Is 10w30 oil really ok?

Yeah I was kind of expecting that. If the guy can't figure out the correct oil grade he's probably not going to figure out the correct refill volume either. You should drain some out right away. Do it cold so you don't burn your hands (because if you do you'll drop the drain plug and loss the lot). Get something to catch the oil and then loosen the drain plug until it's finger tight. Then just slowly and carefully turn (loosen) it with your fingers, keeping a slight forward (inward) pressure on it and being very careful not to drop it. Soon the oil will start dribbling around it and into your catch container.

Make sure your catch container is large enough, because the oil will go down your hands and around your wrists, so it wont all just fall directly downwards. Also make sure that you can rethread the plug before you've dumped too much oil. Practice once or twice before you've dumped all the oil you want. Start with about half a pint and then do more if needed. Have some top off oil available in case you accidentally dump too much. And let me repeat one more time, be very careful not to drop the drain plug or you'll lose the lot.

 

Yeah that should be ok. I was forgetting that you may not have the space or tools to do it. If you have to jack the car then you need stands and a good level working area, so yeah not everyone is set up to do this.

I should point out however, that the Prius drain plug is very readily accessible and in fact I drain mine without even using jacks, stands or ramps. I use a short thick plank of wood (about three and a half inches thick) and by just driving one of the front wheels up onto this plank it gives me enough working clearance.

Some people have reported getting excess oil drawn into their throttle body after an oil overfill. In some cases the car has even thrown a code and cut out / refused to start (and needed to be towed from the lube place to a Toyota dealer).

 

Inside the air filter housing where the air intake is. You can shine a torch down there and take a look.

I'm not 100% certain of the mechanism but I think it goes something like this. Oil is overfilled by 1/2" or more and the bottom of the crankshaft starts splashing the oil and whipping it up with air. This is bad for fuel economy, bad for the oil, and bad for engine lubrication if this "foamed oil" manages to get pumped into the oil galleries. It can also fill the crankcase with much more oil mist than it normally has, and this oil mist gets sucked out of the PCV valve and into the throttle body.

Take a look at V8CobrKid's (slightly long winded) reply #19 here to read about a typical case: Prius oil overfill | PriusChat

 

Nothing needs to be done to change from conventional oil to synthetic oil.

John (Britprius)

 

At least not in the last 20-30 years. Some synthetics used to be made from a base stock that caused leaks on engines that had been running conventional oil for along time.

 

Yes I agree, but the OP's car has only done 60+k and we do not know what oil has been used previously.

John (Britprius)

 

I cannot comment on the price of the oil because in the UK we would be paying at leased double that price.

Now you can keep an eye out for a good deal on 0W20 if that is the way you wish to go ready for your next change.

Remember to check your oil level on a regular basis and I am sure all will be well. Wishing you the best.

John (Briprius)

 

You can go to AutoZone, Checkers, Walmart, or any auto store and buy it off the shelves, no ordering. It is worth it.

And for future reference, if you want to drain a small amount of oil out, instead of going under the car and getting messy, I find a small piece of aquarium tubing shoved down the dipstick hole is perfect. Just suck until you see the oil coming up the tube, then place the end in a bucket lower then the oil pan (an old juice container on the ground works perfectly). The wonders of pressure will siphon it down the tube and dribble out without any further tools or assistance. It is a slow process, but last I did it, I just checked it every half hour or so. Remember you have a large buffer of full (the entire min/max bubble) so you don't have to be precise. Just keep it between the lines like colouring in grade school.

 

Typically the Walmart price for 1 US gallon of Mobil1 will be around $24, potentially less when on sale.

 

Good! At least he fixed what was clearly his error at no charge.

Not crazy, just human. That is why placebo tests are so important and the term "mind over matter" has basis. It most certainly did feel better to you, your brain wants it to. The actual delta is not measurable by human sensors unless you know what to feel for.

Yes-ish. Check it like you are supposed to. If the oil gets dirty looking, replace it. That could be at 3K miles or 7K miles or 10K miles. You are taught to check the oil as your car is filling at the pump, same with your tires and all that, but I find I like to do it more on a weekend at my own leisure and in my own heated garage. Every time you fill up for gas, make a mental note to check your oil next weekend, check your tire pressure and so on.

If the oil still looks great at 10K miles, replace it anyways.

Welcome! Stick around, there is lots to learn no matter how much you already know.

 

Cool.

However 3.8 quarts still sounds a bit like an overfill (a smaller one though). Have you checked the dipstick?

 

You're making me feel like a psychic here Metrolens, hehe. That's exactly what I was thinking, 1/8" over, not ideal but it shouldn't hurt anything.

When I used to get my oil changed at the dealer (had to for warranty) they always did exactly the same thing. I think they just put in a specified volume and never bother actually checking the dipstick. From what many other people have reported here it seems that they all do it.

 

LOL it won't "sink back down", it always rises slightly as more oil drains back to the sump. If you measured 1/8" after 5 minutes it may go just a little bit higher, maybe 1/4".