Oil change - how to get the engine to run?

why is it dangerous to drive it after an oil change?

 

An oil change takes long enough that when I'm done, I can punch the Start button and the car's engine will start up in its warm-up cycle, circulate the new oil up into the engine and provide time to check fittings for leaks before actually driving before the engine shuts off.

 

Hit the start button turn your aircon on or heating , demister and it should fire up pretty much straight away or after a very short period of time.

 

Hold the accelorator pedal down in park and the ICE turns on.

 

Don't need to turn on the AC. It will start anyway (provided the usual foot on brake + press power). Turning the heater on set to HI w/fan on should keep it running until coolant temp hits 145 F.

Yep, that'll do it once the power is on.

 

Use genuine Toyota filters; they don't split. The engine is spun up to 1000 RPM to start, moving or not.

 

Yeah Fram filters can be defective. They suck. Use the OEM filter it has the proper bypass valve. It costs $4. And since you've seen filters fail before picture this. Your engine fails from the crappy Fram filter you use so you tow it to the dealer.
Dealer comes out into the waiting room and wants to see how stupid you are and says you have an unauthorized filter on the engine and it failed starving the motor for engine oil.

$ 3900 for new short block please.

Happens all the time. Dealers are broke and just waiting for people to come in on the tow hook who have no idea what the Magnuson Moss act means.

 

When this happened to me once, it was because I had left the old gasket on. It leaked, gushed, within seconds. Never have seen a split filter seam.

There is nothing really different to do, just press the start button with brake pressed, and in a few seconds the engine starts and fast idles. Turn it off and check the oil for level and leaks, same as with all cars. I don't know how it can work any other way unless it has an EV switch that is on. It sounds a bit odd that someone with a Prius doesn't know this.

 

To save fuel I wait until the next time I am going to use the car, idle in S1, and check the oil after the engine auto off - except thus far I keeps forgetting the last step and just drive away. I will try to remember next time I change oil.

 

The '10 repair manual says to put it in "service mode", assumable to force the engine to run. In practice, as long as the car has been off for a while, it will run, and 30 seconds run time is enough to circulate oil into the new filter, so you don't get a falsely high reading on the dipstick.

 

I must have the one odd gen II as my engine always starts a few seconds after one of its many oil changes, with the normal starting procedure.

 

Yeah it just depends on the temperature. For most people the car should be cool enough for it to want to start the engine after an oil change.

I suppose if the weather was hot and you had the car nice and warm and you did the oil change quickly enough then it mightn't want to automatically start. But you can always hold the brake and the accelerator and force it if you have to.

I've never had the problem however. Mine always starts after an oil change, sometimes I might have to give it a little prompt with the accelerator pedal, and then it typically only runs for about 40 seconds to a minute to warm up. Just perfect for letting the oil circulate and testing everything is sealing. The Prius is the easiest car that I've ever changed the oil in.

 

It's a matter of probabilities. I prefer to pay a bit more for better odds.