I found the Oil Filter.

Thanks, Pat. SST 0922806501 has an MSRP of US$16.50 (in the event that a regular cap wrench does not fit) and the oil filter 04152YZZA6 has an MSRP of US$5.41, so these prices seem OK.

 

Patrick,

Do you think the difficulty of getting to the filter will add to the tech's time and
as a result significantly add to the cost of a oil/filter change at a dealer?

As to the filter cap itself, perhaps it is plastic vs. aluminum to prevent any
chance of cross-threading when reinstalling.

 

Hi Rokeby,

When an oil change is performed by a dealer tech, s/he will routinely raise up the car. I don't see that the location of the filter would result in a significant change in labor time or cost. As long as the pipe seen in the photo is only for the mockup and not part of the real car, there should be no problem.

At this time, I don't think we know for sure what material the filter cap is made of.

 

I'm 99% sure that the cap was metal. I looked long and hard at that cap on the cut away model and I am almost certain that it was metal. One thing I do remember is that there was some sort of pipe plug or socket hole in the center of the cap.

 

I know Engineering reasons come into play but I sure wished an engine designer would point ALL cartridge oil filbers up and canister oil filters down. This way, spillage, drips, and an overall mess are minimized. I a bit anal when it comes to keeping the engine compartment clean. Heck, I get on my dealer when I see evidence the guy who added oil to during a change, dribbled oil on top of the engine.

 

Indeed. Over time I expect engine heat to fatigue the plastic and surprise whover is doing the change when it crack upon tightening.

 

My 2006 HiHy's canister oil filter is sideways mounted on the engine. My procedure for changing oil includes not allowing the engine to start when moving the SUV out on the driveway. When I remove the oil filter, absolutely zero oil leaks out, it is amazing. Hence I assume that all oil drained into the crankcase when the vehicle was parked overnight.

If the new Prius engine works similarly and allows oil to drain from the cartridge housing, then a DIYer may find that changing the cartridge filter is easy and mess-free. We'll see.

OK, that is further evidence that the cap is probably metal since whatever is in the center won't last very long if made of plastic.

I've attached a photo that shows the pipe holding up the engine and blocking access to the oil cartridge container cap; that should not be present in the production vehicle.

 

Yes, but at least the shaft will be above the filter, from below. If it were below, it would be a PITA. As it is, I don't think it will pose too much of a problem, as long as there aren't any other body/engine brackets in the way.

I asked on Sunday night if they'd have one up on ramps or something so we could look underneath. Unfortunately not, probably because of liability issues, but I know those of us there would have gladly included that liability in the release form to be able to crawl all the way under it. Even mirrors would have helped.

 

My dad always used to say that all car designers should have to change the oil filter three times before the car comes to market.

 

On my FJ, the oil filter is right at the front of the motor, and it's almost straight up. There is very little mess. The "cup" in the filter housing catches oil from the filter, and a 1 litre empty Coke bottle under the drain nipple catches the spilled oil no problem

My FJ is the easiest oil change I have done, and the quickest. Close behind is the 2000 GMC Sierra I used to have, the oil filter hung down by the bellhousing. The Prius isn't bad either

From the looks of things, Toyota is applying the same engineering they have to the new Sequoia and Tundra with the 5.7 litre V8: make servicing so inconvenient and/or messy, the customer always goes to the dealership