Live is250 oil change... filter won't undo

[is200 Newbie]

Oil change every 6 or so months due to low miles and short distance - I am happy doing it as it cant do the car any harm. Like a lot of people here I have had a stuck on oil filter cap and like you when I tried I could not get it off due to the space required to get enough leverage. You have just been unlucky with the socket breaking - the cap must be on very tight.

Fortunately my local garage let me put mine on their ramp and loosen it but I had to do it myself due to liability. It moved surprisingly easy having the extra leverage. I loosened it and drove hone (half mile) and changed the oil.

Its an argument for doing easy jobs like this yourself - you will take more care than a garage as its your car - in doing the oils also then you also know whats going in. There is a good post on here about oil filters - have a look at that before buying one and make your mind up on what brand to buy.

I don't torque the cap up on mine - maybe I should, but I have always done this by feel, hand tight then a nip up with a socket. If you are doing your own oil then I would recommend a set of ramps as space between the pan and the ground is very limited - car will drain approx. 6 litres of oil so make sure you have a big enough catch can to hold it else you will be spilling oil everywhere. I put mine on a 6 inch plank of wood on the two rears and ramps that are approx. 12 inches on the front two and that does me (enough clearance and angle to drain the oil)

[toffee_pie]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Laser-Tools-Oil-Filter-Wrench-65mm-x-14-Flutes-5160-/111604192815?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

 

you are going to do more damage than good if you dont do as i pointed out a few times already, get it to a place with a ramp and make sure they have the correct tool above to take it off

[jackcramerr]

Ahmed

I have to find a place for 20. but saying that, I don't want anyone using grips or pliars on the housing of the filter. I do not like marks and I prefer it to be done right. 

e.g. I didn't go to a local tyre shop where I could have said nearing 40 pounds just because he jacks up the car from the pinch weld. It will bend the pinch weld and that's the reason I opted to go to a kwik fit so they can put the car on ramps.

In fact that's the reason I have to find an independent garage that has ramps. and the correct tool. 

[jackcramerr]

toffee 

that's the exact tool.I used and broke.

[ahmedali44]

If garage does lexus on a regular basis, then should have right tool. Have u tried kwik fits or just buy new tool.ebay ones might not be good quality try Toyota or lexus.if you want one that got warranty for life, then buy snap on, but it's lot more expensive. 

[toffee_pie]

must be way over torqued, take it to a decent mechanic.

[is200 Newbie]

 

This is the socket I use and have done for a few years now since ownership - its not that dissimilar from yours - the inner socket itself is the same - the outer is different but wont have an effect on the cap removal. Bought from a dealer on eBay.

You need to bite the bullet here and take to an indie to remove (or loosen) the cap and then ensure its put back on with less pressure applied - cost wise, wound be a 5 minute job should it get on a ramp and come off easy. Get them to loosen then you can change the oil yourself and ensure when changing the oil in the future then tighten to right spec yourself.

Its the same situation as the wheel locking nuts when an air hammer is used to tighten them by tyre fitters. Make sure these can be removed after having your tyres fitted else they do tend to seize on.

[jackcramerr]

is200 newbie 

where did you buy this tool from ? 

Good tip on wheel locking nuts.

[johnatg]

The tool you broke looked OK. I think the mistake you made was hammering it - you should never apply a hammer to alloy parts, especially die cast ones - they are pretty brittle. (Although I'll admit to having done it myself in desperation once or twice. But it's always fatal). I know you hammered the ratchet, but the shock will have caused weaknesses in the alloy. These tight filter housings will undo with sufficient steady pressure from a long enough breaker bar on the correct filter tool. (You can effectively lengthen a short breaker bar with a piece of piping (eg scaffold pipe or exhaust pipe). At least you broke the tool and not the housing!

I always change my own oil - do all my own servicing. I have a pair of drive-on ramps - they raise the car more than a jack and axle stands. Mine look like these, but I've had them for thirty years or more: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metal-2-Tonne-Car-Ramps-Extra-Heavy-Duty-Pair-/221923597888?hash=item33abad5e40:g:iSYAAOSwuTxV-C8w   I have to put a piece of wooden plank just in front of them to raise the car a bit before the wheels reach the ramp to clear the front lip and I have long strips of webbing sewn on to the front rung which go right to the back so the back wheels anchor the ramps, otherwise they just push forward on my rather slippery drive.

