Oil Filters

The local Toyota dealer here charges $5.41 per filter. Unless your dealer is far more, I don't see how you can save more than a buck or so per filter.

Most the maintenance on the Prius is pretty low cost. I probably spend $100/year total. This includes new air filter, cabin filter, wiper inserts, oil filters, oil, drain plug washers....

Once a year I stop by the parts department with a list, get everything I need for a year and I'm out in 5-10 minutes. Saves me a lot of time, which is worth something, too.

Thanks,
Shawn

 

Sometimes you can get bulk of 10 Toyota OEM filters on ebay for $35 and free shipping. That's what I got.

I've read that Toyota filters have lots of filtering material. Check this website http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilterstudy.html, if you are interested to learn more about filters.

Oh yeah, welcome to PriusChat!

 

I need the oil filter Wrench.........Where to get a GOOD ONE?

I initially bought a plastic one for my P* from Pep Boys but it wouldn't budge the filter......so my 1st oil change just got new oil......not a new filter.....

Now I'm ready for my 2nd change and I really really need a new filter on there.....

 

I got mine from AutoZone. Just bring in the filter you are going to use, and make sure it fits. That's what I did. Have fun changing your own oil! I'll be doing my 4th one this weekend.

 

My dealer indicated that the factory filter has an anti-drainback valve built in, to keep the oil from draining out everytime the motor shuts down. With the frequent stops and starts of the hybrid system, if true, this could be quite important. So, at $5.41 each I bought 3 to get me started. If nothing else, it may help if I ever have to argue a warranty claim issue.

 

The anti-drainback valve, although a good thing in general, is of absolutely *no* value on the Prius as the filter is mounted from the bottom of the engine: the oil will stay in the filter when the engine is turned off, even without a valve, because of a thing called gravity.. It's only for engines where the filter is mounted from the top that the anti-drainback valve is of value..

Of more importance is the fact that the filter is mechanically well constructed, that there is a large surface area in the filter with many pleats and the media itself is durable and has good small particle filtering efficiency..

 

You should be able to find a wrench made out of metal that will loosen your filter. If all else fails take a medium size screwdriver and tap it through the middle of the filter. Then carefully turn it counter clockwise to loosen it. Make sure you have a big pan under it. I have done this before with success.

 

I had 2 complimentary oil changes with my new Prius. After that period, I changed the oil myself, and it's easy.

As far as the filter, I bought a new filter at my dealer, then went to Napa to find a cap wrench to fit. I then drove out to my hobby farm to change the oil, and decided from the start to leave all 4 wheels on the ground.

If you have long skinny arms, maybe it might work better to get the filter from top, assuming you wear proper attire to not get burned. Otherwise, if you can find an old mirror - like the kind ladies use to fiddle with their warpaint ur <cough> I mean "makeup" - you can look up to see the filter. I had no problem taking the filter off.

It may be hard to find a drain pan shallow enough to fit though. I found a sheet metal pan almost the right height, I used tin snips to trim down, then tacked a metal screen on top to catch the drain plug.

There is no reason you can't use something like a Tupperware plastic pan, I've noticed plenty of them are the right height. You won't be draining more than 4 qts anyway.

Avoid the regular orange Fram filter at all costs: they are junk. I tried one on my 1984 Ford F-150 a few years ago and at the next oil change - when I cut the can to inspect the element - I noticed the element had ruptured. So unfiltered oil was flowing through the motor for 6 months.

The better Fram is the same money as the OEM Toyota filter, so you might as well buy the Toyota filter.

 

the anti-drain back valve is of great importance to the Prius despite what the plastic bang guy (C4) says because the oil will syphon back thru the filter and into the oil pan, yes the filter still has oil in it but all the oil channels and the pump will drain and will take time to refill. And yes the Toyota oil filter, both the origional and the replacement have anti-drain valves in them.

 

All oil filters have some kind of anti-drainback valve in them. The construction and material of that valve will vary from filter to filter. So, when your dealer promotes the Toyota filter from their parts department as being "different" from other filters because it has an anti-drainback valve, well, that is just dealer puffery.

I will not use FRAM filters. They are just not very well constructed, generally use paper endcaps on the filter element and overall construction is shoddy. They are just exactly that, a cheeply made filter that is designed for the typical 3k oil change. Real "Wal-Mart special" stuff.

Purolator filters are very good, especially their PureOne brand. They aren't much less in price compared to the Toyota branded filter, on sale they might be available for $3.75. I have used Purolator filters for many years and they have always served me very well. Depending on if I change my oil, or my dealer does it (depends on how much time I have when I need to get the oil changed), I alternate back and forth from Toyota filters to PureOne filters.

 

I'm new here so I'm not sure if this link will paste.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...TRK%3AMEWN%3AIT

E-bay search on "Prius Oil Filter" if not.

Seemed like a good deal.

 

that adds up to $10.20 for an oil filter.......Yikes.... drop into your Toyota dealer's parts dept. Most sell them for about $4.30 and you provide the shipping.

 

Uhhh, nope.

Its about $3.70 per filter if you get three boxes and split them with a buddy like I did.

I'll take every bit of savings I can get.

 

one filter and shipping add up to $10.20 I paid $4.59 each for the last ones I bought. No shipping. Canadian dollars.

 

I don't believe there's any significant amount of siphoning possible with the Prius oil pump.. There's always oil trapped in between the "stars" of the trocoid oil pump, which is how it is able to provide pretty much instantaneous oil pressure as soon as the drive shaft starts turning..

Regardless, as Jerome mentioned, virtually all modern oil filters come with an anti-drainback valve- the rubber material can be of differing quality, but I think this is really a non-issue on the Prius..

I find it really amusing that people stress out so much over oil filters when oil analyses and other engine tests are inconclusive as to the effectiveness of one brand of filter over another.. IMO, based on all the data out there, they all tend work about the same, there's just not enough difference between them to worry about, even the cheap glue-and-paper orange Fram filter, but if you use a cheaper filter, just don't count on extended drain intervals with it- stick with the severe service change interval. I normally use a Toyota filter, but I've also used the Fram Extended-Guard synthetic media filters (which, unlike the cheap orange filters, are actually built like a tank with steel all over the place), and on a couple of occasions, when I couldn't get anything else in a hurry, the cheap orange Fram (but I did swap them out in 3000 km for a good quality filter)..

 

I purchased a case (10) of Genuine Toyota oil filters from E-bay and only paid $35.99. Shipping was free. That comes to $3.60 a filter. The list price of a Toyota oil filter I believe is $5.41.
Kathleen

 

I Just ordered the filters from e-bay for 35.99 and free shipping. Best deal I could find. thanks

 

I found that jacking up the front *left* lift-point on the car
raised the whole front end quite a bit, as well as tilting the oil
pan slightly more over toward the drain hole. Plenty of room
under there, to get both arms in and a big pan and all that. Once
the filter's been on for a while it's unlikely to be a hand-loosen
anymore but it's worth trying; the new one should go on about as
tight as you can do by hand with most of your body under the motor
side of the transaxle assembly.
.
The NAPA gold 1394 seems to work just fine.. google for "oil filter"
and "survey" and "cut open" for NUMEROUS articles on the subject,
and check out http://bobistheoilguy.com ...
.
_H*