I just changed the oil in my wifes Q7 (3.6l V6) and was wondering if anyone knows a "trick" to getting the filter out without pouring oil all over the place.

Once I purchased the 36mm socket (Lisle makes a socket for 6.9L Ford diesel that costs $12) removing the filter was easy.

The hard part was trying to get the filter out around the front axel tube. I ended up having to turn it upside down (resulting in the oil in the filter pouring out) and pulling out towards the front of the engine.

I expected it to be a piece of cake based on my experiences with A4s, A6s, and Passats. It's almost like installing the V6 was an afterthought in the Q7 model. A couple inches forward or back would have made the filter removal easy.

Does anyone have a tip they can share? Thanks...