4 quarts of engine oil

smart thing to due is put it on the level and check the dipstick.

if it's above the full line, siphon a bit out through the dipstick tube.

welcome to priuschat, btw!

 

Hey, hundreds of Jiffy Lubes do it everyday! It must be O.K.

Personally, as long as it is as you say, and it is barely above the full line on the dipstick (like less than a quarter inch) I would not worry.

A thread from the past:
OK wHAT HAPPENS IF YOU PUT IN 4 QUARTS OF OIL? | PriusChat

 

In my experience with my two Gen 2's, 3.9qts gets you to the top of the full line. I would take bisco's advice to read the dipstick on level ground. If you're getting a reading that is within a few millimeters of the full line, I'd call it good.

HOWEVER, your account of pulling out only 1.5qts is worrisome, if true. If it turns out your level is good and you truly only did pull out 1.5qts from an oil change, you're either burning oil at a high rate or you went 50k between oil changes (or both). I don't even know if the Prius would run on only 1.5 qts (~3qts is the bottom line on the dipstick), so I suspect you either didn't empty it all the way, or you mistakenly thought you only pulled 1.5qts, when in actuality you pulled more.

 

How unlevel was the car? Having the drain be the lowest point is best. You would have to have it nearly on its side for 2.5 quarts to be left inside. I would recommend checking the oil level before draining next time to get an idea of how much should be coming out and if you're burning any oil. I also only put about 3 quarts in, start the engine for a few seconds to get it circulated, then wait a few minutes before checking and adding more 1/4th of a quart at a time. Much easier to add a little more oil than remove a bit from putting too much in.

 

Install a Fumoto valve in place of the stock drain plug. Makes it much easier to drain a bit of oil out, if you ever need that function.

I got all freaky over the 3.9 quart thing. I think that was one of the first questions I asked on this board. Then, Patrick Wong, in his usual calm, cool way told me to get over using a turkey baster to get it right at 3.9 quarts and just put in 3.5 quarts and call it good. Have been doing that for seven or years now.

 

Patrick Wong says it's 1.6 quarts from top to bottom marks on the dipstick and that matches my observation. When I change oil, if the level is just over the lower mark, I'll get about 2.5 quarts out. (I jack and block the left front jacking point just enough for access, wheel not off the ground, and that slopes the oil pan to the drain. And I drain the engine warm.) Did you drain/change the filter? The Prius has such a tiny filter, it's not much but it's something. I could see a cold engine, no filter change and sloping badly the other way, you might get 2 quarts.

I agree if you got 1.5 qts out, you probably let it get too low. How many miles on the odometer? Over 150,000 and it might be starting to consume oil. Better start checking the dipstick every couple of tanks of gas, at least. After many years of carefree driving, I had to convince my wife, the primary driver, to start doing this. Other threads on the site helped me convince her that the car is still OK, just aging a bit.

When I fill, I add just over 3 quarts to put the level right in the middle of the dipstick. I read on this site that overfilling the Prius (as every Jiffylube does, as already noted) could cause high crankcase pressure, slightly decreasing fuel economy, and worst case harming the PCV system and blowing oil back into the throttle body. But a fraction of a quart would not likely do that. Now that the car's aging, if my wife is heading out on a 1000 mile+ road trip, I'll fill to just under the high mark so she doesn't have to deal with it.

 

All of that was excellent advice. I usually put in about 3.75 or so to get close to the top fill line, but everything you mentioned is a good reason to keep it somewhere in the middle of the range instead. Plus, 3 qts of oil is cheaper than 3.75 qts of oil!

 

I understand the rational to aim for the mid-point between the marks, that's really the sweet spot, middle of the spec. range. But still, when doing an oil change my goal is to put it on the top mark. For a couple of reasons:

1. More leeway if it consumes any.
2. More oil in there, more capacity to absorb stuff.

 

Excellent point, especially in the context of the OP.

