Can I tow a very light jet ski and trailer with my 2010 Prius IV?

I've been running Amsoil in it since I bought it with 42k on it.

 

I'm sure the OP is sorry he asked by now. You people here are unbelievable!

What time is it?
Well I wear my watch on my right arm so it's 6pm.
You should always wear it on the left and it's not on your arm it's on your wrist! Then you could see it's 12am!
I only have a right arm and lost part of that above the wrist.
You shouldn't wear one at all then, the manufacturer says to wear it on the left wrist. It could damage the watch and you might give someone the incorrect time and cause them to die!
You should be like Flavo Flave and wear a clock around your neck instead!
What brand is your watch?
It's just a timex.
Oh gee, I wouldn't have anything other than a rolex, they keep time so much better.
How do you maintain your timex?
I've never needed to do anything to it.
Well remind me to never buy a watch from you, even though I wouldn't have a timex anyway.
How often do you buy a new watch?
I'd say every 4 years, I'm afraid if I don't it will break down and I'll be stranded somewhere not knowing what time it is.
What color is it?
Silver.
Silver? That's not really a color. Mine is called satin metallic.
Same thing.
No, it's much more sophisticated than just silver.
I wouldn't have a silver watch, I always get a gold one.
Real gold or just gold colored?
Real gold.
What carat?
12 carat.
Mine is better because its 24 carat!

BTW....what time is it?

 

I wouldnt either. I bought the car for 2000$ 7 years ago. It'll probably go to the junk yard when I am done with it. To be fair the 18K number is just when I switched to a Mobil 1 oil that claims for normal cars you only have to change it every 15,000 miles. I've only done that the past two oil changes. Before that I did it about every 10,000 miles. Anyways that car is running great at 200,000 miles! I've only had to change a wheel bearing and do the front brake pads and rotors on it in 7 years. Still gets good MPG and everything. Wouldnt hesitate to take it on a long road trip.


I will be changing oil on my 2010 a lot more often than that. It cost me more, is a nicer car in nicer condition, and I want to make sure it stays that way.

 

If the principles were the same, it would be illegal to tow anything with a Prius. .
It is not. (Toyota simply says "not recommended.")

If it was as dangerous to tow with a slightly overloaded trailer as it is to drive drunk, there would be as many towing check points as there are DWI check points.
There clearly are not.

If this was a statistical safety issue, there would be cops with scales at boat launches and they would be pulling over every U-Haul trailer they came across.
This does not happen.

Thanks for being an alarmist, though, and bringing something statistically insignificant to our attention.

 

Now you're just being a trouble maker.
You just want other people to make you feel better about doing something you know is wrong.
You don't care about anyone but yourself. I feel very sad for how you are.
But I feel more sad for those you will eventually hurt because you want to behave like a child.

 

How is 10K mile oil change intervals with pure synthetic oil crazy? Back before the pandemic I'd drive 1800 miles round trip to California every other month to visit my elderly parents... Combine that with my around hometown driving miles and I was changing my oil three times a year. To suggest that wasn't enough oil changes is ignorant of how/why oil changes work, especially if you have direct experience with premium synthetic oil versus the garbage oil at the oil change places that brakes down after a few thousand miles.

 

Exactly!!! Just call up your auto insurance company and ask them. It doesn't change your policy coverage/pricing if you tow a trailer on a Prius. To their actuary trailer/towing accidents are statistically insignificant compared to all the other risks of the road and so they don't charge extra if you do it. They didn't even want my trailer Vin# and License Plate info because it doesn't matter to how they calculate risk.

 

Have you not read posts on oil burning and oil change intervals here? Plenty on this forum still subscribe to 5k, maybe 7500 max if in a pinch, based on nothing but "feeling".

You also didn't read my other posts in this thread. My intervals are 15k and backed by analysis

 

Wow... You don't make sense. Nor do you back up your claims with substance! And I went back and read your posts and there's nothing you offered to clarify this position.

For starters, you're trying to hijack a thread about towing to post an irrational agenda about oil change intervals.

Then on top of it you claim that you have posts on here that proves your antiqiated position and you can't even provide a single reference/link to those posts?

Meanwhile a quick question entered into Google makes it more clear that your unreferenced claims are baseless:

"Most modern vehicles have change intervals in the 7500-to-10,000-mile range—generally a good schedule to use if you absolutely cannot find any information on the oil-change interval for your vehicle." Car and Driver: How Often Should You Change Synthetic Oil?

 

my ocis are typically also 13,000 - 15,000 miles backed up by blackstone oil labs analysis to ensure any engine deterioration related issues arise would be brought to me attention. Blackstone labs would also notify for you know to shorten ocis if evidence of engine breakdown is eminent.

And doesn’t burn any oil and gets 65 mpg per winter oil changes.

 

Apparently you don't understand sarcasm and still haven't comprehended my other posts in this thread. I wasn't saying 10k is unreasonable at all and have stated that several times here. I don't know why you're insisting on trying to say that was my "antiquated position" or trying to prove otherwise. It's not an agenda either.

Numerous posters here comment a 10K oil change interval is too long and some claim it's responsible for oil consumption in these cars when they get old. Pick any post on oil consumption or on posts asking for advice on comments on high mileage purchases and you will find people chiming in to make sure the oil is changed frequently or you might have an oil burner. I'm not gonna bother to link to them because they're everywhere, it's a common theme on this forum and I've already wasted enough time on this.

