I know this has been discussed many times... I had my 5k service about a month ago and I am planning to switch to synthetic for my next service. I know many Prius owners are using synthetic now and I know the advantages/benefits include but not limited to: - less wear and tear on the ICE - higher mpg - synthetic oil does not break down as easily compare to conventional when the engine temp gets high yadda yadda yadda... My questions are: - My dealer uses Valvoline. Can I request them to put in Mobil 1 on my car or should I go somewhere else? - If using synthetic means less wear and tear on ICE and the oil can last longer in the ICE, does it mean I can drive more miles between oil change? If so, how many more miles can I drive between oil change? Does it affect my factory warranty? - If using synthetic, do I use the same viscosity as conventional? Thanks a bunch!
I use Mobile 1 Synthetic 5w-30. With my 5Kand 10K changes, I gave the dealer the oil which they used and deducted from my bill. With my 15K I told the dealer what I wanted to use and they got it for me. A lot of owners just stick to dino oil as they feel the synthetic would be best served if the changes were every 7,500 to 10,000 miles. I stick with the interval and viscosity Toyota recommends.
I use the new mobil 1 enhanced oil.. 5W-30 I do oil changes every 10-12K miles.. I did an oil analysis on the mobil 1 at 12K.. and it was fine.. was still like brand new conventional oil!! TPN was still at 3.0.. still could have gone more.. I do about 48K miles a year.. so the 12K goes by in about 3 months.. Enjoy...
I buy my Mobil 1 from Sam's cluib in a big box then I take the oil to my dealer (even though they sell it) so I only pay $15 instead of $65 for my synthetic oil change. I will change my oil according to Toyota's guidelines until the care is out of warranty. Then I will probably go to 10k-15k with 5k filter changes.
