DIY oil changes on the Prius v

Don't we need a stamp in the warranty book that the service was performed by a certified mechanic? Just to maintain the warranty.

 

I just log the oil change on MyToyota.com and save the receipts in a manilla envelope in my glovebox.

 

I'd just rather change my own oil than mess around with appointments and waiting around at the dealership. Plus, for some reason, I've never trusted anyone to change my oil with synthetic. I always am suspicious that they're not really putting synthetic in.

 

+1. You can't trust anyone but yourself, and I wouldn't trust myself if I hadn't known me for so long.

I do all my new vehicles at 1k, 3k, 5k, then 10k. I just did the 10k change on the C. The oil still looked pretty good. I may go 10k miles on this change. I've never done that before, but other UOAs from other members show pretty good numbers with it. I wouldn't on any of the other cars, but this one I might.

 

Changing the oil before the manufacturer's recommended interval is a waste of resources. The only thing that matters in determining oil life is an UOA (Used Oil Analysis). I recommend a visit to BITOG (Bob Is the Oil Guy) where people have posted UOAs on all manner of vehicles and oils. You will find that a modern synthetic will probably go well over 10K miles, indeed OCIs in Europe are generally well beyond this. If you still have a hard time believing it, just e-mail Blackstone Labs in Fort Wayne and they will send you a sample kit. Your own UOA will only cost about $25, a lot less than a too-frequent oil change.

On the subject of "metal shavings" or any other foreign material in a new engine, or the need for any "break-in," those are things of the past. I would be shocked if engines from a manufacturer of Toyota's stature were put in new vehicles in such a condition.

 

*Yawn*

 

Sounds like Mr. Incredible needs a nap....

 

No, just a break. I'm over the save the planet mania. There's always somebody more ate up with it, so I just get out of their way and let them do their thing. Kinda like those chicks that still wear the tights and warmup leggings from the 80's.

 

Yes, a modern synthetic oil may exceed 10K miles depending on the oil and its application. However, if you ever
ventured into really doing a UOA after changing the factory fill after 12-1500 miles and saw all the crap in the oil after just that short mileage, you may not continue to hold the same opinion. Some people know and care about their
engines and others are oblivious and could care less.

 

Did UOA, read same. Oil was fine. Crap in oil is exactly where crap is supposed to be, not deposited in engine. Thus the "detergent" in "detergent oil."

 

And...just where do you think the "crap" from wear in, combustion,
just plain regular use, or the results of your "detergent" goes........heaven ? Hardly ! It's deposited in the engine oil and larger particles are filtered from the full flow oil filter. ( Down to 20 microns with a quality oil filter ) Where do you think the Fe, Al, Cu, Sn, Si and Cr indicated in the UOA come from ? NO "detergent" will prevent that. They are part
of the "crap" in the oil, AND it is much. much higher in the first few thousand miles of use, and lessens dramatically
as the engines wears in.

 

We are clearly posting at cross-purposes here. I stand by what I've posted, which is based on reading UOAs and the commentary on them (yes, new car UOA's, too). I'm out.

 

It's ok to have an opinion. What we do with them is up to us. If we don't get the same message out of the data, it's just fine.

 

I’m at 1400 miles on my new Prius v and this thread has me wanting to try a DIY Oil/Filter change ASAP. I can repair iPads and iPhones, but cars are not my forte. I wonder about all the stuff I’ll need to purchase and the storage problem the required equipment will cause.

Equipment:
Jack
Filter wrench
Ramp, or Towers (something to raise the car and allow me to work comfortably below. I have no idea what to look for)
One of those laying-down thingies that have casters to facilitate moving below the vehicle.

Consumables:
Filter
Oil

I don’t know what other equipment I’ll need and wonder how long it would take to make back the cost of all these tools since part of the cost of each change are consumables that I will need to buy each time I do it myself anyway. I don’t yet know how much my dealer charges and how much I will need to spend on the DYI route. I’m in Puerto Rico so I get no free oil changes or tire rotations.

The DYI route is also appealing because I’m concerned about getting mice inside my car and at least this way I get to inspect the bottom of my the vehicle every now and then. I also don’t trust the dealer’s mechanics. But finding a place at home to store all that equipment makes me not want to do it myself. I am also concerned that not having the dealer’s stamp on the maintenance book will lower the re-sale value of the car. I’ve already tried creating a My Toyota account but it does not allow addresses outside the 50 states. Another concern is the high-voltage hazard. I don’t know how dangerous fiddling at the bottom of a Prius v is.

I guess my preference would be to have the dealer do it but let me supervise the work while it is being done. That way I have the peace of mind that the work was done correctly, I can look at the bottom of the car, and I don’t need to spend money up front and worry about storage for extra equipment.

Any advice is welcome.

 

Most dealers would not allow unknowing owners to micromanage or supervise an oil change. But some might show an owner what they're paying for.

No used car I've ever shown for sale had a prospective buyer ask about oil changes. I showed them the maintenance log and went through it and they were speechless. Most wouldn't know which end of a wrench to pick up. All were impressed that I had changed oil regularly. That the dealer didn't do it didn't seem to be an issue.

As for the storage, well, that's up to you. Something will have to give...or not. As to how and what, that has been fully covered in about all the forums for type.

