[oldfox]

OK - Just got the oil changed. Told the mechanic not to put in over 3.9 qts - even gave a typed sheet to him indicating oil filter # and not to overfill (3.9 qts) Well brought the car home and checked the oil. It is just over the top dot (guess the top dot means full) Do I have a problem??? :? :x

 

[bshef]

OVERFILL - This is an irritating problem a number of Prius owners have to deal with. Careless mechanics will sometimes pour too much oil into the engine. Beside the risk of damage from overfill, efficiency is reduced. Excess oil will cause MPG to drop.

I borrowed the above text from John's site!

Since you did pay for this service........you could complain to the shop who performed the service and ask them to remove the excess (although I hate being "without" my vehicle!).
You could probably handle getting the level down yourself. Try using an old rag and just repeatedly wipe off the dip-stick until you reach the proper level... :roll: ....or........crawl under your vehicle and completely do the change yourself!

 

[john1701a]

> Do I have a problem???

Just a little is fine, though quite irritating.

I played with an overfilled Prius last week. Going from 1/4 inch above the full mark to 1/4 inch below, I ended up draining a little over 1/2 quart of oil. That gives you an idea what we are dealing with.

The best solution is to switch to synthetic oil. It prevents overfill from ever happening, better protects you engine, and at the same time increases your MPG a little bit.

Buy 4 quarts of synthetic oil. Pour 1/2 quart into a very clean container. (A simple suggestion is a dry purified-water bottle.) That way they only have 3.5 quarts of oil to begin with, making it impossible to overfill. (Remember, it is far easier to add a little bit more oil than to remove it.)

And by bringing in your own synthetic, you can save a few bucks rather than having to pay the dealer's more expensive price for the same stuff. Also, don't forget to ask for an empty back. Then pour the 1/2 quart you saved into it for use next time.

 

[jamarimutt]

It's silly to make a car with a 3.9 quart oil capacity because mechanics are going to simply pour in four quarts. No one is going to measure 3.9 quarts. I am sure that the extra 0.1 quart will do no harm.

 

[Victor]

OK - Just got the oil changed. Told the mechanic not to put in over 3.9 qts - even gave a typed sheet to him indicating oil filter # and not to overfill (3.9 qts) Well brought the car home and checked the oil. It is just over the top dot (guess the top dot means full) Do I have a problem??? :? :x

And the first thing he would have done with the sheet is bin it :wink: Waste of time telling mechanics what to do. They never listen.

 

[oldfox]

Appreciate all your responses - Feel a bit better now Plan to switch to synthetic oil at the next (2nd) oil change. Was going to switch this time but after being told by the manager that yes, I had free oil changes for 3 years when I purchased the car on 15 Dec 03 - I received a letter for one free oil change and regrets for the confusion, etc, etc. Decided I might as well get there free oil for this one.

Will purchase the synthetic myself - probably Mobile one - and follow the suggestion to take a half qt out.

 

[john1701a]

> No one is going to measure 3.9 quarts.

Most don't measure 4.0 quarts either.

Dealers & Quick-Change places pump oil directly from a very large barrel... which makes it extraordinarily easy to overfill. There isn't ever a bottle involved unless you bring it in yourself.

 

[jamarimutt]

The quick change place I visit pours from a couple of large barrels, but the barrels only have one or two grades of oil (the most common ones). The 5W-30 grade used by the Prius is not available locally in barrels so they have to use bottles. Can an additional 0.1 quart really have a negative impact on the engine? If so, it is indeed very silly to design and inconvenient to have an engine with a 3.9 quart oil capacity.

 

[john1701a]

Apparently we have a misconception emerging, due to owners be so observant.

The actual problem is with those getting way too much. So when they pull their disptick out, they see that it is 3/8 of an inch past the full mark. That's 2/3 of a quart beyond what was really need. Besides being wasteful, it could potentially harm the engine.

Having just a tiny bit over the full mark most likely won't do any harm, but it does impact efficiency. Watching the Multi-Display, you'll be able to confirm that. But in a traditional vehicle, you can't. Yet the problem exists for their engines too.

You'd be amazed how many problems have went unnoticed for decades. Oil overfill is clearly one of them.

Prius has a capacity of 3.9 quarts, which doesn't mean you should try to squeeze that much in. It is a maximum. For better performance, use around 3.5 quarts.

