...Complaining that is.

I don't know whether I can be bothered to complain to my dealer or not. The car went in for a service 5,000 miles ago, so I did an oil and filter change on Saturday night.

I started around 7 and by the time I had finished it was pitch black! The reason being, that I spent about 1.5 hours wrestling with the oil filter that felt like it had been welded on!!!

My understanding was that the filter should be tightened by hand and this one...well, it was rediculously tight! I fully understand that over time they can become tight but seroiusly (and I have change quite a few oil filters) this was TIGHT.

So tight that I had to do the old trick of a screw driver through the filter. I put it all the way through, so as to have two hands on either side to twist.

It was so tight that it was twisting the metal, rather than move the thread loose. Even when it budged, it was still incredible hard to get it to move again..to the point where I was thinking....there is no way this can be right, this should be loose right now, you are turning it the wrong way....so I got the new filter and checked and nope..I was indeed turning the correct way.

Having put a screw driver through it, I was beginning to worry a little, thinking - I HAVE to get this off now or I am going to be without a car! So after continued efforts and a cup of Tea, it finally came off.

My hands now look like they lost a fight with a lawn mower and I am just wondering should I bother to complain to the dealer for doing it up this way..or just stop winging and shut up?

You could complain, but ultimately, what are they going to say?

either "sorry it won't happen again" or "it must have tightened itself over time as we tighten them as per the manufatcurers instructions so we're not responsible"

Either way, I wouldn't take it back there...

You could complain, but ultimately, what are they going to say?

either "sorry it won't happen again" or "it must have tightened itself over time as we tighten them as per the manufatcurers instructions so we're not responsible"

Either way, I wouldn't take it back there...

Nah, I know you're right...and to be fair I honestly don't know what I would even want from them...I guess I just wanted to rant with some people who might care, as I certainly didn't get any sympathy from my girlfriend when I banged on about all Saturday night.

well you have my sympathy......if that helps

I broke my locking wheel nut tool on my wife's last car after my local tyre fitters torqued the damn thing up with an air spanner. Muppets!

well you have my sympathy......if that helps

I broke my locking wheel nut tool on my wife's last car after my local tyre fitters torqued the damn thing up with an air spanner. Muppets!

hehe, cheers.

It's just bloody annoying when stuff like this happens, so I feel your pain!

I feel your pain sir!

When I did my first oil change on the car, it took me ages to get the old filter off. I even left it overnight, so I could pop out the next day to buy something to get it off. It was stupidly tight. I put a screwdriver through it, but it still wouldn't turn with that. I got some thingy with a metal band to twist it off, but it still wouldn't turn. Had to resort to a steel bar through the screwdriver hole to get it moving, and even then it was still tight.

6 months on it came to removing mine, and it was easy! So I blame the garage that 'serviced' my car when I first bought it. You could see the big ring spanner marks on the old filter where they had tightened it up to some stupid amount of torque.

To prevent it happening again, I've bought a 3/8th drive oil filter socket, which fits on perfectly with a footlong breaker bar.

Just be glad you got the sod off, and let it remind you that Skoda don't employ real mechanics. They are fitters at best, and monkeys at worst.

I feel your pain sir!

When I did my first oil change on the car, it took me ages to get the old filter off. I even left it overnight, so I could pop out the next day to buy something to get it off. It was stupidly tight. I put a screwdriver through it, but it still wouldn't turn with that. I got some thingy with a metal band to twist it off, but it still wouldn't turn. Had to resort to a steel bar through the screwdriver hole to get it moving, and even then it was still tight.

6 months on it came to removing mine, and it was easy! So I blame the garage that 'serviced' my car when I first bought it. You could see the big ring spanner marks on the old filter where they had tightened it up to some stupid amount of torque.

To prevent it happening again, I've bought a 3/8th drive oil filter socket, which fits on perfectly with a footlong breaker bar.

Just be glad you got the sod off, and let it remind you that Skoda don't employ real mechanics. They are fitters at best, and monkeys at worst.

I must admit, after that fiasco on Saturday..I am very tempted by this. It's just a little too expensive to justify.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Oil-Filter-Wrench-Socket-Set-Cup-type-15-PC-LASER-3222_W0QQitemZ390069396209QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item5ad1f2a2f1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1683%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

I don't know why garages tighten oil filters up so much, you are only supposed to tighten them up to hand tightness!

Mine was a b*tch to get off the first time I did it, I used one of the removal tools with a metal band and screw tightener, but there was only a couple of inches of space to turn it once it was on, so was constantly having to loosen it off, move it, tighten it and unscrew it a bit more... took me almost 40 minutes just to unscrew the filter enough to finish unscrewing it by hand

I have a very nice set of oil filter mole grips that work a treat on these things.

When putting them back it's a little bit of the old oil on the rubber washer to prevent it sticking and hand tight, then see if i can push it a bit more by hand. Certainly doesn't need doing up with a tool.

This is all you need Laser Oil Filter Cup Wrench 76mm from Halfords Price £5.49

I only tighten the filter by hand so only use this to remove the old filter if required.

I too used a screwdriver first time round and got properly covered in oil, took bloody ages to clean myself up after

This is all you need Laser Oil Filter Cup Wrench 76mm from Halfords Price £5.49

I only tighten the filter by hand so only use this to remove the old filter if required.

I too used a screwdriver first time round and got properly covered in oil, took bloody ages to clean myself up after

Great thanks for that, gonna get me one of those

First time I changed oil in my vRS I spent three hours wretling with the damned filter. Ended up having to make a 6 mile round walk to halfords to buy a pro oil filter wrench thing (since I'd already punctured the damned filter tryng to get it off). A quick search of the forum and a chat with a mechanic mate of mine revealed that, for some reason, the oil filters on the 1.8T engine are prone to sticking. Unfortunately, they are also prone to leaking at the seal so have to be tightened up reasonably tight.

I found that this tool worked a treat (and my filter was so tight that I had to use a breaker bar to shift it!):

Halfords Advanced Professional Adjustable Oil Filter Remover from Halfords Price £16.99

Bit pricey but will work on nearly any filter so you don't need a full kit of different sizes.

Cheers,

iep

there usually tightened up with the vw filter tool which is basically a big socket which goes over then end of the filter, easy to undo if you have one but with a strap sometimes quite hard, plus they should really spash a dab of oil on the seal of the filter to, which aids the seal and makes it easier to get off