[true blue]

Hi,some good advice regarding getting the car to a good safe working height ,to enable good leverage ,but I wonder if the correct tool has been used .I have just purchased a laser tool for the IS 250 and was confused by this 64 m/m description .There are 3 tools in the Laser catalogue  ,the one which broke 5160 ,which is described as for the prius ;corolla,and avensis .The 4880 which specifies the Lexus is250 among others ( which I purchased ) and the 5176 which mentions Lexus and 'universal'. The first 2 are aluminium cast and look the same except the 4880 is black and has a hexagon on the end to allow the use of a 1/2 socket and a decent knuckle bar.This removed the housing O K .I do not know what the difference is ,perhaps someone does ,but I do not think a tool company would sell 1 tool with 2 part numbers if a common tool did the job

Dave

[jackcramerr]

makes me ponder. Does anyone have a picture of the correct toyota/ lexus tool?

The laser 4880, like other, takes 3/8 inch. One can use 27mm socket but there won't be enough room unless the whole under tray us removed.

Laser 4880, has different cut out. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-4880-Filter-Wrench-Toyota/dp/B0039316B2

 

Laser 5160 ( looks similar to what I had)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B005I4YYUU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1455538061&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=laser+5160

 

Laser 5176 (looks generic but has funky grips)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B005I4YEQY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1455538163&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=laser+5176

[johnatg]

Hmm..  just checked - mines a Laser 4880 - works perfectly. The 5176 is not right at all - no cut-outs and they are vital. Not sure why they do the 5160 - looks just like the 4880 but maybe weaker/cheaper?

[jackcramerr]

bought 4880 just now. 

[C Mclean]

This is the best kind of filter tools, the harder you turn it, the tighter is grips.

 

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/tools/car-service-tools/oil-service-tools/oil-filter-wrenches/?SEAAK640&0&t5_444

[jackcramerr]

bought 4880 just now. 

It's a complete different tool then what I had and broke. I wonder if it will fit.

it is bigger and has two cut out on each end. Packaging says for use with Toyota/Lexus 3.5L V6. This is the 4880 tool on the right.

[johnatg]

Don't worry - it fits.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

[jackcramerr]

live again.

the oil drain plug washer has 2 sides. one colored blue other silver. which side mates with oil pan and which side with plug bolt . thanks

[johnatg]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter. I think the silver side is a metal base for the compressible material that's coloured (I have a stack of them and they are green with the silver covered with some sort of non removable brown film).

[jackcramerr]

OK thanks. got it all done. 7 liters of oil. 

So here is what I learned. Some celever guy over torqued the filter.

The correct filter tool helps a lot. it is not possible without it. See the picture. Notice the fitment. 

One needs a 26 inch breaker bar. I could not have done without it. Used a 24 size socket on it. 

[johnatg]

Well done! Always a pain when things are over tightened. But the correct way to undo them is steady pressure with a long bar and the correct tool/socket and sometimes a bit of heat (with great care, especially near fuelly/oily bits) or cold (shock and unlock) - cold likely to be safer and less damaging. (A guy near me blew himself up when heating or welding his Porsche - that was about 20 years ago)  Sometimes a bolt or whatever will just shear - it's as well to have a plan to deal with that!

But this time you've followed instructions and succeeded! Phew!

[jackcramerr]

Thanks John. And thanks everyone for the input.  Patience paid off and it went smoothly.

Do I need to.reset anything after oil change? Saw a YouTube video where an American resets it by pressing odo button and then presses the engine start button. I tried it but nothing happens as demoed in the video. Maybe on UK spec we don't need to do this? 

Also I notice they have fuel consumption displayed. I have toggled through the display and my car doesn't show that. again a UK spec thing ?

 

[toffee_pie]

mine has mpg , dont think you need to do anything other than record the service in the log book. 

As people here pointed out, me included you need the correct fitting socket to change the oil, good job in the end however.

[johnatg]

Nothing needs resetting.

If you press 'Disp' again and again on the steering wheel, don't you cycle through various things - gear selected, outside temperature, average fuel consumption, fuel consump this tank, average speed - think that's it? (I keep mine showing gear I'm in most of the time - like to know what's going on!)

[ahmedali44]

jack that is how you reset oil service light, I done it in my is220d, it worked. Watch you tube carefully it works in uk too.

[jackcramerr]

Thanks John. I never noticed this button.

 

Ahmed tried a few times and it doesn't do it. followed YouTube. maybe it doesn't work on is250 ?