1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

First oil change at 3238 miles................

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Mike500, Jul 23, 2012.

  1. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    764
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I'm glad that I did it, today, and didn't wait until 10,000 miles.

    It was pretty dirty for 3k. I've posted my setup with Race Ramps, held the door down with a length of 10 gauge solid insulated copper wire hooked to the bottom of the door and the front of the plastic bottom cover. I used a screw on funnel that came with a Wedco drain container that I got over 10 years, ago from Ace Hardware. I don't use the drain pan container any more. That funnel screws to an anti-freeze or windshield washer fluid bottle, and has ribs that keep the drain plug from falling into the bottle. Unscrew the funnel, cap it, and I'm done. The funnel even work for the oil filter cap with minimal spillage. The filter cartridge drained nearly all the oil into the USED Go Jo hand cleaner bottle.

    I used Mobil 1 and installed my Custom neodymium rare earth magnet drain plug.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,919
    3,142
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Nice setup. See anything in the filter media?
     
  3. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    764
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Thanks,

    Not really. The oil was darker than I thought. The dipstick didn't say it all.
     
  4. n0na

    n0na Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2012
    88
    13
    0
    Location:
    WA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Keep in mind that, if the additives in the oil are working properly, the oil is going to turn dark very quickly. That's the additives at work. You can't tell the condition of the oil by its color.
     
  5. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    764
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I already know that. Clean and NEW oil with the full additive package is always better than OLD oil.

    It's cheap insurance. I just wanted to get the metal "flash" and assembly lune out of the oil.
     
  6. plsinger

    plsinger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2007
    44
    4
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Toyota synthetic actually has better stats than Mobil 1 and starts out darker than dyne or Mobil.
    It is specifically designed for vehicles with Atkinson cycle engines.
    Take a look at the Toyota video on that....you may want to rethink Mobil 1.
     
  7. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    764
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Mobil 1 has a long track record of reliable service. I've used it for nearly 35 years. Mobil has done many many more lab test over the years than Toyota.

    Toyota has a self-serving interst in promoting their own oil.

    As long as Mobil 1 0W20 is approved for use in my Prius, I'll keep on using it. Competition is good.
     
  8. Adam H

    Adam H Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2012
    61
    5
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    What about having oil changed at shops like Jiffy Lube?
     
  9. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,919
    3,142
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I doubt that they would carry 0w-20 synthetic oil.
     
  10. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    764
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    They might NOT even have the cap wrench to take off and to install the composite oil filter housing cap.
     
  11. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,919
    3,142
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Good point! (y)
     
    Mike500 likes this.
  12. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    764
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Yeah, over the past 50 years, I've seen a lot of that "wipe clean" service, where the part was NOT replaced.
     
  13. sURFNmADNESS

    sURFNmADNESS Prii Family

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2012
    199
    48
    2
    Location:
    Omaha, NE
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    You did not get the free 2 years service with your new v?
     
  14. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2012
    2,593
    764
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I did, but no oil change at 3k. I will take advantage of the 12 months service oil change as well as the 24 months.
     
  15. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2008
    4,003
    946
    118
    Location:
    Los Angeles Foothills
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Only after HELL freezes over!
    Last time I used the Jiffyheads, they left oily rags on the manifold of my 4Runner, about a mile from the Jiffy shop I had smoke pouring out from under the hood!
    I quickly "U" turned right back to the Jiffyheads, pulled in and let them know in no uncertain terms,....gets the rags out, if anything is burnt, your paying for repairs.
    Two weeks later I got a coupon for a free oil change, I lightly burned the edges of the letter, mailed it back to them, with a note letting them know this is what happened last time, there will be NO next time!!!
     
    Mr Incredible likes this.
  16. twoturnin

    twoturnin Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2012
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    Wilkesboro, North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Got a youtube link "HOW TO" change oil in PRIUS V5 ??----2500 mile is going to be my first one. Took several cars past 200K---88 Suburban 252k---1999 LHS 203k--97 Cummins Dodge 381K all on Mobil One. Thanks Two
     
  17. blisspacket

    blisspacket Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2009
    32
    4
    0
    Location:
    StAugustine FL
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    III
    Changed the oil today on our v, at 3310 miles. No signs of any "stuff" or flakes, and didn't expect any. I did find, as I found on our 2010 when we got it 3 years ago, that the dipstick is rough around the tip and I can conceive it chiseling into the dipstick tube as you slide it down the curved portion. You can feel that. So as I did with the 2010, I buffed that tip, and the feel is smooth now. I'd imagine this doesn't amount to much, and any particles would quickly embed themselves in babbit or get attracted to your magnetic drain plug.
     
    Chazz8 likes this.