A/C Freeon Charging & Engin Oil Change.

The Prius uses 5W30 oil viscosity. The most common error is overfilling the level; it does not need 5 qts of oil, or even 4 qts of oil, tell the tech to put in no more than 3.5 qts of oil and then check the level on the dipstick. I use Toyota oil filters; less than $5 from the dealer.

I don't recommend DIY A/C recharge unless you have experience doing this on other cars, and even then, invest in the factory manual pages at tech.toyota.com and make sure to follow all warnings about the proper procedure and materials.

 

The safe thing for an oil change is to hand the tech three quart bottles of 5W-30. This will leave the level halfway between the ADD and FULL marks, which is fine, and avoids fiddling with partial bottles.

Buy a copy of the Owner's Manual. Also, as dogfriend wrote, the shop manual if you plan to do anything more complicated than changing the oil. Like, for example, AC work. Note that you must use Toyota's AC oil; anything else risks damage to the compressor wiring which is exposed to the oil.

 

I would leave the freon charging to a pro unless you are willing to invest in the necessary equipment to do it right. Recharging the system **must** start by pulling a good vacuum to get air and moisture out of the lines. Only then can you introduce the refrigerant, at which point you have to have the gauges on hand to ensure that it isn't overcharged. (Overcharging can get expensive when it results in blown seals.) Last time I looked into it, it was a few hundred dollars ($US) for good equipment.

The oil change, on the other hand, is marvelously easy on a Prius. Both the drain plug and the oil filter are on the front of the engine so you don't really have to raise the vehicle if you are willing to crawl and have a low profile drain pan. Any quality 5W30 will do. Some of us use synthetic but I think it's only worth it if you want to run extended change intervals.

 

Whats the deal with the AC re-charge kits being sold in auto parts stores?They come with a gauge and the correct gas and oil. I know in a 2004 and up prius you need a special oil to correctly insulate anything else risks damage to the compressor wiring which is exposed to the oil. .
A couple of years back I took a AC course in evening adult ed class. We used to draw the refrigerator down into a vacuum
then insert the gas, usually R12 or R22. Can anyone clarify:
1. special oil in recharging gas
2. drawing unit into a vacuum

thanks

 

I doubt that the kits in the auto parts store have the correct oil for the Prius. Again, if you are going to try DIY A/C recharge - go get the Toyota service manual at the link I provided above. You must use the correct oil - using any other oil can trash the entire A/C system by contaminating it.

 

Oil change a great DIY thing to do.
A/C on the other hand on a Prius there have been many happy smiles at first when it blows cold, but a year later when they need a compressor that smile disappears. Need I say more.