Some 2010 Toyota Vehicle Oil Change Intervals Officially Revised To 10000 miles/1 year (verified!)

Another 6 months, another oil and filter change, following the Canadian 6 months or 8,000 km interval. With a road trip our "mileage" was actually a bit more than usual, but still: only 4,876 km since the last change.

Here's a new vs used oil comparison, taken in good light, but just with cell phone with auto exposure. They do look to be about the same exposure.

Now, the oil maybe gets that dark in appearance within a couple of thousand km's, I appreciate it's a detergent oil, just doing it's job. Still, pretty dark.

 

Yep...gonna keep changing mine a 5,000 miles/8,000 kilometers...with filter.

 

how much do ya pay for oil change?

 

I'm doing my own. The costs:

Toyota OW-20: $5.65 per liter
Oil filter: $8.53
Drain bolt washer: $1.73

So with 4 liters, roughly $33, plus tax. I put in 4.2 liters, so every four or five changes I have to buy an extra liter.

Those prices are in Canadian Dollars. The cost per liter for the oil does seem very low, fwiw. But that's what they've charged me, at the dealership, for about 5 years now.

 

That was true of every other car I've had, using conventional detergent oil, but engine oil in my Prius stays amazingly clear, even the batch that went 8222 miles (13,232 km). Any clue why such a big difference, compared to yours? Dealership claims they're using bulk 0W-20, "made for Toyota by Mobil1."

 

When you say yours looks clear, do you mean on the dipstick, or collecting a jar? I find the dipstick looks still very clean/clear, by the time I change. But a jarful not so much. I'm using Toyota OW-20 in one liter bottles, same stuff as you I think.

 

I meant on the dipstick, the only place I've seen oil from this car thus far. I realize 0W-20 will coat the dipstick a little thinner than 10W-40 when it comes out, but even allowing for that difference, the apparent rate of darkening is much much lower than conventional oil in any other vehicle I've known. Why that's so, whether the difference is mainly in the oil or in the car, I wonder.

Apologies for the delay in response.

 

I found the oil filter housing wrench at Autozone for 9.99 it was in stock.

 

Make sure to use Jack stands and don't rely on the Jack alone, as the hydraulic can fail at anytime.

 

I do the picture was at a bad angle

 

Yup they're there:



I used the proscribed points once or twice, but was alarmed at the jackstand cradle resting on what amounts to a knife edge. Toyota has designed the jacking point specifically for a scissor jack that cups around that edge, and actually bears on the car body behind the edge. If you experiment with the scissor jack you'll see what I mean. Anyway, I elected to put jackstands a little further inboard, under the end of a main body rail:

 

In the US, 10,000 miles is the normal oil change interval, you can reset the indicator or have the dealer do it. If you are doing extreme duty, then 5,000 is correct.

 

You may want to consider the fact that many tire warranties (Costco, for example) require you to show proof that you rotated the tires every 5k or so miles. This could be hard to prove if you are only bringing the car in for a 10K oil change interval. I ran into this problem last year and was given a hard time by Costco in proving that I had a tire wearing excessively even though Toyota showed my suspension and alignment were up to par, and that the tire was the culprit.

 

Been changing oil for 25 years and changing the oil at 10,000 mile interval is no problem. Synthetic oil is more heat stable and stays cleaner long. Plus the Prius motor is not constantly running. If you do have to top off...use a heavier viscosity.

 

LOL!
I've seen fresher legs on the Zombies on "The Walking Dead".
That comment was made in 2009, and was made from the perspective of having to wait from Toyota for confirmation as to interval.

Was never a comment about whether it was OK, or about the reality of the superiority of synthetic oil.

 

Sorry, I will refrain from commenting.

 

Nah...keep on commenting. That's what it's all about.
Just pointing out that my comment was specific to a situation long since past.

 

Maybe Danny could cobble things so the date of posting is bolder, and at the top??

 

I am saying "NO" to the 10k oci with too many third gen oil burning engine stories. I am now going to do 5k oci from now on. Paying for blackstone labs oil analysis seems silly to stretch out the life of the oil when it's cheaper and safer to stick with a 5k oci

Thanks Stanger for this post, hopefully members here will see the success you had and can save some engines in the process. Or is toyota liable for the bad oci information?

Oil is cheaper than engines!

 

Say no to 0W-20 as well. Too thin of an oil.