Fast and easy way to change oil on a 2018 Toyota highlander!

Want to skip a step in changing your oil on a 2018 Toyota Highlander, then here’s an easy step by step!

[@jamest3552]

I save some money changing my own oil, but mainly it's for peace of mind knowing it's done right.

[@peacelovejoyandhappiness]

Amen 🙌🏼 🙌🏼 🙌🏼 you’re so right ✅

[@cristinacocos5120]

Great video! Keep ‘em coming!

[@builditben9945]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. More to come!

[@davenelson8187]

Doing my 1st oil change since purchasing our 2018 Highlander Hybrid Ltd. (18k) miles, now at 28k. The oil coming out is clear and bright like new! I’ve never owned a vehicle where the oil isn’t black at 3-5k oil change intervals. And this vehicle constantly stops and starts during city driving. Very impressed. Great vid, thanks! One suggestion: I’d recommend pinching the housing o ring at 9 and 3 o’clock position and squeezing upward to create enough stretch/slack to grab it and pull it off. Using a screwdriver can risk scoring damage to the o ring groove. Or, easier yet a little pick used carefully.

[@alexwill3722]

Very funny how on the 3rd bottle of oil you held it the " wrong " way. The reason to hold it that way is that it allows a little air back into the bottle so that it doesn't come out in "spurts". One other piece of advice is to take a paper towel and wipe down the filter housing mounting surface and inside that area. It's not doing any harm by not doing it but it's just that little bit "cleaner" and less chance that a drip of oil appears and you think you have a ;leak. A good reason to replace gaskets is that over time they break down and become brittle or deteriorate So I would pull that filter housing drain plug out once every few oil changes and swap in a new gasket. People think the plastic filter housing needs to be replaced with an aluminum one but that is not really necessary as the plastic ones will last the life of the vehicle. The problems arise if the filter housing is over- tightened ( I believe the torque required is actually around 17 foot pounds which is not very much at al)l. Some Quick Lube places will overtighten the housing so that when the next oil change happens the housing is seized on and requires so much torque to remove that it cracks the housing ( it will also crack an aluminum housing, don't kid yourself ) and you have a leak and need a new housing. Even some Toyota mechanics have used air tools or just over tighten these and you need access to new filter housing or your vehicle isn't going anywhere for a while. On the Highlander the oil goes into the fill hole quite quickly but on some vehicles if you pour it in that fast it will overflow and cover the outside if the engine so watch around the bottom of the funnel for oil seeping up. p.s. it is also a good idea to place a piece of cardboard or paper under the engine after you have put in the oil, checked the level ( a little more than halfway between the lower and upper marks, oil expands as it heats up )/ run the engine for a while ( a couple minutes ) and look for drops of oil after 5 or 10 minutes.

[@rk22cc]

great advice

[@EricDIY]

Have a link to the oil filter removal tool you use?

[@JKAUTER]

The Torque for the oil filter is 25 FT LBS

[@tahirif1138]

Where do you get the filter housing kit good enough to not cause damage to the filter plug ?

[@stevengandt1507]

Good video. Thanks for sharing this. A few thoughts. First, although you didn't have to do it this time, you suggested using a screwdriver to scrape the washer / gasket from the oil pan if it sticks after removing the oil drain plug. That's probably an OK way to do it, but you risk scratching the area where the washer / gasket seats to the oil pan, which could result in a leak, particularly if you do this repeatedly over many oil changes. If you use a screwdriver to remove the washer / gasket, wrap the blade in a cloth first so you don't scratch the oil pan when removing the old washer / gasket. Second, you didn't mention, or remove, any rear tire chocks after removing the jack stands and jack. Again, probably not a big deal, but for added safety, you should chock the rear wheels to prevent the car from rolling backwards when the front is elevated. Third...Amazon-brand motor oil? Yes, it's Dexos approved, API certified and white labeled by Highline Warren, but...for not much more (at BJ's or Costco when on sale) you can get Mobil One and get the highest standard of performance. Once again, probably not a huge difference, but I always feel better knowing I've got fresh Mobil One in the crankcase.

