Oil change - floor jack good enough?

I use a floor jack and wood cribbing made from some short sections of 4x6 salvaged from a fence job. You don't have to jack it up very high for an oil change, nor do you really have to get dangerously underneath the car--just enough room to reach under there with your arm once you know where things are. Safety first, though, and cribbing is always a good idea. I like to lower the jack after the plug is out to make sure the whole pan drains (not really necessary), so I don't use ramps.

I've never had any difficulty removing oil pan drain plugs, so I wouldn't add something that might break when hit wrong.

You haven't mentioned a filter wrench. On the Prius, I use a pair of 12" channellock pliers, but a dedicated filter wrench is a good idea. I think you'll need one that can be worked with a socket extension.

When I change my oil, I also like to look at CV boots and brake linings, and check for leaks (brake fluid, transaxle, coolant, engine seals, etc). Bring a flashlight under there and look around. That's service the quick lube places don't provide. They'll sure sell you filters and wipers and other fluid changes, though.

 

If you value your life, never get under a car supported only by a floor jack. After raising the car at the front central jacking point, support it on safety stands (at the Owners Manual proscribed locations or...*). I go further, before I crawl under, I push a thick section of tree stump under the main cross beam, just aft of the engine bay.

If you're just going to do oil changes, a decent quality set of ramps will work, and is less complicated.

* I'm NOT impressed with Toyota's proscribed safety stand positions. They say to place the safety stands under the rocker panel crimp welds, between two notches. There is nothing in the way of extra reinforcement, and you're basically putting the safety stand on a thin plate edge, not very stable.

Check out this web page, and down near the bottom of page, right-click the text "right-click this link", to load a pdf showing alternate jack stand location, on the main underbody rails:

John's Stuff - Toyota Prius Maintenance - Changing Oil

BTW, Andrew's spot-on about the oil drain tap. No point, just remove and reinstall the bolt, with a new washer to be kosher.

Toyota uses a washer with some sort of plastic "skin" on both faces. It's main purpose seems to be to make the washer glue itself to the oil pan, lol. If you can get plain aluminum washers in the same size, that'll eliminate the problem. But using Toyo's washer, I'd suggest: back the bolt out a turn or two, then take a thin, flat-blade screwdriver and pry the washer away from the oil pan. Then continue removing the bolt (with washer).

The drain bolt head needs 14 mm socket. The oil filter housing requires socket with 14 faces, 64.5 mm inside face-to-face. Don't cheap out, get a sturdy one.

 

Jacks slip. Toyota's slipped on me when changing a tire. Fortunately the tire was still on the wheel and hadn't left the ground.

It only takes one time to send you to the hospital or the morgue.

 

Ramps are the quickest and safest for oil changes. Assuming the ramps are good quality and you're
capable of aligning the ramps correctly and driving onto them without "overshooting" them.

A floor jack and jack stands are just as safe but take more time. You only really need them when you're working on
something that requires removing wheels to get at brakes, wheel hubs, suspension components, etc.

 

NEVER crawl under a vehicle supported only by a jack that has no fail safe "mechanical lock". Have you tried crawling under your Prius in the driveway lately sitting static. Some folks like ramps...me...jack stands all day because you can "also" remove the wheels, brakes, suspension... when the time calls for it.

 

You really don't need to rise the car to change the oil. The only thing you may have a problem with is finding a "draintainer" skinny enough to slip under the oil pan and still be able to remove the drain bolt or operate the toggle on the fumoto valve.

You can take a couple of pieces of builder lumber -- I found the information on this site -- and nail them together to put under the passenger side tire. You drive atop the boards, which takes the car high enough -- a few inches -- so that you can drain. Previously I had just cranked the floor jack up a few turns (tire never left the ground), which gave a few inches above the draintainer.

I did the jack-only method for years before folks on this site convinced me to stop. Worst that could have happened with my jack-only method was that I could have gotten my hand or forearm pinned between the drainpan and the oil pan, which could have meant burns or a possible broken arm, I guess. At least that was what I thought. Only people here thought it was death waiting to happen.

