Toyota Echo: How to change oil

I was bored and figured I would post a DIY for changing your Echo’s oil.

*Before starting please make sure you have the following tools:
--- a 14 mm socket wrench
--- an oil filter wrench (65/67mm – 14 Flutes)
--- ramps
--- wheel chocks
--- pan to catch waste oil
--- container to place used motor oil in
--- a new oil filter
--- new oil
--- some rags and news papers.
--- a measuring cup

 

1. Drive up on ramps – this allows easy access to oil drain plug.  Carefully drive up the ramps.  After driving up ramps set e brake and rear wheel chocks to keep vehicle from rolling backwards. 

--- Pic of front of car while up on ramps

  --Pic of rear of car showing rear wheel chock while up on ramps.

 
--- Underside of car.  Note where the oil plug is, facing the front passenger side wheel.

 

2. Place newspapers and drain pan under car.  – This helps to prevent any spills on concrete. 

 --- Underside of car with newspaper and oil drain pan.

3. Use 14mm wrench or socket wrench to remove drain plug and drain oil.  – Be careful not to let drain plug fall into whatever container it is you are using to catch the oil.  It will be messy to fish it out.  Place plug where it can’t be lost.

--- Oil draining into drain pan.

4. Remove oil filter.  – While oil is draining remove the old oil filter.  Use oil filter wrench (65/67mm – 14 Flutes).  As you unscrew the oil filter oil will start to leak out.  Maneuver you oil drain pan so that it catches the leaking oil.

 

---  Pic of Oil Filter

 
 
--- Pic of Oil Filter Wrench

 
 

--- Pic of oil filter wrench on oil filter.  This oil filter wrench accepts a 3/8” socket wrench.

 

--- Pic of oil filter removed from engine and draining in drain pan.

 

--- Oil filter mount point.

 

5. Install new oil filter.  – Fill oil filter with clean oil.  Put clean oil on oil filters rubber seal.  Screw oil filter onto mount point.

--- Pic of new oil filter. 

 
--- Oil filter pre filled with oil before being installed.

Screw oil filter on by hand.  Do not over tighten or the gasket may fail.  Additionally it will be hard to remove the filter at your next oil change.

 

6. Install oil drain plug with new crush washer and fill engine with new oil.

 
--- Drain plug with new crush washer.   Crush washer was purchased from Toyota 
     parts dept.  It was relatively inexpensive. 

Install onto oil pan by tightening with 14mm  wrench or socket wrench.  If you have a torque wrench the drain plug should be  tightened to 28 ft lbf.

--- Drain plug installed

 
 --- Pour new oil into fill hole.  The shop manual states that the oil capacity with a filter change is 3.7 liters or 3.9 US qts.  The capacity for a dry fill is 4.1 liters or 4.3 US qts.  I usually fill it with 3.9 quarts then run the engine a little and add oil as necessary after checking the dip stick. 

This concludes my DIY for an Echo Oil Change!  Hope it was informative.  Note that the Oil Grade recommended in the shop manual is SH or SJ 5W-30 for temperature highs below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10W-30 for temperature highs higher than 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  Interestingly the user manual that came with the car specifies 5W-30 for 29 degrees Fahrenheit to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  I have always used 5W-30 conventional oil and have never had a problem (so far I have 136,000 miles on my 2002 Echo).  I live in NJ USA where temperatures will get well into the 90s during the summer and into the 20s during the winter.  I have always used Walmart brand oil and filters with no ill effects as of yet.  Just recently (around 125,000 miles) I started using Walmart brand synthetic oil due to the cars high mileage.   The used oil I discard at the local recycling center.  You can also bring used oil to Advanced Auto Parts and most other Auto Parts stores.

Below are the pages of the shop manual pertaining to an oil change.  If you have any questions or comments let me know.  If you want to see any of the pics utilized in this DIY in greater detail click on the following link:

 http://good-times.webshots.com/album/564770621TAcJLf?vhost=good-times

 

--- Shop Manual Page --- You DO NOT have to worry about checking the oil pressure.  Skip this step.

 

--- Shop Manual Page ---

 
--- Summary layout of the engine compartment for reference.

 

--- Note how the recommended viscosity differs from the user manual to the shop manual.

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