Consider with the Prius that the only fluid Toyota is concerned with having, or schedules to be changed before "most" people trade in for a new car, a sign they consider engine oil important. In fact this is the single one most important service item not to neglect on any car. Why would anyone insist on finding reasons to cut corners here. If anything, you should go the other way and service more...especially in light that "some" want their cars to last 300,000 or more miles and recent trends indicating "excess" oil use/burn by normal standards. I am not even going to address the absurd 600 mile to a quart/liter litmus test quoted by Toyota as the tipping point for excessive. Whether you do it yourself or have it done, the cost is minimal and the old oil is recycled. Changing the cars oil/filter on schedule (or before) is a win/win/win thing no matter how you look at it. ETC(SS) nailed it short and sweet...and this applies to all cars.
I added a LOSE into your post. It reflects your pocket book at$75+ oil changes when it is unneeded. I'm guessing you change yours every 5k?
I'm extremely cheap. That's how you get rich, live like you are poor. Most people that act like they have a lot of money don't have nearly as high of net worth as you think they do.
My diesel truck takes something like 2.5 gallons of oil, and turns black almost immediately. As you point out, color is no indication of oil condition. The only way to know the condition is to have a sample analysed by a lab.
Red you know comparing the color of oil in a diesel to that of a Prius, or most gas powered car or light truck engines, does not even belong in the same conversation.
Nope. About retirement time you "cash it in" and have a L O N G party. Of course, some balance is best......because you never know if you will make it that far or not.
Way to go Markabele! That is the way to live. I wish more people would be proud of being cheap. I love staring at my net worth with the comfort and security it gives me when I retire or if I lose my job. Spend an unnecessary $1000-$2000 on oil changes over the lifetime of my PiP? No thanks. I'd rather enjoy a vacation or buy myself a new cell phone. Or maybe do something really crazy. Put it in a retirement account and slowly stare at it compound to $10000+. iPhone ?
That's the attitude guys at my work who make tens of thousands more than me per year have, yet I'm the one they come to for $200-$1000 loans when they get into a bind and cannot pay rent. A person should have 6mo minimum of liquid assets for a rainy day, regardless of their income. After that, they should be storing a nest egg for retirement because, if you haven't noticed, social insecurity is a disaster. Having a rewards credit card that is paid off every month is also wise. Not only do you get cash back, and build credit, but you also have an emergency source of funds if you haven't yet built up the 6mo rainy day fund.
In the name of accuracy I will point out that the 1L/600 mile test is used by Toyota for warranty decisions. None of us consider it ideal or like new.
Buy a new cell phone or taking a vacation is just the opposite of what mark is saying stay home save your money, I'll take the vacation in your place less crowded and more cell phones for me!
LOL I'm older than you guys, so I have my retirement stash. I saved it as an insurance policy against job loss, inability to work, or any other unexpected nasty surprise. With a bit of luck I will never spend any of it, and instead let it grow and eventually be distributed to my children and grandchildren. Multi-generational savings is a very good thing (TM) so long as the heirs have adopted the same attitude. My generation is the 3rd in our family that has received family money, and in real terms the savings has grown each generation.
So, I have found a part number for the filter tool on Amazon for like $16 bucks, but do you have a part # for the OEM oil filters that I need for a 2013 Prius Plug in? I've seen where they say Prius, but I don't know if they are the same or different between the Prius and and Prius Plug in. I would greatly appreciate it.
No. The idea is to find out where the corner is, exactly. That way you do not just throw away perfectly good oil for no good reason. Else, why not just replace the 12v battery every two years, just in case. Or replace the traction battery every 8 years, whether it needs it or not? Mike