Oil level 3/8" above top dimple on dipstick

I think this idea has come up a few times before. It makes sense but I haven't seen conclusive data yet. Anyone?

 

I think this is the best solution. If one wants he/she can always top it off at home.

 

Well, if this is something you care about, then next time you change oil, refill with 2.5 US quarts. Check the dipstick to satisfy yourself the oil level is above the lower dimple.

Drive around for a sufficient # of tankfuls to establish your mpg at that oil level.

Then add 0.5 US quart, repeat the process of driving around and determining your mpg after a few tankfuls.

Then add 0.5 US quart so that you have 3.5 quarts total, repeat the process.

 

I don't know if I would of been so nice. If this has happened before, and you specifically had it noted NOT fill above top dimple, then I would of been upset.

The fact that the service department is unusually busy dealing with recalls isn't something that should factor into your decision. You have a right to have the job done correctly, you even gave them a warning ahead of time.

Pretty "crappy" of The service director to just brush it off with it's no problem being slightly above the dimple. It's no problem for him, it's not his car. Seems to me the dimple is there for a reason, it means "Full", if it's exceeded then the oil wasn't filled properly. Again, you have a right to have it done correctly. You shouldn't leave a simple Oil Change thinking "Well if it's a problem my powertrain is warrantied for 4.5 years"...They should just do the oil change correctly or redo it.

Toyota is trying to reestablish their reputation and image, and while I understand that service departments are probably historically busy right now, part of that reconnect with the public would mean to me that Service Departments get the message about the Oil level in Prius.

Makes me a little nervous that Toyota can't seem to get their own techs to understand the Oil Capacity limit in The Prius, but these are the same techs we are suppose to "trust" with accelerator pedal repairs and Brake updates? Let alone a future of dealing with anything that comes up with the entire Hybrid system.

This is sort of a big consideration for me, as I don't WANT to change my own oil, nor do I want to have to come home and find creative ways to syphon newly changed oil from my system. Owners of Prius shouldn't have to jump through all these hoops just for an oil change.

Note to Toyota: This is happening, how about a big bulletin about the Oil capacity of The Prius and NOT exceeding it.

 

Mine was overfilled by about 3/8 of an inch at the first service by the dealer. I specifically asked them to make sure they don't overfill it and they did it anyway. I'm going in Thursday for the brake recall update and will ask them to drain it down to the full mark.

I'm going to ask them to provide before/after printouts to show the brake fix has been applied as I don't want to assume they did it if they can't fill the oil properly.

It looks like the Honda dealership I use for our Odyssey pays closer attention to what they are doing as it is always filled to the top of the range marks, never lower or higher.

 

Overfill on oil changes is not a Toyota problem or a Prius problem, but an oil change place problem. Happens with all manufacturers' service departments, quick change places. They put in the amount their charts say, not allowing for poor draining and/or the amount that never drains.

I'll grant that some places get it right at least most of the time, but if you do not change yourself, check the level the next morning to protect your engine and mpg.

 

Thanks for the good perspective.

 

I don't think anyone was suggesting it is a problem exclusive to Toyota or Prius. But given most Prius owners attention to detail and concern about gas mileage, coupled with usually paying a premium to have a dealership do the oil change, (I personally wouldn't have a "quick change" place do a Prius) I think expecting that they could do the oil change correctly is not asking too much.

If they are putting the amount their charts say and not allowing for poor draining and/or the amount that never drains, and routinely overfilling the oil? Then they need to change the charts or drain the oil better.

You can make excuses, but really your dealership service department should be able to change your oil to the specifications you request, otherwise they are failing and should be called on it.

 

Wholeheartedly agree with "dealership service department should be able to change your oil to the specifications you request, otherwise they are failing and should be called on it."

Multiple posts above did imply if not state that it was a Toyota or Prius issue. It is not. Okay, Toyota has the problem too, but not a bit worse than others.

I didn't mean to imply one should check the oil and not have it corrected by the offending service provider, or that one should not be upset.

 

I have a 3' piece as well, and it was tedious to get the oil level down noticeably. I didn't think of wedging a bigger tube on it, but at that point you could probably just drop the top end below the level of the other end (into your container on the ground) and the siphoning should power itself at that point, no need to do another suction. (3' isn't long enough to do this with the grill in the way).

