Nissan Micra 2001 - Oil filter. Noticed CV joint while under there

masculinist

Any tips or advice about this ?

I jacked up a Nissan Micra 2001 , put it on Axle Stands [ followed all reasonable safety precautions etc... had someone watch the car while I crawled under etc] in order to find the oil filter and change it but for the life of me I cant' find the filter.

Youtube clips dont seem to help though. I did do all of this in very poor lighting though. Apparently it's midway up the engine at the back. I just picked up a second hand Haynes manual and will read it later on this evening.

I think the jack maybe doesnt go high enough and I will have to put a block of wood onto it so I can raise the axle stands to their highest level.[from 2 to 3] . Maybe then I can find and reach the filter ?


While the car was jacked up I noticed a tear in the CV joint rubber behind the passenger wheel.
Is this a dangerous thing to leave unfixed for long ? I would like to be patient enough to fix this myself. Can I do this with just a jack and axle stands ? The sense of accomplishment would be as valuable to me as the 60 euro or whatever it would cost for a mechanic.

You can reach it from underneath the car at the back of the engine. Was a bit niggly to get at.

masculinist

Dónal wrote: »

You can reach it from underneath the car at the back of the engine. Was a bit niggly to get at.

should I crawl in under from the side or the front ?

masculinist

masculinist wrote: »

should I crawl in under from the side or the front ?

I managed it underneath the front.

There could be a way to remove stuff to get to it from the top but I found underneath easiest. Just be careful about oil dripping!

Regarding the torn CV boot, it'd be worth replacing it as dirt will get into the grease and cause problems.

masculinist

Dónal wrote: »

I managed it underneath the front.

There could be a way to remove stuff to get to it from the top but I found underneath easiest. Just be careful about oil dripping!

Regarding the torn CV boot, it'd be worth replacing it as dirt will get into the grease and cause problems.

Can you remember was the filter horizontal, vertical or at an angle ? I was under the car in the cold in my front garden around 7 pm a few nights ago. It was dark already and I couldnt find it anywhere. So the lighting was terrible and when it started raining at half 8 I decided to pack it in until the weekend when I can do this in a morning when its bright. The comments I read elsewhere indicate that getting at it from topside is completely impossible. I will redouble my efforts at the weekend.
Hopefully I will get the confidence to tackle this CV boot rubber too. If anyone has any tips on that job it would be great.

I seem to recall the filter being at an angle, and tricky to get back in.

You can get split cv boots which are glued together. I haven't used them but opinion on the longevity of them seems to be mixed.

biko

The filter is horizontal and should be visible once you crawl in on your back from the front.

You can see it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acY4cwdscbw

masculinist wrote: »

While the car was jacked up I noticed a tear in the CV joint rubber behind the passenger wheel.
Is this a dangerous thing to leave unfixed for long ? I would like to be patient enough to fix this myself. Can I do this with just a jack and axle stands ? The sense of accomplishment would be as valuable to me as the 60 euro or whatever it would cost for a mechanic.

It's not dangerous per se but you should sort it soon. The grease escapes through the rip and suddenly it's metal to metal, not to mention dirt from the road getting in.
This wears on the joint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_U31oY7hKY

masculinist

Thanks Biko. Its hard to find a day when I have time in the morning. By the time I get home its usually raining and dark, unfortunately I dont have a garage. I will try to launch myself into this job on Saturday morning.

masculinist

Update: I successfully fixed the car and sold it quite quickly. Thanks a lot for the advice.