Engine Oil

[marlinleg]

Hi regards topping up of oil,my last car was a BMW 530 Diesel Automatic, BMW workshop manager said about my model, The correct

level was when oil was on the min ie bottom mark on the dip stick, anything above was reserve, but as we all know no one would run a car on minimum, so if the oil is halfway you are more than fine, I check my oil every week,but that dates back MANY MANY years, in the forces,first posting I was a driver, first job sized engine ooooops, no oil I hadn't check it, but luck on my side a cracked sump, but I do agree check the OIL regularly, great forum, I have Prius Plus 111

[Grumpy Cabbie]

That might apply to BMW but I know of a Ford V6 engine that could have terminal engine damage caused to it if the oil was allowed to get to minimum.

Personally I never let my oil get below half way. I've seen the damage caused by low oil too many times when in the taxi game. Most times you think you've caught it in time and top up but really it's a time bomb waiting to explode thousands of miles down the line.

I know this is going to sound like I'm an oldie but checking oil and tyres is a good habit to get into. Depending on your mileage you can get away with it once a month. People rely too much on oil level indicators or tyre pressure monitors.

[FROSTYBALLS]

I know this is going to sound like I'm an oldie but checking oil and tyres is a good habit to get into. Depending on your mileage you can get away with it once a month. People rely too much on oil level indicators or tyre pressure monitors.

I always check the oil on our cars every couple of weeks, and the tyre pressures every time the cars are washed and vacuumed (most weeks). Certainly worthwhile checking the tyres (sidewalls, etc) for cuts and other damage as well. Only takes a few minutes

[Ethanedwards]

My dad taught me to check oil air and water bulbs etc every week. He learnt that from the Army. May be excessive but it has stood me in good stead. I do 19k a year in my Yaris Hsd so thats about 400 miles a week. My work colleague often runs out of water etc or has tyre problems.. whereas I seldom do.

[Prius.Csrtref]

Hi am fairly new Toyota owner and have found my 2006 t spirit prius with 152 k on clock uses about half A litre every 2 k , have just changed from A Nissan x trail 2.2 di which I never in four years of ownership had to top up do 20k + A year ( that's why have changed to prius)

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Hi am fairly new Toyota owner and have found my 2006 t spirit prius with 152 k on clock uses about half A litre every 2 k , have just changed from A Nissan x trail 2.2 di which I never in four years of ownership had to top up do 20k + A year ( that's why have changed to prius)

Doesn't sound unreasonable and is well within tolerances imo. Our Yaris used to use about 800ml every 1000-1500miles. It can happen with higher mileage vehicles, especially if they've not been looked after earlier in life.

If its not burning oil then I wouldn't be worried. What oil are you using?

[Chris Dance]

I wonder if during the cars history the engine was not filled with the Toyota recommended oil?? It is important on Toyota cars to use the recommended oil.

[PeteB]

That's the highest consumption I've come across on a Prius, but not catastrophic. If it was burning oil you'd almost certainly get the MIL indicator (amber engine symbol) light up on the dash.

My last Gen 1 Prius used no oil at all between services until around 100,000 miles, after which it gradually increased.

By 160,000 it was getting close to MIN after 6000-7000 miles, and a litre was enough to get it to the next service with some contingency.

EDIT: oops, just realised I'm repeating myself - must be getting old...

Edited July 27, 2015 by PeteB

[johalareewi]

Sounds like a gen2 prius (2006) so does not need the 0w20 oil the new hybrids use.

Wasn't there some issue with gen2 oil levels and overfilling?

[PeteB]

All three versions of Prius have had issues with some dealers overfilling the oil. I've not personally seen any reports of this with other Hybrids (Auris/Yaris) but as they use the same basic Hybrid platform I wouldn't be surprised if it happens to them sometimes too.

I recall that there was a widely held belief that an oil capacity figure used by many technicians failed to take account that less than 100% of the old oil drained away, and consequently the overfill if the technician simply measured out the prescribed quantity.

My dealer did it once on my original Mk 1 "Classic" Prius about 13 years ago. I reminded them for some years after that each time the car went in for a service, but never bother now. However, one of our regulars on this forum had his plugin Prius overfilled quite recently.

I didn't notice it myself, but many owners complained the overfill knocked around 5-10% off their mpg averages until rectified.

Whether frequently overfilling could affect long term oil consumption is debateable, and I have no idea myself. I suspect it's more down to how much high speed use the car has had, but again that's only conjecture. The amount of oil consumption on higher mileage Prius (and transmission whine for that matter) varies considerably.

[Wayne2015]

I am flabbergasted that a main dealer, in these modern times, with specific advanced tolerances to ensure EXACT amount of oil, and from a reputable company as Toyota - CAN still overfill an engine AND without knowing???!!!!!!

