First dealer oil change....should I be worried?

Verify that they will use 0w - 20 synthetic oil. You will just have to take it on faith that they don't over torque the filter housing.

 

Changing oil is simple. Remove the drain plug, drain the oil, replace the drain plug. Remove the filter, replace the filter. Fill with proper amount of oil. Yet mistakes still happen everywhere you go.

There should be no change in mpgs for this maintenance.

Check your oil level before you go in. Check your oil level with the car comes out. If the car is overfilled to a large degree, insist it be placed at the correct level.

Ensure the oil looks new and is transparant, and that they didn't lie to you about changing it.

Find the oil filter before you go in. Look at it closely. Take a picture if you can. Mark it with a marker. Check when the job is done to ensure they have placed a new filter on your engine.

Don't let them sell you other maintenance items unless you are positively sure that job is needed and called for in your service schedule. You DID read the maintenance schedule book, right?

Watch the service being done if you can. Ask the maintenance guy to show you and explain to you what is being done. Ask questions. If you know absolutely nothing about mechanical things, the best idea may be to simply look thoughtful and caring about your vehicle and to not talk too much...until you learn all this stuff and can discuss it intelligently. You WILL do that, right?

Remember, if you can't do your own maintenance you are at the mercy of others. If you don't understand the process, tools, and materials you will have to let other people put their hands all over everything and trust they know what they're doing.

I do my own work when I can, on anything that I can. If it's beyond my skills I learn all I can about it so I can discuss what's going on without sounding too much like a yokel.

 

If you don't put the filter on yourself, and take it off next time, you'll never know how hard they put it on.

If you don't put in 0w-20 yourself, you'll never know if they are using it and not simply telling you that the bulk 5w-20 they use is what you asked for.

 

Now that you've brought it up, what is the general advice on using synthetic oil, and how often should it be changed, as opposed to normal oil?

 

Either the service guy didn't know what he was talking about, or you might have to buy your own 0w - 20 synthetic oil and bring it with you when you get your car serviced and tell them to use it. Buy it in the 5 quart jug at Walmart, either mobil 1 or Penzoil Platinum is available where I live.

The Prius takes about 4 quarts, so tell them you expect to get the jug back with the remainder in it.

 

As stated above, it's going to come down to one of two things:
Either you're going to change your own oil, or you're going to have it done at the dealer.

If you have it done, then don't worry about it. Just check the levels when you're done to ensure that they didn't over fill it. If you're going to be keeping the car for 100,000 miles or less????
Really....Don't worry about it.
Have the services done at the dealer while you still have Toyota Care. Don't let them talk you into anything that isn't on the maintenance schedule!!! This is the real reason that you have 'free' maintenance for 2x24.
If you have to have anything done that isn't on the maintenance schedule (it's in your manual) then it's not maintenance......it's repair.
Those require an explanation.
Especially if the vehicle is still under warranty.

OK...
So. This takes you out to about 24K miles. After that you can either still take it to the dealer, or you can tinker with an independent shop or some form of Jiffy-Lube type place.

Here's the dirty little secret.
IF you're the average American driver? You're not going to be keeping the car much past 100,000 miles. By then you'll be salivating over something else, and your "baby" will be ejected in lieu of car # next.
So...if you've made any passing attempt at keeping fluids and filters changed?
The car will be fine out to about the time you're getting sick of the carpet stains, and the little rattles and squeaks scratches, door dings, and sagging seats.
Oh yeah....it's a new car now...but how many cars have you had? How long did you keep them?
My company operates a growing fleet of G2's and G3's, and do you really REALLY think that they put 0w-anything in the car? Or change out the air filters regularly? Or balance and rotate the tires every 5-7K?
I had to pop a flare topside to prevent them from using the same bulk oil in "my" car that they use on our service trucks...which is 20w50.
At 32K?
I'm almost certain that I still have the OEM air filter, I AM certain that the tires have not been balanced, rotated, and my car goes to Jiffy Lube every 10K for whatever they use on Priuses. I haven't asked, but i know at least it's not 20w50.
I'm getting between 53-57 mpg.
"My" car will probably run great out to about a buck fifty, and then the bean jugglers will sell it to some sap out there (cause you can really save big if you buy a fleet car! ) and get me a 2016 G4.


If and only if you're one of those people (like me) that put lunar mileage on cars and keep them out past the 10 year point, then I'd start learning how to do self maintenance, or develop a relationship with a wrench that will maintain the car how you want it maintained.
Otherwise?
I wouldn't worry all that much about it.

Good Luck!!!
When you take the car into the dealership? They should annotate on the service ticket what they did and what they used. Sometimes...maybe even most times...they do what they put on the ticket.

Me?
On my cars, I do self maintenance. It's cheaper, and if it's not done 100-percent right? I know who to blame.

 

sounds like you should be worried, but don't lose sleep over it.

 

Keep in mind that for every 1 person who posts on a car forum about an issue they had (be it oil change or anything else), there are many, many more who had no issues what so ever.

I'd just confirm when you drop the car off that they'll use the correct oil (0W-20 synthetic--also confirm on the completed service order when you get the car back), and check the oil level when you get home (after giving it time to settle).

 

Bisco said it, not I

 

That's good advice for most cars, but isn't practical with 3rd gen Prius: first off, there is the hassle of having to jack up the car and get the maintenance flap open (or remove the whole thing), to get at the filter. Then, the filter is only a paper element, inside the plastic filter housing, which doesn't get changed.

Our last car got it's first oil changes through a dealership, and time after time they dumped in 4 liters, when the spec. called for 3.0~3.2 (depending on whether or not filter was change).

I've found the Prius oil level dipstick really hard to read, especially with brand new oil. Maybe your best bet is to just tell the service writer you're concerned about overfill, have him/her caution the mechanics.

Also, if you're running higher air pressures, caution them to leave the tire pressures as-is. If you don't there's an even chance they'll bleed them down to spec.

 

I concur on all points, My next oil change is free, I'm thinking of bringing in a 1 qt. container and telling the dealership to put the 4th qt. in the container and I will adjust it later.

 

If all else fails in the markingtocheckforrealoilchange department, check the oil after running it for five minutes. Maybe from the dealer to the house. If you can see the oil at all the filter wasn't changed. The filter and any oil left from the non-change would taint the clean, clear oil and make it darker.

Just a thought..

 

I picked up a new oil filter Friday at my local dealer. I asked the parts guy what oil they use for the Toyota care and he said they use Valvoline vat oil 10-30.

I doubt they use synthetic oil on your Toy care programs. I doubt they will let you watch. I doubt you'll be able to ask anyone but the service advisor questions. I'm a doubter.

 

I had the oil changed at the dealer. At first I thought they used the wrong oil. (They assured me it was 0w-20.) The MPG went down for the first tank. Now it's back to normal. There seems to be a break-in period after an oil change where the MPG will be less by about 3-4 MPG for the first tank after an oil change.

 

^ I've never noticed a proper oil change effecting mileage, ie: same viscosity, not grossly overfilled. Stuff like that aside, service department might be:

1. Taking air out of your tires.
2. Adjusting the parking brake, too tight, creating drag.