 

[Guest]

Here's What I do

I bring 4 quarts in and 3 are sealed. I open one and discard 20-30% of it. This way they CAN'T screw up.

 

[Panjandrum]

Easy to do yourself

You can change the oil in the classic prius just as easily as you can any conventional car (my guess is that this is true on the new prius as well). This is one of the easiest things you can do, so you might as well learn to do it yourself. I've never once had a mechanic fill to the proper point when doing an oil change. I've also had problems with mechanics overfilling automatic transmissions, which is very harmful in even short periods of time. The result is, if someone else does it, I check it immediately while I'm on the premises and if (as always) there is a problem I make them correct it immediately.

Also, the above post about synthetic oils in NOT CORRECT. You can still overfill when using synthetic oils. Synthetic oils are, however, better than conventional oils in almost every way; they lubricate better at both higher and lower temperatures, don't break down over time nearly as quickly, and DON'T FOAM as readily as conventional oils. That's probably what the poster meant. It doesn't mean you won't damage an engine by overfilling it with Synthetic oil, there is just a larger margin of safety.

 

[john1701a]

> You can still overfill when using synthetic oils.

Sorry, but you clearly missed the point.

The point was if you are going to go to the trouble of providing the dealer with your own oil anyway, so you can hand them just 3.5 quarts to prevent any chance of overfilling, it might as well be synthetic.

 

[john1701a]

> just as easily as you can any conventional car

Actually, since the engine is offset rather than centered, lifting the car is even easier.

> learn to do it yourself

http://john1701a.com/prius/prius-oilchange.htm provides a heavily illustrated document showing an oil change on a 2004 Prius (which is very similar to the classic version).

 

[frenchie]

It's silly to make a car with a 3.9 quart oil capacity because mechanics are going to simply pour in four quarts.

Come on, jamarimutt ! Did you forget that the Prius is designed in Japan ? Do you think they use US gallons or quarts there ? And do you think a quart means anything to me, who live in France ? A lot of people don't use quarts at all... :wink:

 

[jamarimutt]

Well, 3.9 Quarts equals 3.7 Liters, so hitting exactly the correct oil capacity is just as inconvenient for owners in countries using metric measurements.

 

[Batavier]

True, but you don't have to hit 3.7 litres exactly. 3.5 is fine.

 

[Richard]

Got my first oil change at the dealership today (along with tire rotation and the SSC40D), and on the way home it seemed like the engine was working harder than it used to. Just checked, and it looks like they put in too much oil, ie. the oil level was about 5mm above the second nubbin on the dipstick. I think the dealer has closed by now, should I go back on Monday and ask them to take some oil out? Or perhaps is it easy enough to drain some oil on my own?

Also, they said they'd wash the car but they did not, but that is neither here nor there.

 

[tjl]

And by bringing in your own synthetic, you can save a few bucks rather than having to pay the dealer's more expensive price for the same stuff. Also, don't forget to ask for an empty back. Then pour the 1/2 quart you saved into it for use next time.

Probably simpler to just change the oil yourself, if there are no mechanics in your area that you trust to do service correctly on your car.

 

[richard schumacher]

True, but you don't have to hit 3.7 litres exactly. 3.5 is fine.

Putting in exactly 3 quarts is even easier and perfectly safe, because the capacity at the "ADD" mark including filter is 2.3 quarts. Just give the guy three full bottles of your favorite oil, and no worries.

 

[Richard]

Got my first oil change at the dealership today (along with tire rotation and the SSC40D), and on the way home it seemed like the engine was working harder than it used to. Just checked, and it looks like they put in too much oil, ie. the oil level was about 5mm above the second nubbin on the dipstick. I think the dealer has closed by now, should I go back on Monday and ask them to take some oil out? Or perhaps is it easy enough to drain some oil on my own?

Today I brought it back to the dealer where I got the oil change and told them the problem. Apparently they use a device with a digital readout for putting oil in. They checked and yeah, too much oil (maybe their device is not calibrated, or the guy put in the wrong amount). So they drained some out, and now when I check it seems like it's at the right level. Drove it home and it no longer feels like it's working too hard.

You guys should go out and check your oil levels. Overfill is kaka. It should be at the second mark on the dipstick, or a little above or below.