I always read from user manuals that one must NOT overfill the oil as it will cause damage or problems to engine!

I am checking my car AFTER EVERY oil change then! Eeeek!

But, his do u know?

After oil change engine is warm!

One would need to lark on a flat road over night and check next morning

- if find slightly overfilled then having to take it back to dealer again - SIGH :( :( :(

[TomdeGuerre]

It's one of the benefits of doing your own oil change. When i change my oil i leave the sump plug out for ages so that (as much as possible) all the old oil drains out. I've seen cars in getting the oil changed where they take out the sump plug, let it run out for a bit then screw the plug back in while its still draining. Rather than over filling though, some mechanics use it to accumulate their own little stocks of motor oil.

[PeteB]

...I always read from user manuals that one must NOT overfill the oil as it will cause damage or problems to engine!...

It depends on the engine and how much overfill. When British Leyland launched the Austin 1800 in the 1960s they pinched the engine from the MGB sports car, turned it sideways and redesigned certain parts to fit the transverse mounting - like the sump!

Sadly, no one thought of recalibrating the dip stick

That is, until lots stared coming back with seized engines! Turns out the stick was too short, causing major overfill. The crankshaft dipped into the oil thousands of times a minute and churned so much air into the oil it's lubricating capability was drastically reduced.

Not helped with gearing in those days - many cars would be doing 4-5000 rpm at 70 mph in top (4th) gear - in fact a Fiat 127 I had was doing nearly 6,000 at 70 mph - good job I didn't cruise at 90!. (mind you, I didn't do 70 for very long - it was sooo damn noisy!

[Wayne2015]

It's one of the benefits of doing your own oil change. When i change my oil i leave the sump plug out for ages so that (as much as possible) all the old oil drains out. I've seen cars in getting the oil changed where they take out the sump plug, let it run out for a bit then screw the plug back in while its still draining. Rather than over filling though, some mechanics use it to accumulate their own little stocks of motor oil.

I heard it was better to fill with cheap oil, run engine a bit

Drain again

Then fill with proper oil :)

[TomdeGuerre]

...I always read from user manuals that one must NOT overfill the oil as it will cause damage or problems to engine!...

It depends on the engine and how much overfill. When British Leyland launched the Austin 1800 in the 1960s they pinched the engine from the MGB sports car, turned it sideways and redesigned certain parts to fit the transverse mounting - like the sump!

Sadly, no one thought of recalibrating the dip stick

That is, until lots stared coming back with seized engines! Turns out the stick was too short, causing major overfill. The crankshaft dipped into the oil thousands of times a minute and churned so much air into the oil it's lubricating capability was drastically reduced.

Not helped with gearing in those days - many cars would be doing 4-5000 rpm at 70 mph in top (4th) gear - in fact a Fiat 127 I had was doing nearly 6,000 at 70 mph - good job I didn't cruise at 90!. (mind you, I didn't do 70 for very long - it was sooo damn noisy!

The Austin / Morris 1800, that’s a blast from the past! I remember them well although I never worked in a BL garage and didn’t know about the sump issue.

I thought they were cracking big cars – the width of them was amazing although the steering wheel set up was a bit too like the mini for the size/class of the car. I drove the Wolseley 2200 a couple of times and it was a flyer.

Crankshaft dipping into the oil is never a good thing, wastes a lot of power (called oil windage as I’m sure you know) and the reason why serious performance cars like the Gullwing Mercedes have dry sump lubrication.

[PeteB]

...I always read from user manuals that one must NOT overfill the oil as it will cause damage or problems to engine!...

It depends on the engine and how much overfill. When British Leyland launched the Austin 1800 in the 1960s they pinched the engine from the MGB sports car, turned it sideways and redesigned certain parts to fit the transverse mounting - like the sump!

Sadly, no one thought of recalibrating the dip stick

...

The Austin / Morris 1800, that’s a blast from the past! I remember them well although I never worked in a BL garage and didn’t know about the sump issue.

I thought they were cracking big cars – the width of them was amazing although the steering wheel set up was a bit too like the mini for the size/class of the car. I drove the Wolseley 2200 a couple of times and it was a flyer...

yes, if I recall correctly, only Austins were affected because they launched that version before the Morris one. They certainly had masses of space and were marketed in one campaign as a "room on wheels". The press rather unkindly dubbed them "landcrabs", although I rather liked them.

I actually saw a 2200 parked outside a cafe I use in Great Yarmouth a year or two back and it had obviously been looked after (or restored) as it was showroom condition.

The Wolseley 2200 version (actually called the "Six" as that's how many cylinders it had) was certainly punchy for the day and was luxurious inside (for the time) with individual folding armrests on both (leather) front seats.

