Hey guys, is there a go to engine oil and filter, here in 2022, for a 2002 Prius? I recently purchased it and has under 65K miles. It has an extensive service record from Toyota, so I doubt it ever had a change in viscosity or a switch to synthetic, but I'll follow your recommendation.
My shop here in SF uses Eco Power brand motor oil 5W30 and the Toyota oil filter part 90915-YZZN1 on my 2002 Prius. I get it serviced once a year. It currently has about 118k miles.
I do my own oil changes and have done since the car ('02 w/155K miles) was almost new. Castrol High Mileage Edge 5W30 synthetic and Toyota (Denso) filter 90915-YZZ1. To make life a bit easier, I replaced the oil pan drain plug with a Fumoto Engine Oil Drain Valve part F-103. The recommended change interval is 7,500 miles, which for my current driving habits stretches the time between changes to at least a year, often more. Most of my driving is local, with very little highway and that doesn't exceed 55-60 mph. I'll change oil while the weather is decent (i.e., before winter sets in), as I work outdoors, even though the car will not have gone the full 7,500 since the last change.
Fram extra gard on my 1NZ. Any 5 30 syn oil will do for me whatever my supplier has on special. 7500 on my service Gen2 is maybe 90 days maybe
Is your earthly location in the 'States? Looking up the US schedule (at Toyota Tech Info), the regular oil change interval is indeed 7500 miles, but also "or six months", whichever comes first. With a 20 year old, low miles car, appreciate some license is ok, lol.
I'm well aware of the "or six months" directive, but I've been overlooking it now for 20 years, checking oil level, giving the dipstick the sniff test, and I can't seem to harm the ICE no matter what I do. IMO (totally unscientific, of course) this beautiful little 4-cylinder mill could easily go 10K mies between oil changes, assuming "normal" driving habits. I'm not sweating a few months one way or another.
When should one switch to a "high mileage" formulation on a Prius? I have two Mercedes, 2000 E430 with 90K miles and 1997 S320 with 145K miles, and they scoff at me when I asked if I should switch them to high mileage oil, and that my cars are not high mileage hahaha
ONLY with runaway oil consumption. What “high mileage” oils have is gasket swelling additives, which are primarily effective at restoring seals on valve stem seals. I’d only use such oil as a last-ditch measure, if your consumption’s say a quart every 1500 miles, or less. Once you start on it best to stick with it too; if you switch back to regular oil gaskets will shrink back, worse than at the outset.
I have gone the 10,000 on this one NZ as I have I four or five of these engines generally three in service things like that a couple of them do get the 10,000 changes maybe even wider than that or higher whatever you want to call it. The one NZ is a very stout well built engine It is one of the early open deck designs but apparently one that they did correctly blown head gaskets head gasket seeping filling up the cylinder pounding a rod out rolling over a cylinder and a bore and all that generally doesn't happen in the 1N. They've made a rally version of this engine for specific type of racing etc etc so it's been pretty well-rounded as a lot of Toyota engines used to be.
