I AM SO ANGRY re: oil change!!!

Go to the dealer for that, then for sure you should have the right washer. I must admit that I quit changing washers, have not done it for about the last 30 years. Many people are will be horrified over this admission, but the proo f of the pudding is, No oil leaks. An individuals choice.

 

There's NO NEED to worry. If you tightened the oil plug bolt at all, you'll be fine. Friction is holding it on. Since there are no other parts held by it, I've NEVER seen one work loose. I've seen them finger tight and loose, but they leak. The fi;lter is the same way. They have a large diameter gasket, which means a long lever arm and lots of friction.

If you see any NEW oil on the driveway, you can always tighten either or both. The biggestmistake is overtightening. Tighter is NOT always better.

 

There's NO NEED to worry. If you tightened the oil plug bolt at all, you'll be fine. Friction is holding it on. Since there are no other parts held by it, I've NEVER seen one work loose. I've seen them finger tight and loose, but they leak. The fi;lter is the same way. They have a large diameter gasket, which means a long lever arm and lots of friction.

If you see any NEW oil on the driveway, you can always tighten either or both. The biggestmistake is overtightening. Tighter is NOT always better.

 

There's NO NEED to worry. If you tightened the oil plug bolt at all, you'll be fine. Friction is holding it on. Since there are no other parts held by it, I've NEVER seen one work loose. I've seen them finger tight and loose, but they leak. The fi;lter is the same way. They have a large diameter gasket, which means a long lever arm and lots of friction.

If you see any NEW oil on the driveway, you can always tighten either or both. The biggest mistake is overtightening. Tighter is NOT always better.

 

There's NO NEED to worry. If you tightened the oil plug bolt at all, you'll be fine. Friction is holding it on. Since there are no other parts held by it, I've NEVER seen one work loose. I've seen them finger tight and loose, but they leak. The fi;lter is the same way. They have a large diameter gasket, which means a long lever arm and lots of friction.

If you see any NEW oil on the driveway, you can always tighten either or both. The biggest mistake is overtightening. Tighter is NOT always better.

 

There's NO NEED to worry. If you tightened the oil plug bolt at all, you'll be fine. Friction is holding it on. Since there are no other parts held by it, I've NEVER seen one work loose. I've seen them finger tight and loose, but they leak. The fi;lter is the same way. They have a large diameter gasket, which means a long lever arm and lots of friction.

If you see any NEW oil on the driveway, you can always tighten either or both. The biggest mistake is overtightening. Tighter is NOT always better.

 

There's NO NEED to worry. If you tightened the oil plug bolt at all, you'll be fine. Friction is holding it on. Since there are no other parts held by it, I've NEVER seen one work loose. I've seen them finger tight and loose, but they leak. The fi;lter is the same way. They have a large diameter gasket, which means a long lever arm and lots of friction.

If you see any NEW oil on the driveway, you can always tighten either or both. The biggest mistake is overtightening. Tighter is NOT always better.

 

There's NO NEED to worry. If you tightened the oil plug bolt at all, you'll be fine. Friction is holding it on. Since there are no other parts held by it, I've NEVER seen one work loose. I've seen them finger tight and loose, but they leak. The fi;lter is the same way. They have a large diameter gasket, which means a long lever arm and lots of friction.

If you see any NEW oil on the driveway, you can always tighten either or both. The biggest mistake is overtightening. Tighter is NOT always better.

 

I don't change the washer every time, it's not necessary. I'd strongly recommend you buy an OEM Toyota oil filter and crush washer from the dealer. I'm not a fan of most aftermarket filters, the cheap ones like Fram are terrible quality and the high end ones are a lot more money and I'm not sure how much better they actually are.

I buy Genuine Toyota 0W20 Synthetic oil from the dealer. It's cheaper than Mobil1. So, I get the filter, oil, and washer from the dealer. You won't go wrong with OEM stuff. Although I've got no problem with people using Mobil 1, it's more expensive than the synthetic Toyota stuff.

 

Julia,

If you follow Patrick, you won't go wrong.

One thing I will say is this, next time go to Toyota to buy the oil filter. Ask for the washer while you are there. Also buy your Mobil 1 at WalMart. It is a lot cheaper than AutoZone. I pay $6.48 @ quart or $5.50 @ quart if I buy the 5 quart jug.

Use a cheater pipe if you have to break bolts down, and like another poster said "pull, don't push" when you are loosening or tightening bolts. If you push, you will definitely strain your muscles.

Concerning oil spills, when you pull the drain plug try this next. Once it is loose, hold pressure against the plug while unscrewing it. When you feel it try to go back in, you should be able to pull it out quickly and then allow the oil to flow in the pan below. When you do the oil filter, do it like the video shows. Unscrew it slowly until you see the oil fall from the top of the filter. When it stops flowing then unscrew it while holding it from the bottom. When you feel the filter unscrew completely, lower it then carefully turn it over and dump the oil into your drain pan. With experience and practice, you will get to where you won't get it all over you and the driveway.

Congrats on your first oil change! You will get better with time and practice.

Ron (dorunron)

 

Oh and p.s. I've changed oil on my vehicles dozens of times. It gets better, fast. Your next one will be done in half the time with a lot less mess, I'm sure. I use kitty litter too, I usually spill a bit, almost everyone does, don't worry about it

 

Julia, I would recommend getting either a Dorman EZ drain plug or Fumoto plug. You will never have to take off the drain bolt ever again with either product. The Dorman should be available locally and cheaper than the Fumoto. I personally have the Dorman on both my Lexus. The only gripe is that it takes longer to drain but at least you won't have hot oil on your hands and it is easier to aim the dispensing oil plus no stripped bolts.


iPad ? HD

 

Julia,

If you are interested, you can order part's online from Toyota and have them shipped to you. The prices are cheaper online vs being at your local dealer. The only thing is you pay for shipping. Patrick also recommends this vendor. I am lucky that they are local to me. I order over the phone, and pick them up at the parts counter. I save quite a bit when I am buying OEM parts which I do prefer.

