Oil change (not) fun

Remove the whole plastic "shield." I did that when I replaced ATF in mine. It wasn't that hard and I could inspect the whole thing.

 

Sounds like someone previously replaced the pins with aftermarket??

The stock pins retract jaws by prying up on the centre cap. Mine are a distinct grey colour, a bit bigger than the rest on that panel.

Fwiw I pull off my entire panel at oil change, to preserve the hinge.

 

To just open the flap, I think it's just the two fasteners labelled "5" in this attachment. I believe there's actually 3 types holding the entire panel, but the differences among the rest are so subtle, I've given up, just mix and match them.

Also, when you have the fasteners off, rinse them in warm sudsy water*, float the grit out of them. It's grit that really seizes them up, causes them to break. That and curbs...

Be REAL careful you don't flush them down the drain!

If you take the whole panel off you'll quickly discover there's 10 mm (socket size) bolts near the front bumper to be removed. Start at the back, work your way forward, remove front fasteners last, and then pull the panel backwords an inch or two to extract it from the panel ahead of it.

Sorry, forgot to post attachement. Got it now

 

I replaced the large plastic rivets with M6x1.0 "nutserts" and M6x1.0 Phillips head stainless steel screws.


Make Your Own RivNut Tool | Carolina Rover Owners Club

The M6 "nutsert" fits the original 9mm hole perfectly.


No problem at all in losing them on the road or taking them off when I need to service the oil door.

 

I think if you replace those 2 troublesome fasteners you'll smooth out in you're future attempts. I've had the panel off about 8 times now, it's 10~15 minutes each way. I believe I had to replace 1 or 2 fasteners (losing track), but for the most part they've held up. Washing the grit out before re-install helped I believe. Also, the Canadian schedule is every 6 mo (or 8000 km), so the more frequent interval means less build-up of crud.

Besides a slim blade screw driver, one of these (paint can opener) is good with the fasteners. It hooks under the cap and then is easy to lever up. Just take your time, don't force it:

 

I have M5 "nutserts" and screws that fit perfectly into the 7mm holes made for the 7mm smaller plastic rivets but found that they wee not necessary for the time being.

 

FWIW......In a perfect world, the "Pull" on the center pin needs to come equally from two points, 180* apart (so as not to induce a "Bind").....there is a special tool for this......if interested, check with your friendly neighborhood auto parts store......

 

Whatever you like. I always changed the oil on conventional cars. When I bought a Prius I quit. That is a job for someone else. About a $50.00 job at my dealer. I now have a new Avalon hybrid. The dealer will have that job as well. Only has to be done every 10,000 miles. Just too much screwing around with that splash cover and cartridge oil filter.

 

Get slim blade screw driver under cap edge, and paint can opener 180 deg away, per Tande? When they're stuck like that is when leverage at a single point is most prone to break the thing.

Okinawa's right: it's not the easiest DIY, with the underpanel, and the oil filter is unorthodox. OTOH, the complexities are by no means insurmountable..., I'm not a hardcore wrenched, but get through it. Gets easier. But yeah, it can work just leaving it to the pros.

 

I have a 2010 Prius which I've had for right at 5 years. I replaced the HINGE on the oil filter door YEARS ago. I used a piano hinge and it worked fine.......Until I have now had the oil filter door TORN OFF, by something that the low slung car hit in the road. I don't remember the specific incident or I would have been watching for the door sliding down the road behind me... So I've no door now, found out at last oil change. I have a lot of miles on this car, and it is the original panel. Can I get the under engine cover replaced? Or the part? It probably had become warped, and I didn't know it, but it ripped the door off along with the hinge...... I had used pop rivets to attach the door and it worked fine for many years. Even the forum members had nothing good to say about what I wanted to do to cure the original problem, the door broke at it's hinge point while we were away, and the door was taken off till we got home & I could fix it. But door is gone now! Haven't been able to find the part, door or whole panel anywhere yet. Can anyone help? Would I qualify for the Warrantee Part at least, I am years out of warrantee, by both miles, & time, as you can tell, but need to know before I go to the dealer & they "show me the door", telling me that I've waited too long...... Thanks for any help. Greenclipper

 

10 2010 Toyota Prius Lower Engine Cover - Body Mechanical & Trim - Action Crash, Rear - PartsGeek

 

No doubt your warranty has expired and if you had a warranty I doubt if the warranty would cover that. I had a 2011 Prius Two. I had to have that cover replaced. For the cover, $262.00 at a Toyota dealer.

 

If and when you replace the undercover, don't use the "flap" anymore, just remove the whole thing at oil changes. It'll last forever.

 

Glad my dealer offered $ 9.99 synthetic oil changes , with purchase ,,,,

 

Oil change shouldn't be that hard, if its not the stock clips on the oil panel door, just break it and replace it OEM clips. So much easier to deal with.