Next time, skip the wrench and shove a screwdriver through the filter.

The point is to make it inaccessible to the user so you'll pay a
professional.

I had a 1997 Grand Am where you had to completely disconnect at least
one motor mount to change the serpentine belt.

Steve,
Don't put the filter on so tight in the first place.
You should be able to take it off with your bare hands.
Scout

Are you out of warranty?  If not, you're taking a chance doing your own
servicing.

Finally after about four tries, and

Try getting one of the filter tools that slides onto the bottom
of the filter and then you use a ratchet with an extension
and socket to turn this tool. No band involved. The tool
slides onto the groves that are in the bottom of the filter.

I believe that they are called an "end cap oil filter wrench".

If you don't overtighten it, you won't need a wrench.  I've been servicing 4
dodges since new in 97 and haven't used a wrench except to get the factory
one off.

Your definition of "user accessible" is probably different than those that
make money doing what you described so well.

I recall it was the 1977 Chevrolet Monza with the optional, shoe-horned-in,
V8.  The procedure was to replace ONE spark plug.  Of course, the tool
industry came up with a special tool for accessing that plug, I'm sure.

I wonder how much of that particular procedure involves Cummins engineering
and how much Dodge.  Nice article.

I have a good friend who had a Maxima years ago.  He used to go on and
on and on and on about what a superior vehicle it was and how
wonderfully engineered it was.  That continued until the time I saw
him taking the plate off the muffler so that he could change the oil
filter.  After that he never got very far with his superior
engineering speech.

Steve,

Now that the well based rant has quieted down,  and I have time to
write, I will let you in on some inside Detroit Engineering Standards.

In the case of your truck, Chrysler (now DCX) buys the engine from
Cummins (I bet you knew that) and then they do there best to fit it in a
vehicle.  Changes cost money.  As a supplier (I was for years) to the
big three, you can expect to get beat up for .01$us on a single part.
If the part could be five times better for 2c, but the cheaper passes
the validation testing (it probably won't cause warrantee issues) - They
Ain't Blowin' that extra money.....

Here's the other secret - true of all vehicle manfacturing everywhere.
The parts are designed in different places - sometimes even different
countries.  They may get some engine people to look at the whole thing
before they commit to build it, but that does not always happen.

Then there are the things like the vehicle where management thinks there
is a marketing opportunity if they can sell a version with a larger
engine.  Sometimes the vehicle people do it, and sometimes the work is
farmed out to an outside design group that will fit the required parts
together, but may have very limited responsibility for the final product.

There are in some companies, people in the engine group that watch
maintainability and scream bloody-murder, stamp feet and sometimes throw
things to get their way.  This is why there are external timing marks on
some modern engines.  You can't do anything with them, there is no
distributer to twist, there are no plug wires to attach a timing light,
but there are marks.

Oh- by the by - Filters are installed too tight at most engine plants.
This reduces filter leakage warrantee and who cares?  The dealer is
supposed to do the first oil change (except on anything I have owned or
leased).

Matt