10K Service Interval: Do You Ever Check Your Oil Level?

Old habits die hard. I check fluid levels and tire pressures about once every week or two. When I'm on a trip I usually check every morning before I start out.

 

Fluids and tire pressures every fill-up.

 

I haven't checked ours in quite a while (change interval still 5000 miles up here), thanks for the reminder. As far as I can see, it's been consuming no oil between changes, so far (coming up to 20000 km's). That's a first for me: any other car we've had, Honda's up to now, has always consumed a little.

 

Like Tumbleweed, I check fluid levels and tire pressure just about every weekend.

I have about 42k miles to date and have never had to add oil.

 

I added 0.5qt in the middle of first 10,000 (break-in?). So far so good in the middle of second 10,000.

 

No wonder why this group is paranoid about oil. Checking at every fill up is a bit OCD.

 

^I don't check that frequently, but any time I have a condition that creates a knocking engine situation, I get skurred.

 

Some people use their tools to maintain the machine.
Some people just act like a tool.

 

You're right. You're going to look like a tool by paranoidly checking the oil at every fill up

 

This is neither the place or format for measuring Sir. You have a nice day.

 

I don't know what the recommended oil change interval is on the Gen III but for the Gen II the reminder for "maintenance" shows up after 4500 miles. That's when I change the oil.

IMHO, driving 10,000 miles before changing conventional motor oil is taking an unnecessary risk. It's penny wise and pound foolish.

Engine oil has many important jobs to do in an ICE. More jobs than most people realize. Motor oil aids in transferring most of the heat of combustion through the piston compression rings to the cylinder wall to the coolant jacket around the cylinders, cools the underside of the piston crown, provides the critical oil film between the piston skirts and cylinder wall, lubricates the piston and connecting rod pin bores, lubricates the camshaft and crankshaft, provides the oil film for the rod bearings and main bearings, lubricates the valve stems, carrries away metallic wear debris from the engine components to the filter, etc.

If your Prius doesn't consume much or any motor oil over 5000 miles, that's fantastic! But it doesn't mean the oil that has been in the engine over those 10,000 miles will perform as well as the day it was poured in. Nor will that $4 oil filter. What's a filter for? Hey, the name says it all, doesn't it? Don't you think that the filter might reach a point when it no longer can filter out all the bad stuff its supposed to remove from the engine?

As the old Fram oil filter commercial said.......

You can pay me now, or pay ME (Joe) later.

Peace.

 

I check mine about every other fill up.
I used to be anal enough to do it every time I get gas, but none of my vehicles use measurable amounts of oil, and I'm getting lazier in my old age.

As far as the 10K interval...."my" G3 is a company car, so I don't have any rudder input on this.
Well...that's not completely true, since I did stop them from using 20W50 (same oil from the same drum that they use in all the other vehicles, which are mostly trucks) but it took several nasty emails to get that done. I "believe" that they now use 10w30 every 5K.
Reason #42 for "Why you should never buy a used fleet vehicle."

If "my" G3 were MY G3, I'd probably go with a 5K interval, which is what I use for all of my four wheeled vehicles. The bikes get new oil every 3K or in April, whichever comes first.
I'm just not comfortable going for 10K with the same oil in the crankcase, and oil changes are good for doing a detailed visual check under the hood and underneath the vehicle. As long as I’m dragging the jack and ramps out, I’m going to swap out the oil and rotate the tires.
YMMV

 

UOA after UOA shows that the 10,000-mile interval is sufficient enough to protect the engine.

 

Yes, so why are half of you checking at every fill up? Are you worried that it'll somehow disappear into thin air? Isn't that what check oil light is for?

 

What check oil light are you taking about - the friendly maintenance reminder or the pretty little red oil can that lights up sometimes on your dash?

If you mean the latter, then it's an oil pressure warning light which if it lights up pretty much tells you to put some oil in the engine right away or the engine will become a nice paperweight real soon.

Actually it's an idiot light, because if you see it and haven't hit a groundhog or something else on the road, you are an idiot for not checking the oil level once in a while.

Perhaps the time has come for the really stupid and lazy to get electric cars. Then all they need to be concerned about is: did I charge it and is there enough air in the tires. Sheesh.

 

Once in a while is fine. I'm talking about at every fill up, which seems a bit excessive and pointless.

 

I have OCD and i wouldn't take the time to check the oil at every fill up. Every other weekend or so is good for me.

 

I think I am going to check my oil now...