Oil changes without jacking up the car...

Absolutely. I have changed oil on my 2 Prii since I've owned them; I would never think of jacking them up. The oil filter is very near the front of the car. It's a little hard to see from below, but you can spot it from above and then feel for it. You'll want a cap-end wrench to remove it, and I recommend using a cut-off 1L pop bottle to spin it off/catch drips, once you have it loose. There's not a lot of room around the thing.

The drain plug is accessed best by laying down in front of the passenger front wheel. It is a bit of a reach. I'm 5'9"/175. I installed the Fram Suredrain in place of the OEM drain plug to make subsequent oil changes much easier. Others recommend the Fumoto Valve, which is a little pricier. Plenty of threads on these on this forum.

Also, once drained, I add exactly 3.5 qts of oil. I use Mobil1, 5w30.

rpm

 

As onerpm said it's not hard. John's site has some pictures:
http://john1701a.com/

 

I've done two oil changes so far, neither with jacking. The first was with the car on the ground, and the second was with car ramps. I found two issues the first time: 1) the limited access to the filter as onerpm describes (and nicely describes a workaround for), and 2) very little clearance between the drain plug and the drain pan I was using; with the pan centered it was hard to fit a wrench in between. So I bought the ramps (about $20, as I recall, at Pep Boys) for this and anything else I might need to get under the car for. I didn't drive all the way up the ramps, just enough to give me the clearance I needed to more easily reach the filter and loosen the drain, and to bring the car level -- the car was pointed downhill on an incline on the driveway.

If you like the ramp idea, a word of caution before you buy: Some are too steep to allow the front bumper to clear them. I've had a pair for 15-20 years that had this problem with the Prius. Before I paid for the new ones, I got the OK from the Pep Boys staff to check the car's clearance with them while it sat in their lot.

If you don't like the idea or can't for some reason buy or use ramps, it's still a pretty simple process, made so largely because you don't have to jack the car. Either way, I recommend it.

Before my next change I'll probably order the Fumoto valve that onerpm mentions.

Jim

 

Prior discussion:
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=16215
in which I mentioned about post # 20 that I jack up the *left*
side of the car, which tends to lift the entire thing and make it
easier to get under and also tilts the engine toward the drain hole.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Sep 20 2006, 03:52 PM) [snapback]322397[/snapback]</div>

That's a good idea. I think I will try using one ramp next time on the left wheel.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Sep 20 2006, 02:52 PM) [snapback]322397[/snapback]</div>

I have always heard that you should NEVER get under a car held up by a jack; the chance of the jack slipping is just too great and could lead to a potential disaster (read injury or death).

Sincerely,

Richard

 

I have changed my oil without lifting the Prius at all, but usually I just lay down a pair of 2x6 flat on the ground for just that little extra bit of clearance.

 

I consistently change my Prius oil every 5k mi without jacking up the car (currently at 28k). I slide the oil drain pan under and unscrew the oil drain plug. When the oil has drained, I replace the plug, then slide the oil pan under the oil filter. I loosen the filter and let everything drain into the pan. I then replace the filter (with oil).

I refill with 3.5 Liters and check the dip stick. Easy, clean and safe.

 

I was thinking of doing Fumoto. Hearing from Sub A roo crowd is that you just need a custom extended stick to release the lever or pull it back? Wth?

I am doing delivery now. Have to change oil regularly? Prime looks interesting if you have a home and a charger??

 

i drive mine up a curb on one side....that will give you enough space.. Tbh its easier to just jack it up though...takes just a minute

 

Park the car on a speed bump and put another car behind it as protection or put one wheel up on a curb. Use a small saw to cut out the section of access panel permanently to make your life easy

 

Speed bumps tend to be on thoroughfares? I have enough nerves getting under a car in the sanctity of my garage, thanks.

 

My HOA community put one in. Don't get me started on hoas

 

Gen 1 and Gen 2, 1NZ engine, drain plug and filter facing the front bumper, easy access, no jacking.

Gen 3, 2ZR engine, drain plug and filter on the other side of the engine, fuhgeddaboudit. Get the jack.

And jack stands....