Oil Filter and Washer - Item #25 and #26
Champion ToyotaWorld

Cabin Air Filter - Item #7
Champion ToyotaWorld

Get a quote over the phone from Jake during the daytime Monday thru Friday. Mention the internet pricing for the discount.

Champion Toyota Gulf Freeway​

12111 Gulf Freeway​

Houston, TX 77034​

1-800-327-2087​

​

Next time you need genuine Toyota parts, consider this source.​

Champion Toyota Parts - Toyota World, Toyota Parts and Accessories, Champion
Toyota Gulf Freeway Parts, Houston, Texas​

​

Hope this helps ya!​

​

Ron (dorunron)​

 

To Julia,

Just a quick note, I browsed Auto Zone and found their price on the oil filter that you used. By far that was more expensive than the OEM part purchased directly from Toyota. I am not knocking you for trying to buy the best in your opinion, what I am saying is that in my opinion you overpaid for the parts that were used on your Prius. Please don't take this personally as it is not meant that way. I am glad to see that you did your own oil change on your Prius! Hint, drop by a local Toyota stealer and walk into the parts department. Ask them for prices and compare those to AutoZone.

Oh, I too spill a little oil when doing oil changes. It happens, that is what news paper and kitty litter is for. I don't change the oil in our Prius, but I do change the other ICE oil and filters on equipment at our household as I can still get to those things without crawling around. (generators, lawnmowers, etc.)

Ron (dorunron)

 

Hi Julia,

We've beat this to death, but one more thought before I am done: If the Prius is your only car, it is suspended up in the air, and you can't do a job because you lack a tool, you will become very "angry" that you don't have that tool in your toolbox.

Periodic tire rotation is good as it promotes your arm and upper body strength. The Prius tires, since they are for a smaller car, are not too heavy and you might enjoy doing that work if you have jackstands to hold the car up and a hydraulic floor jack to make it easy to raise and lower the vehicle. You will need a 13/16" or 21 mm 6-point deep socket along with your 1/2" torque wrench, ratchet wrench and breaker bar.

Loosen the wheel nuts a 1/2 turn before you start to raise the car up. This is especially important on the front axle if both front wheels are up in the air, as they will spin as you try to apply significant torque to a wheel nut. If you applied the parking brake pedal hard, that will keep the rear tires from rotating when they are in the air.

As you remove and rotate the tires, roll each tire along the driveway, use long nose pliers to pull out large rocks embedded in the tread, and look for nails or screws that might be embedded in the tread but have not yet caused the tire to go flat. I did tire rotation on my 2007 a couple of weeks ago, found a Phillips screw, and replaced the tire since the screw was too close to the sidewall for a safe repair.

When replacing the five wheel nuts, hand tighten all five so that the back of the wheel is flush against the wheel hub. You want the wheel to be in the right position before you lower the car to the ground. After the car is lowered, then tighten the nuts, one at a time, in a criss-cross fashion which keeps the back of the wheel flush with the wheel hub. Tightening torque for the wheel nuts is 76 ft-lb.

As you've commented that your physical size is on the small side, you need all the help you can get with regards to having the right tool for the job. Then you'll be able to enjoy the project and can brag to your friends and relatives about how easy it is to change engine oil, rotate tires, and whatever else you choose to do. Good luck.

 

Julia,

I have one of the fumoto quick valves, and have had no issues. As for something hitting the valve and opening it, that would take some unfortunate luck, really. To open mine, I have to lift the small piece up and then slide it down. It isn't exactly slippery to do, and does require a little bit of force. I do have the Gen 3, and it has the underside engine cover, but I don't think it would be an issue either way.

I did my 4th(I think) oil change this weekend, and even got some oil on my driveway. It splashed from the filter when I got it removed. I had a pretty good size puddle before doing an oil change on another car, and over time it is gone. You'll get better, as the rest have said. Just keep at it. Remember, knowledge is power and if you ever get to the point you can't break something loose, you'll have the knowledge to coach someone else helping you.

I second those saying to get the oil filters at the dealership. A lot of times, the parts counter guys will give you a free washer for the plug if you get the filter and ask them for a washer. You could even pick up the oil while you're there and save a trip to somewhere else.

As you can see, there are tons of people here who are more than happy to help someone, esp one that has a genuine interest in learning. I'm sure that we have some great members in your area as well, that if you really ever got stuck would be glad to lend a helping hand.

Matt

 

it is one like that, but i recommend getting one of the larger "racing" floor jacks. They are a LOT easier to pump and usually only take 3 pumps to get the car up off the ground.

This is the one I got: Aluminum Floor Jack - 1.5 Ton Aluminum Racing Jack

If you don't have an air compressor and air gun, look for one of the "star wrenches" (they're the lug nut wrenches that are a cross with various sizes - make sure you get one with the right size, of course). Easier to put torque on that than the cheap J shaped ones. Since you're just doing a rotation, you'd probably want to get 4 jack stands since you're going front to back. You only would need 2 tires off at any given time. Oh, and if you go the air gun route, ONLY use it for removing the lug nuts.