They really needed the optional power steering, but it just reduced effort, not the high number of turns lock to lock - I recall a motoring magazine review that likened operating the steering wheel to working a seacock on the Queen Mary!

[FROSTYBALLS]

The 1800 was also known for donating its doors to the Maxi and 3 litre as a cost saving exercise - http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/cars/bmc-cars/18002200/those-doors/

[TomdeGuerre]

...I always read from user manuals that one must NOT overfill the oil as it will cause damage or problems to engine!...

It depends on the engine and how much overfill. When British Leyland launched the Austin 1800 in the 1960s they pinched the engine from the MGB sports car, turned it sideways and redesigned certain parts to fit the transverse mounting - like the sump!

Sadly, no one thought of recalibrating the dip stick

...

The Austin / Morris 1800, that’s a blast from the past! I remember them well although I never worked in a BL garage and didn’t know about the sump issue.

I thought they were cracking big cars – the width of them was amazing although the steering wheel set up was a bit too like the mini for the size/class of the car. I drove the Wolseley 2200 a couple of times and it was a flyer...

yes, if I recall correctly, only Austins were affected because they launched that version before the Morris one. They certainly had masses of space and were marketed in one campaign as a "room on wheels". The press rather unkindly dubbed them "landcrabs", although I rather liked them.

I actually saw a 2200 parked outside a cafe I use in Great Yarmouth a year or two back and it had obviously been looked after (or restored) as it was showroom condition.

The Wolseley 2200 version (actually called the "Six" as that's how many cylinders it had) was certainly punchy for the day and was luxurious inside (for the time) with individual folding armrests on both (leather) front seats.

They really needed the optional power steering, but it just reduced effort, not the high number of turns lock to lock - I recall a motoring magazine review that likened operating the steering wheel to working a seacock on the Queen Mary!

Landcrab, Living Room on Wheels, steering wheel like working a seacock on the Queen Mary - and it had Cow Hips as well, no wonder it never sold well. Trying to remember whether it had the ribbon speedometer which magically changed colour above 30 mph. Never did work out how theymanaged that.

Frosty mentioned the Austin Maxi which reminds me of one I fixed as a homer. It belonged to a welder who liked a drink (don’t they all) and he cracked the aluminium sump off the kerb but he swore he’d stopped the engine immediately. I agreed to take the engine out and take the sump off (leaving the gears etc in place) and he would take it into his work and weld up the crack. But when I stripped it down I found the crankshaft bearings run dry and one con rod burnt blue. Needless to say it cost him a whole lot more than originally planned.

[PeteB]

Trying to remember whether it had the ribbon speedometer which magically changed colour above 30 mph...

I believe (if memory serves) some early Mk 1's did, but never Wolseleys - also appeared on Mk2 Austin 1100/1300 - Morris version got normal dials.

I had a Riley Kestrel 1300 (with the Automotive Products 4-speed auto) which came with 3 round dials - speedo, tacho and one with fuel, temp, volts and oil pressure. Also had leather upholstery, walnut dash and raised grille.

[MLW2233]

It has happened to me twice out of 3 services in London and Cambridge. I have been doing oil changes for over 40 years and I cannot explain why they keep getting it wrong. I was told it is 'all computer measured.' Well I said, the computer is wrong. I suspect they just pour in a load of oil that 'should be OK'.

It is all very simple. Fill it up minus half a litre. Start the engine for 2 minutes. Let it settle and top up conservatively till the level is 2-3 millimetres below maximum.

Is it really that hard?

[Wayne2015]

Bit like when one of my cylinders wasn't firing...

Took it to Skoda and they said "nothing wrong according to our plugged-in computer...."

Where are the REAL mechanics these days?????

Lol

[priusnoob]

Just to say I phoned Toyota in Reading, and I queried what engine oil they recommend. They told me that they recommend 0W-20, and that's what they use across ALL their hybrid vehicles so I guess I'll get that next time :)

[Parts-King]

42 minutes ago, priusnoob said:

Just to say I phoned Toyota in Reading, and I queried what engine oil they recommend. They told me that they recommend 0W-20, and that's what they use across ALL their hybrid vehicles so I guess I'll get that next time :)

Correct!

[johalareewi]

On 17/06/2016 at 5:20 PM, Parts-King said:

Correct!

Except for gen1 and gen2 prius for which MrT recommends 5W-30 (or has this been changed recently?).

Gen3 Prius was the first to use 0W-20 (don't we know it :) ).  All Toyota hybrids since the gen3 Prius also use 0W-20.

 

 

[Tonyknowstech]

Has anyone ever used any other oil brand different than Toyota 0w20? And how does it perform? Eurocarparts has go amazing offer 50% off motor oil and I spotted Potronas 7000 0w20 5ltr comes down to £12.5 👍