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oil dipstick rant

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by prius_deep, Jul 7, 2019.

  1. prius_deep

    prius_deep Member

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    so i'am changing my own oil, because jiffylube overfilled it, and over filled the tires too - not caught until after the fact. and some how got oil drops (two) on the driver-seat caught that before leaving (hard to miss).


    on my regular gen4 2016(base model 2) [not pip] I have notice that the dipstick only appearing to give a one sided reading.


    when ever I pull out the stick one side is good the other side has a high mark then an unreadable skid-mark of oil; see my picture:


    I like to take the stick out; wait 1/2 hour to an hour and reinsert it.



    because the stick turns right[standing in front of the car], I think it goes in sideways. so when the stick is pulled out that high mark is oil that is dropped down by the act of the stick input output, and the unreadable skid-mark is made when the stick scarps the pipe on withdrawal. (bring back the good old days when sticks went in straight and without scraping - TOYOTA!!)


    see my red drops(s) on the pipe, and good (red)mark on one side, and bad (high red) mark on the other side on my picture?

    art.png

    :rolleyes:now that is a master piece! have to put that on deviantart right quick!:rolleyes:



    so a poll of sorts how many other gen4 base owners [not pip] [they might be different I don't know I do not own one] have a one sided only readable oil dipstick?? go out and see, please. Thanks.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    all prius have been like this from the beginning, and there are many threads on it. toyota cares not
     
  3. prius_deep

    prius_deep Member

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    I was not aware, thank you.o_O

    that might be why they over filled it.
     
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  4. prius_deep

    prius_deep Member

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    uumm, just checked the 08, it gave a good two sided reading..:unsure:
     
  5. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    There's a shocker. Jiffy Lube is the last place that I would let touch any vehicle I own. Oil changes are simple DIY jobs.

    On my Prime (same engine as the Gen 4), the dipstick has dimples punched on it, with the concave part of the dimple on one side of the stick, and the convex part on the opposite side of the stick. You can clearly see the level marks on both sides of the dipstick.

    Are you saying that you only see oil on one side of the dipstick and not the other?

    2019-07-07 20.42.57.jpg 2019-07-07 20.43.02.jpg
     
    #5 jb in NE, Jul 7, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2019
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  6. prius_deep

    prius_deep Member

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    no I said (see post) one side is clearly marked the other is ~skidmarked~ with oil. *both side have oil*.

    you dipstick is clearly marked on both sides, like my 08.

    my 16 one side is clearly marked the other side not so much.(see post and scraping theory)

    right now my oil is so new it See-through, your has a nice brown color.



    your bottom photo to the right appear to have 'the drop'. but still is clearly marked, your good.


    jiffylube I know, it was first oil change not done by dealer[last free one]. doing it myself from now on, brought the 'wrench' head when I brought the oil.
     
  7. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    Do you have photos of your actual dipstick with the oil on it?
     
  8. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    I have my Gen 3 that I did the Gen 4 swap on. I initially left the Gen 4 dipstick tube in the block. It read slightly higher on one side then the other, but not enough to make an issue of. But due to the bend of the Gen 4 tube, there was a bracket that I could not line up. So I put the Gen 3 tube(which won’t clear the Gen 4 intake) back in. And the slight difference disappeared. The difference from one side of the stick to the other was less then 1/8 inch. I always used the low side as the level.
     
  9. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I learned that trick from @Mendel Leisk, though maybe not that long of waiting period. Yeah, both Gen3 and PRIME, I was having problem reading the oil level clearly, but after started using the trick I am more confident of the level now.
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i had trouble with my 04 and 08. the clarity of new oil is half the problem
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I heard the tip from someone else here too, name escapes me.

    Public domain lol.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    bisco?
     
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  13. prius_deep

    prius_deep Member

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    that too(y)

    p1601.jpg p1602.jpg


    they got rid of the belts; stop mangling the stick[get rid of it] and install a sensor that tells the customer exactly how much motor oil there is(live), up on the display TOYOTA;)

    rant done.
     
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  14. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    Does any manufacturer offer this?
     
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  15. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    You have to look at the dipstick along the length, not perpendicular to the stick. The oil will be visible in the light, since it will leave a reflection at the wet edge. Checking level on clean oil is always more difficult on all cars, not just a Prius. My 2006 MX-5 is a real tough one to see - it has a checkered dipstick and you have to look very carefully to see the clean oil.

    I wouldn't trust a sensor, nor would I want to pay for one - it's easier to read a foolproof mechanical stick.
     
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  16. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    A level sensor is a great idea. It was at least a possibility, my Gen 4 block has one in the oil pan. However, much like the oil pressure sensor, it would only give the indication when the oil is significantly low. Maybe so low that it’s the point of no return, so to speak.
     
  17. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    If it makes you feel any better, the Honda Fit dip stick is also horrific.

    For some reason, Honda made the tip out of a bright Yellow plastic. Which makes most just changed synthetic oils, nearly invisible.
    Also it is thick, and really hard to get a clean reading.

    I've gotten to the point where I've just decided to REALLY read the oil, I have to wait a week or two from the Oil change, until the oil is just a little darker, so I might be able to read it. Otherwise it's like trying to see water on glass.
     
  18. ColoradoBoo

    ColoradoBoo Senior Member

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    I'm in agreement with those who would never let Jiffy Lube touch their car. While the Toyota dealership may cost a little more, they also know of issues to look for and they also run a check on your car to see if there's any recalls or service bulletins. (I'm old school so I often change the oil myself in the garage always using OEM oil/air filters.) When I had a Tacoma, getting services, they noticed a gasket had a slight leak so did all the paperwork to get it fixed under warranty for me, free.
     
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  19. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    I lost an engine(they made it right in the end) to a speedy service shop when I lived in Oregon. They left the filler hose in the valve cover of a Honda I had 20 some years ago. I swore from that day on as long as I could crawl under my car(lifted up if need be) I’d never pay someone to do that again.
     
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  20. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    As mentioned by some others in this thread, I do see the level higher on one side than the other in my 2017 Prius. This is while ignoring the skid marks on the sides, similar to the skid marks seen in the second photo in the above. Question for those that change their own oil: is the lower level or the higher level on the other side correct? One side is exactly on the max dot and the other side is higher (again while ignoring the long skid marks along the length of the dipstick).

    Thanks in advance.