Yes Virginia, Overfilling Oil does cause problems

yep, that P3191 is almost guaranteed if you get "the light" right after an oil change.

do they have an express lube there? seems those places screw up often... if it's a tech.. and the guy has been to prius school... he's been warned plenty of times about P3191 due to oil in the throttle body and you should be seeking someone else to do your regular service. maybe a different tech at the same dealer to start with since it seems they do take care of problems that crop up.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ Jun 29 2006, 07:21 PM) [snapback]278854[/snapback]</div>

You're patient. You might be more successful learning to stop bringing your car to that dealer. If they can't do a correct oil change reliably, I wouldn't want to trust them with more complicated jobs. Still, I've been a slow learner with things like this.

This beats the oil change experience I had at a Pep Boys. (I know. I should have never taken it to a chain.) I was visiting my mother, who never does any maintenance. I took her Corolla in for an oil change, ordering the MaxLife oil which was on a rebate special. They did the job right next to the window, and I saw they were putting in their budget oil of a different viscosity. I immediately pointed out the error. They drained the oil again and filled it with MaxLife of the correct weight. This correction caused them to miss their 30 minute guarantee. Without me mentioning it, they didn't charge me.

Later I noticed burnt odor coming from the car, when parking it. I opened the hood and their was oil everywhere. The oil cap was nowhere to be seen. Oil apparently bubbled out of the filler hole at low engine speeds, sprayed out at high engine speeds, splashed off the hood, and dripped everywhere. I took the car back to the Pep Boys. They slapped one of their replacement oil filler caps in place and started to schedule a professional steam clean at a detailng shop. The store manager over heard this and told the service manager to have a technician use a can of spray on degreaser and a pressure sprayer at a self serve car wash instead. I asked them to refill change the oil again, as I was concerned about oil spraying out and cleaning the dirty hood before splashing back in to the filler hole. They did and I made an appointment to come back for the cleaning. (It was late on December 23.)

My mother took the car back for the cleaning on December 27, then came to pick drive us to the airport on the 28th. She complained upon arriving that the car wasn't running well. Examining it, I found that the spark plug holes were flooded with water! I was worried about Pep Boys replacing or pulling the spark plugs without somehow getting all the water out first, draining some of the water (and degreaser?) into the cylinders. She promised me that she would take it to Pep Boys so they could witness the problem but not touch anything, then take it to a reputable repair shop at their expense.

And you would think I would have learned my lesson already. This was the first time I went back to a Pep Boys after one in another state intentionally ripped both CV boots eleven years before. I shopped by price for an transmission fluid and filter change. I asked for the old transmisson filter when making the order. They quoted and charged me for both. When I asked for the old filter, they explained that they never replace a Corolla filter, they rinse it. This started a debate. I was unaware of what then happend when they took the car back up to replace the automatic transmission filter. but found out after I drove down the street to the tire shop for a free rotation. After lifting the car, the tire shop brought me under the lift to look at what they found. Clean grease had sprayed out of two torn CV boots onto surrounding parts. The grease was still clean, so both boots ripped very recently. The tire shop had only driven the car onto the lift. Apparently when Pep Boys very begrudgingly replaced the automatic transmission filter, they punctured and ripped both CV boots all the way around with something like a screwdriver. I swore I would never take a car back to any Pep Boys. Thinking an oil change is a safe foolproof job I broke that promise in another state 11 years later. I've finally learned my lesson. I guess I'm a slow learner.

 

I bring my own oil, and remove 12 ounces from the gallon jug before I leave home. Last week when I checked post-change, it was dead-on full.

I was hoping for room for my X-1R additive, so next time I'll aim higher...

 

If you guys are so worried about having oil changes, why don't you just do it yourself? I never had a "Professional" oil change in more than 40 years of driving. If you can change a light bulb, you can change oil. Seriously, folks it's no big deal. The hardest part is standing in line at Walmart or Costco to buy the oil, and lots of you already do that, it sounds.

 

I take mine to the dealer for the oil change, etc so there is a record of scheduled maintenance.

I specify only 3 quarts of oil and 42/40 tires each time. Each time they've gotten in right. (Last time one tire was low, I took it back and they fixed it.)

