My Prius is down 4 quarts of oil 9000 miles after oil change

I have always changed oil in all my cars at either 4k or 5k. Now that I own a Prius, I went by the manuals 10k on my first oil change and the oil was dirty as hell. Since then, I have done it every 5k. I am approaching 25k. When I reach 40k, I will switch from 0-20w to 5-20w. At 80k, I will go to 5-30k. My goal is to keep the oil a little thicker as the engine wears down. This should also minimize oil burning as the engine gains more mileage. By the time I get to 100k, I should not have any major oil burning issues.

I too, have had terrible experiences with either oil changes at the dealer or one of those "quick change" places. What I always hated about the quick change places is that they always find something that "needs to be replaced now or it will cost you hundreds later" type things. So, I change my own. I don't care how long it takes me. I know it is being done right.

Also, it just makes since to use a slightly thicker oil as your enginge ages. The gaps between the piston wall and the rings will always wear, and it keeps things in good condition. Using a really thin oil at 100k is really just begging the engine to burn it. It is too thin and will easily get burned due to the older engine. Just my way of seeing things.

 

Permatex copper spray works great on gaskets to get them to seal properly.

 

I'll definitely take you up on that offer!
Then I can clean up the old one at my leisure and return it to you.

 

Sounds like a plan.

I'll make sure the cooler and valve are clean and ready for June 24th.

 

Text-friendly rehash of the gasket part numbers and descriptions:

part no description

25627-37010 GASKET, EGR VALVE

25634-37010 GASKET, EGR PIPE

25685-37010 GASKET, EGR COOLER

25628-28010 GASKET, EGR INLET

17177-37030 GASKET, INTAKE MANIF
17177-0T020 <replacement

22271-37010 GASKET, THROTTLE BOD

 

There's an engine oil dipstick gasket you're supposed to replace as part of the intake manifold job.

Should I replace the water pump at the same time? Are there two water pumps in a Prius?

 

I haven't replaced the dipstick gasket or removed the dipstick. The dipstick doesn't need to be removed to get the intake manifold out. Now if you do the engine thermostat along with the water pump, it gets a bit fiddly with the dipstick there .

When @m.wynn and I replaced his water pump last weekend at ~140 k miles, it appeared in good shape. It's a mag drive pump, so much more durable and reliable . The weak point in the system is the plastic impeller amd shaft and based on that, I'll be replacing both the thermostat and water pump at 200 k miles, and even that might be overkill. But since the pump is sealed, it does not give any exterior warnings of impending failure like you would normally see or hear.

 

Oh snap! There's 32 cents I'll never see again!

 

It can be the start of next years headlight restoration kit.

 

There is a lot of camera shake in those videos, and the lighting wasn't great. It would be a service if we can re-shoot that when we work on my car, although we have a lot of ambitious work:
1) Remove wiper cowl
2) Drain coolant
3) Pull air box / air intake
4) Remove EGR pipe
5) Remove/clean throttle body
6) Remove and clean intake manifold and MAP sensor
7) Remove EGR cooler and EGR
8) Install oil catch can
9) (Bonus) Put it all back together

I can do 1-4 before you arrive, and they're already described by NutzAboutBolts.

 

Sounds like a plan.

I have a 7 year old (maybe older) video camera, which is what we used for the videos. If you have something else, we can use that.

 

I have recently took a 2,5k mile round trip.

Before the trip the oil has been changed 8 months ago, 4k miles, 1/8 down from full, wasn't as dark on the dipstick. The 75k total miles on her.

On the way over I kept an average speed of 75mph. It was down another 1/8. Same color on the dipstick.

On the way back I was doing around 67mph. Much better fuel economy. The oil level stayed the same and the color hasn't changed.

 

If you have the Prius's knickers off (the under tray), the lower EGR nut is very easy to get too from underneath, especially if you have a ratcheting wrench, like a gear-wrench.

Whoever designed the EGR cooler needs a life of torture, the a-hole that thought of putting that lower stud in the position it's in needs to be used as live bait for honey-badgers.

I'm about ready to donate my Prius to the North Korean nuclear weapons testing program or leave it parked near Travis AFB and hope something big and heavy falls off a C5 and lands on it. Currently driving with the EGR electrical connector unplugged to force the CEL on and have it run in limp home mode - which is much better than it's been running the last few months. New EGR, EGR cooler, newer style intake manifold, all of those were squeaky clean a few weeks ago and now look like they've spent decades in a coal mine. Maybe it'd be a good idea if the EGR cooler is found to be caked solid with crud that the exhaust manifold is removed and also cleaned rather than cleaning the EGR and cooler, mini me crack pipe and intake manifold and then having a bunch of clean, empty space for the junk in the EGR pipe off the exhaust to blow its junk into.

 

So are you saying it's pointless to take that stuff all apart and clean it because it cakes/gums right back up?

 

That maybe one persons observation. But I feel cleaning and inspecting these components sets the Prius up for long term success .

But do as you wish.

 

I wish @danlatu came up with an EGR catch can

 

Just out of curiosity have you taken it all apart and re-checked a few months after a cleaning?

 

Nope, but haven't had a reason too either.

Car is performing well since the egr system removal at around 120 k miles. Have seen mpg rise from 47 to 51 and oil consumption drop from a quart every 4500 miles to less than a quart between 10 k mile oil changes. And the transition from ICE and electric motors is still smooth.

I expect to find carbon deposits when I take it off again at 200 k miles. But unless I see a need (or the car is telling me to), I will wait to perform that work until then.

 

Checking just the pipe should be a decent indicator?

 

Not the complete system, but I cleaned my intake manifold and EGR pipe (but not EGR valve and cooler) at 151K miles and then at 168K miles opened everything up based on advice here to also clean the EGR cooler. The sticking EGR valve was replaced by a dealer under enhanced warranty in between. At 151K miles, EGR passages inside the intake manifold were partially clogged with carbon turned to sludge when combined with oil from the PCV system. The carbon sludge buildup appeared to start at the far end of the main EGR passageway of the intake manifold at the passenger side cylinder (Cylinder 1, I think), and clogged up the smaller diameter EGR passageway leading to the cylinder there. The EGR passageways in the intake manifold got progressively better moving towards the driver's side, with the Cylinder 2 passageway clogged not quite so bad, and Cylinders 3 and 4 passageways free flowing. At 168K miles, 17K miles after the initial cleaning, there was still no carbon buildup in the intake manifold, just oil from the PCV system.