2020 oil capacity vs. recommended fill

Modern oils are so thin that they drain pretty completely. I add about 4.4 quarts when I change my oil and filter. Seems to always come out right on the dipstick. Still, it's a good idea on the first oil change to put in less to start with and then check it in a few minutes, adding more if needed.

Edit to add that I can't advise on best places to get your oil since we live almost on different planets.

 

I put in a carefully measured 4.4 qts (actual measure 4.2 liters, same thing), and wait a few days to check it. It’s invariably about 1/8” to 3/16” below the top mark, which is fine by me.

i think you can use 0W20, no problems. The shift to 0W16 is purely to wring an infinitesimal more mpg? Or 5W20, or 5W30, same story. Have you tried dealership parts dept btw?

 

you're doing it wrong. instead of measuring what goes in or comes out... you check the dip stick and add until the dipstick says you've succeeded.

 

When I’ve done that, right after an oil change and running the engine a few minutes to distribute the oil to filter, I end up overfilled, when I recheck a few days later.

 

I am in agreement with you. It is better to underfill between the upper and lower mark on the dipstick. Then again, I check oil level often.

Too much oil might be splashed into the egr system and cause clogging there and at the intake manifold as well as the PCV valve.

 

good !

the important part is that your actually checked.

that way, when the magic papers (fsm, manual, internet, etc) lists the wrong amount, you have that super reliable dipstick to confirm the fill state.

 

Who cares, you cant read the oil anyways . Due to the light oil and the crappy dipstick design.

 

how do you check your oil level, if you can't see it ?

 

Stare at it for 20 minutes , moving it on a different angle, the "paper method".

 

I changed mine yesterday. I've accepted two thingsas a result of this Prius: 5k mile oil changes & filtered oil (some people think it's synthetic)

man it's hard to see this watery stuff without a purple laser illuminating it !

 

After pulling dipstick wait a few minutes. This allows oil drawn up the tube time to drain, and the dipstick will get less oil smear, easier to see true level.

 

Pull the dipstick and lay the lower part on a clean paper towel. That will absorb the oil and show the oily part of the stick.

I’ve never seen an engine where a slight overfill is a problem.

 

I've always put 4.0 qt in my 2016. There's nothing wrong with ending up between the dots. I buy the 5 qt jug at Walmart and pour off one quart into a measuring cup. Then fill with the remaining four qts in the jug, and return the extra 1 qt to the jug for next time. I've never had to top off between 10K oil changes through 40K miles so far.

 

Yep I had a hard time finding the OW-16 for my 21 Prius...all three local car parts stores were out but I lucked out and found 5 qts of Mobile 1 at Walmart.
I'll be sure to stock up on it when I see it on the shelves in the future.
If you can't find it, we can use OW-20 BUT are supposed to go back to OW-16 on the very next oil change. And we aren't supposed to put OW-16 in a car that says OW-20, it's not designed for it.
It is hard to see the oil on the dipstick when checking it....I have a little work light I'll bring over, dry off the dipstick, then can see the thin oil when I hold it next to the light.

 

If you let the car sit overnight and do the oil change on a cold motor in the morning another qt comes down from the valve train. Do the oil change like this without running the engine first. You'll get five quarts out of the engine instead of four. Change the filter and dump in a five-quart jug of mobil one

 

I agree that you'll get more out of it if you let it sit overnight. But when I change the oil in my Prime, the engine usually hasn't been run in the past several days since most of my driving is EV. Adding 4.4 quarts with a new filter always brings it to the full mark on the dipstick.

 

I know this is an old thread, but did you ever try filling it with something like 4 quarts instead of the standard 4.4 quarts? 6 months ago, I brought 5 quarts to my mechanic for an oil change and he used about 4.5 quarts. The oil level was still a little below the full line. Yesterday I thought I gave him another 5 quarts, but when I got home I remembered that one of the quarts was the half empty one from the last oil change. He ended up giving me back just a hair under half a quart. After realizing that he likely only filled about 4 quarts, I checked the oil level this morning and it was about half way between the min and the full line, maybe a little less. I'm guessing 4 quarts may still be okay as long as the oil level is regularly checked. If 4 quarts isn't enough, that probably means my mechanic didn't drain as much of the old oil they could have.

 

If I put it in 4 quarts it doesn't even register on the stick

 

If you raise just the front end, and raise it high, you maybe get a better drain, comparing to a shop that lifts the whole car, keeping it level? The drain bolt is towards the rear of the oil pan, and I think the interior of that pan is simple, clear of baffles. Say maybe 100 cc more?