Oil Filter Location?

[EricB]

Time for the first oil change on my Northstar ADV 5. Just where in the Hxxx is the oil filter located? The manual is useless. It indicates it somewhere near the dip stick. There is no way to get my hands behind all the AC stuff in that area. Do you have to take the skid plate off?

 

[DogRunner2]

I think there's an access panel in the bed? My XP 2 seat requires removing the back skid plate.

 

[Timc74]

You have to drop the skid plate and access it from underneath. Not as bad to do as it sounds

 

[WITodd]

Polaris wants you to drop the rear skid plate. I do mine from the top thru the access panel in the bed.
Warning - getting the filter off the first time sucks because they install it without lubing the gasket !!

 

[johndeerefarmer]

I have the SATV skid plate on mine. When I installed it I ran a tap in all of the holes and then used bolts (not the self tapping screws). I also put never seize on them. To change the oil I just drop the piece of the skid plate that's over the filter. Still a pain but not bad

 

[JohnnyG]

Been there. The first time I did an oil change on my XP5, it took about four hours and included a trip to Walmart to buy a smaller oil filter wrench. The hardest and most time-consuming part was simply finding the oil filter.

I can't speak to the ADV, but on the XP5, you do need to remove the skid plate. When you’re lying under the engine with your head toward the front of the vehicle, the oil filter is on the passenger side of the engine. From that position, it ends up being on your left. You can’t really see it. You have to reach over the frame rail toward the rear of the vehicle to get to it.

Serviceability clearly was not a priority in this design. Because of that, I plan to install the oil filter relocation kit.

Now that I know where everything is and have the right tools, I expect future oil changes to take about an hour to an hour and a half. The oil filter relocation kit should bring that down to 30 minutes or less.

-JG

 

[Pirate]

Did the first oil change on my 2026 ADV Northstar 2-seat.
At about the same time a couple friends have been installing a relocation kit on their 2025 ADV Northstar units.

Discovered there has been a change in oil filter location. Here's a photo of mine. You can't really tell from the photo, but the filter is now horizontal and pointed towards the Passenger side.

So, I started some investigating and with a bit of work, found this. Keep in mind, it's very difficult to find a website that has the 2026 Xpedition parts pages. Here is the oil filter mount for the 2025 Xpedition models. The mount bolts to the engine block using "filter adapter seal".
Polaris PN 3610348

Note that the filter is angled down.
Here is the oil filter mount for the 2026 Xpedition models.

looking at the bolt pattern on both, one can see how the angle of the oil filter can be determined.

After taking off the rear section of the skid plate, there was the oil filter.
I placed the oil filter wrench, socket, cap...whatever on the oil filter.
Then used a 3" extension and a standard 3/8" ratchet. Loosened the filter and removed it.
Dang! It's hard to see, but the filter is now mounted horizontal, which means it doesn't drain back into the engine.
Need to pack a fair size rag under the oil filter when removing it. Set the oil filter on my drain pan and let it empty.

Threading the new filter on the mount is easy. It's also easy to turn the filter 3/4" by hand.
Then the PITA of putting the skid plate back on.

Put the new copper compression washer on the drain plug, threaded in and tighten to spec of 12 ft-lbs.

Not sure how the repositioning of the filter would change the design of a filter relocation kit.

Just what I'm learning...
Pirate