I do it when the engine is hot so it drains quicker and flushes better. One comment on filters.
8) Take the new oil filter and verify it's size and likeness to the old one.
Nope. You can't tell anything from either of those - unless it's the same brand and you can check for the part number. I don't know who made the factory oil filter on my car, but it was shorter and wider than the Bosch I replaced it with. I checked the specs to confirm. I don't buy filters from the dealer ever since my first new car when I dutifully went along to the Toyota dealer, paid 3x the price and when I got home noticed that it was a FRAM filter painted red.
So while we're at it - what filter to buy?
Anything but FRAM!
A few years back I cut open a used Fram (no photos sorry) and the cardboard end caps had come apart internally and I'm not sure it was doing anything.
There have been several people who have cut open filters to find out how they are constructed,
http://www.300cforums.com/forums/genera ... ected.html
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfil ... tml#w51515
Fram (Honeywell) are the worst constructed, followed by the new 'Encore' Champion ones. Champion make filters for several brands and it is very difficult to know who actually makes what.
I prefer buying Purolator - who are now owned by Bosch and manufacture for Bosch in the US - or NAPA/WIX. Those are the easiest to find. I bought a box of 24 Bosch filters online since the same part number (3300) fits all of my Subes and I get through about 10 a year. It worked out much cheaper than buying a crap filter retail
My new car has a small diameter filter tucked away and surrounded by hot exhaust. I bought a filter wrench specifically to fit the case of filters and I don't regret it for an instant. I had a generic wrench, like this
but the plastic one holds the filter for removal and intalling.
Before you buy look at the filter in the store. Some people will swap an expensive filter into a cheap box, so make sure it's what it's supposed to be. Do not buy a filter that had been dented in any way - the relief and back-flow valves use springs against the case and if the case is dented they may fail - effectively disabling the filter. And don't buy a dirty filter.
