Tools you need for oil change on a 2012-2017 Toyota Camry

The XV50 Camry moved to a cartridge oil filter in a plastic housing low on the front of the block, so the one tool that makes or breaks this job is a 64.5 mm 14-flute cap wrench. A generic strap wrench will chew up the plastic cap. Everything else is ordinary: a 14 mm drain plug, 10 mm bolts and clips for the under-cover, and 0W-20 synthetic.

What varies is capacity, not tooling: 4.6 quarts for the 2.5, about 4.5 for the hybrid, and 6.4 for the V6. The mistake people make most often is not pulling the little housing drain plug first, so oil pours over the subframe, and leaving the old cap O-ring stuck in the housing, which causes a blowout and a fast leak on the first drive.

Complete tool and parts list

Differences within the 2012-2017 generation

Tool sizes are identical across the 2AR-FE, hybrid 2AR-FXE and 2GR-FE: 14 mm drain plug and a 64.5 mm 14-flute filter cap on all three. Only capacity differs - 4.6 qt for the 2.5, roughly 4.5 qt for the hybrid, 6.4 qt for the 3.5 V6. On the V6 the filter housing sits slightly deeper behind the radiator support, so a 3/8 in extension helps.

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Warm the engine 3-5 minutes so the oil flows, then shut it off and let it sit a few minutes.
2. Chock the rear wheels, lift the front with a floor jack at the front subframe jack point, and set jack stands under the pinch welds or frame rails.
3. Remove the plastic engine under-cover: 10 mm bolts plus several push-pin clips. Some trims have an access hatch over the drain plug so the cover can stay on.
4. Position the drain pan and remove the 14 mm drain plug. Let it drain fully while you do the filter.
5. Locate the cartridge filter housing on the front/lower face of the engine block. Remove the small housing drain plug with the cap wrench's drain tool (or a hex/plug per your engine) to empty the housing, then refit the plug with a new O-ring at 115 in-lb.
6. Unscrew the filter cap with the 64.5 mm 14-flute wrench and a 3/8 in ratchet. Pull out the old element.
7. Wipe the housing clean, install the new O-ring on the cap and the small drain plug O-ring, lightly oil both, and seat the new element in the cap.
8. Thread the cap in by hand, then torque to 18 ft-lb. Do not overtighten - the housing is plastic.
9. Fit a new crush washer on the drain plug and torque it to 30 ft-lb.
10. Lower the car. Add oil: 4.6 qt for the 2.5 2AR-FE, 4.5 qt for the hybrid 2AR-FXE, 6.4 qt for the 3.5 2GR-FE V6.
11. Start the engine, let the oil light go out, run 30 seconds, shut off, wait 3 minutes, then check the dipstick and top to the upper mark. Check for leaks at the plug and filter cap.
12. Reset the maintenance light: with the trip meter on A and the ignition off, hold the trip reset button while turning the ignition to ON (or press START twice without the brake), and hold until the display shows 000000.
13. Reinstall the under-cover and take the used oil for recycling.

Watch out

The 14 mm drain plug, 64.5 mm 14-flute cap and the 30 ft-lb / 18 ft-lb torques are standard across the XV50 Camry; double-check your exact oil capacity and filter part number against the owner's manual since some 2GR-FE and hybrid figures vary slightly by year.

Other jobs on the 2012-2017 Toyota Camry

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