CVT- Kizashi's Achilles Heel

[KuroNekko]

I agree that the Kizashi's oil filter location is not optimal. It's not easy to reach and you're pretty much forced to use a cap wrench.
At my last oil change, I had a difficult time removing the oil filter. My cap wrench was slipping off easily and I had to use my plier wrench. It was very difficult due to the very tight clearance. I slightly damaged the exhaust manifold foil doing so.

I highly recommend using a cap wrench that is deep and does not have the wrench/extentsion attachment intruding into the cap. This makes a huge difference in whether it will properly fit on an oil filter or not.
I recently bought a HFT cap wrench set that has a design considering all these factors. I'll use it next time over the other older cap wrench which kept slipping.

[murcod]

Hopefully that explains my minor disappointment with changing the oil on the Kizashi. The oil filter is easily replaced but having to remove the underbody panel to drain the oil makes the Kizashi the most difficult oil change of all the Japanese designed cars I have experienced.

On a different vehicle I cut a small access hole in the undertray where the sump plug was located. I then put a small hinge on the section I'd removed and made a latch (small bolt with a wing nut) to hold it shut. That worked well.

You should try changing the oil and filter on a Suzuki Grand Vitara V6 You need to put them on stands and get right underneath to just reach the oil filter. Getting it out involves a full arm stretch past all sorts of mechanical parts and lots of swearing, plus oil dripping everywhere down the block and then onto a cross member . It's hard to get any sort of filter wrench in there. I modified one of those big foil oven trays (like you use for cooking turkeys) into a custom shape and use that to catch all the oil dripping off the engine. Otherwise it goes straight on the cross member and you end up with oil dripping everywhere.

[bootymac]

Hopefully that explains my minor disappointment with changing the oil on the Kizashi. The oil filter is easily replaced but having to remove the underbody panel to drain the oil makes the Kizashi the most difficult oil change of all the Japanese designed cars I have experienced.

On a different vehicle I cut a small access hole in the undertray where the sump plug was located. I then put a small hinge on the section I'd removed and made a latch (small bolt with a wing nut) to hold it shut. That worked well.

That's quite clever! It wouldn't be so bad if the under panel wasn't held on by 100 bolts

[LPSISRL]

I've always removed the plastic covers underneath and go from there. Only adds 5 minutes on either end of the change. I also use K&N filters which have a built in nut on the end so I use a socket to loosen the filter. Works very well.

[redmed]

Hopefully that explains my minor disappointment with changing the oil on the Kizashi. The oil filter is easily replaced but having to remove the underbody panel to drain the oil makes the Kizashi the most difficult oil change of all the Japanese designed cars I have experienced.

On a different vehicle I cut a small access hole in the undertray where the sump plug was located. I then put a small hinge on the section I'd removed and made a latch (small bolt with a wing nut) to hold it shut. That worked well.

You should try changing the oil and filter on a Suzuki Grand Vitara V6 You need to put them on stands and get right underneath to just reach the oil filter. Getting it out involves a full arm stretch past all sorts of mechanical parts and lots of swearing, plus oil dripping everywhere down the block and then onto a cross member . It's hard to get any sort of filter wrench in there. I modified one of those big foil oven trays (like you use for cooking turkeys) into a custom shape and use that to catch all the oil dripping off the engine. Otherwise it goes straight on the cross member and you end up with oil dripping everywhere.

Do you have picture of that access hole?

[murcod]

Ironically, I just managed to locate some pics. (That vehicle was sold a long time ago....)

You could do something very similar with the Kizashi.

[redmed]

Thanks Murcod! That trapdoor is extremely well constructed. Much better than I had imagined.