Chevy Malibu Oil Cange 2.2L Ecotec

[Doc_Bob]

I changed the oil on my 2007 Chevy Malibu this weekend. WOW! Have they made it easy! The oil filter canister is located on the top of the engine! 1 1/4 inch socket and I pulled the filter out and no oil leaking anywhere. I took some pics to show how easy it is. Nice job GM! I should mention the 2.2L 4-cyl Ecotec engine with a 4 speed automatic gets 34-35 MPG on the freeway (flat Midwest terrain) at 70 mph.

Bob

PS Anyone else wear gloves when changing the oil? Does that make me a wimp?

 

[DmansPadge]

Yeah... I've seen several vehicles here lately that are like that. Some of the newer (a few years old) Ford diesels have a similar setup. My Toyota has the filter under the hood but it is a spin on type. I don't wear gloves for oil changes but I don't blame you for doing it. At work we do buy cheap cotton gloves by the hundreds at a time to help keep some of the grime off of us.... but they don't hold up to liquids since they are cotton.

 

[Dmace]

Definitely makes the oil change easier but I wouldn't trust that it works as well as a traditional filter at the bottom of the engine. Any sediment, metal shavings, etc... will naturally settle at the bottom of the engine. I don't see much of the stuff a filter catches defying gravity and staying on that filter. I am sure GM has thought of this but I would just make sure you change that filter with every oil change.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Definitely makes the oil change easier but I wouldn't trust that it works as well as a traditional filter at the bottom of the engine. Any sediment, metal shavings, etc... will naturally settle at the bottom of the engine. I don't see much of the stuff a filter catches defying gravity and staying on that filter. I am sure GM has thought of this but I would just make sure you change that filter with every oil change.

I will change the filter with every oil change!!!! I am a believer in that!

Good comment on the particles. Take a look at the little "pointer" on the bottom of the filter. It has a seal that I would guess "seals" the filter outlet and prevents particles from migrating out of the filter canister. What do you think?
Bob

 

[Dmace]

Take a look at the little "pointer" on the bottom of the filter. It has a seal that I would guess "seals" the filter outlet and prevents particles from migrating out of the filter canister. What do you think?
Bob

I see the seal you are talking about, I am sure that is where the oil gets pumped into the center of the filter and then on the outside of the filter it gets pumped back into the engine. That kind of solves the problem of particles falling back into the engine.

Now if it were me, whenever I change the filter I would make sure to clean the filter housing out really well. I can see some stuff getting trapped or left behind in that housing or falling in while changing filters. Cleaning out the housing is just one extra step but worth having peace of mind.

Also, I wear the blue medic gloves that you see in hospitals. Makes cleanup much nicer and they are thin enough to grab those little bolts.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Also, I wear the blue medic gloves that you see in hospitals. Makes cleanup much nicer and they are thin enough to grab those little bolts.

Nice to hear you wear gloves. The containments in oil "freak" me out. I have absorbed enough toxins my life (if you know what I mean)
Bob

 

[RalphVa]

About time they learned from Mercedes, which has had this type of filter changeability for 25+ years. They should go to a similar easy change design for fuel filters. The fuel filter on my 1983 Mercedes is spin-on type. The oil filter is similar to what you show for the Malibu.

Most Mercedes dealers syphon the oil out of the sump with a suction. Don't even need to remove the drain plug.

Ralph

 

[Z-Michigan]

Looks like a nice simple setup to me. My experience with GM and Chrysler is that they are often easier to work on than non-US brands. (For instance, a 1992 Toyota Corolla I had had the oil filter about 2" from the exhaust manifold; if you changed the oil hot, you risked burns.)

The metal-free oil filters are going to be a lot more common really soon, for both environmental reasons (not throwing out metal) and hopefully cost; no metal types should cost less, though the VW Jetta filter I just bought (metal free) was $10 vs. $3.50 for conventional can filters on my Suburban. I know that the metal-free style filter is already common on Ford, VW, and Volvo (and apparently Mercedes per Ralph). My dad chided me when I called it the newer style, as his parents growing up had a 1963 GM something with that same type of filter.

Gloves are smart. Used motor oil has been shown to be carcinogenic. I don't usually wear them, but I know I should, and even bought a box to start doing so.

 

[cp1969]

Plus, the quality of the materials and workmanship is right there for you to see...not hidden inside a can. It's also easier to examine after removal--no can to cut open.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Like others have mentioned this is nothing new but we will be seeing a lot more of it. The Ford Diesels have had this since late 2003 models and a few of their cars have them, mainly the ones that share engines with Mazda, a division of Ford. I have seen them on other makes like Mercedes and maybe Volvo. I like them because you can see what the filter has in it and they limit trapped oil going to the landfills.

P.S. I wear a glove on my right hand when changing oil. I often have to fish the drain plug out of the pan. Which brings up another point. My Fords usually have a magnetic drain plug so that takes care of the particles.

Chris