PhreakdOut wrote:MCOjerry wrote:So...can anyone answer my original question about the filter? I don't know where, or what some of these parts are; so a good description would be welcomed. Thank you

Filter Location: I think this already got answered. It is hard to see under the exhaust manifold so i doubt you could tell the CoO (Country of Origin) for that part.
Honestly, any Toyota branded filter is going to have passed strict quality and design requirements. I would say more so than the Puralators you'd get from AutoZone. You can trust that the dealership is not going to use cheapies on your car.
The other alternative: Change your own oil. My wife can do hers. This way you pick the oil and filter of your choice. Plus, it's a great way to start learning how to work on your car. This is usually the first thing you learn.
Huh? I have always changed my own oil, never paid for it. The jeep I built in my sig was a $1200 beat POS that needed a new front clip. I weld, fab, and can do just about anything. Hell, you might see me swap a 4.0 and tranny every once and awhile. The new solara is not a hobby, just a nice reliable new car. My hobby is, as stated, jeep restoration and modification to somthing that can handle a trail.
The dealership filter I got (... G1) WAS made by puralator for toyota. From what I have researched, it is true that not all toyota filters are equal. I was just trying to find out if someone knew a source for the japanese toyota (denso) filters, not the thailand "denso" knock offs. There are none, I guess. So TRD it is.
MCOJerry,
I recommend you buy the new haynes repair manual for your car. They are not as good as Factory service manual, but only cost $12 and can be found at any auto parts chain store (they just came out with them for gen2 solara). You will see labled pictures and step by step instuctions from tune-ups to engine changes. Read it, then read it again. Know where all your major components are, where all your fluids are located, and what maintenance parts you might need in the future. I'm not expecting you'll jump into a brake job, but the manual will expain how all these thing work together to get you from point A to B.
The exhaust manifold is located underneath the heatshield right in front of your engine and looks like a shinny piece of tin. The heatshield might have something like "hot" or "caution" stamped on it because it gets extremely hot. Exhaust gases are flowing through it, and eventually out your tailpipe. If you stick your hand (NOT when the engine is hot) underneath it, to the left of the part that goes straight down, you'll feel the end a cylinder about 2.5 inches in diameter and painted black. That is your oil filter.
http://us1.webpublications.com.au/stati ... 89_3mg.jpg