[myredcoat]

I received a 01 prius for graduation in January and am in love. My aunt got a new 2004 and gave me the 2001 that I have been drooling over for years. I love it.

I am due for mys econd oil change ( I had one in Jan) and was wondering how easy it is to do it myself. I don't trust the guys at the gas station with a hybrid they probably have never seen, and have done oil changes on my old car regularly. Is it any different than a non-hybrid? any tips from people who have changed their oil would be appreciated...

I may end up going back tot he dealer, but A) I want to save money and B) I enjoy working on cars and figuring things out.

 

[mrv]

wow, you must put a lot of miles on your Prius, if you're due for your next oil change and the last one was in Jan.

2001 Prius' service interval is every 6 months or 7500 miles for most people.
http://www.toyotapartsandservice.com/sm ... &year=2001

I don't know how old your 2001 is... But mine just went in for its last complementary service from Toyota today (the 30 month/37500 mile one).

Your local shop can handle most Prius maintenance. Usually it's just the oil/filter change and tire rotation. As long as they put in 5W30 and don't overfill, they'd be doing better than many Toyota dealerships! Don't forget the crush gasket besides the oil filter change.

 

[myredcoat]

i will call the service guy at toyota tomorrow, thx! My car just hit 19k miles. I never thought I would be so giddy about a car, but I adore it ha.
I went to toyota today (my brotehr bought a spyder convertible) and they asked me about my car... they always do. My aunt's 2004 is great. Do you love yours?

 

[renee]

oil change

I have 88,000 on my 2001 and I've changed the oil several times. It's not too difficult, but you really need to either take off the metal guard that's below the oil filter or put the front wheels up on ramps. Otherwise, there's not much room to move your hand when unscrewing the oil filter and you'll get many small cuts on your hand when it runs into that metal guard. Draining the oil is no problem.

 

[Sparky]

How do you get the engine to stay on to check for leaks?

 

[john1701a]

There is a heavy illustrated 12-page document on my website that describes the oil-change process.

It was created using my 2004 Prius. But having changed oil on my 2001, I can tell you that it is virtually identical to the 2004. The only exception is that there is less room to grab the oil filter with your hand on the 2001. So you'll definitely want to go the easy route and just buy the wrench (about $5).

 

[Sparky]

Thanks John..I did look at that and the only suggestion I have is to suggest the use of "Rhino Ramps"...these are lightweight plastic ramps that I prefer to jacking up the car. One site that sells them has the following description:

Sturdy, durable ramps allow for safe access to the underside of your vehicle. Structural foam plastic construction makes these ramps strong enough to handle most loads (12,000 lb. GVW capacity) with Core-Trac non-skid feet. 17 degree incline allows for low clearance vehicles


PepBoys has them for under $20.00

BTW, your article did not include a suggestion as to how to keep the engine on to check for leaks....do you know how to do this? Thanks.

 

[john1701a]

I'd rather not promote the use of ramps... though I have a really sweet setup for them in my garage. A bit more care & skill is needed.

As for checking for leaks, I just check the ground after a short drive. There shouldn't be a single drop. So with a clean garage floor or a piece of paper, a mistake should be obvious.