If you've noticed a persistent puddle of oil under your SUV, a 2020 Kia Telluride oil filter housing replacement may be the project waiting for a person in the garage area. It's one associated with those repairs that sounds a little bit daunting because associated with where the component is located, but as soon as you get into the rhythm of the work, it's a very logical process. These Tellurides are fantastic vehicles, but like a lot of modern cars, they use lots of plastic material components in the engine bay that ultimately succumb towards the continuous heat and stress cycles.
The oil filter housing on the a few. 8L V6 motor isn't just the simple cap; it's an element that sits deep in the "valley" of the motor, right between your canister banks. When it starts to leak, this doesn't just create a mess—it can lead to low oil pressure or even a fire hazard when the oil hits the exhaust components. In the event that you're smelling burning oil after the long drive or even seeing those feared dark spots upon your driveway, it's time to roll up your sleeves.
Why these enclosures fail in the particular first place
You'd think a component holding back pressurized oil would be made of something indestructible, but most modern producers, including Kia, make use of a high-temp composite plastic. Over time, that will plastic can warp or develop hairline cracks. Generally, it's actually the seals and O-rings that will give up first.
Because the housing is tucked away under the consumption manifold, it will get cooked every period you drive. Right after four or five years on the particular road, that plastic material gets brittle. In case someone over-tightened the particular oil filter cap during a routine oil change, it can put extra stress within the housing body, eventually leading to a split. Once that occurs, there's no "patching" it—you just possess to swap the entire unit out.
Getting your work area ready
Before you start switching wrenches, you actually need to be sure you have everything accessible. There's nothing worse than having your own engine halfway apart and realizing you're missing a particular socket. For the 2020 Kia Telluride oil filter housing replacement, you'll require a standard set of metric sockets (10mm, 12mm, and a larger one for the particular filter cap), several long extensions, the torque wrench, and even a lot—and I am talking about a lot—of shop rags or paper-towels.
You're also going to require the replacement part itself. I usually suggest getting the up-to-date OEM part through Kia or a very high-quality automotive aftermarket equivalent that contains all the necessary gaskets. Don't miss to grab some new oil and a new filter whilst you're at this, because you're essentially doing an oil change as part of this procedure anyway.
The big hurdle: Eliminating the intake manifold
The reason this particular job takes a few hours isn't the housing itself; it's everything that's sitting on top associated with it. To obtain to the oil filter housing, you have to remove the upper intake manifold (also the plenum). It's less scary as it looks, but it involves disconnecting several vacuum lines, electrical connectors, as well as the air intake ducting.
Professional tip: Take photos of everything before you unplug it. Even when you think you'll remember where that certain tiny vacuum hose pipe goes, you probably won't three hours from now. Make use of some masking tape to label the particular connectors if you want to be extra safe. As soon as the bolts are usually out, the a lot more should lift off. Be careful not really to drop everything into the open intake ports of the engine—that's a "game over" scenario. Cover those ports along with clean rags immediately.
Swapping out your housing
After the manifold is away of the way in which, you'll see the oil filter housing seated in the area. It's usually protected inside a pool associated with old oil in case it's been leaking for a while. This is definitely the messiest section of the job. You'll wish to use a shop vac or a few heavy-duty degreaser and rags to clean up that oil before you remove the old housing. A person don't want everything gunk falling into the oil passages after the part is eliminated.
Unbolt the housing carefully. There will still be a few oil and coolant inside, so anticipate a small amount of a spill. When you lift the particular old unit out there, take a 2nd to inspect the particular mounting surface upon the engine motor. It needs to end up being perfectly clean plus smooth. Any remaining bits of older gasket will prevent the new one through sealing, and a person definitely don't want to do this particular whole job twice.
Installing the new unit
Glide the new housing into place, making sure the mechanical seals stay seated within their grooves. When you begin the bolts, perform them by hand first to avoid cross-threading. This is where the torque wrench gets your best buddy. Look up the particular specific torque specifications for your 2020 Telluride—usually, these bolts don't need significantly, and over-tightening will be the easiest way in order to crack your brand-new plastic part.
Once the housing is secured, you may start the process of putting the "top" from the engine back together. Replace the intake manifold gaskets while you're in there; they're cheap insurance against vacuum leaks. Get in touch all those detectors and hoses a person labeled earlier. It's like a puzzle, simply one that smells like a mechanic's shop.
Refilling and testing
After everything is usually buttoned up, don't just fire up and drive aside. Change the oil plus the filter (since you've likely gotten some debris or even old coolant near the oil system during the swap). Check your own coolant levels as well, as being a models possess coolant lines running through or close to the housing that might have dropped some fluid.
Start the motor and let this idle for a couple mins while you look underneath with a flashlight. You're looking for any signs of immediate drips. If everything looks dry, take it for a short rewrite around the block, let it wake up in order to operating temperature, plus then check this again.
Are these claims a DIY work or for the pros?
If you've changed your own own brakes or even handled a water pump before, you can definitely deal with a 2020 Kia Telluride oil filter housing replacement. It's more about tolerance and organization compared to it really is about brute strength or great tools. However, when the concept of having the top half of your engine off makes your cardiovascular race in a bad way, there's no shame in taking it in order to a local store.
The dealership or independent mechanic will probably charge you for 3 to five hrs of labor, which usually can add up rapidly. Doing it yourself saves a significant chunk of change—money you can spend upon better quality oil or maybe several accessories for the Telluride.
Final thoughts around the process
The largest piece of guidance I could give is usually to spend some time washing the engine valley. If you keep a pool associated with old oil down there, it's going to smoke and scent for weeks, making you think the new part is definitely leaking when it's actually just the old mess burning off.
Seems great as soon as it's done. There's a specific peace of mind that arrives with knowing your own engine is bone-dry and that a person fixed the problem yourself. The Telluride is a stout automobile, and with a clean oil filter housing, it should be prepared to hit the road for another many thousands of kilometers without leaving its mark on your driveway. Just remember in order to keep an attention on those plastic components as the car ages—it's simply the nature of the beast with modern engineering.