My Prius is down 4 quarts of oil 9000 miles after oil change

Hear hear: @friendly_jacek notes that his oil consumption seems to accelerate as the oil ages. I would stick with your 6 month or 5K interval. Canadian regular interval is the same, for 3rd gen: 8000 km or 6 months. For 4th gen, Canada has gone to 10K or yearly. I highly doubt the engines have gotten twice as bullet-proof, more likely marketing making these decisions.

Following 6 months or 8K km's, I've got zero consumption so far. That said, a little oil consumption is more the norm in my experience. Still, especially being DIY, I'd much rather do the 6 month interval, cheap insurance.

 

I think some owners just use a lower OCI (oil change interval) or check and top their oil off more frequently.
My CFO's car has a 10,000 mile OCI and a 6 quart sump......AND a "recommendation" from the OEM (probably paid for by the American Petroleum Institute) to use full synthetic.
I check the oil monthly and change it every 5,000 miles and burn zero measurable oil at 100,000 miles.

Coincidence?
Perhaps.
Perhaps not.

Whatever car you buy next, you need to check two things:
How much oil is in the sump and the recommended oil change interval.
If the Korean car has a small sump and a long OCI, then they might be "incompetent" just like Toyota is.
I hear Honda owners complaining about the same thing..........................for the same reason.

+1

 

glad I found this thread. i'll make a note to avoid the '10s and regularly check oil whichever year I get. wondering what you guys are using for oil? ill be using amsoil sso or red line

 

4 qts is about empty.

 

I use Mobile-1.....not because it's the best, or the cheapest, but because it's available everywhere and it offers my 'just right' blend of performance and affordability.

It's generally stupid to try to save a buck or two on a jug of oil that's vital to the health of a $10,000 car but since the G3s generally use 0w20, and this viscosity is generally a synthetic blend anyway........any flavor that you buy will probably be about as good as any other flavor.


I know that I risk being burned in effigy by enraged Royal Purple or AMSEARL distributors, but....really?
My Harley Davidson had a redline that's roughly twice what Priuses are electronically limited to.

You can spend more, but you're not going to get more.
Just make sure that there's enough oil in the sump.

Toyota will handle the rest.

 

I'm a big fan of UOAs, maybe once I get the car i'll run a number of oils at 10k intervals and see how they all come out

 

I have changed mine every 5000 miles, since she was new. I have 63000 now, and she is burning no oil. I posted because someone brought up the age of the oil. I'm bangin 15000 miles a year, so every four months for oil. Doesn't the manual say 6 months or 10000 miles for oil changes? If it doesn't, it should.

 

3rd gen (and 4th) in the States is 12 months or 10,000 miles.

3rd gen in Canada is 6 months or 8,000 kms (5,000 miles) <my preference!

4th gen in Canada is per the States.

 

Before you edit period expires:

Did you mean 8,000 km?

 

Maybe OPEC has agents running around siphoning oil from hybrids to bring up the price of oil...

 

Since the Gen 3 uses synthetic oil, I believe the oil burning issue is due more to the 0w-20 weight oil than the 10K mile OCI.

 

I've been following these threads on oil burning issues with the third generation Prius and it seems to me most of the owners that are having problems, have been changing the oil out closer to 10K miles than 5K.

 

Priuschat's a US dominant site, and with Toyota USA is offering free dealership oil changes at 10,000 miles (or 12 months), I suspect that's going to mean the majority of 3rd gen Priuschatters follow the offical recommendation. There was a poll thread on oil change interval versus oil burning, not too far back. Not an enormous sample, but fwiw:

oil consumption vs length of oil change interval | PriusChat

 

You have a right to think that you got a raw deal while others (like me) have a right to think otherwise. Let's agree to disagree.

I grew up when going to the gas station meant the attendant would pump the gas, clean your windshield and check your oil. Despite much shorter oil change intervals, adding oil was frequently needed. I guess that means I'm getting very old.

Bottom line, you have a choice, put in a quart of oil every couple of thousand miles or trade it in on another car. Chances are your Prius will go at least another 89,000 miles with little other maintenance so keeping it will be far cheaper than trading.

By the way, I have 75,000 miles on my 2010 and can't detect any oil burning but that, of course, could change as I plan on keeping it for another 75,000.

 

That may be true, but the oil weight is another variable. The thinner 0w-20 weight oil is specified to maximize fuel economy.

Using a heavier weight oil may delay or prevent oil burning issues from developing at a small sacrifice in mpg.

 

Thanks for linking my poll on this. For the record, I changed my vote from no consumption to consumption as it started at 75000 miles. 10,000 OCI.

 

Hmm, I better start checking the dipstick diligently, we're at 75k also.

0w-20 synthetic, 10k OCI.

 

The other issue we have to look at xliderider is how fast is the car being driven on the highway? As you pointed out we are talking about 0W20 oil here that is pretty thin to start with. I have a 97 Volvo 960, 2.9L, 24V, I6, 118K miles. I use the car almost 100% on the highway for long trips, 29.2 mpg highway vs the fuel sucking pig gets about 15-16 mpg city.

Anyway I drive at the speed limit (70 mph) round trip to my place in Fl. 1170 miles each way, I'll go through an easy quart of Mobil One 10W30 or more down and a quart or more back home. If I drive the car at a max of 65 mph I might go through a half a quart round trip.

My Prius has never been driven over 65 mph except for an occasional bump up to 70-73 mph to pass a slower vehicle.

 

Maybe extended high speed driving is the only time the engine gets fully warmed, and the oil is thinner? Hill climbs are similar, I only go up our local ski hill when strongly coerced, think it ages the car prematurely.

I'm starting to really think about going to 5W30, say next spring. The other car I'm doing with the same bulk oil is an 06 Civic Hybrid with over 220K km's, and it's getting into moderate oil consumption, needing a quart top-up about 1/2 point between oil changes. Heavier oil would be good for it as well I think.

 

remember your motor really dosent have 75000 miles of use on it you are running off the battery 30 to 40% of the times so you are burning oil at around 50,000 miles and it will only get worse. don't be like the OP, check it weekly and change it more often if you want the car to last to 200,000 miles and beyond