Oil level 3/8" above top dimple on dipstick

The Toyota repair manual also indicates 3.9 US qts.

Either the spec is wrong or the dipstick is wrong.

 

honestly, if little things like this are going to put you off from buying a toyota, then you will probably never buy one. all cars/dealers/mfgs have small issues and these are great places to discuss and learn from. but nothing is ever going to be perfec. it really is a small issue in the scheme of things.

 

patrick, do you have any feel for fuel savings with lower oil levels?
thanks! paul.

 

I suspect the manual is in error because it involves two translations: one from engineer to technical writer, and again from Japanese to English. It seems to me more likely that the dipstick correctly reflects the designers' intent, since it should have gone directly from their CAD tools to the factory.

 

We have beaten this around in other threads; IMO it is better to trust the dipstick than trust the manual - the consequences are benign by having the level slightly lower than maximum, but the consequences of overfill can be hazardous to the engine.

 

Hi Paul,

My 2004 with 99K miles is consuming a moderate amount of engine oil, around 0.75 quart in 7,500 miles. This started after I tried using 0W-20 synthetic oil a couple of years ago. I've since reverted to 5W-30 synthetic.

Hence I've had some personal experience with varying amounts of engine oil in the crankcase. However the car also has other changes going on, like new tires, new iridium spark plugs, seasonal weather changes, changes in seasonal fuel formulation, etc.

My guess is that you might notice ~2 mpg improvement at a lower engine oil level, i.e., 2.75 US quarts instead of 3.5 US quarts.

Should you decide to try a similar experiment I encourage you to make sure the engine oil level never drops below the bottom dipstick dimple, to avoid engine damage.

 

Little things add up. Like I said, I'm not a DIY'er, I don't want to change my oil and I wouldn't trust a quick change place. I'd like to think my Toyota service department could routinely change my oil without overfilling.

I'm not trashing Toyota, but this isn't the first thread dealing with the fact that Toyota service departments nationwide seem to have an issue with filling the oil to the proper level for The Prius. It's not my feedback, it's many owners that are doing everything from leaving notes, bringing in their own oil supply, and/or siphoning oil from the system at home using tubing...

IMO it should be done, and is simple enough for Toyota to simply get the message out to dealers and techs...exactly what the capacity is, and how to fill it.

Yeh, it's a small issue, but if I owned a Kia Rio, I'd want the oil filled properly. The tolerance in the gap that caused the potential sticking in the accelerator pedals seems to be pretty small too, it's attention to detail from manufacturing to service that builds a great car company....imo this is something Toyota can easily address and should address.

I wouldn't say this if this was the first thread along these lines I had seen, but it isn't.

 

no argument with wanting things to be done correctly. i just feel that there is a disconnect between the mfg's and the dealers. in my 40 years and 10 or more different make and model experience, most dealers are not interested enough in getting it right, just making money. just my personal experiences. as cars get more sophisticated, this will lead to more maintenance issues at the dealer. if they put the wrong fluid in your transaxle and it quits on you, you're going to have to prove it's their fault. time consuming and costly. if you don't understand anything, how can you be comfortible driving away after service?

 

thanks patrick, i'll give it a test. my 08 isn't burning any oil between 5000 mi. changes. what do you think of the irridium plugs?
paul.

 

Hi Paul,

I replaced the iridium spark plugs at 99K miles, with the same Denso plug model. The old plugs were in good condition but the spark gap was definitely larger than 1.0 mm which is the minimum spec. I don't have a 1.1 mm feeler gauge so I don't know if the gap exceeded the maximum spec.

I set the new plugs to 1.0 mm, which required narrowing the gap from the factory-set spacing.

 

...or just use three quarts :_>

 

Ditto

I took in 3.5 quarts and it was still very slightly above the full mark. Take in 3.3 quarts to be safe.

 

BTW, my MPG always goes down after an oil change and goes up over time as the oil wears out. Several cars are this way.
I always use Mobil One!

 

+1, with filter.

 

My concerns also. Our local SE region Toyota dealership, JAY TOYOTA, has, over the 4 yrs we've owned our PRIUS, failed to maintain any level of quality control over its workers. After 3 yrs of regularly being charged for 5 Qts & having to have excess removed after (except some of the times I made an issue including copying pages from the PRIUS manual and GIVING THOSE SPECIFICS to the person who checked my car in); having tires deflated to an ALL AROUND 32 PSIs, receiving quite a few comped changes...but lip from the service manager the LAST TIME... we quit & go to a private mechanic!

But, their total in-attention to Prius specs has not stopped! Two friends have new Prii from JAY...a leased model '09, and a purchased '10, and although they did not believe me at first, when they checked their receipts, and dip sticks lol, they too were being overcharged and overfilled...word spread, a coworker of the 10 owner...also with a new '10...same thing.


Unfortunately, my private mechanic, tops in town, cannot do recalls and I just received my notice today.
Frankly... I'm more frightened of the workers at JAY then I am of the pedal assembly, and I resent TOYOTA SE regional and/or USA for not having paid attention to complaints made in the past...you're contributing to the demise of an excellent car rep by not tightening the reigns on inept service departments.

 

OK, my 05 Prius is headed in for it's first dealer service visit tomorrow, so this thread is illuminating/concerning. In reading this all, I really have just this question - most oils used in cars today are synth blends (if not outright full synthetics). Why aren't the lube guys doing the work right and not overfilling? If I'm the service manager, this is a simple economic problem - if I can use 1/2 less quart on every oil change, over time this would save the dealership a bunch of money.

I can tell you what I'll be checking tomorrow night after the car sits a bit.