Hi everyone Just picked up a 2017 prime advanced leftover. The car was delivered to the dealer in august 2017. The car has been sitting on the lot for 9 months. So my question is when does the oil change clock start clicking, today as the dealer and toyota claim or from the date of delivery to the dealer The interval is 12 months so i am wondering 12 months from when
Our 2010 sat (new) on dealership lot(s) for 15 months, and I just did the first change at the Canadian spec'd interval, 8000 kms or 6 months. 8000 kms governed, last time for that, lol. I can't see changing oil that's basically sat, for 15 months, on a car that has maybe 15 kms. I think it would look (and perform) identical to the day it went in.
Drive it on gas for a half hour to burn off any moisture in the crankcase. Oil doesn't degrade with age from sitting on the lot, it's already a few million years old. There is no reason to change it and your vehicle won't benefit from it in the long-term.
I would say the clock starts when you took delivery--the same as the start of the warranty coverage. I would be more concerned about the condition of the fuel that sat in the tank for those 9 months. I would burn through that gas as soon as possible.
Maybe they sit on the lot with next to no gas, and if the dealer prep includes a full tank it's done at the last minute? Not sure. Still, there'd be some really stale gas in there.
My Prime was manufactured in Oct 2017, delivered to me with 52 miles in May 2018. Is it necessary to change the oil right away or can I wait until Oct 2018 to change?
Most of the moisture in the crank case will come from combustion blow-by. If the car hasn't been started and they didn't leave the oil cap off, it's going to be good for a very long time.
I wouldn't sweat the time it sat between manufacture and when you purchased, it's essentially a new car sitting around. To follow the US schedule, I'd say 10K miles or May 2019 (12 months from time of purchase), whichever comes first. For peace of mind, and my personal preference, follow the "special operating conditions", make it 5,000 miles or November 2018 (6 months from time of purchase), whichever comes first. How was the 12 volt battery btw? That's one thing that can deteriorate with extended idle time.
How often you CHECK the oil.....even in a Prime, will be much more important than how often you change it. Depending on how many miles you drive in a year and/or how long you intend to keep the car, I'd probably either change the oil out myself at 5,000 miles and continue with a 5,000 mile OCI. ...or..... If you're only going to keep the car for 100,000 miles I would do nothing different that you would have done if it were not a "leftover" prime. That whole "acid in the oil" thing has been selling unnecessary oil changes since carburetors, cigarette ads, profitable newspapers, and other things from a long ago age.....