Anyway, the boards are safer, easy to make and cheap. I THINK it is a 4X6 with a 2X6 nailed on top...about 10 inches long....but don't take my word on the dimensions. Maybe someone here who is smarter than I about lumber knows what I am talking about.

At any rate, you really have no need to get much height to change the oil.

And the Fumoto valve works great.

 

Please, please get sturdy ramps or decent quality jack stands before getting getting underneath the vehicle!
I spent a half an hour pinned underneath a big old Buick when the hydraulic Jack failed, and it was very unpleasant to lie there unable to move and wondering if the Jack would fail all the way and my ribcage would be slowly crushed like an eggshell by the descending oil pan. Wise to learn from other's mistakes, and that's one of mine.

 

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OP has a G2 Prius, and the correct engine oil capacity is ~3.5 - 3.7 US quarts for a refill, depending upon how thoroughly the old oil is drained prior to refill.

 

I would sub kosher safety stands for the wood cribbing, and solid rubber wheel chocks for the wood blocks. Doesn't cost a lot, and will last you a lifetime.

 

Go to your friendly lumber yard. Buy a 2x10 eight feet long. Have them cut it into 4 pieces each two feet long. On a very flat surface put them in front of each tire. Drive forward a foot or so. The car is raised enough to do what you need to do underneath it and it's level so the oil drains as fully as possible. There is zero chance it will fall off or that one of your supports will fail.

 

Some of you folks are just plain lazy and unsafe.

 

I run the front up on metal ramps and jack up the one rear jack point, even then the fit is very tight,
I fit fine under the front, jacking the rear is only to level the car, perfectly safe.
Jacking the front and getting under is a no-no.

 

Jacking/supporting is one of those topics where everyone has a different method, and for some reason, everyone else's method is inferior in some way. Let's just get something out of the way. It's not "safe" to get under something that can kill you if there is even the remote possibility of the car falling. If you get under a car on ramps, it can fall. If you get under a car with jack stands, it can fall. If you get under a car with ______....

Those of you making suggestions that anyone's method is unsafe, lazy, careless, or whatever else you want to call it, are just as ridiculous as those you're criticizing because I can practically guarantee you're taking a comparable risk when you get under your car. If one method has a 0.0000001% chance of failure and yours has a 0.00000001% chance of failure, do you really think that person needs a lecture?

The OP asked a simple question. "Should I get jack stands?"

That answer requires a simple answer. "Yes. Jack stands are relatively cheap and would improve your level of safety over just a floor jack."

FYI, the only people here who I can see have assumed (virtually) no risk in changing the oil are the ones who either don't jack the car up at all or simple drive onto 2" wood blocks to get a little more clearance. I suppose there's a chance the whole car might just drop spontaneously or the engine might fall out on my head randomly, but that's a chance I'm willing to take, given the odds.

And to the OP, if you decide to get jack stands, something I always do before I get under my car when it's on stands is to give it a good push from a few different angles. And when I say "a good push," I mean don't be afraid to put your weight into it. That helps ensure you've got it mounted stably and it won't slip on you.

 

There is risk in everything with life...reasonable risk as it applies to my comment "Some of you folks are just plain lazy and unsafe." stands based on some of the comments here.

 

I went and looked at some ramps the other day at Harbor Freight and Advanced auto. I have 2 set of jack stands, have had them to tilt before and metal to metal can shift. My old 4X6 blocks of wood works good. The frame of the car will bite into wood, it ant moving. As long as you got the car up on ramp and the back end jacked up, sounds good to me. I personally would put a 4X6 block under the back wheels just in case jack decided to loose its strength.

I know one thing I got to get off my lazy rear and finish my exercise routine, or I'll have a heavy rear end and tummy will fall

 

He didn't even mention jack stands, just asked if a certain floor jack was gonna kill him.