Have I Blown My Factory Warranty?

No real answer unless the car blows & u have to ask for warranty service.
Long term damage could have occurred.
I'd say do an AutoRx cleansing & oil change.

Cross your fingers.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MickeyA @ Jun 26 2007, 03:09 AM) [snapback]468152[/snapback]</div>

Don't be such an alarmist! Going 9,000 miles between oil changes is not that big of a deal because today's oils are better engineered than they used to be. In fact, many car makers have adopted extended service intervals. I only change the oil once every 10,000 miles in my Mercedes...

The correct answer here is to just get the oil changed. The Prius ICE doesn't have any known sludging problems, so flushing with AutoRx is overkill at this point. If you are really concerned about the condition of your oil and any damage that might have been done, take a sample of the oil when you change it and have it sent for analysis. I think you will be pleasently surprised by the results.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MickeyA @ Jun 26 2007, 03:09 AM) [snapback]468152[/snapback]</div>

Oi

I suppose every Prius in the EU - with their normal 12 month or 10,000 mile oil change interval - must have this "Auto RX" thing performed??

I have posted numerous times on the subject of extended oil changes, and the quality of various oils. Perhaps if the crap dealer oil is used, that might be cause for concern. I have had a lot of used oil analysis done on my Prius, and can confirm that Mobil 1 0W-20 run 16,000 km is nothing, no sweat at all.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BexarWolf @ Jun 26 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]468206[/snapback]</div>

Did your "maint" light come on to warn you to have your car serviced at your 5k interval? I'm just curious and if it did... what did you do? ignore it? I don't believe 9k is any major concern tbh. Don't worry about it.

 

A $20 oil analysis would be worth the insurance. Plus, I would really like to see what the original oil would look like after 9k miles.

Did you ever check the oil level? Is it still at the full mark?

 

I second Winston's suggestion. In the very unlikely event of engine problems during the warranty period, a clean bill of health from analysis of the first oil change could simplify discussions with Toyota.

Separately, just to be clear, no other aspect of your Prius warranty could be affected by not (precisely) following Toyota's oil change recommendations.

 

Toyota can't void your entire warranty for failing to change your oil at the specified interval. At best, they could deny warranty coverage for any mechanical failure which could be attributed to the oil. This, however, is very unlikely, as they would have to prove that the oil was no longer doing its job and was what caused the failure. Think about it this way, when was the last time you heard of an engine failure due to oil?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman @ Jun 26 2007, 07:38 AM) [snapback]468190[/snapback]</div>

I have no concern about the car running 9K miles on an oil change. My only concern is that is is the first oil change which is the most important oil change that you will ever do. This is because as the engine "breaks in" the mating surfaces wear together and small pieces of metal are worn away and suspended in the oil. Changing the oil the first time gets rid of the small metal particles.

That said, modern engines have much tighter tolerances and don't wear together nearly as much so this is not as big a deal is it might have been say 10 or 20 years ago. I agree that an oil analysis would be good insurance to deal with any future warranty problems you might have with Toyota.

 

I believe that the last time I heard of oil ruining an enginer was when Quaker State was fooling with their chemical composition. They managed to ruin quite a few motors, but it hasn't happened again since that I'm aware. Modern oil is excellent.

SS

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swanny1172 @ Jun 26 2007, 05:19 AM) [snapback]468180[/snapback]</div>

You might want to do the used oil analysis for peace of mind purposes as well as a defensive measure in the event of a possible denial of warranty issue in the future. You are probably fine, but a used oil analysis will confirm it. If the analysis comes back with any bad news, it will give you guidance on what follow-on steps to take (such as AutoRx flush).

 

and why do we have to change our oil at 5000 if the SAME car doesn't have to change it til 10000 in europe?

BALDERDASH!

(and don't worry about your engine..... i've gone way longer than i'm supposed to in many of my vehicles with no damage! too many alarmists/chicken littles in this thread!)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jhinton @ Jun 26 2007, 10:34 AM) [snapback]468279[/snapback]</div>

I'm unaware of any EU car - with their much longer oil change intervals - requiring an early initial change. Some dealers may still insist on it, but the vast majority do not.

Even the big trucks no longer require an early initial service. Those from MAN and Scania usually have the first oil change at 80,000 km.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(desertbriez @ Jun 28 2007, 10:00 AM) [snapback]469380[/snapback]</div>

Ah, a like-minded individual.

I'm sure you've had a lot of fun searching this forum for my posts regarding oil quality and oil change intervals. The EU members must just roll their eyes at all the folks who dread going to even 5,000 miles.

The folks who insist on Mobil 1 and change at 3,000 miles ... oi

 

BexarWolf-Quick Question. Where did they record the oil change in you car?

 

Thanks greatly for answering. The reason I ask is that my '99 Camry is has a mixture of dealer oil changes and my own. It usually goes like this:
1) I change to oil with a 5W-30 Synthetic at let's say 50,000.
2) One of the other drivers takes the car to the dealer (while I'm out of town) to get a sticking ECR valve fixed at 51,000.
3) As part of the 3,229 point free inspection program, the driver gets a call saying the oil needs changing since blah, blah, blah. The poor driver may not be able to contact me (think military), or see my records (which are in the car), and says OK to the dealer, which is the right answer given the circumstances.
4) I come back to an oil change replacing clear 5W-30 with something that looks darker than black paint.....and no clue to what it is....but not synthetic!
5) All of which makes it a big advantage to the dealer since he keeps you (apparently) in the dark so that your or the next driver is trapped in the same situation.
6) I am now MUCH better trained to handle this situation and others. Your answer adds another datapoint to help seperate the good dealers from the bad.

P.S. Record all dealer actions in your owners manual or something, initial and date. This makes it a legal document that can only aid you. Great lesson learned in my battles.