Oil overfilled by the manufacturer?

In regard to reading about concerns about oil overfills in many threads, has anyone actully had too much oil cause a problem?

 

Mine also arrived that way. When I did my 5,000 I took my own oil in and asked them to put in the correct amount. They put in all 4 quarts. When I complained they told me that was normal.

 

<_< At 20,000 trouble-free miles, I provide exactly 3½ qts. of Mobil-1 5W30 oil when having my Prius serviced thus avoiding overfill. The Dealer provides the oil filter and the oil level after service is about ¼" or less below the "full" mark. My Dealer honors my requests including setting tire pressures at 40 psi front and 38 psi rear when rotating the tires.

When taking my Prius in for service, I always provide a detailed "by the numbers" printed list specifying exactly what I want done.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(etyler88 @ Jul 31 2006, 10:17 AM) [snapback]295096[/snapback]</div>

Yes. About two months after my dad bought his prius he went to start it in the morning and got a full array of warning lights. He tried to restart it a couple times, but then had it towed to the dealership. They must have also tried starting it several times, or done something else because they managed to discharge the hybrid battery enough to call in one of the few hybrid battery chargers in the us (luckily located nearby to his dealership). After a couple days of talking to Toyota they figured out that all of this was due to excess oil clogging some intakes. That was from the factory oil overfill. Maybe his got more oil in the factory than the typical overfill, maybe not since he didn't check it when he got the car. But it took 2 months for the problem to occur, and his car has been trouble free for the last 20,000 miles since he started using only 3 quarts of oil.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JasonCon @ Jul 31 2006, 11:08 AM) [snapback]295092[/snapback]</div>

I am beginning to think that the problem may be with Toyota's specification on the correct amount of oil and not the dealership itself that may be causing a problem.

I went in to have my first 5000 mile oil change and I specifically asked the servie department manager to be sure the correct amount of oil be used so the oil did not go above the full mark. I checked the oil when I got home and sure enough it was between 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch above the full mark. I called imediately and the service manager told me that because of my request they had specifically measured the correct amount to be added before hand and they filled it based upon Toyota's specifications. If I recall correctly I think Toyota calls for 3.9 quarts?

So, if this is happening at multiple dealers, perhaps it is Toyota's specifications as to how much oil the Pruis takes to reach the full mark that is the real problem.

Springtime

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Springtime @ Jul 31 2006, 12:13 PM) [snapback]295168[/snapback]</div>

Surprisingly enough that does appear to be the case. If the owner's manual is accurate, then the *dry* capacity of the oil system including filter is 3.9 US quarts. The problem is that some oil always remains inside the system during an oil change, so if one adds 3.9 quarts, it will be overfilled. After multiple oil changes I find that adding exactly 3 US quarts leaves the level about halfway between ADD and FULL, which is perfect. (It's also very convenient for those who supply their own oil for changes; convincing the tech who does the change not to add another 0.9 quarts per the shop service manual can be a challenge...)

But why the oil should be overfilled when coming from Toyota is still a mystery. Why don't they know how much oil to put into their own car?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JasonCon @ Jul 31 2006, 10:08 AM) [snapback]295092[/snapback]</div>

I took delivery of my Prius one month ago today. I traveled out of state to pick up my Prius, and got so excited after arriving that I forgot to check the oil before leaving the lot. I remembered when I got home and found it grossly overfilled. I called the dealership where I picked up the car and spoke w/ the service manager and he made arrnagements for me to take it to my local Toyota dealer to have the problem fixed.

The dealership had to remove 1 3/4 quarts just to get it to the 2nd line (the don't go past this point line).



Bryan

 

zzz

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Straw @ Jul 31 2006, 06:35 PM) [snapback]295451[/snapback]</div>

x2 mine was a tick over the full mark

 

I've giving up on using the dealer for oil changes. I've tried a couple and both of them consistently over filled the oil. One time it was so bad I took it back and asked them to check the level. The service advisor told me that the tech had confirmed that the level was too high and had removed some of the oil. When I got home I checked and the level was just as high as it was when I took it in. Surprisingly, my local quick-lube is able to fill the oil precisely to the full mark. Makes me wonder what information the quick-lubes have that Toyota dealerships are missing.

 

As my daughter (Drifter) noted above, the factory overfill fouled up my intake manifold to the point that the ICE would not run. When I took the car in for a subsequent oil change and told them to only add 3 quarts, the manager said he understood why and pointed to another Prius that was in the shop for an overfill problem. 3 quarts always seems to at least get you to the bottom fill line and it is easy enough to check and add a little more if you need it. :blink:

 

My Prius also was delivered with oil about 3mm above the full dot. At the first scheduled oil change, which was on the dealer, I told them not to overfill. They have an automated oil dispenser and put in the Toyota-specified amount.

They even leave the hood open and a fresh rag to allow customers to verify the oil level themselves. Most just keep the clean rag and slam the hood shut. I checked and sure enough - 3mm over the full dot. I brought this up to the service manager and they became VERY concerned. They even siphoned out around 300ml to get the level correct.

I've found through trial-and-error that 3 litres puts the oil level about 2/3 of the way up the Add dot. Around 3.25 litres puts it right on the full dot.

I don't doubt that a grossly overfilled oil level may contribute to intake manifold fouling, but how about RATE of oil fill? A lot of automated dispensers are capable of 2-5 gallons per minute of fill, without a restrictor oriface in place.

The location of the PCV system should make us more cautious. If you fill oil quickly enough to flood the cylinder head, the excess may enter the PCV system, which will drain directly into the intake manifold below the electric throttle assembly.

When I change the oil myself, I slowly add the fresh oil. In a V6 or V8 you probably don't have to worry about it. The 302 V8 in my old Ford pickup at the hobby farm, I dump in the oil as fast as possible, which floods the cylinder head. There is no cause for concern as the PCV is located on the other cylinder head.

 

We took delivery of our '06 Prius back on July 14th, 2006. We have been only getting around 37 mpg.

Thanks to the posts on this site, I checked my oil level yesterday. It was overfilled from the factory! It was a little more than 1/8 of an inch above the maximum mark!

I used an oil pump that is made for boat oil changes to remove 12 ounces of oil via the dip-stick tube. Now we will have to drive around some to see if the mileage goes up.

Thank you all for pointing out that the factory is overfilling these cars. I would not have suspected that the factory would make such a mistake in violation of their own recommendations!!!

Best regards,
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