A little info for those interested in doing their own Oil and Filter Changes. I did my first oil and flilter change at 6 months because the mileage was only about 3000.0 miles, Following "John's" Instructions. I previously purchased a Plews Filter Wrench -65-68mm.(it was the only size I could locate) When I tried to remove the filter it seemed to slip, but then finally it was OK and the filter came off. Installation was the same situation. It tightened but not to what I am really comfortable with. I since ordered a KD-65mm wrench through ....Amazon.com. Hopefully it will not slip and I can get alittle more "tightening" on the filter. The Toyota Manual specifies that the torque on the drain plug should be 336 inch pounds of torque. It did not have that much torque when I removed it ?? So I just made sure it was tight. I cut the filter apart to see if I could see any metal or debris in the filter but was unable to accomplish much. For thouse of you that were planning on using a FRAM Filter, I've attached a pic of what the Toyota filter looks like inside. So.....Bottom line...purchase a good 65 mm oil filter socket wrench and buy Toyota Oil Filters
Wow, sounds like you don't drive a lot. It took you 6 months to reach 3K. Anyway, thanks for the pics. I started a thread inquiring about using FRAM oil filters. The way it stands now is that I'll have to return the filters to Advance Auto and use Toyota filters for my first oil chance and subsequent oil changes... Thanks for the pic.
Just a thought from a somewhat prejudiced towards Toyota, tech... I would highly recommend the Toyota filters since they use a round gasket that is already lubricated with a plastic cover to keep it clean and lubed. The Fram filters use a dry, square shaped gasket. I have found that the Toyota filter, when installed hand tight, shows no sign of leakage or seepage at the next service interval. Most aftermarket filters ( I can't speak specifically about the Frams) do seem to show signs of seepage past the gasket, even when it requires a good bit of force to remove the filter. The drain plug? First thought is to ALWAYS replace the gasket (available from Toyota) and just be sure it is tight.
