NOT! Just finished up doing an oil change & filter in the mini van (2007 Toyota Sienna).

What a pain in the ass!

Draining the oil pan = easy. Like it should be.

Changing the filter = pain in the ass! Farkin A! I was () close to punching the garage wall...

Easy sreww on Fram or STP or whatever filter? Nope! It's some cartridge thingy that goes in a permanent housing.

What happened to the all in one, screw out, screw in filter? Now I need a socket wrench to remove a plug on the filter (no prob, I got many), a special oil draining spigot (comes with the replacement filter) and the trusty old filter wrench to take the housing off.

Are you F-n kidding me? Three tools to just get the filter off?

To install the new cartridge, I needed to reverse the process and install two new o-rings (again, came with the filter kit). What a pain in the ass!

Oil filter kit? It's not a hobby! It's just changing the oil damn it!

I ask again: What happened to the all in one, screw out, screw in filter?

When was the last time you had to read instructions to replace an oil filter? For me? It was tonight. C'mon, that's not right.

I think next time I'm taking it to one of the oil changing places and let them do it for $25 or whatever.

Farking modern cars... grrrrrr

I gotta agree ... You don't make a mess, you don't have to wash your hands for an hour to clean up, you don't have to dispose of the used oil, you don't have to fight with the filter, you don't burn your hands on a hot engine, ect, ect, ect . . .

For 25 bucks, let someone else worry with all of that . . .

The 08 Jetta I bought the wife has that filter too. I don't know why they went back to a cartrage style filter.

Used oil is good for lots of things..... Pour on weeds.... Pour on the driveway..... Good heat for the shpo too!

LOL. I think engineers pretty much started saying "fark you" to mechanics and DYIers with the Ford EXP. We'd get those in the garage when I worked for Sears. If you spotted an LOF on the board for one, many guys would go take a 10-20 minute "bathroom break" to avoid them. About 1 mm between the filter end and the firewall, transverse-mounted engine. The only way to get the filter off was to punch a large screwdriver through the thing and start pushing one direction, praying the thing would unscrew before tearing completely.

Unforgiveable. I still remember the Camaro (or was it a Firebird?) where you'd have to drop the engine to change spark plugs. My 1973 Olds Omega required dropping the exhaust to change the starter motor. Bad time to learn you hadn't marked the wires to the selenoid. Yup, had to re-do the entire damned thing.

If car maker engineers had to perform maintenance on these POS designs, we'd never be stuck with them. BTW, care to change the coolant on my 1998 Vulcan 1500? Gas tank has to come off. Yes, the entire tank assembly, just to change the coolant.

Bastids.

P.S. You know how many of the VW 412 squareback owners failed to realize they were sitting on the battery, and thus the nickname for their cars, "leadbutt"? From what I saw at Sears, about 100%. Floors would always be gone or nearly gone from battery acid eating through the floor, right under the driver's ass.

Pac the 412 was a pile of crap anyways!

All air cooled VW's except busses had the batt under the seat,

If you can find someone to do it for $25 that's a bargain. Last oil change I got cost $45.

45 Bucks ? ! ?

I do my own.

A lot of times, when you take it to Jiffy Lube, they put a drainable plug into your pan to make it easier for them to change it the next time.

Ask my friend what happens when it doesn't seal all the way... Call a towtruck...

Interesting.. the Toyota dealership where I bought my FJ Cruiser changes my oil for free for the life of the car.... even calls me when it's due...I make an appointment and it's guaranteed to take only 30 minutes. I had the same deal at a different dealership on my 4Runner....and my daughter gets the same deal on her Scion up in Orlando. Must be a regional thing.

^^ I'll be sure to negotiate that in if I ever buy a new car again.

I've been changing my own recently.... when the price was $25 or less I let someone else do it... but like the Duck said, it's about $45 around here now....

Re 10

I think we get free oil changes with this one too but we bought it at a dealer about 45 min away. Not very convenient to make an appt, drive there, wait...

Regarding prices on oil changes, if I recall correctly, the local Chevy dealer that I drive by 4x a week has a sign out for $24.99 oil changes. My memory is faint because I drive by it so much that it doesn't register anymore.

Bottom line is I will probably do the DIY oil changes and this thing anymore.

This weekend I'm gonna change the brake pads. Hold on tight, I'll probably be pissing and moaning after that adventure is done.

The other car we have is a Hyundai Sonata. An oil change can be done in the garage lickety split with no special tools. Brake pads are replaced in the same home garage within a couple hours and only require a socket wrench set and a C-clamp.

Let's hope the Sienna is the same.

P.S. The Sienna needs new tires too. It came with run flat tires. Don't EVEN get me started on that.

F'n run flat tires... They cost 2X conventional tires and last 1/2 as long.

Bucky will not do run flats anymore!

Off to TireRack.com to browse some tires.

^Good choice. Tire rack has saved me a LOT of money.

I prefer the high performance summer tires... so they wear out quicker. I got Yokohama S-Drives for $120 each.

MUCH cheaper than going to any tire store.

The dealer does my oil changes. $48 and they use synthetic. I can't do it myself for much cheaper.