[PinkBug4289]

I have a 2004 Turbo S beetle. I am changing my oil and my Fiance is having trouble getting the oil filter off. We took off the heat guard(plastic thingy)Yes we have a oil filter wrench but we cannot seem to have enough room to twist it? We are trying to go at it from the bottom....are we doing something wrong?

There is like no room to work with!can someone give some pointers?

 

[Smileybug]

I never had any success with the oil filter wrench. We ended up picking up an attachment for a socket wrench that goes around the bottom of the filter. Works really well and you don't need as much room. Now, I have a 2.0, not sure where the filter is on the 1.8T, but with that attachment, it makes getting the filter off pretty easy for me.

 

[boogety boogety]

When you do get it off -- and you will -- make sure you smear some oil on all the mating surfaces before you install the new one, and then tighten it to factory specs (e.g., just past hand-tight if you don't have a torque wrench). Don't crank it down tight like the last idiot obviously did (if you're the last idiot... apologies, but hey...).

If you have rubber gloves, try wearing them when you grab and spin the filter off, sometimes that gives you just enough extra grip to unscrew the thing.

Auto parts stores have wrenches that fit from the bottom of the filter and can be attached to a ratchet wrench. That's what I've always used, they work great. There are oodles of variations, and they all work much the same way.

I wish more cars had the drop-in filter like My Beloved's BMW. With an extractor, everything can be done from the top of the car, standing up, wearing a white tuxedo if you wished.

 

[DZLBUG]

When you do get it off, make sure the old seal comes with it.

 

[miffmole]

I have a 2004 Turbo S beetle. I am changing my oil and my Fiance is having trouble getting the oil filter off. We took off the heat guard(plastic thingy)Yes we have a oil filter wrench but we cannot seem to have enough room to twist it? We are trying to go at it from the bottom....are we doing something wrong?

There is like no room to work with!can someone give some pointers?

I used an end cap similar to one of these that I bought from Advance Auto for $5 and something...
KD End Cap Oil Filter Wrenches

I have a 1.8T also, and I didn't need to remove anything underneath...I could see the filter from underneath as is.

 

[The Cheat]

a socket wrench is a must (i have the 4-jawed version that can expand and contract) to get the filter off on any mk4 gasser.

the filter wrench doesn't give enough room (unless you like bloody and busted knuckles).

dzlbug is right though, make sure that old seal comes off, otherwise, it'll leak like a sieve.

 

[antonym]

End cap wrench.. one of the best investments to my tool box. I have found however that the OEM filter is sometimes hard to remove because the end of the filter is smoother than aftermarket (the slots not as deep).

 

[The Cheat]

End cap wrench.. one of the best investments to my tool box. I have found however that the OEM filter is sometimes hard to remove because the end of the filter is smoother than aftermarket (the slots not as deep).

dude, you gotta get what i have then. noticed the same damn thing.

it looks like a little ninja star, it expands and contracts to fit 95% of filter sizes on the market. it also grips it too (you can see the little dents it makes), so you know it's coming off.

best $12 i've spent on tools in a while.

 

[Benderbeetle Rodrigues]

For a last resort, you can punch a hole in the side and put in a screwdriver and unscrew the filter. Better still, punch two holes in it and bury the screwdriver up to the handle. Works great (but messy)for limited access areas and you can get a lot of power through the handle. I've never had to punch more than two holes for removal.
How to deal with that stuck oil filter Jim’s Garage

Cheers.