Oil overfilled by the manufacturer?

8AA · 08-05-2006, 09:59 AM

I've giving up on using the dealer for oil changes. I've tried a couple and both of them consistently over filled the oil. One time it was so bad I took it back and asked them to check the level. The service advisor told me that the tech had confirmed that the level was too high and had removed some of the oil. When I got home I checked and the level was just as high as it was when I took it in. Surprisingly, my local quick-lube is able to fill the oil precisely to the full mark. Makes me wonder what information the quick-lubes have that Toyota dealerships are missing.

Silverray · 08-08-2006, 01:20 PM

As my daughter (Drifter) noted above, the factory overfill fouled up my intake manifold to the point that the ICE would not run. When I took the car in for a subsequent oil change and told them to only add 3 quarts, the manager said he understood why and pointed to another Prius that was in the shop for an overfill problem. 3 quarts always seems to at least get you to the bottom fill line and it is easy enough to check and add a little more if you need it.

jayman · 08-08-2006, 07:28 PM

My Prius also was delivered with oil about 3mm above the full dot. At the first scheduled oil change, which was on the dealer, I told them not to overfill. They have an automated oil dispenser and put in the Toyota-specified amount.

They even leave the hood open and a fresh rag to allow customers to verify the oil level themselves. Most just keep the clean rag and slam the hood shut. I checked and sure enough - 3mm over the full dot. I brought this up to the service manager and they became VERY concerned. They even siphoned out around 300ml to get the level correct.

I've found through trial-and-error that 3 litres puts the oil level about 2/3 of the way up the Add dot. Around 3.25 litres puts it right on the full dot.

I don't doubt that a grossly overfilled oil level may contribute to intake manifold fouling, but how about RATE of oil fill? A lot of automated dispensers are capable of 2-5 gallons per minute of fill, without a restrictor oriface in place.

The location of the PCV system should make us more cautious. If you fill oil quickly enough to flood the cylinder head, the excess may enter the PCV system, which will drain directly into the intake manifold below the electric throttle assembly.

When I change the oil myself, I slowly add the fresh oil. In a V6 or V8 you probably don't have to worry about it. The 302 V8 in my old Ford pickup at the hobby farm, I dump in the oil as fast as possible, which floods the cylinder head. There is no cause for concern as the PCV is located on the other cylinder head.

NoSpam · 08-27-2006, 01:58 PM

We took delivery of our '06 Prius back on July 14th, 2006. We have been only getting around 37 mpg.

Thanks to the posts on this site, I checked my oil level yesterday. It was overfilled from the factory! It was a little more than 1/8 of an inch above the maximum mark!

I used an oil pump that is made for boat oil changes to remove 12 ounces of oil via the dip-stick tube. Now we will have to drive around some to see if the mileage goes up.

Thank you all for pointing out that the factory is overfilling these cars. I would not have suspected that the factory would make such a mistake in violation of their own recommendations!!!

Best regards,
NoSpam

08-05-2006, 09:59 AM	#11
8AA Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 492 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #9 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I've giving up on using the dealer for oil changes. I've tried a couple and both of them consistently over filled the oil. One time it was so bad I took it back and asked them to check the level. The service advisor told me that the tech had confirmed that the level was too high and had removed some of the oil. When I got home I checked and the level was just as high as it was when I took it in. Surprisingly, my local quick-lube is able to fill the oil precisely to the full mark. Makes me wonder what information the quick-lubes have that Toyota dealerships are missing. __________________ '04 Salsa Red BC9 CN mudflaps (front only) • Back window fresnel lens • Inverted Homelink mirror • F37/R35 Lifetime MPG 51.6

08-08-2006, 07:28 PM	#13
jayman Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Posts: 6,461 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: B Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 4	My Prius also was delivered with oil about 3mm above the full dot. At the first scheduled oil change, which was on the dealer, I told them not to overfill. They have an automated oil dispenser and put in the Toyota-specified amount. They even leave the hood open and a fresh rag to allow customers to verify the oil level themselves. Most just keep the clean rag and slam the hood shut. I checked and sure enough - 3mm over the full dot. I brought this up to the service manager and they became VERY concerned. They even siphoned out around 300ml to get the level correct. I've found through trial-and-error that 3 litres puts the oil level about 2/3 of the way up the Add dot. Around 3.25 litres puts it right on the full dot. I don't doubt that a grossly overfilled oil level may contribute to intake manifold fouling, but how about RATE of oil fill? A lot of automated dispensers are capable of 2-5 gallons per minute of fill, without a restrictor oriface in place. The location of the PCV system should make us more cautious. If you fill oil quickly enough to flood the cylinder head, the excess may enter the PCV system, which will drain directly into the intake manifold below the electric throttle assembly. When I change the oil myself, I slowly add the fresh oil. In a V6 or V8 you probably don't have to worry about it. The 302 V8 in my old Ford pickup at the hobby farm, I dump in the oil as fast as possible, which floods the cylinder head. There is no cause for concern as the PCV is located on the other cylinder head. __________________ 2004 Toyota Prius "B", Tideland Pearl 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser 5AT "C", Sun Fusion

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08-08-2006, 01:20 PM	#12
Silverray Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 15 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	As my daughter (Drifter) noted above, the factory overfill fouled up my intake manifold to the point that the ICE would not run. When I took the car in for a subsequent oil change and told them to only add 3 quarts, the manager said he understood why and pointed to another Prius that was in the shop for an overfill problem. 3 quarts always seems to at least get you to the bottom fill line and it is easy enough to check and add a little more if you need it.

08-27-2006, 01:58 PM	#14
NoSpam Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 46 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	We took delivery of our '06 Prius back on July 14th, 2006. We have been only getting around 37 mpg. Thanks to the posts on this site, I checked my oil level yesterday. It was overfilled from the factory! It was a little more than 1/8 of an inch above the maximum mark! I used an oil pump that is made for boat oil changes to remove 12 ounces of oil via the dip-stick tube. Now we will have to drive around some to see if the mileage goes up. Thank you all for pointing out that the factory is overfilling these cars. I would not have suspected that the factory would make such a mistake in violation of their own recommendations!!! Best regards, NoSpam