EV vs HV % and Miles Between Oil Changes

If I did not value having a warranty on my car, I might ignore the vendor's recommendation.

Comparing the cost of 3.7 quarts of oil to the cost of a 4 cylinder engine, I am happy buying oil every 10,000 miles.

 

I took my 2012 Prius Plug In for the 10,000 miles service this week. It took me eighteen months to get that many miles. Being a plug in, I had less than 2500 HV miles. I checked the oil prior to the service and was surprised at how clean it looked. I passed on the free 5,000 miles service since I had no problems with my car and there was no actual servicing done on that check. Most manufacturers state change the engine oil at X amount of miles or every year. I think it's fair to change the engine oil at least once a year, but there's a little latitude there, in my mind. Always smart to use your two year free service schedule provided by Toyota.

 

i took the free oil change at 5,000 and 15,000 miles. now, i'm at 28 months old and 22,000 miles. but only 7,000 hv miles, and figure only 3,500 miles with the engine running. i may never change the oil again, haven't really decided, and there's no good info to base anything on without an oil analysis. i don't care about the money, it's the hassle of taking it for a change and removing the extra oil they put in. and also, why waste valuable oil and filters if not needed?

 

Considering the warranty what are your thoughts on every 6 months or 5000 miles whichever comes first? I almost never drive 5000 miles in 6 months, its often 8 months. However, I don't want to get on the wrong side of the warranty rules.

 

So far as I know, no current Toyota has a 6 months or 5000 mile OCI in the US.* (Canada does)

If you are asking would I double my OCI to twice what the warranty calls for, no that does not preserve anything I know of. You either meet the recommended service interval or you don't.

10,000 miles is about 4 months for me. (30,000 miles a year)

*Some models do warn you that if you CAN'T find synthetic oil and use conventional oil it MUST be removed in 5000 miles. But that is not a recommended solution.

 

Jimbo, I'm afraid I don't understand your answer. What's OCI? My concern is if I go 8 months between service because that's my 5000 miles will Toyota say that invalidates my warranty?

 

How'd you get the dealer to do an oil change at 5,000 miles? Did you state you're under the "severe operating conditions" maintenance schedule?

 

no, i told them i was leaving and i wouldn't be back... ever. they did the whole, 'i'll check with the manager' thing, then said okay, but remember, you only get two, boa, blah, blah. i guess they lose the money if you don't use it or go somewhere else. hard nuts to crack.

 

We do seem to be talking past one another, sorry. OCI is Oil Change Interval

All current Toyota Prius have a 12 month/10,000 mile OCI, only Gen 1 and Gen 2 were 6 month/5000 miles OCL.

You do the oil change which ever comes first, 12 months or 10,000 miles. (for me 10,000 miles is 4 months, so I only think of mileage)

 

Right... OCI is 10,000 miles. So now I'm talking about maybe 16 months instead of 12 months and how that might affect the warranty.

 

change it every 12 months.

 

which ever comes first

 

Why?

 

because you don't want to exceed a year, or 10,000 miles. a year ecause the oil deteriorates over time (supposedly) or 10,000 miles because it has picked up too much contaminants by then (supposedly). nobody really knows why we change the oil.

 

Actually that isn't nearly the problem it used to be. And the contamination is mostly due to engine miles resulting from the internal combustion process not a 30% increase in "storage" time.

 

agreed, that's why i'm done changing mine.

 

I've asked Toyota.com the warranty question. It will be interesting to see the answer which I will report here.

 

you may want to check the california warranty laws as well. some states won't allow limitations to warranties.

 

That's interesting and probably a major undertaking