My DIY oil change tips

I learned to drive up in Dawson Creek, start of the Alaska Hiway and we have the same winters as the Peg and I drove there for 6 winters and then moved out to the central coast but 60 miles inland and winter happened there also. Lots of snow, the hospital had a deal with the phone company if they got more than 4 feet of snow over night the Ph com. would pick up the worker in a Nodwell Flextrac. in the 2 winters that we spent there never had more than 2 1/2 feet over night. City cleaned snow with an 988Cat with a 12 yard bucket on it. I never had any trouble driving in either place, but your aunt in PoCo has the right thought. Down here when it snows it's not me I'm worried about it's the other 1 1/4 million no minds that don't have a clue how to do it. Save a few retirees from Sask. and Manitoba. The rest have trouble and I mean trouble driving in the rain, of which we get a bit.

 

Frank:

That's pretty much how my Auntie in PoCo describes it. Though she moved out there in the mid 70's, she hasn't forgotten her ingrained winter driving skills. It's just that nobody else around her has a clue.

The big thing for this 70 year old woman now is all the young punk no-minds who cut her off on city streets and even on the Coq. Connector. She has started shaking her fist at them and shouting a comment that rhymes with "duck shoe."

Personally, I think she had better move to a nice small town with a lot less stress. Before she conks of a stroke or something.

Yeah, if you learned to drive up in Dawson, you're qualified to handle snow, ice, gravel, and even potholes.

BTW my dad told me of one exciting time in Jan the heavy truck he was driving froze up near Dawson. The #2 diesel he had from the States froze up that is. He tried to make a fire to get the fuel to ungel but naturally set the tractor on fire instead.

He's a nice guy, and he means well, but he's a bit of a klutz. Last time he tried to fix a toaster, he caused a minor kitchen fire.

Jay

 

Thanks for the thoughts, Galaxee.

The convenience of the Mityvac--especially in being able to easily pour the oil into a closed container--attracts me. I've been draining the oil into an old round pan. Pouring the oil out is a real test of my so-so balancing skills.

Of course, I'd still have to crawl under to pull the filter, and it's almost certain I'll get hit with the oil doing that.

 

someone else mentioned poking a hole in the filter with a nail and letting it drain. since the filter is designed to always be full of oil and not allow for back-drainage, it is a tough thing to pull a filter and not get oily. maybe try the nail thing and the mityvac and who knows? you may not even get dirty

let us know how it goes

 

Question about adding the 'sure-drain' or fumoto valve onto the Prius. I haven't seen how low they hang so that might keep me from putting it on if I'm afrid it will hit something.

But my real question regarding those valves... do they get all the dirt and grit out of the pan? When you pull the regular drain plug I would think that some dirt and grit that is in the pan would flow out... but with these valves and the smaller hole that the oil has to flow out of... does that dirt and grit get stuck in the pan forever?

I like doing the oil changes myself... but I hate the mess that I make. In the end I probably get at least a cup of oil spilled onto the driveway. (I do put down rags but it stills manages to get on the ground.) Are these valves (the Fram one in particular) a bad idea? Will it not get all the gunk out of my engine? Is it a big risk that it will get hit by something and leak oil? Should I use the included copper washer or one of the toyota washers?

thanks alot,

Peter

 

I've the Fumoto valve on both of our Prii ('04 and '05). Does NOT hang any lower than the original nut, that I can tell. It may appear to do so, since it's so shiny and looks different. With the Prius being a low to the ground car to begin with, I'm much more careful when encountering obstacles anyway.

They work great. Plain and simple. Takes a push up on the small lever (up and over a 'locking' groove), then a rotate to get the oil to drain. I have a fairly short oil drain container that just fits under w/o jacking the car.

Couldn't say on the 'complete' drainage/gunk question. I've done 6 changes with the valve, filling with 3 qts. Mobil 1 syn amd it seems to end up right smack dab in the middle of the dipstick every time.

 

If you use a torque wrench you don't have to worry about any problems with the drain plug. I have been using one for a while now. I originally started using them when dealing with motorcycles that had aluminum parts that can strip VERY easily.