🔧 RAV4 - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Change

You’ll drain the old engine oil, replace the oil filter element and sealing O-ring, then refill with the correct amount of fresh oil. This keeps the engine lubricated, reduces wear, and helps prevent sludge and low-oil-pressure issues.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 1.0-2.0 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a flat, level surface and chock the rear wheels.
• ⚠️ Never rely on a jack alone—support the RAV4 with jack stands.
• ⚠️ Engine oil can be hot—let it cool 15–30 minutes if needed.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off the exhaust and belts; wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required for this job.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Oil drain pan (at least 6-quart)
• Funnel
• Shop towels
• Ratchet (3/8" drive)
• Extension (3"-6")
• 10mm socket
• 14mm socket
• Torque wrench (10–80 ft-lbs range)
• 64mm 14-flute oil filter cap wrench (specialty)
• Flat trim clip tool

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (SAE 5W-30) - Qty: 5 quarts
• Oil filter element (cartridge type) - Qty: 1
• Oil filter housing O-ring - Qty: 1
• Oil drain plug gasket (crush washer) - Qty: 1

---

📋 Before You Begin

• 🧰 Drive 5–10 minutes, then shut off and let the engine sit 15 minutes.
• 🧰 Park level, shift to Park, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• 🧰 Gather supplies: you’ll refill about 4.5 qt (4.3 L) with a filter change (you may use part of the 5th quart).
• 🧰 Open the hood and loosen/remove the oil filler cap (helps it drain faster).

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and support the front

• Use floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) to lift the front at the proper front jacking point.
• Set the RAV4 down onto jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Shake the car gently to confirm stable.

Step 2: Remove the front under cover (if equipped)

• Use a 10mm socket with a ratchet (3/8" drive) to remove the under cover bolts.
• Use a flat trim clip tool to pop out any plastic clips (slide under the clip head, then pry up).
• Set the cover and hardware aside in a small pile so nothing gets lost.

Step 3: Drain the old oil

• Slide the oil drain pan (at least 6-quart) under the oil pan drain plug.
• Use a 14mm socket with a ratchet (3/8" drive) to loosen and remove the drain plug.
• Let the oil drain until it’s down to a slow drip (usually 5–10 minutes).

Step 4: Reinstall drain plug with a new crush washer

• Remove the old oil drain plug gasket (crush washer) from the drain plug.
• Install the new crush washer (it sits between the plug head and the oil pan).
• Thread the drain plug in by hand first (to avoid cross-threading).
• Tighten using a torque wrench (10–80 ft-lbs range) and 14mm socket: Torque to 40 Nm (30 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the oil filter housing and replace the filter

• Locate the oil filter housing (cartridge-style canister) at the lower front area of the engine.
• Position the oil drain pan (at least 6-quart) under the filter housing (oil will spill).
• Use the 64mm 14-flute oil filter cap wrench (specialty) on a ratchet (3/8" drive) (use an extension (3"-6") if needed) to loosen the housing.
• Unscrew the housing the rest of the way by hand and lower it carefully.
• Pull out the old oil filter element (cartridge type) and discard it.
• Remove the old oil filter housing O-ring (use the flat trim clip tool gently if needed) and install the new O-ring in the same groove.
• Wipe the housing and mating surface clean with shop towels.
• Install the new filter element into the housing.
• Thread the housing back on by hand first.
• Tighten using a torque wrench (10–80 ft-lbs range) and 64mm 14-flute oil filter cap wrench (specialty): Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).
• Hand-start threads to prevent expensive damage.

Step 6: Reinstall the under cover

• Reposition the under cover.
• Install clips by hand, then push them fully in using the flat trim clip tool if needed.
• Install bolts using the 10mm socket and ratchet (3/8" drive) (snug, do not over-tighten).

Step 7: Refill with fresh oil

• Lower the RAV4 back to the ground using the floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Insert a funnel into the oil fill opening.
• Pour in about 4.5 qt (4.3 L) of SAE 5W-30.
• Reinstall the oil filler cap.

Step 8: Start, check leaks, and verify level

• Start the engine and let it idle 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.
• Pull the dipstick, wipe it with shop towels, reinsert, then check the level.
• Top off in small amounts using the funnel until it’s at the full mark (don’t overfill).

---

✅ After Repair

• 🧪 Recheck for leaks after a short 5–10 minute drive.
• 🧪 Recheck the dipstick level one more time on level ground.
• 🧪 Reset the maintenance reminder (if the “MAINT REQD” light is on):

• Turn ignition to OFF.
• Press and hold the trip/ODO reset button.
• While holding the button, turn ignition to ON (do not start).
• Keep holding until the display shows zeros/dashes and then clears.

• 🧪 Dispose of used oil and the old filter properly (recycling center/auto parts store).

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $110-$200 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $35-$70 (parts only)

You Save: $75-$130 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.7-1.2 hours.

---

🎯 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.