How can you distinguish 0w20 from 5w20 oil

There shouldn't be an issue. In fact, if your Prius is like mine, you won't need to add oil, anyhow. (FWIW, my 2002 Sienna, with 150,000 miles doesn't require oil additions either!).

That said, some of us cringe at mixing oils of different brands which may have different "chemistries", like say, adding Pennzoil into Mobil. It's probably not a problem, but ....

 

there are 3 other dealers under 100 miles away from the one in Bend
Toyota-Scion Of Bend
2225 N. E. Highway 20
P. O. Box 6208 (zip 97708)
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-4040
2.0 Miles Away

Lithia Toyota Of Springfield
163 S. 9th Street
Springfield, OR 97477
(541) 747-3374
86.16 Miles Away

Kendall Toyota-Scion
373 Goodpasture Island Rd.
P. O. Box 1318 (zip 97440)
Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 344-5566
90.79 Miles Away

Larry Lassen Toyota
1205 Price Road Se
Albany, OR 97321
(541) 926-4236
95.71 Miles Away

Capitol Toyota
2575 Mission Se
P.o. Box 12306
Salem, OR 97302
(503) 399-1011
103.06 Miles Away

 

That's right but all of them are on the other side of the Cascades on or off of the I5 corridor--not very convenient. How many are around the SW Portland area? But I'm not having any problems with the Bend dealer and haven't had any problems over the last 3 years. I don't expect to have any problems with them for the next 5 years either. Since I do have a relative in the Portland area that would make more sense. I don't drive 100 miles one-way to sit and wait while someone changes the oil or does anything else on the car for that matter. The relative would be very convenient. If push came to shove I'd rather strike up some confidence with Jiffy Lube. You know, that is pretty much the whole story to this business--to meet and ask questions and feel confident with the people who are actually going to do the work on your car--whether it's a dealer or an independent--that and knowing they have the proper tools and training to do a particular job.

 

I looked at Hood River and Ontairio, (I hang out in Ontario OR more than is statistically likely, given I know no-one and work for no-one there) but the Willamette valley dealers were closer.

Here is a map of the SW Portland dealers, centered on Tigard OR
Toyota Dealer Locator Search - Find Toyota Dealer

 

Every time I get an oil change at the dealer, I ask "was this 0W20 oil?" and they say "yes" even though it's not written on the receipt anywhere. What makes me nervous is while talking to a sales guy about an extended warranty for my car, I asked him about oil changes, and why they were so 'cheap'.... he then told me that the first oil change is 'always' 5w20 as per the manual... I was like "no, that's not what it is at all"... ever since then I don't fully trust them. They also keep washing my car (and scratching it up!) every time I go in despite my rest NOT to wash it, but that's another matter (along with why my trip odometer is sometimes reset to 0...)...

I guess the moral is unless you change the oil yourself, or implicitly trust whoever is changing it, you can't know for sure

 

I've had my oil/filter changed twice so far on my Prius, at 2 different dealers, and the invoice from both listed the part number and description as 0W-20. And both followed my instruction to not wash my car. Sounds like you need to find another dealer.

 

Car Dealers are a dime a dozen. It is all about trust. When they use the wrong oil, and do it without asking permission, and expect you to then pay them for what they were never authorized to do, you need to find people you can trust next time. I never need to question the products used on my new car. I have never had such a thing happen. The question you need to ask is, why do you, not how do you tell which oil they put in the car. It is probably worth mentioning that you can always go to Jiffy Lube if you want the wrong oil put in your car, you don't need to pay dealer shop prices to be treated badly.

 

Now if THAT isn't a snappy comeback to a dick of a Service Manager, nothing is! Good one!

 

I've been running 5w-30 for the life of my car (106k mi) and was considering to switch to 0w-30, 0w-20 or 5w-20. I live in MA so winters can be in low teens and summers are usually in mid 80's. Which oil would be best? I have heard that switching oil on a high mi car can lead to burning oil, is this true? Should I just stick with 5w-30?

 

If the 5W-30 is working ok for you, keep using it.

As an example, I started using Mobil 1 0W-20 very early on with my '04 Prius, and kept using the oil until I sold the car last summer. Never an issue, no oil consumption, excellent used oil analysis results

Another poster, Patrick Wong, tried the 0W-20 and started to experience oil consumption. Up to that point, his Prius had NO oil consumption. A single data point isn't helpful, but IMHO is not worth the risk

 

Thx Jayman, Patrick was who I was referencing. The other concern was bc of clanking in the cold winters at startup, I guess I'll just live with it. Probably not an issue right?

 

"Clanking" at temps of low teens F?? I've heard rod knock at -30 F using regular 5W-30, but NEVER in temps as warm as the plus teens

Otherwise, assuming you change the oil every spring and fall, use a 0W-30 in winter and the regular oil in summer

 

You will get the truth more often if you ask "What viscosity oil did you use?" instead of giving them a clue what the correct answer is..

 

I just bought my Prius yesterday. After I completed my fencing session with the finance manager, I walked over to the service department and asked the service adviser on duty which oil a 2010 Prius used. He told me 0W-40 <_<

 

Huh, another clueless Toyota service department. Who would have thought?

 

My last car was a VW, By comparison, Toyota service departments are staffed by rocket scientists.


I don't know whether to pity or envy people who don't know how bad service departments can be.

 

Now that is scary

 

Well here's my story from yesterday. I did my first oil change myself at 2.7K. Now with 9700 I had my first of two "free" services done yesterday by my dealer. Would have been $63.15 if I would have had to pay for it. Now for the bad news,....after confirming with the tech writer that it would be 0W-20 oil,.....I failed to tell him to be sure they only put 4qts in the engine! So guess what I got, FIVE qts.! I've driven it home and been checking the oil and find it well above the full mark. Luckily I have an "extractor" which I use on some of my other engines, and I'm pulling ounces at a time out of the dipstick tube till I get the level to the full mark.
What a bunch of dip*&%$'s! I have never been a fan of letting any "grease monkey" take my car out of sight and do ????? to it! So I will ENDURE this stupidity one more time checking closely afterwords. And tomorrow I will call that tech writer and ask him what don't they understand about refilling a crankcase? Do they put 5qts in everything....irregardless?
It was all free,......but I don't feel it would have been worth..them paying me...considering my angst!
I have always done my own oil changes. Once in a while I try to act like the "other people" and let someone else do it, only to be let down! Like I always thought, and have reconfirmed,.....it isn't these peoples car, so they don't give a #%*$! Sooo, I guess I will be a DIY'er until I can't do it myself any longer.

 

Hello guys...I have started survey in greek dealers about what kind of oil do they use for prius 2010 and all of them say 5w-30 even though I pointed the manual specific requirements they told me that Toyota hellas provides that kind of oil(I actually saw that on their pc, getting the specification for my car VIN number). I tried to go further and reached a maintenance supervisor in technical support a very kind gentleman who told me that for our temperature range 5w-30 is ideal.
My question is wise forum members:
1) Provided that 0w-20 has the same temperature range (as indicated in the manual) with 5-30 so which is their difference and which is better?
2) Can a thicker oil (like 5-30) gradually damage the engine?
Any links for oil specifications would be appreciated guys .And for your info our annually temp range is from -5C(worse case in winter) to +42C maximum for summer.
And finally shall I bypass Toyota and use 0-20 ? They told me I can do it since it is specified in the manual …but they have to order it because its not generally available in Greece…