 

OK, then, advice will be given!
As for equipment, you shouldn't need to buy all that stuff. In fact, I did an oil change in college with nothing but a socket set - drove my car up on a curb and went for it. Not ideal, but it worked fine. I'll address the items in your list:

Jack should have come with your car. You can jack up one side at a time, lower that side onto a jack stand (what you call towers, could possibly be a concrete block?), then jack up the other side, and support that on a stand. You just don't want to work under the car when it's only supported by a jack.
An alternative to a jack would be ramps. You basically drive your car up onto ramps so the front wheels are elevated, giving you more space to work. These would be more convenient than the little emergency jack, and probably safer, since you don't need to worry about jack stands etc. However, you have to store them somewhere. Commercial ramps are available, don't know about PR, but many of them are too steep for the Prius anyway (the bumper hits the ramp before the wheel does). You can just make your own if you have access to lumber - a series of 2x8's (or even thick plywood) screwed together works beautifully. Something like this (photo link, not mine), but it could be slightly steeper than this, and probably greater total height would help. Maybe more like this: (photo link 2, also not mine). Can be cheap or free if you have access to salvage lumber, but they're kind of heavy, and they require storage space.

Whether you use ramps or jack stands, you'll want to block the rear wheels to keep it from rolling. You can buy special chocks, but I use chunks of lumber. Bricks are perfect for this, or pieces of firewood, or rocks, or... Anything that's free and easily accessible. If your work surface isn't perfectly level, I'd suggest blocking the front and back of the rear wheels, so it can't roll either direction.

Filter wrench - yes. One-time purchase, not too expensive. The Prius (and apparently many new Toyotas) require a specific type of wrench adapter to remove the filter housing, but this is not expensive. Some types of standard oil filter wrench could work for this too. Should be available for less than $10, at least on the mainland - no idea how much things are marked up in PR, or how much is available, or how much shipping costs from most online stores. Something like Amazon part number B006VMXMJ2 is ideal. Then you'll want a socket set or ratcheting wrench to loosen/tighten it, if you don't already have one.

"Laying-down thingie with casters" - called a "creeper". Nice, but absolutely not necessary. In fact, if your driveway is gravel, grass, or rough concrete, they're useless. A big flattened cardboard box under your work area keeps you a little cleaner, and is more comfortable than sprawling on the bare ground.

Consumables - yep, you'll need to buy these. I bought a 10-pack of filters online (OEM Toyota filters, much cheaper than buying them from my dealership, but some people say their dealer's prices are very reasonable. Worth a call.) Any brand of synthetic oil will be adequate; there's lots of debates about which brand is best or whether there are significant differences between them. I basically use whatever is on sale.

High-voltage concern - there is practically zero chance of accidentally finding, much less damaging, any of the high-voltage wiring while doing an oil change. Besides the stupid plastic panel door over the oil filter, Prius oil changes are no more difficult or dangerous than those on any other car.

"Supervise" the dealer? I wouldn't recommend this one - they might let you observe, but even that would be asking a lot at some places. They DEFINITELY would not want you to "supervise". In fact, they would probably be insulted if you asked to "supervise" them while they worked. If you asked nicely if you could watch silently while they worked, they might let you into the garage... But I'd recommend either doing it yourself, or going to a mechanic you trust.

Hope this is helpful!
Andy

 

Just started on the oil filter change on the wifes 2012 Prius V wagon (I really dont give a damn on "V" vs "v" so keep the comment to yourself). I can confirm that the oil filter requires a special tool, I just ordered:
Assenmacher Specialty Tools TOY 640


Assenmacher Specialty Tools TOY 640 Oil Filter Socket Wrench for Toyota/Lexus : Amazon.com : Automotive

Lame. Bad design. I'm guessing they save money on filters by only having to use the inner filter vs an all in one metal unit. I've had BMWs and Mini Coopers with similar design but none required a special tool, they were small enough to get something around and grip. This is large and standard channel locks dont fit and its wedged in a way that makes it tough. I am a car person and am just letting you know that IMO, its a bad design and soils my thoughts on the car. I have other weird toyota engines in cars (2005 Lotus Elise with toyota engine) and have yet to buy a special tool for regular maintenance. There, I feel better venting

 

I believe the filter cartridge arrangement is a requirement to sell the vehicle in the EU. It allows the use of a crushing device to extract the used oil held by the filter media before disposal.
I have a 16 year old BMW with a filter cartridge and no complaints. In its case the filter sits near the top of the engine and the housing drains into the sump when you remove the cartridge, making it a neat operation.

 

Some people may get confused with the Prii sold in Canada. Toyota Canada does not offer the free scheduled maint. Maybe some dealers have free oil changes but where I bought mine it didn't. I often wander if I drove to a US dealership for scheduled maint. what fee would they charge??? Where I live the closest Canadian dealership is 1 hr to the north, and the closest US dealership is 1 3/4 hrs to the south.

 

Here's another vote for the AST Tools TOY640 oil filter wrench. That thing is solid compared to the crap they had at Advance Auto Parts and Pep Boys. You can get it from Amazon for about $20.

If you get one somewhere else, you need a 64mm with 14 flats or "flutes".

I'd recommend getting a good floor jack and jack stands rather than using the jack that came with the car.

A quick pump jack makes it much easier to rotate tires, change brake pads, and lift up a car for oil changes. Plus it's safer.