Oil Filter Wrench

Kayakkermit

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Location
Ontario
TDI
Jetta TDI, 2002, Silver
Get a strap wrench. Easy-peasy.
PITA trying to get a strap wrench in the area and actually have it grab enough to loosen.
Went with the cap wrench from Autozone, bought it as an extra that Yuri had (Thanks again).
Strap wrench goes back in the plumbers box.
 

dlb

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2004
Location
Greely Ont
TDI
'04 Reflex Silver Golf
Get a strap wrench. Easy-peasy.
PITA trying to get a strap wrench in the area and actually have it grab enough to loosen.
Went with the cap wrench from Autozone, bought it as an extra that Yuri had (Thanks again).
Strap wrench goes back in the plumbers box.
I agree - the strap wrench is a little awkward and tough to get a good grip. Go with the cap - its 76mm 14 flute I think. Really cheap at Walmart too - less than $5
 

verylongdrive

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Location
HSV
TDI
Golf,2001
I don't use an oil filter wrench. Hand tight is good enough.
I wish the previous owner of my 01 Golf had thought so - it's utterly stuck.
Help!
A strap wrench gets no grip whatsoever; the AZ cap holds its grip so far, but because it's rather shallow, I'm afraid that it will either strip the filter lid (if I put the handle all the way into the hole, keeping the cap wrench to high) or that the handle will come out as I'm pushing (if I seat the cap wrench all the way, only settign the ratchet handle into the 3/8" hole).

Either way, with a 10" ratchet handle so far, I cannot get it to budge. (I assume it does turn left to open, like a regular screw?)

What's next? Very long handle extension? WD-40?
Every time I tried it so far, the engine has been quite warm. Does the lid shrink/expand fast or slower than the engien block metal? The cap looks like plastic - is it?
 

Vorlons

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Southeastern, MA
TDI
Jetta GLS, 2001, Reflex Silver
I just had the same ordeal when doing my wife's 05 Honda CRV first oil change. (don't yell, her car not mine).

It was very tight. Strap wrench would not budge it. Went to Autozone and picked up cap tool and just in case, another tool. Don't know right name for it, but it is basically a square 4" long shaft that goes on socket wrench and has a loop strap coming out though slit in the shaft.

Way it works is you wrap the strap around filter, then turn the shaft to take up all the slack. It will then be tight against the filter. You attach socket and turn away, making the strap tighter and applying turning force.

I actually compleatly crushed the filter! And it still did not budge. I moved the shaft to opposite end and tried again. This time it worked.

I would hate to use on my 2001 TDI as if it was as tight as the CRV, the filter housing would be broken. They must have failed to apply oil to the rubber gasket at the factory. Then again, maybe Honda trying to discourage you from doing your own oil change when you see how hard the first one is.
 

moondawg

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2003
Location
Columbus, IN
TDI
2001 Galactic Blue Jetta
I just had the same ordeal when doing my wife's 05 Honda CRV first oil change. (don't yell, her car not mine).

It was very tight. Strap wrench would not budge it. Went to Autozone and picked up cap tool and just in case, another tool. Don't know right name for it, but it is basically a square 4" long shaft that goes on socket wrench and has a loop strap coming out though slit in the shaft.

Way it works is you wrap the strap around filter, then turn the shaft to take up all the slack. It will then be tight against the filter. You attach socket and turn away, making the strap tighter and applying turning force.

I actually compleatly crushed the filter! And it still did not budge. I moved the shaft to opposite end and tried again. This time it worked.

I would hate to use on my 2001 TDI as if it was as tight as the CRV, the filter housing would be broken. They must have failed to apply oil to the rubber gasket at the factory. Then again, maybe Honda trying to discourage you from doing your own oil change when you see how hard the first one is.
Had the same trouble on my '04 dakota. Oil filter is in a lousy location in the first place. Couldn't get a strap wrench on it.... cap wrench wouldn't budge it. Gigantic channel locks couldn't get enough grip, crushed it, poked a hole in it. Oil running everywhere, because for some reason people can't have oil filters with the hole on the bottom. Shoved a screwdriver through the hole made by the pliers.... wedged the blade into the filter media. Each attempt at turning moved the filter a little, tore the hole in the filter a little.

Finally got the thing off and put the new one on with correct tightness.

