Oil Change 2010 Prius - do it yourself

Usually you can tell if a plug is out of tolerance at low idle rpms, the motor will feel rough like its missing a bit as the gap gets a bit too wide for the lower voltage to jump..... a little harder to assess in a prius since the times it idles is less often.

Also, the spark voltage on the prius may not be dependent upon engine rpm .. but I imagine it still is, otherwise it would have to draw from the traction battery to maintain a certain voltage if the rpms were too low to do the job. I doubt thats the case.

So back to the original comment... if its idling perfectly smooth, the spark plugs are prob still fine.

 

I decided not to be a DIY'er and would like to sell a New OEM Case of 10 Toyota Oil Filters (04152-YZZA6) for a 2010 Prius which I purchased from Koons Toyota and also a never used Toyota Cartridge Style Oil Filter Cap Removal Tool purchased from rooprict on eBay. If interested please PM me and make me an offer I can't refuse.

Thanks

 

Did my third oil change today. It had warmed up to 20 degrees F and there was no wind and nice sun shine. Unfortunately cheap plastic breaks easily when it's cold and one of my three push pin things (don't know their real name) that hold the oil change door up broke into many pieces when I tried to remove it. It was the big gray middle one that goes into the frame cross member. The two black ones just go into other cover pieces and they came out fine.

I went to the dealer and they didn't have it, they did have the smaller black ones. I put it back together with tie wraps and it's probably more secure now than it was to start with.

Next oil change I'm going to try a more permanent fix. The cross member it goes into is a fairly thick steel box piece so it won't be possible to put a nut on the other side. However I think it can be tapped for a bolt, with a bolt and large washer it would be good for the life of the car. The other two would be under no strain so the black plastic push pins would be fine there. The hole looks like it is about 8 or 9 mm but I'll need to stick a drill bit in it to be sure.

 

I also did my 5K oil change yesterday in the cold, but temps were in the low 30's. I put the vehicle up on jackstands using a hypothetical jack point near the front underside but to the right of the front logo. There's an area of bare black metal that blends in rather well with the surrounding black plastic covers, and I believe this is a front cross-member. Threw the jackstands under the sides at the normal jack points. This gives me more room underneath than with the plastic ramps I used for the first oil change @ 1400 mi. I was thinking I'd try putting in the engine heater as well . . .

The oil looked cleaner coming out of the drain this time than the 1400 mile change. I'm sending a sample away for analysis. The used oil filter looks about the same as before. Somehow I got splashed in the face with old Mobil 1 oil, and this is the first time in many years that's happened. Doesn't taste too bad, managed to get it all out of my nose. I discovered that there had been a metal washer under the drain plug that I hadn't seen at the first oil change! It was embedded in the fiber washer this time. The washer/seal is colored blue which makes it hard to see on the oil pan. I didn't reuse it this time - just a new fiber washer on the drain plug. And, the perfect-fit oil filter wrench fits almost too well in cold weather - I had to tap it off with a wrench. Might be a good idea to put a bit of oil or spray some silicone lubricant on the inside of the oil filter wrench to help get it off.

Getting the oil change hatch cover open, I broke the rearmost plastic fastener (&%$#). I got brave and bent the hatch all the way forward and secured it with Gorilla Tape for max access. The hatch cover & hinge survived this in cold weather, a pleasant surprise. After the oil change, I broke another plastic fastener (#$%&) securing the hatch and discovered that the third remaining one wouldn't fit snuggly!! The dealer parts department was closed, so I ran around the area to find some alternative. I found a perfect fit in a fastener for GM vehicles in a blister pack from a company called Needa (as in Needa Part). Their part number is 461230, two per pack. BTW, the frame holes are 8 mm, NOT 1/4 in. There are a lot of 1/4 in plastic fasteners, avoid them.

I really like the fasteners I've got on my Integra because they have a center release pin that's a plastic Phillips screw. Rather than pulling something out, one unscrews the center pin and the fastener come out easily.

As for the engine heater, that didn't happen, though I put my finger in the hole. Access is limited by one of the half-shafts (need a skinny arm for this), and it's a bit of a reach up from below. The ramps might make this easier, actually! I can see the wire harness blockage that prevents slipping the heater core in the hole.

I'll post the oil analysis report when it's available.

 

Thanks for the info on the fasteners.

 

Re: Oil Change 2010 Prius - do it yourself -- In Winter temps

I thought I would find this info easily on the web or on PriusChat, but I have had no luck…

Can anyone describe how you do an oil change in the winter (car parked outside). By winter, I mean “Winter†(-20 to -10°C, 0 to 15°F), not “winter†(50°F).

I understand the oil need to be heated so it can flow easily out of the pan.

How much heating is needed? I’m using 5W20 Mobil1 (unable to find 0W20 here in Quebec/Canada), so fluidity should be better than with petrol based oil.

I suppose it is best to let the engine run, stop it and then wait for the oil to flow back down to the pan before draining it, rather than letting the engine run for a shorter period and immediately draining it?

