Driving without oil! Help!

welcome!

bummer, i'm sorry this happened to you. try calling toyota customer service, and see what they have to say about it. all the best!

 

Wow, that sucks. At least the dealer is accepting responsibility for the ruined engine.

I always check the oil level prior to driving off from the dealer. They almost always overfill the oil at my dealer service department. My solution? I provide 4 quarts of oil, and I tell them I will top off the level myself.

 

the only problem being, they've already driven the car around from the service bay to pick up, with no oil in it.

 

Unfortunately, you don't know what kind of life the replacement engine had prior to being dropped into your car.

An engine driven hard could end up being an oil burner as the miles accumulate down the road. Also, head gasket failure and timing cover oil leaks are other possible problems in the Prius 1.8L engine.

 

WOW! That's like the ultimate oil change disaster. Some poor tech is in a heap of trouble, I bet. (Maybe got distracted?) But I'm really glad they seem to be standing behind their work. An engine with fewer miles and a 6 month warranty is not bad at all. Did they give you a loaner car, too?

As for the hybrid system, I don't see how it would be affected by a trashed engine. You'll know for sure when they put it all together, but I wouldn't worry.

 

If he drove 21 miles, then I'd guess it had oil in it at the shop, held in by a loose drain plug. It took a while for the drain plug to rattle out.

As for the hybrid system, it seems likely that nothing else was damaged, but it threw a code when it couldn't operate the engine.

 

but it still wouldn't help to check the oil level before leaving.

 

I am really sorry for your situation. I would ask the dealer to extend the warranty to 12 months. That will give you more time to evaluate the exchanged motors condition. I am glad they "owned" their mistake and they should be commended for it. I don't like the condesending attitude of the rep, that was not needed. Anyway, if I may suggest, I would review how to do an oil change on your car and attempt to do on your own from now on. If you can't, I get it, but perhaps a trusted friend can. It is a very simple procedure on the Prius. You can also document any work you do on your own on the Toyota website so it is officially logged. I bought my car new and plan on doing the maintenance that I am able to do myself. It has also been noted in here that many Prius owners have taken their cars in for an oil change only to find it not filled correctly or even the oil used isn't correct. This is frustrating because an oil change is the most simple inexpensive thing to do on a car, yet, done wrong, can cost thousands of dollars. I wish you the best, hope they give you a good motor.

 

One possibility, or the O-ring was left out, or improperly seated on the cartridge housing, allowing the oil to leak out under pressure.

 

Considering that the replacement oil he put in, rapidly poured out on to the ground, I suspect the drain plug had vanished.

 

Good point.

 

I also think you'll be good to go with a good new engine put in. The codes logged by the hybrid ECU were probably P3190, P3191, etc.

"Hey, where's the engine?"

-Chap

 

so the only question is if the engine is good, since it's definitely not new.

 

Too bad you couldn't be present when they got the car back to the dealership, and got it on the lift. It'd be interesting to see where the oil was coming out. From your description, sounds like no drain bolt.

I'm sure new engine is going to be very expensive. OTOH, Toyota has deep pockets, and the dealership has totally effed the pooch, so...

Maybe even some sort of sweetheart deal trade-up?

 

Yeah not too much, lol.


Engine for 2011 Toyota Prius|19000-37460 : Toyota Online Parts | toyotaonlineparts.com | Toyota Parts Online

 

that's why a call to toyota might be helpful. that $10,000. engine probably cost them $500.