[@dsdahustla]

Is the filter housing tool the same as the 3rd gen Tacoma?

[@frederickschultz644]

Suggestion: Use 99% Isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle to clean the filter case and housing both inside and outside. It's great at removing grease and oil and evaporates quickly. Also, if you can find it, get some DC4 o-ring lubricant. It is soluble in water and oil but protects the o-ring from damage from the threads.

[@KossRentyuk]

11:58 are you sure about that?

[@joshuadolan3811]

what youtube is all about! Thank you

[@condor5635]

I just compared Amazon Basics with Costco Kirkland synthetic. Amazon basics is $7.50 a quart ($45 for 6 quarts). Kirkland is $4 (10 quarts for $40) a quart. Both full synthetic and both probably exactly the same oil for the most part. Might consider it if you have a Costco membership

[@steveshufelt317]

Ben, what was the name on the tool you bought at Amazon?

[@builditben9945]

Oil filter wrench for Toyota.

[@rk22cc]

specifically?@@builditben9945

[@peacelovejoyandhappiness]

Can I change the oil on my 2018 Highlander without having to put it on a lift? I used to slide right underneath a Toyota Tacoma without a jack. Can I do the same on a Highlander? I am tired of paying these high-priced oil changes at the local establishments. Thanks!

[@jamest3552]

Buy a jack and either jackstands or use something else (I use stumps), that should be cheap enough.

[@peacelovejoyandhappiness]

@@jamest3552 great idea 💡 thank you sooo much! Happy New Year 🎆 2024.

[@monahumada7535]

I inch myself under my truck when I don't feel like pulling out my jack and stands.

[@peacelovejoyandhappiness]

@@monahumada7535 thank you for your help. I need to start changing it myself. I can save a boatload of money. You find it easy right on the Highlander?

[@monahumada7535]

​@@peacelovejoyandhappinessActually yes it was easy to find. Go to the right frontier and get it under the headlight. There you can see the filter and a little further in you can see the drain plug. You need that tool to take the filter housing out. It's a really tight fit for me so I do suggest a jack and stands just so you have room to work. It will be frustrating if it's your first time trying to learn like that.

[@anurakboribun2560]

How does one evaluate that Amazon oil is good enough? Toyota brand oil could be had for 25 cents more per bottle. Is the $1.25 per oil change going to make difference?

[@builditben9945]

If you watch project farm video on oil You’ll understand why I use Amazon oil.

[@anurakboribun2560]

@@builditben9945 Amazon oil is made by manufacturer that nobody heard of. Did project farm perform long term tests and did he come to conclusions that it is best based on saving/performance?

[@builditben9945]

It has the same additives as the leading brands but more. There are only a couple manufacturers that make oils for all brands.

[@anurakboribun2560]

@@builditben9945 We all realize that there are more oil brands than manufacturers. You are saying that the Amazon oil is better than the leading brands, I believe it is less expensive too. Perfect oil! Great thing we finally found it!

[@condor5635]

Yes I agree the Kirkland brand from Costco is definitely the cheapest and it’s a good quality synthetic oil. Since I change my oil every 4-5,000 miles I’m not worried one bit about the quality of that oil. No one could convince me to spend money on Toyota oil or mobile one for that matter with that change interval

[@yans2mago616]

Fast and easy way but it took 21 minutes 😂

[@financialadvisor1000]

An oil change is $75, supplies includes. No thanks on all this dirty work.

[@builditben9945]

Not everyone is mechanically inclined. Cheers.

[@pawelfronczyk1579]

Why are you watching then?

[@Kato-kine]

You should pay some one to write your comments on here too.

[@Kato-kine]

Some people need someone else do everything for them. Cheers.

[@rk22cc]

Better editing please, to much time waste

[@brokedownsuperman]

Watch it at x2 speed

[@rk22cc]

or not at all@@brokedownsuperman

[@seymourbutts2010]

Watch it in reverse next time