I just changed the oil in my '07 Xterra for the first time. However i could not manage to budge the factory oil filter. I already tried hands, gloves, and an oil filter cap wrench. Any ideas?

I have had that kinda trouble on my 02. i had to pierce the filter with a screw driver and use that as a hadle. you might need to tap the srewdriver through with a hammer.

yeah the screw driver idea is a good one. and make sure you are turning it the right way!

$8 Oil filter pliers avalible at any parts house. Cheap insurance, those 9e000's get tighter as you drive them it seems.

I just changed the oil in my '07 Xterra for the first time. However i could not manage to budge the factory oil filter. I already tried hands, gloves, and an oil filter cap wrench. Any ideas?


I use a big pair of water pump pliers to get off a tight oil filter , when i put a oil filter on i hand tighten it.

K&N wrench off. And a better filter.

yeah the screw driver idea is a good one. and make sure you are turning it the right way!

it didnt work for me, it tore the oil filter in half haha

Well for starters. Pull the skid off for now. Then get in there with a oil filter wrench that fits. Using that little access port in the skid is a PITA if you don't have the right oil filter wrench.

i found the strap wrenches dont work for me, I have this plier shaped like a C to clam around the filter and there are a bunch of spikes on it that stab into the filter.

or like said above K&N filters use a socket wrench or ratchet or even a breaker bar to get them off :)

I use a cap type filter socket on mine (06 gen2). It's a big graphite socket that slides over the end of your filter and then you just attach a normal rachet to it (kinda like the K&N, but it works with any filter). It works killer and you don't have to remove the skid.

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=FTL&MfrPartNumber=10605 B&CategoryCode=3401A

The (#5 size) is the one that I use on my Gen 2, but I suggest going to your local auto parts store and actually matching up the one that fits the filter you're using. (since they are not one size fits all, lol)

I now use them on all my cars, because they are so much easier than regular filter wrenches, lol.

creepy i had one of those actually strip and round off the end of the filter lol.. But thats back when I was doing oil changes as cheap as possible and using the cheapest wallmart filters.. I have a K&N for my next oil change though..

They sure put the filters on wickedly tight at the factory. I nearly destroyed the filter trying to get it off with some multigrips.

creepy i had one of those actually strip and round off the end of the filter lol.. But thats back when I was doing oil changes as cheap as possible and using the cheapest wallmart filters.. I have a K&N for my next oil change though..

I've heared of that happening before with the cheap filters, lol. I usually use the Frams with the grippy stuff on them, so they fit real tight, lol. I also like the K&Ns

creepy i had one of those actually strip and round off the end of the filter lol..

Same here. But it's only happened on my Next Gen. Any chance the new filters are a hair smaller in diameter?

creepy has a second gen....

Well, it happened on two different filters so maybe it was the wrench. A Mobil 1 filter and the original Nissan Factory filter. I'm gunna try and match a filter wrench up at the auto parts store.