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How to change your Oil and filter for your Celica. Guide!

71K views 73 replies 47 participants last post by  kortik 
#1 ·
Sticky this maybe?


Okay well, i was changing my oil today and i just thought i might help out some other people here that never changed their oil before or barely got their Celica and need to know what to expect.

This is an oil change on the GTS. i dont know if the GT has difference locations or not.
-------
First things first.. you need the goods :)
The brands used are my own preference. Prices are from Autozone.

- 5 Quarts of oil : Mobil 1 5W-30. Extended Performance $7.29 Each Quart
- Oil Filter: I went with Mobil 1 Oil Filter. ( Part # M-103) $10.99
- Oil Filter Cap wrench Type F:$5.99Oil Drain Pan
- Oil drain pan
- Funnel
- Ratchet
- 13 or 14 mm Socket. i happened to use a 14 mm.
- Phillips Screw driver or 10 mm socket.
- Hydraulic Jack
- Two Jack stands


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1. First thing to do is open your hood and inspect your oil. you can do this by taking out the dipstick and looking at the end. if the oil is black, its a good thing your changing your oil!
This is where your dipstick is located :

and this is what it looks like when its taken almost out



2. Make sure no one is around the beautiful car :) and place the jack on the metal area between the front two tires... its usually scraped from normal driving.


3. Place one jack stand on the passenger side and one on the driver side for support incase the jack fails and drops the car.
( This can be seen in the video )

4. Now that your car is up and secure you have to take off the plastic cover . it usually has 2 screws and one plastic locking thing.
These are the two metal screws, you can use a philips screwdriver to open them... or use a 12mm socket.

and this is the plastic locking thing next to the two frame bolts. ( do not unscrew the frame bolts. just take off the plastic one)



This is the plastic cover once its taken off:



5. Now you are able to see your oil filter and oil drain plug.



and your oil filter is on the opposite side of your oil pan.


6. Place your oil drain pan under the oil drain plug ( when you first take the bolt out it shoots out oil so make sure you position the pan alitle further down.)

7. Slowly unbolt your oil drain plug with a ratchet and 13 or 14 mm socket and let the oil drain out.

8. When your oil is completely drained you can now plug it back up using the same tools you took it off with.

9. Move the oil drain pan under the oil filter.. Secure the oil filter cap wrench to your oil filter and use your ratchet and plug it in the oil filter cap wrench and slowly remove the oil filter. The filter oil should be leaking out now. and let it drain completely.

10. Take out your new oil filter and open one quart of oil. Apply a very thin layer of your new oil to the rubber gasket on the oil filter.

11. Tighten your new oil filter with the tools you used to take your old one off. It should be hand tightened and then with the tools tighten it just slightly more.


12. Crawl out from under your car and open the hood again. Remove the oil cap and make sure your funnel is clean. When your funnel is clean put the tip of the funnel in engine.


13. Add one quart at a time and monitor your dipstick to see what level your oil is at.


14. Keep adding a quart until its at the appropriate level on your dipstick... remember to wait alitle for the oil to settle to make sure the oil level on the dipstick is accurate.

15. When the oil is all set and the correct level of oil is shown on the dipstick, Close the oil cap and make sure your dipstick is inside the metal hole and let the car sit for a minute or two to absorb the oil and start the car.

16. Let the beautiful celica idle for about 3 minutes and check under the car for any leaks.

17 . If no leaks are found re install the plastic tray you removed in step 4.

18. Remove both the passenger jackstand and driver stack stand and make sure there is no one close to the car and slowly lower the beautiful celica down .

19. Take your fresh Celica out for a test drive and if everything is set then your good to go!

20. Now heres the worst step ... clean up all of the mess you mae and put back the materials you used and recycle your used oil!

thanks you all for taking time to read this and i hope it helped you some. Maybe this time you will change your oil yourself and have the piece of mind that it was done right!


* Moderator please move this in the right section if its wrong. * i couldnt post in repair and maintenence ...
 
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#6 ·
Nice job.:thumbup:
Klint said:
These are the two metal screws, you can use a philips screwdriver to open them... or use a 12mm socket.
Those should be 10mm;)

You don't have to take the plastic undercover completely off. You can leave on the last rear plastic clip, closest to the passenger wheel, and just swing the panel under the tire & out of the way. Makes it easier to put back and line up.
 
#7 ·
Nice job.:thumbup:Those should be 10mm;)

You don't have to take the plastic undercover completely off. You can leave on the last rear plastic clip, closest to the passenger wheel, and just swing the panel under the tire & out of the way. Makes it easier to put back and line up.
Hmmmm, my manual GT-S doesn't have that plastic cover. It has it under the tranny on the drivers side tho. Maybe previous owner took it out and left it out for ease of acces. I don't think not having the one on the passenger side will damage something, right?