Having a ScanGauge to know the engine block temperature would greatly help to find the best engine run time (which would also change according to outside temp…). Not having one, is there another trigger I can use to get the oil to the ideal temp for draining without burning myself? e.g.:

• when the car heater is set to auto, wait until the car starts the fan, letting you know the engine block reached ___°F, then wait ___ minutes before removing the oil plug.; or
• let the engine run until it is hot (ICE stops), letting you know it reached 190°F(?), then let it cool down a bit for ___ minutes before removing the oil plug…

Also, just for curiosity: how long should I let it drain in those cold temps?

 

Go drive it around for 10 minutes and that will be enough to get the oil mixed well and warmed up. Then park, pull the plug and filter, and let it drain until it is just dripping once every couple of seconds.

The 0W-20 oil is really quite thin anyway, so I wouldn't worry much about it not draining well. The guy I bought the Mobil 1 0W-20 was curious what car it went in, saying that if he dumped it in his car, most of it would eventually just leak out around the main seal...

 

Re: Oil Change 2010 Prius - do it yourself -- In Winter temps

When I did mine it wasn't as cold as you are talking about but I have spent some time in cold places where they do have real winter, Antarctica.

I think you might break the plastic push pins (2 small and 1 large) that hold the oil change door up, just as I did. You might want to get some new ones first or at least have some long tie wraps, keep them inside until you are ready for them. I Don't know how the door itself will survive being bent down when its that cold, mine did fine at +20 F.

I would keep the oil and filter inside until just before I was ready for them (overnight would be best). Drive the car until it's warmed up (at least 10 or 15 miles), or at least as warm as it will get. Pull the drain plug and remove the old filter, don't wait for it to drain down just do it right away.

Bring the old filter and cap inside and put the new filter and it's O ring in the cap, run outside with them and put them on.

You could probably let it drain for 5 or 10 min and if there is a bit of the old oil that doesn't come out it won't matter. Put the plug and gasket back in and bring the oil out (1 quart at a time if you wish) and pour it in.

You might want to leave your tools inside for a few hours also, cold tools are no fun. I suggest getting a few big pieces of cardboard to lay on, it insulates pretty well.

Good luck

 

Or give yourself the gift of finding a garage.

 

Re: Oil Change 2010 Prius - do it yourself -- In Winter temps

Thanks!

Do you know what cause the push-pins to break?

Also, with engine fully warmed (10-15 miles), should I worry about burning myself with the oil? (last time I did an oil change, changing the oil filter was a bit messy)

 

Re: Oil Change 2010 Prius - do it yourself -- In Winter temps

You need to be careful with hot oil, so I recommend proceeding with caution. Have a towel/rag ready to wipe hot oil from your hand. This is why I only "warm up" an engine before changing oil, rather than doing it after a 50-mile drive. I believe I have seen something that indicates you can unscrew the filter housing partially, point a specific section downward, and it will drain without too much mess.

 

Re: Oil Change 2010 Prius - do it yourself -- In Winter temps

I think mine broke because they were cold and that made them brittle, not sure though. They are just cheap plastic, you might be able to get better ones at a good hardware store.

As Risingsun implied you don't want to dip your hand in it, but I think you can get a little on you and it won't do any serious damage if you wipe it right off.

 

Re: Oil Change 2010 Prius - do it yourself -- In Winter temps

Still on the winter oil change in low temps:

From another thread, here is a simple way to know about the engine temp without a ScanGauge (from two posts by Spartane in another thread (#15 and #21):

 

I don't know about elsewhere - but here in So Cal, in any given week, there are coupons for anywhere from $9.99 - 19.99 oil changes - with tire rotation...

Bring in your own oil/filter, and you avoid the muss and fuss...

 

Here's the analysis results of my latest oil change reported earlier in this thread. This sheet also includes the results from my very first oil change @ 1400 miles:



Note the comments on the significant silicon decrease from the first oil change. This justifies doing the first oil change early to rid the engine of excess silicon from manufacturing!

 

Interesting, I'm glad I changed mine at 1400 miles as you did.

 

Does it really justify that?
Isn't that silicon and/or other subtances in the original oil supposed to be left there to help with the break-in process?
Is the car benefiting in any way by removing that amount of silicon at 1400 miles instead of 5000 or 10000 miles?
If it really is damaging the engine if it's left until the regular scheduled maintenance time, it sounds like Toyota needs to do a recall and fix their manufacturing process.

 

There is NO benefit to having silicon in your oil, whether for break-in or in general. I've never seen or heard a recommendation to use silicon as a break-in additive. Toyota has never made claims that the original factory-fill of oil needs to be retained in the engine for break-in purposes.

Will the silicon cause significant engine damage if left in for 5000 miles? Probably not, but it's just an abrasive causing engine wear beyond the break-in process. I'm planning to have this vehicle for 200,000 miles or more. I'm trying to minimize early engine wear as much as I can so I have an ICE in great condition later on. A number of other members here feel the same way based on their posts.

 

I just did my first oil change around 5400 miles a little over a week ago. Sent off the oil for analysis to the OAI place through Amsoil. It was convenient since I could order the pump and kits when I placed my order for the oil too. I debated doing the analysis for my Harley, but don't plan on having it as long as I have the Prius. If I can figure out how to post it here, then I'll try to remember to do it for comparison to those that did them early and with analysis.