started slipping. Then we used every wrench we could find, including a Channellock. A few hours later, the filter looked like a crushed beer can! The filter is in a tight spot, so we don't have a lot of room to work the thing. We got so desperate that we drove a screwdriver through it to use that for leverage. Didn't work. We finally realized we'd lost this battle, so now our car needs to be pushed out of the garage and towed to our mechanic. But for future reference, are there any other techniques or tricks for loosening stuck filters?
-- Lasha
Ray: No, you pretty much hit 'em all, Lasha!
Tom: The one other advantage we have at the shop is that we have some better wrenches to try. We have one that grabs around the bottom of the filter, and attaches to a ratchet. But sometimes even that doesn't work.
Ray: And then the only option is to grab the air chisel and break it off. And you're absolutely right to tow it to a professional to have that done. It's not something you want to try yourself, because if you screw it up and take a chunk out of that mating surface on the engine block, every filter from then on will leak.
Tom: And you want to be able to blame the SHOP for that, rather than your husband.
Ray: I can tell you why the filter stuck: You forgot to put oil on the filter gasket. The filter comes with a rubber O-ring on top that creates a seal between the filter and the engine. If you don't lubricate the seal with oil before tightening the new filter, it will "wed" to the engine block, and be extremely difficult to remove.
Tom: How does he know that? Personal experience!
Ray: Right. Nowadays, we prefer a nice, healthy dollop of Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil to lube the gasket, but the truth is, a fingertip full of motor oil will do just as well. You'll remember it next time, I'm sure, Lasha.
(Car Talk is a nationally syndicated column by automotive experts (and brothers) Tom and Ray Magliozzi. Write to them at the Car Talk Web site.)
8 Comments
By david bishop on September 4, 2009 6:21 PM
Try driving a screw driver through both sides of the filter, parallel to the top of the filter. The screw driver can be used as a handle on the oil filter, to spin the filter. I have yet to have this fail. Putting the screw driver through to filter as close to the bottom of the filter, while not hitting threaded spout lessens the likelihood that the screw driver will cut out. A big screw driver is better that a little one.
By JJ on September 5, 2009 8:13 AM
Absolutely! I enthusiastically endorse the large screwdriver plan. Those cockamamie wrenches are good for paperweights, and not much else. But the erstwhile Sears Craftsman screwdriver is like the duct tape of tools. You can do anythjing with it, including reef out a stuck oil filter.
And if you somehow manage to ruin the screwdriver, Sears will replace it free of charge. :)
OTOH, if you ruin the engine block, Sears will be happy to sell you a pair of new coveralls and some rags to sop up the leaks!
By wythors on September 5, 2009 9:23 AM
If you have had to do this more than once on a car you have previously changed the oil on, you should allow Jiffy Lube to do all of your future work.
By Mark on September 5, 2009 4:38 PM
And don't use the wrench to install a new one. Hand-tight plus a little more is plenty.
By just John on September 6, 2009 10:57 PM
In your column you mentioned oiling the new gasket on the new filter. I usually mate the old filter gasket to the new filter gasket to smear oil on it. That way I am sure the old gasket is not stuck to the block. If you have the old and the new gaskets together on the engine it may work for a short time but it will blow out. I believe Honda had a problem with this and getting oil on the exhaust pipe causing fires. My friend did it on a 460 Ford motor in his boat (ARCO graphite oil no less) and it was a mess. Thank you for your column. Its great
By theantibush on September 9, 2009 10:48 AM
It addition to lubricating the seal ring, I also fill the filter itself up with oil. This works on some cars, where the filter is easily installed.
I have never had a prob removing one of my filters. But on some other cars I have had to run a long screwdriver through it and then twist it off like turning a ship's wheel.
Another thing: don't tighten the filter down too much. It should go on hand-tight, and then with a rag tighten it until you can't turn it anymore...by hand.
By theantibush on September 9, 2009 10:53 AM
I wouldn't take a car to Jiffy-Lube to save my life.
http://www.jiffylubeproblems.com/Experiences576-600.htm
By hal phast on March 19, 2010 4:06 PM
Don't use chassis grease. It turns the seal to glue. Just use a little oil