What about adding on the parts list a Oil drain plug GASKET? I thought we have to replace it everytime we change oil.
 
#9 ·
You need to recheck the dipstick after you start the engine especially since you didnt prime the new oil filter.

Another tip is to open the filler cap when draining so the air pressure isn't working against you. Warm oil flows better than cold just make sure it's not hot.
 
#10 ·
i think this could be a good write up for ppl who never changed oil or watever.
Thats exactly the purpose of this thread :)

Nice job.:thumbup:Those should be 10mm;)
Oh yeah! your absolutely right! i forgot i had 10 mm on it lol . thanks! fixed.
Hmmmm, my manual GT-S doesn't have that plastic cover. It has it under the tranny on the drivers side tho. Maybe previous owner took it out and left it out for ease of acces. I don't think not having the one on the passenger side will damage something, right?

What about adding on the parts list a Oil drain plug GASKET? I thought we have to replace it everytime we change oil.
I think the plastic thing is to stop the oil from getting on the floor if it was leaking.

a new oil drain plug gasket is a good idea to change, especially if your cover pan is missing to protect the nut from road debris. But mine was in great condition, and most likely the dealer changed it last oil change, it seems fairly new too and i just got the car less than a month ago so i changed the oil to synthetic regardless if he did the oil change or not.

You need to recheck the dipstick after you start the engine especially since you didnt prime the new oil filter.

Another tip is to open the filler cap when draining so the air pressure isn't working against you. Warm oil flows better than cold just make sure it's not hot.
Good tips for new readers ! ty.
 
#12 ·
This is an oil change on the GTS. i dont know if the GT has difference locations or not.
same location on GT too

You don't have to take the plastic undercover completely off. You can leave on the last rear plastic clip, closest to the passenger wheel, and just swing the panel under the tire & out of the way. Makes it easier to put back and line up.
haha thats what i do too... too lazy to take the final one off
 
#14 ·
Klint said:
a new oil drain plug gasket is a good idea to change
It is..... but, I flip mine over and usually change it on the 3rd change. The fiber covered aluminum ones from the dealer seem to hold up well. But, the last order I got were all fiber and definitely don't hold up as good.
Klint said:
I think the plastic thing is to stop the oil from getting on the floor if it was leaking.
That's what the Tampax pad on the bottom of the panel is for. The panel itself is for aerodynamics, splash protection, and directing the airflow from the hood scoop.
 
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#15 ·
Handy guide! I prefer driving onto ramps than jacking the car up though--much less work....
And I'm guessing you have like "low profile" ramps... Mines are the regular ones and I can't use them cuz it scratches the whole bumper. Car its too low for them (and I am stock, not lowered). If you got some sort of "special ones", where did you get them?

Thanks in advance man.
 
#16 ·
And I'm guessing you have like "low profile" ramps... Mines are the regular ones and I can't use them cuz it scratches the whole bumper. Car its too low for them (and I am stock, not lowered). If you got some sort of "special ones", where did you get them?

Thanks in advance man.
Actually I just got some of the regular plastic ones from Advance Auto. They fit perfectly--there's literally about 2mm of space when I roll up onto them (I'm not lowered either).

I can see how that could be a problem though. I hear driving up onto 2x4s (or some other wide piece of lumber) then driving onto the ramps works pretty well. I've never had to do it though.
 
#19 ·
#22 ·
Couple more minor additions:
10. Take out your new oil filter and open one quart of oil. Apply a very thin layer of your new oil to the rubber gasket on the oil filter.
Fill the oil filter about 1/2 way full of oil (for startup).
12. Crawl out from under your car and open the hood again. Remove the oil cap and make sure your funnel is clean. When your funnel is clean put the tip of the funnel in engine.
Don't press the funnel down on the baffle in the fill hole.
15. When the oil is all set and the correct level of oil is shown on the dipstick, Close the oil cap and make sure your dipstick is inside the metal hole and let the car sit for a minute or two to absorb the oil and start the car.

16. Let the beautiful celica idle for about 3 minutes and check under the car for any leaks.

17 . If no leaks are found re install the plastic tray you removed in step 4.
Re-check the oil level on the dipstick and top off to the full mark. Running the engine will fill the filter & drop the level slightly.
 
#25 ·
yup this is a good guide. I've never done oil b4. did the tranny fluid which is pretty much the same concept. I'll do it myself next time though just so I don't have to lesten to them asking if I want them to do ten other things.
 
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