2005 Prius Oil Leak?

Did you do your own oil change? Are the pictures before or after you did your oil change? How did you tighten the filter? Are you sure that filter is made for the Prius?

When you use the word "raining", it seems a bit excessive. The car holds about 4 quarts of oil, from your description, you should run low on oil after a couple days.

Also when the car runs low on oil pressure, the damage has already started with engine wear.

 

Sure. Valve cover gasket. Oil cap. PCV valve or hose. Those come to mind right off.

It's unlikely that it would come from above the oil filter without making a mess above the oil filter. But the pictures don't show anything higher than the filter, so they don't offer any clues.

Also, as @JC91006 pointed out, when the red triangle comes on due to low oil pressure, you're already damaging the engine.

 

Third gen's have had leakage around the oil pressure sensor, which is a little ways up the back side of engine, towards right end of engine (aka "front" of engine). Second gen might be similar? Follow the oil path up.

 

I once changed the oil on a 2000 Camry and didn't notice that the old o-ring from the spin on filter stayed on the engine side of the mount when I removed the filter. So I basically installed the new oil filter with a double o-ring.

When I started the car, oil came spraying out everywhere under the car. Lost a lot of oil, very fast.

Maybe you have a similar problem, or the surface of the oil filter mount is somehow damaged, gouged, not smooth, and not making a good seal?

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Leakage from the oil filter seal (or the filter itself is certainly possible. Or as suggested, the oil pressure switch is a prime suspect. The switch can fail and leak and the Gen2 has it mounted above the filter. You need to safely raise and support the car, clean off the filter and pressure switch, then watch while the engine runs to locate the (highest) point of leakage .

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I'm a little confused as to the orientation of the OP's pics. Are they looking towards the rear of the car, ie: the second gen has the oil filter on the front-of-car face of engine? It looks like the accessory belt pulley on the left side of pic.

Attached oil change instruction has some line art pics, an excerpt:

 

Fairly easy to find where its leaking.

Jack up high like in the pic buy 2 cans carb cleaner and hose off affected suspected area so clean. Then put the car in Inspection mode where the engine will idle continuously for inspection till shut off.

Go on you tube search Prius Inspection it will show you the pedal chicken dance to get the engine into Inspection mode.

Scoot under the car with safety glasses and see where its leaking for the win.

Bad news is since it has had a few omg I have no oil scenarios that's really bad for the engine and it probably is now if not already a little oil eating monster (OEM) from now on. The piston rings and piston rod bearings do not like running dry many a blown motor on here from lack of oil supervision.

First sign of blown is knocking under load. Second sign is it throws rod #2 out the side of the block. Sometimes rod #3. Depends on its mood.

 

Bonus points if, after cleaning it and letting it dry off, you spray a good coat of antiperspirant deodorant on the area. The white powder will help you spot the leak almost instantly. An old motorcycle trick.

Not generally a good idea to trust those places. They've ruined lots of engines. If I needed to use them, I'd absolutely make sure before pulling out that the oil level was right and it wasn't leaking. Once you leave, they won't accept blame for anything.

 

Hey Jerry i use Jiffy a few times. Have to keep your wits about you there. There Alldata database of car oil volume shows 5 quarts in a g2 so you must bring them a container of 4 quarts, and even then after watching them I still check the oil when I get home. It’s paid off never any oil drama.

I bring them 4 quarts in a Mobil one jug and the factory filter. They charge me $20 labor.

I bet Xglider is right I bet the old o ring is stuck on seen that myself.

Never heard of the anti deodorant white powder trick that’s cool.

 

I do the same thing with dealer service departments.

I give them 4 quarts of oil for the Prius, and 5 quarts for the Camry (3.5L V6) and tell them I'll top it up myself.

I once gave them 5 quarts for the Prius and it was severely overfilled, not only did they dump all 5 quarts in, but they also added BG oil treatment too.

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This is another case of a botched oil change. They apparently forgot to tighten the filter. This story has been told by others, not limited to Jiffy lube services.

 

Maybe tightened the ol’ never-failed-me-yet “hand-tight”.

for spin-on the spec is 13 foot/pound.

 

Who put the old oil filter on? Was that done by Jiffy Lube too? Or was that one a DIY?

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