I've had the two dino-oil changes now. From now on I'll be bringing in 3 bottles of my Mobil1 synthetic for them to use. And I'll specify they are not to add any of their stuff to top off.

So far, Kearny Mesa Toyota's service department has been spot on.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(subarutoo @ Jun 30 2006, 03:41 PM) [snapback]279273[/snapback]</div>

About 1982, I was doing my own oil changes and screwed up on my 1980 Ford Fiesta by putting the filter on too tight. It was behind the engine and thin arms were important, but I ended up driving a screwdriver through the filter to pry it off. Very messy.

I never changed my own oil since then...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theorist @ Jun 30 2006, 12:15 PM) [snapback]279253[/snapback]</div>

Sounds like great material for the BBB, or at law suite to compensate your time and effort.

 

I place 3qt. 6oz of mob1 in a 5 qt container then watch the service tech. like a hawk. He ask me why and I told him its my car. He laughed and said yea I have screwed up before.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ralph b @ Jun 30 2006, 08:37 PM) [snapback]279410[/snapback]</div>

How come you get to watch them? The service department I went to, they don't allow customers to go in the service area. They have signs saying customers not allow because of insurance issues or something to that degree.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ScottY @ Jun 30 2006, 09:48 PM) [snapback]279451[/snapback]</div>

In warm climates, like his Florida, the service bays are often open. Customers can watch from outside.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theorist @ Jun 30 2006, 10:37 PM) [snapback]279470[/snapback]</div>

Sounds like ralph b was right next to the tech. At least they were close enough to talk to each other.

 

I'll start by saying that I never have had a problem. I get mine changed at the dealer, I bring my own oil. No cheap stuff for my baby. I bring in 4 quarts and I am given back 1/2 quart after.
A few oil changes ago, I noticed that someone wrote on the cover "3.5 quart".....
Ralph B, you give them 3 quarts 6 oz? So is 3.5 quarts too much? I check the level after and it is on the high end of the range....

 

I have had my oil changed at Walmart and a local quick Lube (weather has kept me from doing my own yet). I have told them only 3 1/2 qts and they complied each time, leaving the 1/2 empty 4th bottle on the floor mat.

The only thing is that at the local place, I was distracted and they let the air out of the tires!! I waited til a few hours passed at home and brought it back to 42/40.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Catskillguy @ Jul 1 2006, 08:23 PM) [snapback]279869[/snapback]</div>

Why are some of you putting in 3 quarts and some of you are putting in 3.5 quarts and the service manual calls for 3.9 quarts? I really would like to know as I am changing my own oil for the first time tomorrow.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Jul 1 2006, 09:46 PM) [snapback]279879[/snapback]</div>

3.9 will be too full. I guess that's what they put in when the crankcase is dry. 3 qt is half way between full and empty mark on the stick. 3.5 is close to full

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Jul 1 2006, 09:46 PM) [snapback]279879[/snapback]</div>

Kind of wondering this myself. I just changed my oil today, used the OEM 90915-YZZF2 oil filter ('made in Thailand'; the 'good' made-in-Japan filter is 90915-10003) and 4 quarts Mobil 1 5W-30.

Now I find it's nearly 1/2" overfilled on the dipstick. Next time, I'm using the longer 90915-YZZF1 oil filter and 3.5 quarts.

One of the immediate problems I see is that, according to the specs, the OEM filter should hold 1/3 quart of oil. I pre-lube my oil filters and that dinky thing barely holds 1/8 quart of oil. While that doesn't entirely explain the reason that using the amount called for in the specs seems to indicate an overfill condition on the dipstick, but it may account for some of it.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least to find that the engineering specs are for the longer filter and some bean-counter decided to save a fraction of a cent on each Prius by using the shorter filter, instead.

 

Does anyone have a link to a "how to change your oil on an 06 Prius" site? With pictures?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Jul 1 2006, 08:46 PM) [snapback]279879[/snapback]</div>

In my case, it looks like over filled oil pan results in lower MPG:

http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/#MPG

When I do my next change, I'll make some measurements to see where the 'full' mark oil comes to in the crank case.

Bob Wilson