How often do you change Engine Oil?

Cafe standards caused the switch from 5K to 10k. Follow the 5K mileage for changing the oil. Your motor will thank you!

 

In Europe they have been at 15000km since a long time.
Every 5k miles seems a bit short, it would mean every 4,5 weeks for me

 

Yes but are you using 0W-20 oil or thicker?

 

5000, as prescribed. Often goes over ten months, though. Less frequently than the six months often recommended.

 

Current hybrids use 0W16.
All Prius generations have been 15000km/1y here in Europe.

 

Why the intervals are so much shorter in the US is something I don't understand.

 

US interval is actually slightly longer: 1 year or 10,000 miles. 10,000 miles converts to 16,000 kilometers, roughly.

 

Canada has shorter oil change interval maybe because cold climate, engine gets more moisture etc. Europe follows same interval, no difference spain or north finland.
I use 7500km interval. But, 15kkm is fine also. VW cars even have 30kkm/2 years, but they burn so much oil so oil is changed at least once between changes, even no plug is opened

 

Current motors are redesigned so not to have weaker rings. So less oil usage. So 0W-16 maybe good, but I would still go thicker.

 

I live here In Washington state, central WA,where the winters are cold. We just bought a 2016 Prius three touring with 27k. I've heard mixed things saying change every 5k but Toyota says every 10k miles.

Which one do I believe?

 

Don't "believe" either. It's up to you. If you need some sort of justification, there is proviso in the US schedule for cutting the oil change interval in half, for "extreme conditions".

FWIW, right across the border in Vancouver BC, the Canadian 3rd gen Prius schedule recommended 6 months or 8000 kms (whichever comes first). Fourth gen, it's gone to 160000 kms or 12 months.

Bottom line, there's likely more showmanship than engineering in Toyota's maintenance policy (on both sides of the 49th parallel), and it's up to you when you want to change your oil.

 

Read the definition of "extreme conditions" and you will find most of our use falls into that category. Normal is long trips at reasonable speeds with all trips well warmed up. Not 3 miles around town in the cold or very hot.

I changed at 1k and every 5k thereafter. Because 90% of my trips were short 1-6 mile trips. Even though 90% of my miles were 50 miles or more at 70 MPH.

 

I'm reading this thread while waiting for the oil to be changed in my Prius V. I've been changing the oil in this car once a year or every 10000 miles. We don't drive it much, this year we put less than 5,000 miles on it.

SM-G960U ?

 

I have a 2010 Prius with 123,000km that has no consumption issues. I wanted to see if and how far I could push the change interval so I started doing Oil Analysis just before draining the oil at 8000km. I was shocked to find fuel dilution high enough to be of concern. I regularly drive 1 hour highway to work twice a week and shorter trips when I’m home. I figured the longer trips would burn off any fuel but it’s not happening. I am now looking to shorten that interval incrementally to find the sweet spot. Your situation may be different, but I would recommend doing a couple of UOAs regardless to see where you’re at as oil breakdown will eventually lead to bad things happening. I also started using BG 44K, EPR and MOA to stay ahead of known issues with these engines.

 

Every 6 months.

 

Every 5000 miles = 3 months for me.

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