 

It seems that several on this site are reporting oil changes done at Toyota dealers in which the oil level was 3/8" over the full mark. Given that this has been described as a repeating pattern and there are logical reasons for why it is likely to continue, it seems reasonable to ask whether this degree of overfill has resulted in any real problems. We are all aware that a significant oil overfill can have catastrophic consequences, although I suspect that 3/8" over the full mark is within the margin for safety for the Prius. Like the debate about the number of teeth in the mouth of the proverbial horse, can we dispense with the legalistic hyperbole and get to the facts? Does anyone have evidence that running a Prius with an oil level that is 3/8" over the full mark, apparently a common scenario, has ever harmed a Prius?

 

The harm in that level of overfill is minor:

1. Oil pooling in the intake manifold
2. Fuel economy potentially less than it otherwise might be

 

No I understand. But to an extent almost everything in Prius Chat is primarily put through the lens of it being a Toyota or Prius issue. And I think it is.

This isn't the only thread on "Prius" Oil Change problems. Plus if you have multiple owners with as little confidence in their dealership service departments as to go to the creative lengths that many are going to? That's indicative to me that it might be a bigger problem. Yes, having your Oil overfilled can happen with any vehicle at any place but due to the Prius's "odd" capacity it seems to happen more.

My expectations of a authorized Toyota service center would be of more competency not less.

It's a big issue but NOT a big issue. In other words, mistakes happen everywhere, but given the rather large amount of people that seem to struggle to have their oil changed correctly? I think a little Top down communication to dealerships about the Oil Capacity of The Prius and filling it properly might be in order.

I don't mean to complain or be combative for no reason, but I have read more than one thread and the issue just seems to continue to repeat.

 

Thank you for the quick response. Like you, I'm aware of the theoretical consequences of a slight overfill and actual harm from one that is greaterl. My question is whether the issues that you and others have raised, and any other potential problems have occurred for an oil fill to 3/8" above the dip stick mark.

Thanks again

 

My question relates to whether an oil level that is 3/8" above the Hi mark is a "problem," or within the acceptable tolerance range. I am trying to determine whether anyone has evidence that any of the theoretical "problems" related to an oil overfill have been encountered at this oil fill level, that appears to be common.

Thank you

 

If it were within the acceptable tolerance range then the dimple would be 3/8" higher on the dipstick. Any evidence of actual harm that people could quote here would likely be anecdotal, would that satisfy you? If not then you'd probably best do your own fact finding on the topic.

- D

 

I'm not pushing any agenda other than learning the facts. I am doing fact finding by asking knowledgable Prius owners about their experience. I have no reason to distrust anyones reports of problems produced by running oil levels 3/8" above the dip stick hi mark. All findings are anecdotal until a sufficient number of responses (sample size) is compiled. I would appreciate your assistance in compiling evidence about this issue so we can all have a better understanding of whether a 3/8" overfill, on the dip stick, has resulted in any of the theoretical over fill problems.

 

My own purely unscientific observation is that having mine about 3/8 of an inch above the full mark has not impacted the MPG. I suspect that if it was going to cause any kind of damage, it would be longer term. I doubt anything bad will happen in a few thousand miles but I would not want it filled 3/8 of an inch above the full mark for the life of the car.

In any case, Toyota spent untold amounts of money engineering the car and I prefer to follow the rules on something as simple as complying with where the engineers said the oil level should be.

 

I think their computers say four quarts go into a Prius. This might be close to correct, but I think all oil is not drained before they add the four quarts.

My service department overfilled me three times despite my express instructions to under-fill 1/2 quart. It seems that customer requests go on a "notes" section of the work ticket, but technicians tend to ignore the notes on an oil change. (I understand, it's a mind-numbingly simple procedure, why read the notes)

I finally figured out that my requests would be honored if I put a post-it note on the steering wheel or hood when I got out of the car.

Still, I was able to get free tire rotations out of this common mistake in the past... the dealer here has a 30-minutes-or-its-free policy on oil changes... and it always takes more than 30 minutes to do it wrong, then fix it. From there it's a simple request to get a free rotation on the next visit instead of not paying for the change. They seem to like this instead, since they get a guarantee you will return, and they get paid for todays work.

 

Oh no worries, I didn't mean to sound snooty. It's just that there are already plenty of threads about what could go wrong because of overfilling, so I didn't think it likely we'd see anything new or somehow more definitive at this point. Perhaps 3/8" isn't enough to worry, but is 1/2"? 9/16" How accurate is anyone's measurement of the overfill anyway? Over is over.

- D