Hallelujah Toyota -- The Spin-Ons are Back!

[ekpolk]

Searched and did not find. Mods, if this is a repeat, please lock it down and accept my apologies.

Went to the Toyota store to get a couple filters for the new Prius today. I fully expected to receive cartridges like my wife's Avalon, and so many newer Toyotas now have. But I got spin-ons instead. I asked the parts guy to check again. He told me that from 2018 and on, the 2ZR engine is changed back to spin-on, and other engines are changing back too!

I despised Toyota's cartridge from the outset. On the Avalon, it's hard to open and close, and absolutely requires careful placement of an o-ring in a narrow groove, with sure oil calamity resulting from the slightest error. Too many moving parts, literally. At least on the Avalon, the contraption is all-metal, not plastic like some.

There must have been an awful lot of bad customer reaction for them to incur the retooling cost involved in the middle of an engine's production life.

I can't speak to other manufacturer's cartridge setups, but Toyota's was/is a real PITA.

Good news, I think!

 

[Trav]

I hated them since I did my first one on a 57 Buick special and took an oil bath. I think its a good thing too.

 

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

Toyota has got to have one of the worst cartridge filter setups. Not as bad as the VW 2.5s though.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Yes why should some one pay more for less and have it be a P I T A?

 

[JHZR2]

Cartridges are great when done upright and accessible from the top of the engine with a cap removal.

Underneath, or overly complex designs are just plain unfortunate.

 

[blupupher]

Yup, done right, cartridges are great.
Seems Toyota wanted to make things much more complicated than they had too. I am glad my Scion still has a canister filter. I think it was one of the last before the changeover.

My Mom's Saturn Vue is a little odd with the filter location and intake manifold, need to use a real short socket to get it off, but not a big deal, channel locks work also. Wish I could get filters that don't crush though.
My Hyundai Santa Fe is super easy to get to and change. Heck, I pulled it out the other day just to look at it and see whet the Acura dealer put in for a filter (a Mahle).

 

[oilmutt]

The one on our Cramy is a bear to remove,oil dripples down your arm!

 

[rubberchicken]

On my son's Mini Cooper S, one of the very few things that is easy to service is the oil filter. Same for my Saturn Ion Redline, although it looks difficult at first glance, its really easy once you have done it the first time.

 

[CR94]

Cartridge on the 3rd-generation Prius is a problem only because of its inconvenient location, which doesn't really matter much because the drain plug is equally difficult to access. Being able to inspect the condition of the media easily, before and after use, is a major advantage of cartridges.

The (much larger) cartridge on my old Chevrolet (below) was easy to reach, but required suctioning the old oil out of the housing.

Is Toyota's reversion to spin-ons limited to North America? Is it true that cartridges are effectively required by law in Europe on new vehicles, for environmental reasons?

 

[demarpaint]

What happened to the environment? Wasn't the whole point of the cartridge filter to cut back on pollution, and save the mfg. money on filters? Even though many cartridge filters cost more than a spin on to the end user. But CAFE is still high on every mfg's list. I guess CAFE means more than the landfills. Rant off.

 

[billt460]

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my 2018 Toyota 2.5L Camry had gone back to a spin on oil filter as well. I checked several sources to be sure of it. (You can't see the drain plug or the oil filter unless you remove a cover that is held in place by 6 screws). It is my understanding that the 2017 and earlier Camry's had the messy cartridge oil filters. I am glad they got away from that.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by billt460
I was pleasantly surprised to find that my 2018 Toyota 2.5L Camry had gone back to a spin on oil filter as well. I checked several sources to be sure of it. (You can't see the drain plug or the oil filter unless you remove a cover that is held in place by 6 screws). It is my understanding that the 2017 and earlier Camry's had the messy cartridge oil filters. I am glad they got away from that.

I'd be pleasantly surprised too. While I like the cartridge filter and its location on my 2016 Wrangler, it is a weak link in the oil system imo. Lots of problems with the housing cracking in the 2014's and older. I can't help but think my model year is not exempt. I'd rather have a spin on filter too.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

My wife has an '06 Avalon and I used to bug her to let me change its oil...she, of course, was convinced that I would destroy her car.
After reading some stories about changing that cartridge filter, I completely dropped the issue. I am spoiled by having Subaru cartridge filters right on top of the engine. I can't believe the el cheapo quickie places she goes to actually get the filter right every time, unless maybe they aren't even changing it...

 

[Sayjac]

So much for MW "expert" Pat Goss on yt saying most vehicle manufacturers going away from spin on type to cartridges. Some others have gone back to spin on from cartridge, eg., Cruze. Top side engine cartridge housing, well adapted design ime and imo. Toyota bottom side engine, not so much imo.

 

[Lapham3]

I hope that there will be a retrofit kit coming to convert those with the cartridge setup back to the spin on.

 

[Kira]

Why are filter locations "all over the place"?

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by demarpaint
I'd be pleasantly surprised too. While I like the cartridge filter and its location on my 2016 Wrangler, it is a weak link in the oil system imo. Lots of problems with the housing cracking in the 2014's and older. I can't help but think my model year is not exempt. I'd rather have a spin on filter too.

I read about many of the Penstar V-6's having leaking issues with the cartridge filter housing. My 2015 Jeep has the 5.7 HEMI, and I am thankful it has a spin on oil filter as well.

 

[ChiTDI]

How about a vote for spin on ATF filters and drain bolts as well!
"Reach 190 degrees and check fluid level", come on! I don't think those procedures were accidentally implemented or designed.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by billt460
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I'd be pleasantly surprised too. While I like the cartridge filter and its location on my 2016 Wrangler, it is a weak link in the oil system imo. Lots of problems with the housing cracking in the 2014's and older. I can't help but think my model year is not exempt. I'd rather have a spin on filter too.

I read about many of the Penstar V-6's having leaking issues with the cartridge filter housing. My 2015 Jeep has the 5.7 HEMI, and I am thankful it has a spin on oil filter as well.

Yes, some claim the problem was resolved in 2015, I'm hopeful but doubtful. The filter on the 3.6L Pentastar engine is in the perfect location, neat and easy to service. Why they used plastic to house it is beyond me! I would have gladly paid another few dollars for the vehicle to cover the cost of using a better designed, and better materials used for the oil cooler/filter housing.

 

[RooflessVW]

I don't care what kind of filter it has, just put it on top!