Hi! After last oil change (made in a dealership last summer), my 2010 Prius started to lose oil. There was zero oil consumption before (after 345k kms) I drove ~8000 kms since, and lose an oil quantity like from the top level to the bottom of the dipstick marks. At the weekend I've changed tires before winter, and shot this photo. May the oil filter gasket leaks? Or would this oil-loss be much higher if the filter-gasket leaks, and this is something else? My plan is to bring it back to the dealership next week, but until, thank you for your ideas, in advance. Greetings!
Is the black filter cap flush against the housing? It looks like there is a little gap which is a no-no the tech should have verified! REVVL V+ 5G ?
I think 1.5ltr leak (max->min in the stick) would make much more mess. Oil is very good at it 8kkm after oil change it’s not too early to have them changed again. I would do it and start monitoring the consumption carefully. Car may have consumed that 1.5ltr within last couple thousand kilometers and nobody want to get surprised by that red light. The oil change prior to dealership oil change was done at dealership as well? I mean it had same weight and not thicker?
Something's leaking, but maybe not 1.5 liter worth. Is the plastic underpanel normally in place, or missing? Sources of leakage around there could be the timing chain cover, seal at the (beltless) belt pulley, timing chain tensioner, or oil pressure regulator. The latter's pretty common, and not to hard to reseal.
A 11 yrs old, 345k km (215k miles) Prius G3 with 0 oil consumption! Care to share what you did to keep your Prius from the common oil consumption issue plagued among early G3 model?
Thank you all for your answers. I've an appointment next week to the dealership, I hope they'll find and fix the problem and that is just an oil leak. Actually, no special care my Prius get: regular oil changes in a Toyota service with their oil. Around 320k kms, I've had a head-gasket failure starting, so it was replaced ( 2yrs ago) 0w20 oil filled before this issue, and after the HG replacement, 5w30 was recommended and filled since. I also have an Oil catch can installed 2 years ago. -- MGJ53GH/A
If it turns out you're burning the majority of that oil the solution is to swap to 4000mi synthetic oil changes to keep the rings from getting further clogged. But yeah they make this uv dye you can throw in the oil to find your oil leak. You just throw the ounce of fluid in and grab the yellow glasses and uv light and let the car idle. Within a short time you should see your leak location. Putting the car in maintenance mode will help.
I think everybody run synthetic. Some oils may not be qualify to fullest extent but anyway ”synthetic”. Real mineral oils should be more expensive than synthetic
So I've got a check for oil leak, and oil refill for a fair price (~$35) in Toyota service. Then I got an offer to repair: ~$1000 where 200 for parts and 800 for work (11.4 workhours). In Hungary, it's too much for me now. Result of the leak check / Parts to be replaced: - valve cover gasket - water pump gasket sealant, small parts included to repair.
Is the car even loosing coolant? And if that big oil leak is due to valve cover gasket you would have noticed with your own eyes. But in the picture you posted is just some stains. I would take the car to another shop..
The HG was perfectly replaced 2 yrs ago by a hybrid specialist shop, and no coolant lost since then. I also think I need to show my issue to that hybrid specialist before jumping in any big repair. I should buy a can of oil and watch the level frequently.
It's fairly easy to look for leaks yourself. Just open the hood, get a flashlight and start looking. The silver plastic cover on the valve cover pulls off. You'll probably see the oil filler cap leaking. They don't seem to last long. Then you can look around the valve cover. You might see seepage. Which really isn't a problem. The oil pressure switch does leak. It's on the back on the passenger side, kinda hard to see without a mirror. Pretty easy to change yourself, and inexpensive. It seem that about 98% of the people with a leaking timing chain cover is very minor, and really not worth the time or money to fix. You can also look at the plastic pan, how much oil is there? You didn't say how much oil is "leaking". You may also be burning it. Have you check the oil level with the dipstick???
The oil pan looks like it is leaking, the one where the silver drain bolt is on in your picture. Since you already spent a lot on the car at 320000 km I would just add some oil stop leak at each oil change from now on. Pull up on the cover on top of the engine and check the condition there... Not sure what if anything is going on with your water pump.... REVVL V+ 5G ?
Have you ever cleaned the Exhaust Gas Recirculation circuit and the EGR passages in the intake manifold?
OK, I'l do further checks by myself. @Mendel Leisk : yes, all cleared. They also cleared the place between the two cooler units in front of the car.
