Oil Change - Type of Oil and Any Tips

Here's what I started using.
0W-20 Synthetic Oil | Mobil 1™ 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy

 

I use the Toyota Synthetic 0w 20 like the factory recommends. It's no more expensive than the other synthetics.

 

Both good answers.
There is no "best".......or no easy to really determine what IS the best.
Any name brand synthetic 0W20 (or whatever weight they recommend for that model) should be fine.
Pick one and stick with it.

 

for a complete description go to john1701a's website. choose Oil Change.

 

I would recommend that you buy a box of 0w-20 synthetic oil at the parts dept. of any Toyota dealership along with a couple of oil filters. Usually any local Toyota dealership has coupons for the above mentioned items available on their website.

From there, I would bring four bottles (4 quarts) of the oil & a oil filter to any local Jiffy Lube and/or oil change place and have them just charge you for the labor. Generally I get charged an average of about $25.00 to $35.00 for the labor, since I brought in my oil & filter. The other thing I must say is that you watch them do the actual oil change in order to ensure that they are using the oil & filter that you brought in.

The only other thing they may tell you is that you brought in only 4qts. of oil & that the Prius requires 4.5qts. I always tell them that I want only 4qts. of oil in my car.

 

Great question. BITOG has a sticky on that: "What oil should I use? What is the BEST oil?" | Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) - Gasoline Cars/Pickups/Vans/SUVs | Bob Is The Oil Guy

 

Just browsing older unread threads in the maintenance section, a few ideas:

1. At least from at our local dealership, Toyota 0W20 is THE choice: under $6 (CAN) per liter. Makes for one-stop shopping too, when you're picking up oil filter cartridge and drain bolt washer. For first oil change I'd get 5 liters or quarts. To get the oil to top mark requires 4.2~3 liters, a bit more for quarts.

2. The drain bolt requires a 14 mm (6 face is best) socket. Torque is 27 ft/lb.

3. The oil filter housing requires a 64 mm (14 face) socket. They're for sale, identified as being compatible with the Prius. I've got one I got for (and still use on) Hondas; it's a common size. Only the filter cartridge (pleated paper cylinder) gets replaced, the hard plastic housing is re-used. Torque is 18 ft/lb.

The housing can be a bit tough to break loose, just persevere. A breaker bar helps. There's a metal tang on the side, that theoretically does something. In practice it's just along for the ride. You can ignore it: it doesn't prevent unscrewing or do anything really. As you back the housing out, it will start to get wobbly. There's a flat spot in the threads that facilitates this. When it's getting quite loose, stop unscrewing and just cock it sideways for a bit, wait for the bulk of the oil to leak by.

4. The replacement cartridge comes with an O-ring replacement; it goes on a groove in the housing. Look at the location of the old one before you remove it. Pry it off with a slim blade screw driver, carefully. I think the instruction says to not use a screw driver, but it's nigh impossible. Put a little fresh oil on the new ring before install. It's the O-ring that makes the seal. The housing is torqued just to lock it, keep it from unscrewing, so the torque value shouldn't be exceeded.

5. To get at the drain bolt and oil filter, you can either remove 2 fasteners and bend back a small flap of the engine under panel. Or you can remove the whole thing. I'd strongly recommend the latter: there are countless reports of the hinge on this flap failing after multiple openings.

There are at least 2 kinds of push-in plastic fasteners. The most critical to keep segregated are on that small flap, are a little bigger than the rest, have grey caps. You might want to daub them and adjacent panel with some white-out, or other permanent marker.

When removing the panel completely, start at the rear, work to the front. At the front there are some bolts needing 10 mm socket, and the front edge slips under another piece of plastic, part of the front bumper trim. These bolts are minor, just snug them firmly, don't worry about torque values.

 

Hats off to ya Mendel. That is one of the best how to's I have seen written for newbies changing the oil on a Prius. I would only suggest using a small bent scribe or dental tool (pick) to remove the o-ring, not a screw driver.

 

Regarding those plastic fasteners:

I mostly use a paint can opener tool to lift their caps, release them. Occasionally a slim blade screw driver as well. Before reinstalling them I rinse them in hot soapy water, try to get the grit out. This keeps the internal mechanism clear, less likely to seize, causing them to break on removal.

Here's an image of paint can opener. A little hard to see, but it's got a 90 deg tang at the end, good for levering up the fastener head and assisting in pulling them out:

 

Excellent points Mendel. For the OP, I would recommend when ordering parts for your future maintenance to include a handful of both types of fasteners that hold up the lower panel under the engine that Mendel describes . Rarely have I have removed the panel and not had at least one break.

Jeff

 

Yeah, for sure, have a few spare fasteners in the glove box. (and a valve cap or two). Even with the best intentions, just run over a curb or two and they get pretty chewed up.

I was just looking for similar fasteners, for a Honda I also do oil changes on. Dealership wanted $5+ per fastener. A local automotive parts place had dimensionally similar fasteners, worked out to about $5 for four. And the guy thought that was overpriced.

 

just use a trusted 0w20 oil, I would recommend the Toyota filters, they are cheaper in my area than off brand filters. Watch some videos of people doing it. Wait around 10 mins after the oil change and start up to check your oil level again. Check it more often the first week or so, this will show a small leak before you loose to much oil. Check your cv joint boots, ICE for oil leaks ect.

 

My two cents...

It is a tough oil change.

Most important points:

1. Make sure the car is jacked up correctly.

2. Make sure the o gasket is in the correct spot. Look at it before you remove it. Replace it exactly like it was. And let the engine run for a few seconds, turn it off, and check if there are any leaks.

 

#1: 0W-20 synthetic. Some people like the Toyota oil; some like other vendors, the argument has the signs of a religious war.
#2: Invest in a really good oil filter cover removal tool. (Note: The Prius uses a cartridge. The cartridge lives under a cover which, while it goes on and off, is typically not replaced.) I managed to bust the cover the last time I changed my oil and had to go and buy a new one, both a pain and expensive. Seems that random oil change places/dealerships have a habit of torquing the thing down 'way too hard. The mechanic I used to get the darn thing off recommended that I stop the next Snap-On truck that I see and buy a Toyota cover tool from them: It engages with the lugs on the back of the cover, so one can then unscrew the thing with a breaker bar, if needs be. I had been using a Wall-Mart special.. But it proved inadequate in the face of some blame dealer oil changer with an air gun. (Note: It's only supposed to go on to the tune of 17-20 ft-lbs, so this thing was 'way overtorqued.)
#3: Rhino ramps. Or at least make sure that you get ramps that are shallow enough so you won't hit the bumpers with them before the wheels start to go up.

Have fun!

KBeck

 

I just bought 12qt case 0W-20 Toyota synt at my dealer for $60 bucks roughly $5 bucks per qt and bought 5 toyota oil filter pack filter on Ebay $20 bucks, so for $80 i got 3 or 15k miles worth of oil changes. You can always buy mobil 1 0W-20 AFE too

 

Wow, that's a great price on the oil. What dealer? If it's in my neck of the woods I'll make a trip !!!

 

Usually prices are lower in the States. Seems the inverse in this case. This is regular price, for single liters of Toyota 0W20, in Canadian dollars, at my nearby dealership: