Oil Change Only at Dealership?

not at all. you can diy it or take it to your buddy. that's what i do. it's just a basic oil and filter. alway check the level yourself on the way out. that's the only thing a bit more critical than most cars. if you know him well, ask him to put in 3 quarts, check the level and top off as necessary, to get to the mid point between the high and low marks on the dipstick.

 

If your mechanic could do your old car, they can do a Prius.

 

Call me paranoid....go ahead...really....

But there was a thread once where somebody talked about doing an oil change and having forgot to turn the vehicle off while the oil was draining, and it suddenly turning on with little to no oil in it.

So an Oil Change is an Oil Change is an Oil Change...BUT Hybrids are a "little" different.

Mistakes can happen with anything, anywhere.

I wouldn't hesitate to do it yourself if you wish, continue to take it to a dealership, and/or your regular mechanic. But in all cases you want to whomever is doing the oil change to realize it's a hybrid, and that does require a minimal amount of extra awareness.

Whenever I leave my Prius for service anywhere....including but not limited to the dealership, I do worry that whomever drives it last really understands the whole incredibly simple shut off procedure.

I had to have some body work done on my Prius and did have the subconscious fear that they were going to leave it running all night and not even know it.

 

The Prius Tech at the dealer is not going to be assigned an oil change job. Oil changes are assigned to the person on the low end of the pay scale or to someone on the Service Manager's S--- List.

If your trusted mechanic has the proper equipment they can do all the work on your Prius.

 

As long as the car has had a decent drain, and the oil filter's been replaced, if you put 4.4 US quarts (4.2 liters), the oil level will end up on the full mark on the dipstick.

Checking right after the change, say after a minute of running followed by a minute or two sitting: the level may show about halfway between the marks. Resist the urge to add more, just check again in a day or two: then it'll be on the top mark.

You can adjust to suit your preferences, ie: where you want the level to be. I've given up on that though, just slam in 4.2 liters. It's funny, 6 months later (Canadian interval) the level's barely (if any) budged. First car we've had that consumes next to no oil.

Drain bolt torque is 27 ft/lb, and filter housing torque is 18 ft/lb.

 

I generally buy my own oil & filter(s), then take them down to a local quick lube place. I bring over 4 quarts Toyota 0W-20 and a Toyota oil filter and they charge me about $35 for the disposal & labor.

Generally I do this because a lot of places overfill it and many times don't have the type of oil I want. I like to stand in front of my car while they are doing the actual oil change in order to make sure they are using the oil I brought in. I know they don't like it when I stand & watch, but hey it's my car....

 

Whoever did that is somebody who shouldn't touch a CAR doesn't matter if it is a hybrid or not... How would you keep it running ???? Okay it is a Hybrid you can't hear...bullsh** there is fare amount of electronics that you can hear even when the engine is not running...

 

We recently picked up a 2013 Gen III to go with our 2005 Gen II, and I plan to do the engine oil DIY on the 2013 as I have done on our 2005. The first thing I did was research the service procedure for the Gen III on YouTube. Even if you go to an "indy" or a "quick lube" you'd still be well advised to become familiar with the process and recommended parts. Differences I noticed from the Gen II are the "rivets" that hold the access panel for the drain plug and filter housing. Can these be dropped/lost? The drain plug appears to be the same, though the washer seems different (blue nylon?). I'd make sure I brought a fresh washer for each change. Of course, the biggest difference is the oil filter being a cartridge rather than a metal spin-on type. The filter housing apparently requires a special tool that engages notches on the housing. If this is botched, these might get rounded over time, requiring a replacement. Also, there is an O-ring that gets replaced. Sometimes this can be seated improperly, or the housing can be tightened incorrectly resulting in oil leaking from the filter housing. There is a thread about a guy who lost practically all his new oil over a 400 mile trip after a recent service because the filter housing was not re-installed correctly. Knowing what and where the work is being done can help you to inspect the work before driving off to check for errors. You'd also be advised to keep an eye out for oil leaking below the engine immediately after the oil service.

 

I am still deciding if I will do the oil changes on my 2011 or farm it out. I did 19 oil changes in 3 years on my 2008. Pretty easy. The canister filter has me a little worried. I still haven't eyeballed the location under the vehicle, which would help with the decision. It is currently due for an oil change and I think I'll let my dealer do this one. They want to do a 60K service along with it. I will probably take up the DIY banner with this car as Spring nears.

 

I think FuelMiser's comments are a good summary of what you need to make sure whoever you choose knows what to do and has the correct parts, like new washers. They should also know what needs to be checked, if you don't, and how to check them. And what not to do because if the high-priced electronics.

 

I hauled up my big boy pants, bought a floor jack and stands, and a 5qt jug o' 0-20W and filter. I jacked that lil cutie up an' pulled her skirt....er, her under....um. Opened the oil flap panel and went to work. Tight but easy enough. She even purred when I was done.
Pardon me if I offended any one.

 

I waited on an oil change for my Prius at a Toyota dealer. When I went out to get the car after the work was done and the car was left unattended by the mechanic the engine was left running. So those things you fear do happen.

 

Wow, I didn't think anyone would want to follow hartrepair.

 

I don't let anyone work on my cars.

For once I decided to bring my 2013 for its software update and free 10k oil change/tire rotation.
I waited patiently in the waiting room and after 1.5 hours the service adviser said my car was ready. cost was $00.00, free!

When I got home I checked to see how they rotated my tires ( I marked them prior to my visit) and low and behold they were not rotated! However the pressures were reduced to the factory pressures. I got suspicious and noticed the oil cap was removed and oil added (it was spilled on valve cover) checked the dipstick and saw the oil was not changed. I crawled under the car and noticed one of the ears on my flap on the belly pan was ripped off and there was fresh oil hand prints there. I lowered the flap and noticed the filter was replaced but the drain plug was never removed.
I called the dealer and talked to the service director. He had me come right in and they changed the oil in my presence. offered to rotate the tires and replace my belly pan. I declined that offer and left. They handled my problem as best they could. The tech was fired I found out.

My point is how many people think they got service performed and it wasn't or it was slipshod.
Be alert to checking things when service is performed.
I did my 20k a couple months ago myself and still had the time left over that I would have spent driving to the dealer and waiting.

 

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

 

Since mechanics are paid according to the jobs they do, I would think these stories of jobs not done are more common than you would suspect. I had this happen before on an oil change, that never happened

 

I would like to encourage everyone to DIY. In my opinion Prius is a simple car ! I am not talking about repairs on iverters, transmissions and stuff where you just pray that the guy in the dealership knows the deal...otherwise you are screwed.

 

Just curious, how did you know they never performed the oil change?