 

I think the take-away here (gosh, I hate that term -- "take-away" -- corporate Zombie speak....):

1) Oil may "be good in an engine for a year," but check the level frequently, nonetheless. The miscommunication between the OP and the oil change people is understandable for a person who is not all that familiar with vehicle care.

2) No need to obsess over the exact 3.9 quarts, just try to get it somewhere above the 3.5 or so mark and not over the top fill line.

When I say I put in 3.5, it actually means "around 3.5." Probably closer to Mendel's 3.75. Of course, that means I have a quarter of a quart or so to store -- to be honest -- since I am now in a rental apartment, that 8 ounces or so is usually poured into the "draintainer" and taken to the recycling barrel.

Hmm, going to be balmy 51 degrees F. here in Middle America with a light breeze of around 25 mph, better than the zero degrees F. only a short while ago. I better take advantage of the tropical weather and go do my monthly vehicle check.

 

I just changed the oil on my 2004 yesterday and used 3.8 quarts to get the dipstick level to the top of the range. I raise up the rear of the car to encourage a few more ounces out of the crankcase.

Why not save that for later use after the car has logged 3K miles. Or is the engine not consuming any oil at all?

I recently switched to Mobil 1 0W-30 full synthetic and found that the 2004's engine oil consumption seems to have been reduced. I previously had been using various 5W-30 full synthetic oils, Mobil 1, Pennzoil, Castrol, whatever Walmart has on sale. The oil consumption had been ~1 quart per 1,500 miles, now might be 1 quart per 3,000 miles.

 

how many miles on her, pat?

 

Patrick:

Regarding throwing out a partial quart of brand-new motor oil....

Yes, it pains me, but I really have nowhere to put the oil container. My closet isn't an option and it just seems wrong to store it under the kitchen sink (besides there being no room under there).

At the moment, my car has about 78K on it and uses no oil at all between oil changes. The driver-side front tire however seems to use about 5 psi of air per week though! And, I only drive about one day out of four.

I did just tighten the valve stem, however and put pressure back up to 37 psi, I'll see if that does it.

 

212K miles.

My daughter has the 2007 now with 85K miles, and she reported to me that the oil level is around 1/2 way between the two dimples after 2K miles since the last oil change. However she did not check the oil level after the oil had been last changed so it is unclear whether the engine actually consumed that much oil after 2K miles or not.

 

On our third gen, the oil drain bolt is at the trailing edge of the oil pan. I would think if anything the oil drains better with the front raised. Unless it hangs up somewhere when on a tilt. At any rate, it seems to virtually all be coming out: I've got a squat 5 gallon gas can style container with Canadian Tire's largest funnel as a catchment, and while I havent really checked, it looks like 4 liters full. Also, it's near impossible to read the dipstick right after a change, too clean, lol.

The only time I raise the rear too is for the transaxle fluid change.

 

thanks pat, that is an amazing change at that mileage.

cbII, c'mon, no room anywhere for a quart container?

 

Bisco:
The lady that I share my "luxury" apartment with is very "lady-like." She wears dresses, cooks meals out of Julia Child's French cookbook and does not do well with "mucky stuff."

Needless to say, I was a bit surprised. I thought all women in Iowa were farm people at heart. I figured a steer in the living room, no big deal, but apparently not the case. She was shocked at my eating chili out of the can and my shredded Carhartt pants. We've both adjusted a bit. I refrain from chili out of the can and I try to enjoy French cooking.

But, I don't think there is room for motor oil. It would either have to go in the kitchen or the bathroom -- the only rooms without carpet -- and that is not going to happen.

O.K., way off topic here, but hey, it's a boring Saturday night. We do not get ESPN and I truly want to watch the Pac12 championship game but am not up to a bar and fending off male "admirers." And, for some reason, no one I know here, cares about the Pac12.
Kris

 

you could keep it in your prius.

 

My guess is that Stanford will play Iowa in the Rose Bowl so maybe the Iowa fans will start to care...