I'm trying to change the oil on my '88 S Prelude. I've only run into one car in my life I couldn't change the filter on without a ton of work... my brother's Sunfire.

Is there an easy way to remove the filter on these cars? It's right above the steering and I can't find any good tools that reach in there.

 

Just squeeze your hand in there. If its too tight for your kungfu grip then use various tools filter wrenchs, large channel locks, and if worst comes to worst stab it with a screw driver and then use that to spin it off (but this is a last resort only). That is why I hate people who dont put a little lube on the filter o-ring.

 

had to use a scew driver on my sisters rsx-s first oil change

 

lol.. eer its easy if you get under the car
lol
but just need a good pair of channel locks..
or a "proper oil change wrench"
id grab a channel lock oil filter wrench..30$ but well worth it
if you do oil chances on a reg basis..
and yes sunfires are not fun to do oil changes on.. all cavs and sunfish'z are a pain to do from under teh car but easy from uptop..
try doing something like a pathfinder or the m class benz suv...or osme stupid fords.. where it splashes off the controll arm and into your face...
and ps.. you can lube the crab out of the filter ring.. if the guys smart he'll tighten the crap out of the filter when putting it on.. lol.
and with pressure in it , its pretty hard to open.. no matter what.. its never a nice easy "un-spinn" unless its non oem filters..

 

and when putting filter back on don't tighten down on it so much just hand tighen it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by prylwd &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just squeeze your hand in there. If its too tight for your kungfu grip then use various tools filter wrenchs, large channel locks, and if worst comes to worst stab it with a screw driver and then use that to spin it off (but this is a last resort only). That is why I hate people who dont put a little lube on the filter o-ring.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's what i'd say... but watch out for dripping oil

 

ha jus take a peice of sandpaper get under the car reach up and loosen it....thats a easy car to do it on....i loved changin oil in mine

 

I have used a big *** screwdriver before. Just punch it through the filter and apply torque. Not ideal but it might do the trick in a tight space.

 

I've used a rubber jar opener. Cheaper than the real tool. Or the screwdriver method with spilt oil.

 

actually this seems to be a common thing with ludes of the 3rd gen...i got a 91 and i never put my filter on more than firmly...and today i had to do teh screw driver through the filter thing...no wrench worked...but the sand paper sounds like a great idea, but only if it were doubble sided

 

I usually jack up the driver front, and take the wheel off. Then by laying on my back on the side of the car with the brake rotor above my chest, I can usually get a good grip with my filter wrench. I use one of those crescent shaped ones with a little gripping thumb on them. Kinda looks like a sickle, and it gives some good torque.

 

One of those rubber kitchen gloves works well too . . . .

 

Last time mine was stuck i used rubber jar openers and a strap wrench. That was the last thing I could think of before I was going to resort to the screwdriver.

 

the strap wrench is a good idea...if you can hit it with a wrench, like hit the body of the filter, the somtimes tapping it will jar it loose.

 

like prylwd said, please resort to the screwdriver method as a very last resort. i have actually used this method for a friend's gs-r and it did not work, causing even a bigger problem. the moron who changed his oil b4 really got it on too tight and the thing was not coming off. i used a clamp wrench, even the type that works like a socket, but no use.

most oil filter bodies are NOT THAT STURDY and will start tearing apart once you stab it with anything like a screwdriver and attempt to turn it. once you mangle the oil filter, you won't have anything to really turn it with. i had to have the car towed to a shop where they took another good 30 min just trying to get it off. valuable listen learned.

 

Just use the big crab-claw looking oil filter wrench from Autozone. I haven't found a car that I couldn't get the filter off using that thing...........yet.