Changed my oil... couldn't change filter
 

Damn that oil filter was on tight. I tried about 4 different wrenches and couldn't get it off and i'm not exactly the weakest person either. The only wrench I didnt have is the official Porsche one. I almost tried puncturing it with a screwdriver til I remembered you only change the filter inside of the plastic case. :eek: I decided to leave it on until the next change... the service schedule says you only have to change it every other time anyway. Anyone else know a better way to get it off? I put in some new mobil 1 5W30 that is supposed to last up to 15,000 miles between changes, it was an extra $5 for 5 quarts. I put in 9 quarts but i'm showing about 4 bars short on my digital readout... how much does each bar represent? I also did the desnorkel mod and love the new sound on WOT. :D

Hi,

It is strongly recommended that you change the Filter. Even though Porsche says you can change the Filter every other change, that doesn't mean it's advisable. Besides, you're only putting off the inevitable, sooner or later you're going to have to tackle it. It sounds as if this is your first Oil change for this Car, so you really don't know how long the Filter has been in service either.

I don't use the Porsche Wrench, I use a Strap Wrench from Sears. This works great and gives you better leverage than a Socket Handle will. Finally, you can always sacrifice the Cannister if necessary, it's not a really expensive part - $29 here incl. the 'O' Ring and Filter Cartridge: http://www.986online.com/cgi-local/ASI_Store.cgi?Product+skukey_1132165639+Boxster+Oi lSystem-Boxster Possibly cheaper somewhere else.

If the Filter wasn't changed and you added 9 Qts., you may have overfilled your Oil, by ¼ to ½ quart. Never Trust the digital readout as it's known to be highly inaccurate, use the Dipstick, or if your MY doesn't have one, add 8 Qts. and add more over the next couple days as you drive the Car. Unless the Car was absolutely level, you probably didn't drain all the old Oil out, not counting what remains in the Filter Cannister. If you run with your Oil overfilled, it will Foam and not properly flow to the necessary sites in the Engine and it will produce smoke and potentially damage the Cats and O² Sensors. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

My 2000 took 9 1/2 quarts of Mobil1 0W-30 exactly, to show one bar from the top.

I'd get that canister removal tool, and know that it's available elsewhere. Can you imagine how much tighter it'll be in 15K miles?

Enjoy!

Shouldn't you guys be running Mobil 1 0W40?? Not 0W30 and 5W30.

I tried about every adapter and strap imaginable to get it off. Only thing I wish I had was a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter so I could have tried my breaker bar on it. I tried that thing for a good 2 hours before I gave up. I did have a 30k and 45k mile maintenance done to it before I bought it a year ago so I hope they would have done the filter then. I'll check my dipstick when I get home but i'm confident that I didn't overfill it because the car was very level and sat for about 2 hours and my 9-quart container was overflowing when it was completely drained. My digital readout was always on full bars the last year I had it though.

I think it was actually 5w40 not 5w30 because I couldn't find 0w40.

At our work on cars days I have changed a lot of filters. I bring a 2' breaker bar because sometimes one is screwed on very tight. http://www.renntech.org/reviewpost/showproduct.php?product=20&cat=31

If you can get the cannister off you can still change the filter. The only oil that will come out is the oil in the cannister. In fact, when I do an oil and filter change I replace the filter first and then drain the oil.

Thanks TP... where did you purchase that filter wrench? Is the one at the dealer any good / too expensive?

Hi,

One point comes to mind. When doing your Oil Change, be sure to replace the Filter Housing (w/ new 'O' Ring) by Hand, do not use the Filter Wrench. The Torque Spec for this part is 18.5 ft. lbs., easily achievable by Hand Tightening. There is no reason to overtighten this Cannister, and in fact if you do you run the risk of skewing or tearing the 'O' Ring which will then create a leak. Hand tightening is sufficient and insures the Cannister will be easily removable the next time. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

filter wrench
 

I eventually found one at auto zone that worked fine, but I initially had the same problem. I went in and bought about 10 filter wrench adapters. I told the clerk my delima, and he said as long as I had the receipt, that it wouldn't be a problem. I tested them until I found one that worked, and took the rest back. It was about $5. i'm on vacation now, otherwise I would check the garage for the part number.