I'm not a Prius owner (sorry if that is an issue), I'm a Mechanic for a shop that recently did a OLF / Service on a 2010-2014 Prius (Dec 17), not sure of the sub-model. Customer claims she drove it 20 miles home, where it sat till the new year after the OLF / Service in early December. She then rushed to a Toyota dealer (Jan 18) driving 20+ miles, complaining of "Burning Oil Smell from engine" and slammed my shop saying I overfilled the engine. I'm new at the shop and wish to keep / build my reputation... ====================================== Toyota Tech: -Found excessive oil plugged into intake manifold. Excessive oil was filled during last oil change claimed by customer. -Spark Plugs Found heavily soaked in engine oil. The intake manifold also had excessive oil present inside causing damage. After repairs test drove vehicle and verified engine functioned normally. Check Engine light has been cleared from numerous codes. CAUSE: TSB for intake manifold. REPAIR / PARTS: Intake, Spark Plugs, ECU Re-Flash. R&R Intake manifold, spark plugs, clean engine of oil, Oil Change, reflash ECU, Air Filter, Rear Brake Job. ====================================== On the dealer RO doesn't say they checked the oil before work was done / during inspection. No PCV issues or notes, just what is there only. I have found TSB's that match the symptoms / Dealer RO. I don't remember the vehicle but I have a method that is a habit for all OLF's. After I refer to the book to see how much engine oil with filter vehicle takes and grab that much to start with. I only have enough oil at my work area for the vehicle I'm working on per book. Then obtain more as needed. EG: If 4.4 Quarts, grab 5 Quarts. But there could be upto a quart left in crankcase I check after 4 quarts. 1. Check Oil Level - If low note on RO 2. Bring Vehicle To Operating Temp 2.5. Vehicles with filter element, change element first before lifting vehicle so oil in element housing drains. 3. Drain Oil and Filter and Set Tires to Pressures listed on Door Jam +/- thermal expansion of air. 4. Install Oil Filter and Drain Plug 5. Fill Engine with Oil 6. Run Engine for 30 sec - 2min, verify engine pressure on dash, Check Tranny / PWR STR fluid 7. Engine Off, Let Engine Oil Settle, Clean my Work Area, Write Notes on RO. 2-5mins 8. Check Dip Stick - Repeat again after few more mins to verify. Finish Notes on RO 9. Fill Brake Fluid as needed and fill Washer Fluid 10. Repeat 8 - To Verify 11. Correct engine oil as needed, Finish Notes if needed on RO, or park vehicle. Our Master Diag Tech said I would have filled it 8+ quarts and there would be PCV issues, 02's Covered, Blue Smoke and Drivability Issues, for it to get into the intake. No I'm not currently ASE Cert, but working on it (time in shop to finish) Thoughts, opinions?
welcome! iirc, throttle body is usually the main trouble point in an overfill situation, but i'm not the final authority. unfortunately, this would appear to be a he said, she said problem, but i wonder what the owner could have done wrong.
The dealer has a TSB covering the reported symptoms and the customer wants to blame the last guy that changed the oil instead of Toyota. That's a real fanboy. As the dealer's employee do you record the oil level upon arrival if it contradicts the customer? Do you even bother to check? I'll bet the customer didn't check the oil level before leaving your parking lot either. SD, I'm on your side on this one. Welcome to the site. Hope to see you around.
Thanks, Yeah that's the jist of it. Customer states she started after it sat for weeks and driven 20 miles to park it no problems. Starts it after said time, bam, burning oil smell, it's not been touched since parked. We get customers who are sneaky. The bosses at my shop tend to be soft and cave. I've heard horror stories of customers clearing codes, coming in to do a OLF / Service, then CEL comes back on and says the shop caused all this damage. In my case, since the car is no longer under warranty, Toyota will not repair the TSB for free. One theory is the customer had an issue, went into Toyota, got an estimate, didn't want to pay it, clear codes, comes to my shop for a basic OLF / Service, BAM blame the last person. Two other Master Techs sided with me saying A) I would of had to fill it over 8 Quarts. B) PCV issues, o2 Issues, drivability issues, etc I'm not a Toyota tech. I'm not a Prius expert. In the shop I'm the Maintenance and Light Repair Tech, first job in a shop. My process for Oil Change / Service is 1. Check Oil Level - If low note on RO 2. Bring Vehicle To Operating Temp 2.5. Vehicles with filter element, change element first before lifting vehicle so oil in element housing drains. 3. Drain Oil and Filter and Set Tires to Pressures listed on Door Jam +/- thermal expansion of air. 4. Install Oil Filter and Drain Plug 5. Fill Engine with Oil 6. Run Engine for 30 sec - 2min, verify engine pressure on dash, Check Tranny / PWR STR fluid 7. Engine Off, Let Engine Oil Settle, Clean my Work Area, Write Notes on RO. 2-5mins 8. Check Dip Stick - Repeat again after few more mins to verify. Finish Notes on RO 9. Fill Brake Fluid as needed and fill Washer Fluid 10. Repeat 8 - To Verify 11. Correct engine oil as needed, Finish Notes if needed on RO, or park vehicle.
Even with proper fill, the 3rd gen intake manifold accumulates a goodly amount oil/water/gas mix, dumped there by the PCV valve, say 1/8" or more, swilling around at the low point. Can you clarify: what is that??
I'd it is a true overfill usually it dies less than a mile. You certainly don't get 20 to 40 trouble free miles out of it. It would choke out long before that. And for the record, I own my own Hybrid repair business and I've been working on hybrids since 2003. Feel free to call me during business hours.
Yeah, that what I would expect. My bigger boss read it and said exactly what I had said. "DUDE, it's a TSB, bla bla bla bla Now we just gotta come up with a way to explain to her how they're not related." As the lady I'm assuming she assumed since oil was just changed, and now smelling oil cause / effect must of been the last thing / person done. But didn't even come back to us first, right to the dealer slamming us. I've read some things where if you fill them correctly they still can have issues, oil in the throttle body. I've not been 'talked' yet nor heard anything more about it. Then I get the bosses car to work on today and something breaks while working on it. A stupid PCV extension tube on a 04 PT Cruiser GT. It just crumbled if your breathed on it. But got him a new one and $400 other in parts
I've worked on a 2012 Prius V which was overfilled by Jiffy lube. The car died on the side of the road, it certainly didn't make it 20+ miles to a repair shop. It was throwing "engine failed to start" codes, misfire codes. Intake manifold was 1/3 full of oil. Dipstick oil level was an inch above the full mark. This seems coincidental, they also failed to prove an overfill or anything wrong with your work.
Probably a lot higher, before (presumably) it all got sucked over to the mainifold by the PCV. The throttle body is not that far from the intake manifold low point, not sure what happens when it's blade is submerged in oil, but can't be good. The MAP sensor too, would be submerged.
