Anyone use just 3qt oil per change?

So I was changing my oil at the ~ 15K mark and I was getting to thinking, Why am I putting in 3qts and 3/10 of a quart. Well it dawned on me that this is what you do per the instructions.

So I also noticed that most people here at prius chat recommend not overfilling which means that you add 3.3qt then adjust as needed.

So, this is what I normally do, however I note that there is alot of room on the dipstick.

So could you just add back (after you change the filter) a total of 3 quarts and be safe (Note that this 3 quarts includes any oil that you prime the filter with)?

This would rid the little left over and make changing oil a little easier.

Anyone doing this?

Steve

I find that 3.5 qts hits the right spot on the dipstick every time. I save the half qt for the next oil change.

JeffD

3.5 quarts is the right amount to use!

You can get away with 3 just quarts. 3 quarts will put you exactly halfway between the "safety" marks on the dipstick. I usually stretch 2 (5 quart jugs) from wal-mart into 3 oil changes.

I've been doing this since the beginning with no ill effects that I have noticed. Granted, I have only done about 4 oil changes so far, but it seems to work well for me.

55 months, 33,000 miles, exactly 3 quarts every six months. If the engine explodes someday I will certainly post about it :_>

This is exactly what I do at each oil & filter change. 3 qts puts me halfway between the high and low marks which is safe and creates no problems.

3.5 quarts + Mobil 1 ("double") oil filter filled with oil at every oil change (now at 35,000).

After my third or fourth oil change I realized that it was too much trouble to worry about the extra 0.3-0.5 quart. So from then on 3 qts; oil level ends up right where its supposed to be, not too much, not too little, exactly in the middle.

Thanks,
Shawn

yup, same here. 3 quarts gets me right in the middle of the high and low marks on the dipstick.

Thats what I've started doing. No more trying to stop at exactly .5 of a quart. No more guess-n-check with the dipstick + pouring more.

Saves oil. Less waste.

Its a GOOD thing that I read this board. Yesterday, I changed the oil, and knowing that it was a 1.5L engine(Much smaller than the V6 that our Grand Prix had), I only grabbed 2 qts of oil. Changed the oil, installed the EBH, and didn't even think about checking the dipstick. Come on I only put in 1.5 qts, and it should be good...

Read the board, and started thinking... Hmm, I guess it dosen't hurt to check the dipstick. After a good long look in the mirror, I realized that 1.5 Qts does NOT equil 1.5L. Of course, I threw in the other 1.5 Qts of oil and then pulled the dipstick out and YEAH... Its Perfectly centered between the dots...

Thanks for the Wake-up Call.

1.5 L = engine displacement inside the cylinder. (oil does not go inside the cylinder).

Good catch

Since the Prius engine normally does not use any appreciable amount of engine oil, this practice of using 3 quarts is OK. However as the car ages, if your engine develops a gasket leak or is burning oil, then you have less safety margin to work with.

True, one should check the oil at least monthly in any case, to catch any increase in oil consumption.