How that relates to this thread, and it's not a hijack, is that I think those same types who don't believe Toyota knows best when it comes to OCIs will turn around and treat Toyota saying don't tow with a Prius as complete gospel. There's a massive disconnect there. You can extend that to those who say Toyota fucked up with the design of the EGR system or on the head gasket issue. Does Toyota know best then or just when it comes to towing?

Nothing is black and white, except don't tow with a Prius because Toyota says so

It was implied, but not specifically stated, so I'll state it now. I would have no issue towing in some circumstances with a Prius. I don't give a shit that Toyota doesn't recommend it.

I have no issues going 15k on an oil change either and have done so for roughly 87k at this point so far. I don't give a shit that Toyota recommends 10k.

 

Based on your comments it's time to press the ignore button on you here.

It takes 15 seconds to grab some references, yet you don't have a single one ever?

I again went through your comments, which were so brief they didn't make your points clear.

Seems your participation in this forum is a waste of our time and I'm here to help people with well-reference information, not to have someone say the people in the discussion are wrong without explaining the details of why they are wrong. Will be nice to not see you on here anymore.

 

Have the day you deserve!

 

Blackstone Analysis: $30

OEM filter (for MY car) $6
0w20 oil - 5 quarts: $15

I do not know.
Seems to me that it's cheaper to just do the extra oil change.....but then I buy new base model cars and trade them out every 200,000 - 250,000 miles.

I don't use a 5k OCI based on a "feeling."
I also do not use "science and data" - at lest the kind that they use at CNN, FNS, or the CDC.

My cars.
My rules.
Don't like it?
Don't care.

My presumption is that somebody who uses some sexy Gucci oil and gets Blackstone reports is probably yanking the dipstick every now and then and doing other preventative maintenance tasks, and "normal" people do not read - let alone POST in threads like this....so it's not like we're teaching very many people how to do it "right."

Example:

My beloved company operates a fleet of vehicles.
According to the Googles......71,000 of them.
They used to buy hybrids (mostly wireless) for social brownie points, and I still have one of the last of these in service.

My beloved company is world famous for being super stingy, and THEY use a 5,000 mile OCI all of our vehicles.
The last time I talked with "Three Guys and a Hammer" they said that it's moronic to use a 10,000 mile OCI for a group of people that they KNOW will not check the oil every 1,000 miles......because they presume NOBODY checks the oil on a car that they do not own.

Of course....ACTUAL mileage may vary.

 

brand?

 

I hear ya, many different ways to skin a cat depending on the big picture and comfort level.

I don't do analysis every oil change. It doesn't make sense on something like a Prius to me personally. Periodically to make sure everything is still good to go is fine with me.

 

For the 2012 and 2020....it's

Super Tech Full Synthetic SAE 0W-20 Motor Oil12 Quarts
(2.92/qt) +ttl
Made by Warren Petroleum Products

The 06 and the 09 get slightly more expensive dino oil - @ 5w30 (Castrol)

Obviously I'll get snickers from the designer-oil set, but I really don't give a rats and REAL WORLD mileage will vary.

Here's mine....
530,000 miles total in my 4 in-service vehicles, any of which I would confidently drive to all 4 corners of the US in one trip, and only one of which has ever had to go to a mechanic....once.....for a fuel sending unit that I could have replaced myself but chose not to.

My 2 work Priuses were nearly as dependable, and I have about 200,000 combined miles in THEM so in my experience Toyota builds pretty good cars too.

 

Back to towing. I finally scratched my ball. Probably loaded it way more then intended. Numbers I have right now are from 1,670 to 2,040 lbs and tongue was probably way overloaded as well. Was on some fairly flat highway and kind of cruising at 65mph with a max of 67mph for the trip. 0-60 is miserable even when not towing, when towing it's quite worse. It's normally around 13s according to some website but I think it was around 20-30 loaded up like I was. It did not help that the trailer tires were kinda low, which I fixed at my turnaround point.

Car was happier around 45mph. But accelerating and keeping it at speed when in hills, you're almost always in the power bar. It also does not help I have bigger AT tires. Extra weight and rolling resistance and gears up everything. Braking also took more time of course. But it can be done safely. You just need to plan more time for everything and you will be fine.

ScanGauge 2 said engine had a max of 205F and M2C (MG2) 240max (alarming?!) ICF (Iverter coolant temp) max 140 but was 120 about a hour after sitting. I ended up fixing some of my X codes to work and plan to go out again, but with a empty trailer. The very bad thing is, I noticed when on the highway for a little bit, there was a faint burning or gasoline smell. It seemed to be coming from the AC, even though it was on recirculate. If I turned it completely off, didn't smell it. Pulled over sniffed under hood and couldn't smell it. Sniffed tires, nothing.

I'm going to do a empty benchmark tomorrow and update with better/more accurate info, with other xgauge info.

 

For reference, MG1 and MG2 will run in 220 during summer in my car. 240 doesn't seem like much of a jump all things considered.

If you're going to tow a lot, upgraded brake pads make a huge difference in performance for a bit. You're still ultimately limited by the heat capacity of the rotors, but if you allow them to cool between heavy braking events the better pads grip better and don't fade until they reach higher temperatures. Stock Toyota pads tend to go to mush pretty quick once you get them hot.

Edit: You can also help control inverter coolant temp by hitting the a/c button. That turns the fans on and provides airflow when stopped/low speed and helps keep inverter coolant in check. If you don't want the A/C compressor to run you can dial up the cabin temp to match ambient. Personally, I think running A/C and keeping cabin temps down helps keep the battery cooler, especially if you're using regen heavily.

 

What's 60-0 ?