If I ever meet that Dodge assembly guy, I'm going to kick him in the nuts, no questions asked.

moondawg
 

verylongdrive

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Location
HSV
TDI
Golf,2001
OK, you've convinced me now to never attempt a filter change on our Chevys - the filter is mounted high up, but can only be reached from below, so the car would have to be jacked up, and exerting much force on the filter while under the jacked-up car sounds like even less fun then just lying under the jacked-up car, which I was already not going to do.

But now: What do i do to get this non-disposable VW filter cap off? WD-40? Go to my regular mechanic, say "look what I've got" (he hasn't seen this new car yet and isn't going to see much of it if I can help it, but my inability so far is making me lose hope) and have him twist it off in 10 seconds?
 

karlkoenig

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2001
Location
Minneapolis, MN USA
Interesting replies to this. I had a filter wrench that worked for a while, but then it stretched or something and it kept slipping. That is why I did the original post. I eventually took it into the VW dealer where the service tech used a snap-on filter wrench to remove it.

Next time I am going to lightly coat the threads with oil before I re-install.

Oh... and I need a new wrench.
 

whatnxt

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Location
Lk Stevens, WA
TDI
2015 Q5 TDI Premium +
If you are close to a Mercedes dealer, they have the wrench that you need in metal. It also has two screws that allow the filter top to be pushed out of the wrench if it gets stuck. It cost me $17.00 and is the same size as the TDI.
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
>>the AZ cap holds its grip so far, but because it's rather shallow, I'm afraid that it will either strip the filter lid (if I put the handle all the way into the hole, keeping the cap wrench to high) or that the handle will come out as I'm pushing (if I seat the cap wrench all the way, only settign the ratchet handle into the 3/8" hole).
Either way, with a 10" ratchet handle so far, I cannot get it to budge. (I assume it does turn left to open, like a regular screw?)<<

Well, the AutoZone "B" Cap wrench _is_ cheap... I would set it fully on the filter cap, and only put the end of the 3/8" drive into the opening... yes, it unscrews counter-clockwise...

I've seen garages unscrew the cap with very large slip-joint pliers and a lot of force, but that's rather crude... If yours is really stuck on that solidly, you may need to use two methods at once: the one mentioned last paragraph, and at the same time someone else helping out with either some type of strap or pliers... I've never needed anything that powerful, though...

Good luck!!

Yuri.
 

mwalters

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2003
Location
SE Michigan - Have VCDS
TDI
Jetta TDI 2013 Tornado Red
Speaking of hard to remove filters, I had a Taurus for awhile, and it was in such an awkward place, that whenever I changed the oil, I never even attempted a wrench. Just punched a screw driver through it and used it as a T-handle!
 

verylongdrive

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Location
HSV
TDI
Golf,2001
Got it off: I draped the top of the cap, and everything below it and the surrounding engine compartment in paper towels and applied WD-40 liberally. After 10 minutes of soaking, a lot of force started to budge it very slowly.
 

moondawg

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2003
Location
Columbus, IN
TDI
2001 Galactic Blue Jetta
I wouldn't worry about stripping the filter lid... the wrench will give way first. What you MIGHT be able to do is put the AZ cap wrench on there, THEN use some gigantic "channel locks" or "slack jaw pliers" or whatever you want to call them around the cap wrench. That should save your actual cap from any damage, and help distribute the force of the pliers.

moondawg

As a last resort, order a new cap from the dealer, drill a hole in the side of your cap, and stick a screwdriver in there and use that for a handle.
 

whatnxt

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Location
Lk Stevens, WA
TDI
2015 Q5 TDI Premium +
MB # 103 589 02 09 00 Fits a '99 MB 230SLK and VW's.

The two top screws used to extract the cap can also be removed and inserted in the treaded holes on the side to hold the cap in place, when they are tight.
 

vwmikey99

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2005
Location
Richmond Hill, ON
TDI
2015 GLK 250 + 2017 Tacoma + 2014 Jetta
I use a strap wrench and a rag, comes off like butter. Without the rag it'll scuff up the oil filter cap, and it gets a way better grip.

Good luck!
Mike
 

karlkoenig

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2001
Location
Minneapolis, MN USA
Well, here is the end of the story. I tried another cap wrench from Checker auto parts. Didn't work. Ended up with a large slip joint pliers that eventually did the job. I tightened it as much as I could by hand and then snugged it a small bit with the wrench I bought. My guess is that the cap flutes are a bit rounded and allows the cap wrench to split. I suppose I could get a new cap, but I'll use my new $17 wrench until I absolutely need one.

Thanks for all of your help!

Karl
 
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