So I did an oil change on my car this morning. What an absolute pain in the *** to get the old oil filter off and the new one tightened snugly enough. Even getting beyond the awkard location of the filter, the metal brace that's in the way, and the idiotic design of putting a catalytic converter under the filter, the biggest challenge I had was actually getting an oil filter wrench in there that would work.

First, I tried a cap style wrench, but couldn't get it to fit snugly enough. Then I tried a metal strap wrench, but didn't have enough room to maneuver. Then I tried a fabric strap wrench, but it bent the oil filter case. Finally, I tried a spider wrench, which after some finagling finally loosened the filter enough for me to get it off. Unfortunately, the spider wrench only works one way, so I couldn't use it to tighten the new filter on.

The Jaguar OEM filter has a fluted end, which doesn't seem to fit any of the wrenches I could find at the auto parts store. Don't know if it's a European thing, or if the same devil's spawn who designed the filter location also designed the filter. I ended up tightening it up as much as I could by hand, then tapping it a bit tighter with a jerry-rigged contraption. I didn't see any leaking, but would like to tighten it up another quarter turn or so in the coming weeks, just for my own peace of mind.

What kind of oil filter wrench have you guys found to work best on the Jaguar OEM oil filters? Does the dealer sell a wrench specifically for their filters? The next time, I think I'm just going to go with a WIX filter (assuming I can find a wrench that will work with it), or a K&N filter - which has a nut welded on so you don't have to deal with the hassle of using an oil filter wrench.

 

Matt, on my car, I don't have to use a filter wrench. You should have to tighten the filter on that tight. Tightening the filter to the point that the rubber gasket is making contact is all that is needed. From there, the rubber gasket will swell slightly from being exposed to oil and help seal things better. Now, I will admit that this method does require the seating surface to be clean, but cleaning the surface should be done anyways just to make sure you don't toss any dirt into the oil. I take a rag and wipe off the machined surface that the gasket sits on. As long as that surface has no scratches in it, a light hand tightening should be all that is needed to make the filter seal. Then to remove the filter is nothing more than putting your hand on the filter and unscrewing.

 

If a filter wrench is needed, I found a rubber strap wrench of the smaller type to be perfect. And to be honest, changing the oil on our cars isn't that bad, I kind of enjoyed it!

 

Thanks a lot guys. The oil change itself was really easy. The filter was a pain to get off, and I'm annoyed with how much time I spent on it - maybe the dealership tightened it up too much the last time.

Thermo, thanks for confirming that you've found it sufficient to hand tighten the filter. It gives me some comfort. I'll check my car again after a week to see if there's any oil leaking past the oil filter gasket. The reason I was concerned is that most of the filters I've installed in the past instruct you to hand-tighten, and then continue tightening another 1/2 to 3/4 turns (the only way you can do that is with a wrench). I managed to get it maybe 1/3rd of a turn tighter, which hopefully is enough to seal the mating surface.

 

I have used K&N oil filters on almost all of my vehicles simply because I like the option to take it off with a 1" wrench or adjustable wrench/channel locks if necessary. They fit fine on the X and I've had to use a wrench to get them off. Yeah they are twice as expensive, but it's a damn good filter too.

Hand tight is plenty. I don't use a wrench for tightening. Never have on the X, never had a leak at the oil filter, and this is with at least 12 changes.

 

Matt, what I normally do is get the filter started and spin it on. let the filter spin on the central post. Keep spinning it till you feel/see it drag to a stop. From there, give it the additional turn. I normally only get but maybe an 1/8th of a turn. Once it starts to get snug, I stop. It will make for getting a good grip when trying to remove the filter, but the need for a wrench will not be required. If you need a little bit more grip, take a small piece of terry cloth, wrap it around the filter and then get a good grip. The terry cloth will help grab on to the filter and allow you to turn it a bit harder.