How much time between oil changes?

If you're adamant about not doing every 5000K miles I would suggest an additive like BG MOA to keep the oil in good shape for longer.

https://www.bgprod.com/catalog/engine/bg-moa-extended-life/

 

Yep not knowing if the previous owner maintained the vehicle is a big reason we tend to save up and then only buy new vehicles. So many people don't do anything except an oil change every 2-years or so, even if it's a free Toyota service on new vehicles....it's sad when you know how much money it is to replace an engine or transmission or head gasket when simple drain/fill of the fluid can make them last so much longer.
Of all the modern vehicles I've owned, Toyota's seem to be the easiest for the DIYer. My son-in-law has an older Suzuki and the stupid oil filter is up above the frame at an odd angle, and a bear to replace every time we do an oil change.

 

I change my 2 Priis (2004 and 2005) at 10k miles with Mobile 1 and Motorkote, neither one uses a drop of oil between changes.

 

We did the 2 years free changes at Toyota and I've done them all at home since. It's easy. It's also easy to make mistakes, that's another story.

It is a dirty job but there are ways of managing everything. You can get an extractor vacuum to make waste oil removal a clean-hands, standing-in-front-of-the-car task. You still have to go under for the oil filter, but you can use clever gadgets to catch the drips associated with filter removal.

As a point of reference I'm spending around $23 for a jug of 0W-20 oil and maybe another $4 for a filter. It would cost about $110 to buy the tools involved, by my estimate

For the miles we put on ours, I'll do this job 3-4x per year, so I'll do it for the next 4-6 years before we seek to replace the car.

 

Oil sitting in the oil pan and not heating up means moisture accumulation. Oil absorbs water.

Given your light use absolutely every year, preferably before winter.

 

If you’re actually interested in learning enough about oil to understand why low mileage means shorter time intervals (instead of just our various opinions) then check out pqia.org (Petroleum Quality Institute of America). There’s much more to it than just moisture. JMHO

 

The cylinders are NOT sealed containers and metal expands and contracts as it heats up and cools down. When the engine shuts down at least one cylinder will have gasoline injected into it that doesn’t get burned and drains down into the crankcase diluting the oil. Short trips equals more gasoline in the oil.

 

that's what i'm saying. if you're not using it, how can you contaminate the oil?

i understand the problem of short trips

 

At the risk of being repetitive, checking out PQIA.org might answer that question (paying close attention to the discussion on additives). While there, perusing their information on coolants can be rewarding in regards to change intervals.
I’ve learned the hard way over the years that experts and those with specialized training are much better resources than just opinions.

 

agreed. data, that's what i want

 

Good work Bisco. Convincing people by association to go long periods between oil changes.

All Prii since late 2009 require synthetic oil. Toyotas are generally well engineered cars but many have issues with burning oil. Why? Because Toyota built Prius to be low emissions. Part of their thinking was to reduce waste oil by increasing the period between oil changes. Yes that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels but degrades your engine more than frequent changes. It ultimately is your choice; increased engine wear in a few critical points like piston rings while saving money in the short term or enhanced engine protection with increased oil changes. Engineers and pro mechanics know 5,000 mile intervals are better than 8,000 to 15,000 mile intervals.

 

i recommend once a year or 5,000 miles whichever comes first. if relating my mech's opinion is offensive to you, i apologize.
unfortunately, it's all opinion without proof.

 

I realize you may not agree with a lot of what is shared (as is your creator given right, regardless of who or what is your creator). Having said that, may I suggest that you take the time to view The Car Care Nut YouTube video from 1 month ago titled “Toyota VVTi System Explained.” While it may not apply to our vehicles, IT DOES help people who REALLY want to take care of their vehicles learn that, just maybe, trying to save approximately $50 to $70 dollars a year by extending oil changes, or not going with the “recommended” weight of oil “because I live in a hot area” or what ever excuse people want to throw out there, is simply NOT A WISE CHOICE! However, please forgive those of us who actually do gather the “DATA” to inform our choices (and by doing so,help us in our endeavor to select good mechanics).

 

i do agree with a lot of what is shared, read all the posts again, i think you'll see that

 

I think Toyota's are the best vehicles for the DIYer! All you need to do an oil change in a Prius is to get the front end up (a good set of ramps you can just drive up on is fastest), a 10mm socket or philips head screwdriver to remove the small cover over the drain plug and filter, a 14mm socket to remove drain bolt and filter tool to remove the filter and drain pan to catch the oil. (Those 16-quart pans that seal up so you can bring it to your auto store to recycle the oil is what I have... can do 3 changes before needing to go get it emptied.) Let all the oil drain, clean up the oil filter area (you want to ensure the old gasket came off.) Put new gasket on drain plug and install and replace oil filter. Fill car with about 4.2 qts oil and you're good to go...I can do mine in about 20 minutes unless the car is hot...then takes longer since oil and filter are wicked hot.
My Tundra has a foot clearance under there and if it didn't have a metal protective cover to remove, an oil change would be even quicker.
On The Car Care Nuts' instagram page, he has a picture of a 2015 Camry and he said, "Another 10,000 mile oil burner, be careful"

 

Toyota could put more info in owners manual, regarding oil change, transaxle fluid change, spark plug change and so on. Oh wait, you never need to change transaxle fluid.

 

But... But... But they said lifetime!