2009 Prius oil change dummy questions & UOA

[2009Prius]

Just changed oil but not filter at 2777 miles, 6 months from date of production. Plan to change both oil and filter at 5000. I used Shell full synthetic. Pumped out 3.5 quarts and filled the same amount.

I hope there is no compatibility issue between the small amount of remaining factory oil and the Shell full synthetic?

It should be OK to wait for the filter, right?

The oil cap looks like this originally:

But it feels that the sealing surfaces just start to touch when I screwed it back at the same position.

I need to turn about 1/4 turn more to feel absolutely secure:


But could there be thermal expansion or stress issues that the factory intentionally keeps it loose? I ended up putting it at a "snug" position, about 1/8 turn more than the original.


Any opinion on the tightness of the oil cap?

When emptying the pump into a jug there is a layer of bubbles on the surface of the oil in the jug. Is this normal? (Foaming concern)

Thanks!

It was impressive comparing the color of the old and new oil.

Pump works well. Need to pump a few more times when oil fills the air space and flows slower. Rinsed pump and pipes by pumping 4 ounces of new oil through.

Took samples of old factory oil and new oil. Will sample the new mix after work tomorrow ~ 40 miles round trip. Expect to have UOA results next week.

[Patrick Wong]

The oil cap has a rubber O-ring to provide a good seal. Prior to the oil cap being installed for the first time, the O-ring had not been compressed. Now that the engine has been in use for 3K miles, the O-ring is probably a bit thinner than it had been when new, allowing you to tighten the oil cap more in order to achieve a snug fit.

The cap should be sufficiently tight to prevent air leaks through the opening, but not so tight that you can't remove it by hand.

If the point of doing an early oil change was to get debris from the production process and break-in wear out of the engine, why not change the oil filter now?

I would not worry about bubbling in the oil. If you see signs of water in the oil (where the oil takes on a creamy appearance), then you should worry.

[2009Prius]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

...
If the point of doing an early oil change was to get debris from the production process and break-in wear out of the engine, why not change the oil filter now?

...

Good point! As the title suggested I am really new to DIY on cars, still slowly gathering tools and somewhat intimidated just by the thought of crawling underneath and trying to unscrew the drain plug and oil filter which are reputed to be very tight from the factory. So I thought I would just use a pump for the first time.

Is the filter above or below the oil surface? If it is above I may try replace it in a few weeks. Thanks!

[Politburo]

I recently did the first change on my 09. The filter was very tight and was difficult to loosen even with the wrench. I used a generic variable sized wrench (the only thing in stock that would fit), and it crushed part of the filter housing before it found enough grip to loosen. I also used a pump, so cannot comment on the drain plug.

[alevinemi]

Oil changes on the Prius are very easy. I did my first one last week, and it was the easiest oil change I ever did.

- I didn't have to jack up the car. Everything is within arms reach of the front-passenger tire. No sticking your head under the car is necessary.
- The oil plug was tight and I had poor leverage without the car jacked up, so I had to use some black pipe as a breaker bar on the socket wrench. 14mm socket, socket wrench, and breaker bar.
- I knocked the aluminum gasket off with a rubber mallet and screwdriver - it was still attached to the oil pan.
- A mirror may be helpful for finding stuff under the car.

The tough part was the fact that the oil filter was so tiny. My 'universal' oil filter wrench didn't fit, and I didn't have enough leverage to remove it by hand. So, I refilled the oil and went to the auto parts store to get an oil filter wrench (the kind that connects to a socket wrench works great).

The oil filter only leaked a little oil when removed - a pint or less, even with a full oil pan.

This was much easier than any car I have ever owned - I always had to jack up the car in the past.

-->Adam

[2009Prius]

Just went on line to search for the oil filter

90915-YZZF2

is the correct number, right?

What's the shelf life of these filters? If I buy a case of 10 then I need to make sure they still work well after sitting in my garage for 5 years. Thanks!

[jayman]

As far as "sheld life" of parts like filters, assuming you don't leave them in an unconditioned space (Eg, a shed outside that can get cold in winter and hot in summer) the shelf life is just about your life span

I have come across parts for old cars - eg Nash - that were kept in a grandparents house, and the parts looked pristine after +50 years

[2009Prius]

Originally Posted by jayman

As far as "sheld life" of parts like filters, assuming you don't leave them in an unconditioned space (Eg, a shed outside that can get cold in winter and hot in summer) the shelf life is just about your life span

I have come across parts for old cars - eg Nash - that were kept in a grandparents house, and the parts looked pristine after +50 years

Thanks! I was worrying about the aging of the paper/plastic/glue/goo inside the filter. Maybe I should keep them in the house, not in the garage (no heat).

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by 2009Prius

...still slowly gathering tools and somewhat intimidated just by the thought of crawling underneath and trying to unscrew the drain plug and oil filter which are reputed to be very tight from the factory. So I thought I would just use a pump for the first time.

Is the filter above or below the oil surface? If it is above I may try replace it in a few weeks. Thanks!

I suggest that you bring the new oil filter with you when shopping for an oil filter wrench. You will want a cap wrench that fits over the end of the oil filter tightly and has a hex hole for a 3/8" socket wrench extension. Your Toyota dealer parts dept probably will sell the correct oil filter cap wrench, and you can also try discount auto parts stores.

If you replace the filter now, you'll just lose the oil within the filter and a bit more that will drip down as the filter is removed. In the future of course, you will want to replace the oil filter after draining the old oil, and prior to adding new oil to the engine.

[richard schumacher]

Check the dipstick level. Prius is often delivered slightly overfilled, so if you added exactly as much as you pumped out it may be slightly overfilled again. Generally, adding three quarts even is plenty.