oil capacity issue

Yes, you need to remove about 4 ounces of oil. Either suction it out through the dipstick tube ( possible but difficult) or drain some into a clean container and refill to the dipstick mark. 3 quarts 28 ounces is the factory specification ( 3.9 quarts US).
Good luck and be careful. Jerry

 

There is little difference between the entire 4 qts and the published refill value. I'd worry more about what else they futzed with: eg did they remove the air cleaner lid and knock debris into the MAF? Did they refill the oil really fast and put some of it into the intake manifold?

You can get a small pump, some have a bulb inline, some run off an electric drill, with tubing small enough to fit down the dipstick tube. It's fairly easy to suck out the overfill

 

The factory fill in my 2008 was ~1/4-inch over the full mark, as was the free oil & filter change at 5,000 miles by one of the largest Toyota dealerships in the U.S. IMHO, the difference between the factory spec of 3.9 quarts and the 4 quarts typically used is academic. However, if you or your husband feel uncomfortable about the overfill, then take the car back and make them correct it.

 

If I were you... I'd make a sign or something taped to the engine oil cover to use only 3 quarts. (3 quarts is easier to remember and puts you safely in the middle of low and full on the dipstick)

It also saves oil and increases mpg slightly (less weight, and slightly faster warmup times).

Some might say that you'll lose .5 quarts of "safety" but I say that if you ever get into a situation where you leak that extra .5 quarts of "safety" between oil changes, then an extra five quarts won't help you (its a fast leak) or you have a serious engine problem thats causing it to consume abnormally high amounts of oil.

 

Are all American mechanics morons?
I've never heard of this "just pour the whole container of oil in" crap.
The maximum amount of oil you put in is up to the mark on the dipstick, it isn't so hard. If I don't know how much oil a car takes I put in 3 litres, I haven't come across a car that holds less, then start it, dip it then top up to the mark. It isn't rocket science.

With my Prius I follow advice here and fill half way between the marks.

 

As I wrote yesterday in the thread "Maintenance Minder":
The official specs I've seen are wrong and cause an overfilled engine. 3 Liters of Oil are perfect: level right in the middle between Min and Max. The official 3.7 Liters are way too much!
On the same spec sheets: a warning not to fill beyond the Max mark! (Contradiction! Error.) :mmph: Most mechanics take the specified volume and forget completely about the warning... ...
Overfilling is bad for the car, but it generates extra income for the dealer...

 

Well, I am convinced that most of them are lying, cheating, meth-mouth losers, which gives the handful of good mechanics a bad name

 

Ditto Bob64. The easy way to prevent the overfill problem is to buy *three* quarts of oil and hand them to the oil change tech. Three quarts is plenty. Tell them not to top off the oil with their own, and tell them that you will check the oil level before you leave. And then do it, every time. You can find some gruesome errors that way before they become expensive. Anywhere between the bottom and top marks on the dipstick is fine; the system does not have to be completely full. "Topping off" is an old-school American superstition.

Pat, to first order approximation all Americans are morons. But we stopped using leaded gas and paint a generation ago so we should expect to see some improvement.

 

Also, to be extra safe, start the engine and look under the car. If its dripping oil, then you should be worried!

I've heard some some really dumb stuff.... like forgetting to replace the filter after its been taken out! You don't want to waste hours of your time dealing with an engine replacement due to lack of oil!

 

Yeah there are real horror stories about oil changes. Something so simple, going SO wrong

 

Ohio

 

A half-quart savings only buys you around 4 pounds. I'm sure personal weight fluctuations can easily exceed that.

What is more crucial is the cooling effect of engine oil. A half-quart is slightly over 14% of total volume. While that does not sound like much, it is a major factor for engine cooling. Most people do not realize that your engine oil is a major player to draw heat out of the engine. Run low on oil and your engine is going to run hotter. Run hotter and you'll increase enging wear.

I always strive to put the full amount of oil in my engines.

 

I have been reading a lot on pc, just got my 2006 from a nissan dealer and only put 60 miles on it so far. I checked with them and they did a oil & filter change on it. When I checked the dipstick it was a 1/8 of a inch over the full dot. Now someone I assume it was the original owner wrote with a black maic marker next to the oil filler cap 3.75 quarts only. I drained about a 1/2 quart out of it this morning.

The reason I haven't driven it much is that I am spending most my time reading pc and then going out and detailing and so on.

 

It's all good :_>

 

The best thing of all is I finally own a prius. :rockon:

 

Do you have those numbers for that weight drop?
Maybe I shouldn't eat too much tonight, those extra ounces, you know, or should go on a crash diet to get several pound off