Oil change

Good job John this is just what's needed. OK, now I'll nit pick just a little.

There are a couple or places where the text under the photos may need to be reworded slightly:

Page 11, change " . . . . above to the oil pan, on the passengers side . . . ." to read " . . . slightly above and behind the oil pan on the passengers side . . . "

Page 12, change " . . . this is exposed part . . . " to read " . . . this is the exposed part . . . "

Page 10, 12 ft lbs for the drain plug seems a bit low? I have seen two other numbers listed, 23 ft lbs and 27 ft lbs for the Corolla 1.8 liter engine which should use the same torque values as ours. Some of the posts on this site for the Gen2 list 28 ft lbs for the drain plug. I don't know if any of those values are correct or not. Also there is no torque value listed for the oil filter cap, I have seen 18 ft lbs listed on the Corolla site, that seems about right.

 

That would be nice, but it's probably not going to happen.

The lighting was horribly difficult to work with and everything was covered with oil (not good for a digital camera). The contrast with the cartridge, plus dealing with an audience (since you can't just work under a 2010 Prius and not stir attention of the neighborhood), is too much. Also, the next change won't be until October or so.
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That's the stuff I'm looking for. Choosing photos and figuring out what-to-say drained the how-to-say energy from me. I'll step back and let others mull it over for awhile.

I wasn't sure what to expect. That was my first time seeing a cartridge and hadn't ever worked with a sealed engine like that. In fact, I thought it was just thick plastic. I didn't realize it would have more 2 layers of insulation attached to it. I hadn't thought about how much under-the-car room it would use either.
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Thank you for the very comprehensive instructions.

Just a side note, will it be advisable to warm up the engine before the oil change? Also, do you warm up the engine after the oil change and then check the dip stick?

 

Just from my own experience, it is best to change the oil with the engine slightly warm (not hot). If hot, let is set for say an half hour to an hour.
After the change, start engine till the check oil light goes out (just a few seconds). Then check the dipstick.

Hope that helps,
Peter

 

Ok, just curious. Mobil 1 0W-40 and Toyota oil filter with my FJ Cruiser, after 7,500 miles the lab results came back good for much longer. It's a high quality oil

Looks good. Perhaps use PhotoShop or another image editor to add arrows to where the push-pins hold the plastic cover up.

The rubber mallet can also be used to beat the old cartridge senseless if it splashes oil all over you. Or, you can use the rubber mallet to whack anybody nearby who is bothering you

 

That happens to me after heavy drinking

 

I just read through the oil and filter replacement procedure in the maintenance manual on the TIS site, "2ZR-FXE Lubrication: Oil and Filter: Replacement (2010 Prius) Doc ID: RM000002UQM01X" last modified 7/21/09.

I noticed the oil requirements for the U.S. and for Canada are different. For U.S cars it requires 0W20 no substitutes are listed and nothing about using 5W20 every other time. For Canada it lists a choice of 0W20 or 5W20 also with no mention of switching back and forth.

Don't U.S. Prius and Canadian Prius use exactly the same engine? Why the difference in requirements? Why is it OK to use 5W20 oil all the time in the colder of the two countries?

New Subject:

John1701a, the torque values listed in that document are 18 ft lbs for the filter cap and 27 ft lbs for the drain plug.

 

Thanks for the comments. Summer has finally arrived here, so there hasn't been much of a draw toward hiding inside on the computer lately. (Must play with Prius!) Meanwhile, I see lots of downloads of the draft copy. (350 in 2 days!) Looks like this DIY oil changing remains a hot topic of interest. Cool.
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Yes thanks to you!

 

John,
Great job as usual. One note, the proper oil level on the dip stick should measure 4mm. 6mm would put over full if measuring from the end of the dipstick
John

 

I figured someone could verify for me. Thanks!
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The wording is: "The ideal level is about 6 mm (one-quarter inch) below the full mark."

Should something else be mentioned or in a different way?
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By the way, using precisely 4 quarts worked out fantastic... so well, I'd say that qualifies as an clever improvement from Toyota. The mechanics can't screw up measurement if they are using bottles. There's no guessing anymore. You can hit the ideal level dead on just by pouring the entire contents. Sweet!
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Tom, there are odd differences with servicing Canadian and US market Prius cars, such as the Canadian market cars having a CVT drain/refill schedule.

On average, the Canadian climate is much more harsh - colder - than the US climate. The Prairie provinces alone resemble most of Alaska in winter.

I would absolutely use a 0W-xx in Canadian winters

Oh ye of little faith.

If there is a way to fubar something, don't worry, they'll figure it out

 

So, is Mobil 1 0W-20 acceptable? Or, must we fill with Toyota oil? I seriously doubt that all Toyota dealers in the USA have "Synthetic" 0W-20 oil.

 

To the letter of the Owner's Manual, yes. That said, we all have been hoping to squash the rumor that it was not acceptable (an internal Toyota service memo). I think we are past that now. I also think others including myself hope Toyota would consider increasing the service period (5K miles/ 6months) since most if not all 0W-20 are synthetics and or blends that cost that much more.

Peter