Word of Warning: Oil Overfill

agreed. i like my oil smack dab between the two marks. if i was burning oil, i would probably fill it up.

 

I drive a 3rd gen. Bf trained me to check after driving for a while. I did and brought it back to the shop because I couldnt read it to well. The manager assured me it was perfect and told me they put the factory amount in. Bf checked 2 weeks later and said it was nearly a quart over..we went back to the shop where manager said it was just residual..that we didnt need to be on a level surface.He offered to remove some in the parking lot (it was after hours) but not until after he waived between it s not over to I've been driving it for a week and he doesnt work know if I added any more oil.
Things seemed heated and I opted to leave..because I really didnt want him touching my car any more.
Bf says I should go back and have them document how much they remove in case I have motor issues. Since I've already been driving on it..I dont think I would have a case anyway.

 

if oil just changed its hard to read on the dipstick since its so clear.

The Prius G2 takes 3.9 quarts of oil including a brand new dry oil filter. I do know for a fact joints like Jiffy lube thinks it takes 5 quarts and so does the dealer apparently as a G2 at the dealer will be routinely over filled.

The G2 uses a oil controlled timing system that stores a bunch of oil in the top end of the engine and that takes a while to drain back to the oil pan so if you want to check the oil properly do it first thing in the morning before starting the car. That will show the true level of oil in the engine. And much much easier to read the dipstick. Just pull it out in the am and read it dont wipe it off.

I can fix your oil conundrum and insure your getting really good oil cheap. Go to Walmart and buy a jug of Mobil 1 5-30 Full Synthetic 5 quart jug for $24.95.
Take it home and pour out one quart of oil into a container. Now you have 4 quarts of great oil and a spare quart. Give that now 4 quart jug to the shop they cannot mess it up now. This is what i do if I cant get to it myself. No drama ever.

Tell the shop you want the jug back bring it back home dump that quart back in it. Next 5 quart jug you now have another jug to put that quart into.
4 oil changes you have a free oil change now.

 

Sorry your profile says G2.

Gen3 holds 4.4 quarts. Just take a half a quart of oil out of the 5 quart jug.
Everything else applies.

Keep it at the full line always. Also be aware your gen3 has bad egr issues read up on that on this forum quite a hassle.

 

Our son's CX-5 takes 4.5 liters oil (with filter change). We've been DIY'ing, but he's getting an oil pan gasket leak, so last time he opted to take it to dealership, let them assess, and do the oil change.

Well they did the service and recommended he "continue to monitor...". Last Saturday we did another DIY oil change, this is the drained oil:



And they lost an underpanel fastener. And there continues to oil all over everything. He's on their case...

 

Does that CX5 have a GDI engine? Just curious because I have seen a case where the high pressure pump leaked internally- adding gasoline to the oil sump. Might not be what happened to yours (totally possible/ likely it was just overfilled) but keep an eye on the level.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Good thought, but the leak seemed to be oil pan gasket, and started before the overfill.

 

Years ago, I drove away from an oil change shop.

The mechanics forgot to put back the oil cap on.

Less than half a block away, fumes as black as the oil smokes in foreign deserts you see on TV and movies, spewed from under my hood. Oil spouted onto my engines and burnt away.

Horrible sight to see.

Really stupid mistake for the shop. They had to spend more on the spot for an engine bay cleaning (elsewhere nearby) and another oil change.

====

Another "off topic" story about post-shop horror experience: driving several miles-- front wheels and axle fall apart after having "brakes fixed."

 

I use a jiffy once in a while. I bring them the exact amount of oil in gallon jug. And the factory filter. And I stand there and watch them.
Then I duke th3 kid underneath $5 and tell him don’t go crazy on the pan bolt.
Never any issue because I control it.

The thought of throwing my keys to a dealer to change my oil and away the car goes horrifies me.

Jiffy and I bet all oil change joints have the wrong infon there oil car oil level database I have seen it. It says 5 quarts for a G2.

 

Ed, when you’ve got to bring them pre-measured oil and pay off a guy, stick to DIY?

 

Not sure what you mean.

 

If I’m paying someone to do do something, then having to lead them by the hand and watch them like a hawk, I eventually part ways with that method.

 

Do I always diy I think?

Not always it depends on how my back is doing and the older I get the worse it gets.
The jiffy I use is real close 2 blocks away they know me. They charge $20 labor plus my tip out of there fast. I stand by the garage door and watch.

The trenches under the car used to be open but now they boarded them over so the under guy is on his knees on wood. Then the top guy has to go under and check what the under guy does when under guy says he’s done.
Brutal on the knees.
Some idiot must have fell into a trench. Ouch. They used to let me go under
The car.

if I need to go under the car I use an indie shop down the street. Family owned. Just takes longer to get into too.
I duke the mechanic there $20 and they let me do anything I want under there while he’s working on it. Shops are pushing back letting customers under the lift insurance probably.
Best $20 ever spent I get to inspect everything under the car and spray the heck out of the suspension with CSP. I take pictures of all the suspension. The lubing part has really paid off. No squeaks no rattles nothing corroded.
Wiring good. Exhaust good.
and I bring them the exact oil too. Cannot f this up.

 

why are y'all fussing about the liters/gallons/ounces put IN the engine, instead of just pulling the dip stick and looking ?

I see this in Motorcycle forums a lot... they argue about 900ml vs 1 quart all the time.

I point out there is a dipstick/sightglass that very easily shows the current amount, but they still obsess over the amount poured in.

it's odd that because there's a spec in a book, common sense goes poof or something ?

 

Yes and no. I’ve done maybe 21 oil/filter changes on our 2010, and have learned to be VERY sceptical about what the dipstick shows, immediately after filling the oil.

I appreciate until you run the engine it’s going to be higher, due to empty oil filter, but it seems like there’s other factors.

I’ve been suckered into adding more, had put in the specd qty, run it, and saw the dipstick alarmingly low, so added half a liter.

then a few days later, check it first thing in morning and ayup: about 1/2 liter overfill.

that might be a factor in dealership and third party oil overfill.

 

OCD is rampant in this forum.
If you comment on everything that violates "common sense" you will be very busy indeed.

 

So another weird story:

An hour ago, I got my Prius filled at Chevron. I'm pretty sure I hit Regular 87 (furthest right button) after I inserted my credit card. When I finished, the receipt showed that Chevron charged me for Premium 91.

Unless my back hit Premium 91 like I butt-dialed or something, I'm still sure I hit 87.

I went to the gas station clerk inside; and she said there's no way a pump machine could make that mistake.

Now I'm wondering what I might expect in the coming weeks.

 

Expect what?

 

do not know... Considering I have no clue as to the exact amount of engine oil overfill in my car and the factor that I possibly fueled up Premium 91 in my tank tonight...

Is my car going to bake a cake this month? (yes, I like to wax poetics.)

 

Higher octane is not gonna hurt your car, the ECU just won't care, it will just ignore it. We have 87/89/91 octane out here.

With our Toyota Tercel, there was a notable difference in performance between 87 octane and 89 octane. The ECU did advance the timing with the higher octane. But 91 octane made no difference so I stuck with 89.

The Prius, well it's kinda weird anyway? I can't really tell if 87 or 89 makes a difference? But most likely all the 91 octane did was waste money for you, the car won't take advantage of the extra octane and most likely the ECU won't even notice it's there? So it's not gonna advance the timing which is all the extra octane is for, well that and preventing, pre ignition in High Hp motors.

I'd not worry about the gas but the over fill on the oil?? How much over??