🔧 Corolla - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Change

Changing the oil and oil filter keeps your engine lubricated and clean. On your Corolla, you’ll drain the old oil from the oil pan, replace the cartridge-style filter in its housing, then refill with the correct oil.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 0.8-1.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the car with jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Engine oil can be very hot. Let the engine cool 15–30 minutes if needed.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off belts, hoses, and exhaust parts to avoid smoke/burning smells.
• ⚠️ Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses.
• ✅ Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum) - Qty: 2
• Wheel chocks - Qty: 2
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Drain pan (at least 6-quart capacity)
• Funnel
• Shop rags
• 10mm socket
• 14mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive torque wrench (10–50 ft-lbs range)
• 64mm 14-flute oil filter cap wrench (specialty)
• Oil filter housing drain tool (Toyota cartridge style) (specialty)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (0W-20 full synthetic) - Qty: 5 quarts
• Engine oil filter (cartridge type) - Qty: 1
• Oil filter housing O-rings (included with most filters) - Qty: 1 set
• Oil drain plug gasket/washer - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on a level surface, shift to P, and set the parking brake.
• Chock the rear wheels using wheel chocks.
• Warm the engine for 2–3 minutes, then shut it off. Warm oil drains faster.
• Open the hood and remove the oil fill cap (this helps oil drain smoothly).

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and support the front of the car

• Use a floor jack to lift the front at the proper jacking point.
• Place jack stands under the correct support points and lower the car onto them.
• Give the car a gentle push to confirm it’s stable before you go underneath.

Step 2: Remove the under-cover access panel

• Slide the drain pan under the engine area.
• Use a 10mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet to remove the small service/access panel fasteners in the lower splash shield.
• Open the panel so you can reach the oil drain plug and filter housing.

Step 3: Drain the old engine oil

• Locate the oil pan drain plug (bottom of the engine oil pan).
• Use a 14mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet to loosen the drain plug, then finish removing it by hand.
• Let the oil drain into the drain pan until it slows to an occasional drip.
• Remove the old drain plug gasket/washer and install the new one.

Step 4: Reinstall and torque the drain plug

• Thread the drain plug in by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Use a 3/8" drive torque wrench and 14mm socket to tighten the drain plug: Torque to 37 Nm (27 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Drain and remove the oil filter (cartridge housing)

• Locate the oil filter housing (a round cap-style housing).
• Use the oil filter housing drain tool (Toyota cartridge style) (specialty) to drain the filter housing. (This tool opens the housing drain so it doesn’t dump oil everywhere.)
• Once drained, use a 64mm 14-flute oil filter cap wrench (specialty) with a 3/8" drive ratchet to loosen and remove the filter housing cap.
• Pull out the old cartridge filter.

Step 6: Replace the O-rings and install the new cartridge filter

• Use a shop rag to wipe the housing clean.
• Replace the housing O-ring(s) with the new ones from the filter box.
• Lightly coat the new O-ring(s) with fresh oil (pour a little into the cap and spread with a gloved finger). Helps prevent pinching.
• Install the new cartridge filter into the housing/cap as designed.

Step 7: Reinstall and torque the filter housing cap

• Thread the housing cap in by hand until it seats.
• Use the 64mm 14-flute oil filter cap wrench (specialty) and a 3/8" drive torque wrench to tighten: Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).
• Wipe away any oil residue with a shop rag.

Step 8: Reinstall the under-cover access panel

• Close the access panel and reinstall fasteners using the 10mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet.

Step 9: Lower the car and refill with new oil

• Use the floor jack to lift slightly, remove the jack stands, and lower the car to the ground.
• Insert a funnel into the oil fill hole.
• Pour in 0W-20 full synthetic. Start with about 4.0 quarts, then adjust after checking the dipstick.
• Install the oil fill cap.

Step 10: Start, check for leaks, and set the final oil level

• Start the engine and let it run for 30–60 seconds.
• Shut the engine off and wait 5 minutes for oil to drain back into the pan.
• Check underneath for leaks at the drain plug and filter housing.
• Check the dipstick and add oil as needed to reach the full mark.
• Typical capacity with filter is about 4.4 quarts.

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✅ After Repair

• Recheck the dipstick the next morning (cold engine) and top off if needed.
• Dispose of used oil and the old filter properly (most parts stores accept used oil).
• Reset the maintenance reminder (if it’s on):
• 🛠️ With key ignition: Use the trip button to show Trip A → turn key to OFF → press and hold trip button → turn key to ON (do not start) → keep holding until the display resets.
• 🛠️ With push-button start: Press START twice (ON, not READY) → set Trip A → power OFF → press/hold trip button → press START twice (ON) → hold until reset completes.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $90-$170 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $35-$65 (parts only)

You Save: $55-$105 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.7-1.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.