12mm Drain Plug Washer
Toyota part number 90430-12031 or equivalent

Engine Oil
4.6 quarts of 0W-20

Latex Gloves

Eye Protection

Plastic Ramps, Jack or Car Lift

Disposable Towels or Rags

14mm Wrench

3/8" Ratchet With Extension

Toyota Oil Filter Wrench

Oil Drain Pan

Fitted Engine Oil Funnel

Toyota Drain Tool

Toyota Oil Filter Wrench

Oil Drain Pan

Fitted Engine Oil Funnel

Toyota Drain Tool

The oil change on these late model Toyota RAV4's usually takes around 25-35 minutes. Using a car lift and having all your parts and tools lined out in a clean work area will make the job even faster.

Before starting, make sure that you have all the proper parts and tools needed to complete the oil change. These are listed above. You may need to purchase some tools the first time you perform this oil change yourself, but they are a worthwhile investment that you can use over and over again throughout the life of your vehicle(s).

Start by driving your RAV4 onto the plastic ramps or car lift, whichever one you have.

If you are using plastic ramps: Drive up the ramps slowly to make sure you don't accidentally roll over the edge when you get to the end. Put a block of wood behind one or both back wheels as an additional safety measure to keep the car from rolling backwards.

If you are using a car jack: Find the proper lifting point for your vehicle by consulting the owners manual. Once you have lifted the car with the jack, slide at least 2 jack stands underneath the car to keep it secure.

If you are using a car lift: Wait to lift the car until you complete the following steps.

Set the parking brake and pull the hood release. Open the hood of the car and set the hood prop rod in place to keep it open. Locate the oil cap and remove it.

Motivx Pro Tip: Set the oil cap on your hood latch, so that the hood will not close at the end of your oil change if you forget to put the cap back on.

Removing the oil cap at this stage will let the oil pan drain faster when you remove the drain plug later on. If using a car lift, go ahead and raise it at this point.

The drain plug is located on the back of the oil pan and takes a 14mm socket or wrench.

Move your drain pan into location before loosening the bolt. Note that the oil will come out quite warm if your vehicle has been running for any amount of time, and it will tend to shoot out quickly at first and then slow down to a steady drip, so adjust your oil pan accordingly.

A couple of things to note here: The plug may be quite tight due to weather or overtightening. Try to get in the best position possible to have the most leverage to remove the plug.

Start by applying steady, even pressure. If that doesn't work, try making a fist with your free hand and tapping it against the bottom of the hand holding the wrench. This extra bit of force can sometimes break it free. If not, you may need a breaker bar.

Take care to use the correct size of wrench and have it seated properly on the bolt, otherwise you may strip the bolt.

Using wrench to loosen drain plug.

Once you get the drain plug to break free, loosen it the rest of the way by hand. There is a washer that will come off as well... if you don't see it when you first pull the bolt off, it has probably fallen into your drain pan or onto the ground.

Motivx Pro Tip: If you take our drain pan and drill a hole on the side of the rear handle, you can easily store your drain plug there while you wait for the oil to drain.

A nifty place to put your drain plug while waiting for the oil to drain.

It may take 5 minutes or so to let the oil drain out. Make sure you get as much of that old oil out as you can. As you wait, clean the drain plug. Also take a rag or disposable wipes and clean any spots where oil may have splashed on the engine. If you don't, you may notice a burning smell the next time you start your car.

Once the oil has finished draining, tighten the drain plug and a brand new washer back on to the drain pan. If you have a torque wrench, the bolt should be tightened to 30 ft lb.

Place the drain pan beneath the oil filter.

Using a 3/8" ratchet with a 3" or 6" extension, remove the metal drain cap. A tiny bit of oil may leak out as you take it off.

Thread the oil drain tool into the threaded port that was exposed by removing the plug. Direct the end of the drain hose into your oil drain pan or container.
 

Tighten the knurled portion of the tool which activates the spring loaded valve inside the oil filter housing.
 
Once the housing is drained remove the tool and reinstall the metal drain valve plug.

Using Motivx oil filter wrench to loosen tight filter.

Using a 27mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet, remove the oil filter with the MX2320 oil filter wrench. The wrench should line up with the indexing tabs on the side of the filter.

These housings can be VERY tight, so you may have to use a breaker bar with the 27mm socket to break it free.

Once the filter breaks free spin it off by hand. Take a rag or disposable towels and wipe the housing surface clean.

Spinning off oil filter the rest of the way by hand.

Motivx Pro Tip: Once everything has been cleaned up, you can remove the drain pan and set it to the side so that nothing gets dropped in it and you don't trip over it.

Replace the paper filter cartridge and the large o-ring at the base of the filter cap threads.

Take a bead of fresh oil on your finger and apply it to the large o-ring.

Tighten the oil filter on by hand and get it firmly snug. You can then use the oil filter wrench to make sure it is snug, but be very careful not to over-tighten the housing. You do not need to put any oil in the filter housing before putting it back on.

Replace the small o-ring before putting the the metal drain cap back on and tightening it until snug with the 3/8" drive ratchet.

Applying a bead of oil to the new filter before installing.

Installing new oil filter - hand tight.

Now you can grab the fitted engine oil funnel and install it where your oil cap threads on. Because of its wide design, you can pour in oil quite quickly without it spilling over the top of the funnel. If you are using 1 quart bottles of new oil, you can just turn them upside down in the funnel and let them drain in while opening the next bottle.

Add 4.6L of 0W-20 oil.

Refill engine using OW-20 oil.

After adding this amount of oil, check the dipstick to see if you are in the ballpark for the correct amount of oil. If in doubt, it's better to add oil slowly and check a few times rather than overfilling.

Once the dipstick reading is correct, remove the funnel. you can clean it by taking a rag and wiping it out.

Motivx Pro Tip: Start your RAV4 and let the engine run for a few seconds to build oil pressure and fill the oil filter. Then shut off your engine and top off the oil, checking the dipstick until it is at the full mark.

Then re-install the oil cap and lower the hood.

Empty all of the oil out of the old filter and throw it and the old gaskets away in the trash. You can usually dispose of the old oil that is still in your drain pan at a local lube shop. For transportation, you can pour the old oil from the drain pan into the empty bottle(s) of oil that you have after refilling your engine with new oil. Make sure to mark this bottle with a large permanent marker so that you know it is is old oil and should not be re-used.

Also make sure to reset your oil light on your dashboard.

If you've got a little sticker in the upper left-hand corner of your car that registers the last oil change date and mileage, go ahead and clear that off and update it with an erasable marker.

Motivx Pro Tip: Depending on how often the manufacturer reccomends changing your oil, make it easy on yourself and write in the mileage when you need your next oil change.

Congrats, you're done!

If this guide was helpful, please consider using a Motivx tool on your next oil change. It is our mission to make high quality tools that get the job done right and last the lifetime of your vehicle. Try them out and see if you notice the difference!