First DIY oil change - did I just make a HUGE mistake?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by sydney2008, Sep 10, 2025 at 8:19 AM.

  1. sydney2008

    sydney2008 Junior Member

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    Hi everyone!

    So, I was finally pushed over the edge by an hour-long wait for an oil change that never even happened. That was it—I decided to just do it myself. And last night, I FINALLY did! Honestly, it felt really rewarding. :)

    Now of course, I’m kicking myself for not doing this years ago. Nine years of overpriced, often shoddy oil changes (they’ve left the cap off, overfilled repeatedly, oil/filter quality, etc.)… ugh. But hey, better late than never, right?

    EXCEPT: I made a decision that might DESTROY MY CAR (whyyyyyyy????).

    There are *so many* helpful oil change videos on YT for the Gen 2 Prius. I have watched loads of them many times (and then chickened out because... jack stands, I guess?). Unfortunately, the one that I happened to use as my direct reference last night had this "helpful tip" of sticking a magnet on the drain plug... on the *inside* of the drain plug, held by magnetic force alone. Also unfortunately, I happened to have some very strong circular magnets and one of those fit perfectly on the drain plug.

    This morning I awoke feeling slightly panicked about what happens if that magnet gets loose, and my trip into the internet rabbit hole began. While there is no anecdotal evidence that this issue has happened and ruined someone's car, there was also no certainty that something like that cannot happen, at least based on my research.

    I am considering leaving Sydney (my car) in place with the engine revved for a while and then doing ANOTHER OIL CHANGE to get the magnet out before it can go anywhere. But I'm hoping I might be able to remove the plug, grab the magnet, and shove the drain plug back on before I lose a ton of oil (I have a quart in reserve, and can also get a ride for more oil).

    Can y'all please let me know what you think?
     
    #1 sydney2008, Sep 10, 2025 at 8:19 AM
  2. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Congratulations on doing your first oil change.

    Is your worry that the magnet will unstick itself? And then what?

    Unless the magnet you chose was extremely weak, I would stop worrying.
     
    #2 dolj, Sep 10, 2025 at 8:30 AM
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  3. ColoradoBoo

    ColoradoBoo Senior Member

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    Wait, you stuck a magnet INSIDE the oil drain hole? I've never heard of that! How did you find one small enough?

    No, it will be fine...just get it out of there when you do the next oil change! (Every 6-months, 5,000 miles!)

    And great job learning to do it yourself....pretty soon, we'll be walking you through how to do a transmission drain and fill which isn't much harder, actually....getting the fluid into the fill hole is usually the hardest part but we have tricks.
     
    #3 ColoradoBoo, Sep 10, 2025 at 8:56 AM
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  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    You probably will not get it out of there just thru drain . It will stick to the pan everywhere if it gets off bottom of plug it'll just be stuck to pan . Won't hurt a thing .at not get it out with out pulling pan . Auto trans have them stuck to pan bottoms all time for 60 years .
     
    #4 Tombukt2, Sep 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
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  5. Hayslayer

    Hayslayer Member

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    No worries at all. The oil pan plug is steel. The lower oil pan is steel. A flat round low profile magnet is very unlikely to come loose from the plug, but if it does, it will stick to the oil pan, which is waaaayyyyyy lower than any rotating parts in the engine. The upper portion of the pan is cast aluminum. The magnet won't go there. Next time you change the oil, if you're feeling spry, clean the plug really well and epoxy or JB Weld the magnet to the plug.
     
    #5 Hayslayer, Sep 10, 2025 at 9:32 AM
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  6. sydney2008

    sydney2008 Junior Member

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    Thanks for all of your feedback and encouragement - I feel much better about it and I'll leave the magnet in there for now. And I'll be sure to let you know if there is any metal on it when I retrieve it in 6 months! (I've been doing 6-months, 5,000 miles changes for years - checking the work each time - and I think that's why Sydney is doing well at 247,000 miles).
     
    #6 sydney2008, Sep 10, 2025 at 9:34 AM
  7. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Just playing devils advocate here. You know the dealership is suppose to be doing a multi-point inspection when they're in there - NOT just an oil change. You should also look into what else needs to be done while the car is up on the 'rack'. Your car's maintenance manual is a good place to start. IMHO; Catching things before they break is a lot cheaper than dealing with the aftermath.

    Just my 2-cents.....
     
    #7 BiomedO1, Sep 10, 2025 at 9:44 AM
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    You should be fine, that magnet will very likely be right where you left it. That's on the end of the drain bolt? If it did somehow dislodge, it won't get far.

    Here's the oil change instruction from Gen 2 Repair Manual:
     

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    #8 Mendel Leisk, Sep 10, 2025 at 12:58 PM
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