The finest oil available for our Prius

Great! This is a real consideration to reducing pollution - reducing the waste oil stream that we produce. The way to do it, and to protect our engines even better than with regular dino oil, is to use top quality synthetic oil with an extended drain interval. Kudos to you, kohnen!

The extended performance Mobil 1 is spec'd at being good for 1 year or 15,000. Hopefully we'll get some UOA to back that up. Anyone going that far on EP M1 and any UOA for it?

I just changed the oil on my 2007 Red Prius at 12,600 miles (6,000 miles on the oil) and switched it out from the dealer oil (analysis posted recently here) with "regular" Mobil 1 5W-30. My plan is at the 5,000 mile mark is to get a UOA on my 5W-30, but I'm changing it out to Amsoil 0W-20 which is spec'd to be good for 25,000 miles. Obviously a few UOA will help verify that change interval.

Anything we do to reduce the waste oil stream is a good thing, as long as the engine is as well, or better, protected.

Rumple

 

Redline Oil:

http://www.redlineoil.com/whitePaper/motoroils.pdf

 

Yup. Search around - I've posted somewhere (forget where) on PC the Blackstone Labs analysis with 10,304 on the oil.

 

Under this criterion, any name brand dino oil should be more than adequate in protecting your engine. Same goes for the oil filter ... I stick with the stock Toyota one and buy in bulk (online). Without pursuing an extended oil drain interval, anything else would be a waste of money (and oil).

Spend the extra you save on UOAs at every oil change.

 

You might as well save your money. The Prius engine runs so gently that any oil which meets the published requirements is fine as long as you change it at the recommended intervals. Minimizing petroleum use is laudable, but 3.5 quarts of motor oil equates to about 1% (or less) of the fuel you will burn between oil changes.

 

That's the cynical spin. I'd much prefer to say why _I_ do it:

1) Curiosity. I'd like to understand what's going on. For me, this car is both transportation and somewhat of a hobby.
2) To give back to the Prius community so that they can see what's going on too.
3) To spread the word to the Prius community regarding good products (e. g., Mobil 1 EP, PureOne filters).

Disclaimer: I don't work for Mobil, Purolator, or Toyota.

 

Actually, the Prius is very tough on motor oil. When the engine stops (often), the oil stops flowing near the rings and piston bearings where it is hot. That is why Toyota says to use 5w-30 when they would like to spec 5w-20, as they think the 5w-30 will not scorch as easily in the hot areas like 5w-20. Using a synthetic 5w-20 solves that problem, although Toyota won't say you have to use a synthetic, so they take the easy way out and spec 5w-30 instead.

And, yes, you should go to 1-year oil changes, because it is good for the environment, and Mobil1 Ext Perf can take it just fine. Mobil - The Oil That's Changing Oil has a Las Vegas taxi field test that demonstrated the oil in several Prius taxis, amongst other cars. Some test data I saw a while back showed the PureOne as filtering well but restricting flow, so I'd go with the Amsoil or Mobil 1 filters that have a better filter media that doesn't rely on paper cellulose, getting good filtration with low flow restriction.

 

Your sick Chris, just sick...sick I tell you.

Uhh...can I help ya under there, whatcha looking at?


ZC1

 

Yup. I saw the same thing. That's why I use the PL20195 - that sucker is BIG! (It's about twice as large as the stock filter). A bigger filter makes for less flow restriction and the ability to capture more crap.

 

Oversized oil filters are great. Lucky the Prius has that option. Many engines don't give you the choice. Should be able to leave that Purolator oversized filter in there longer to easily match 1-year oil changes. Less expense and hassle, better for the environment.

 

I still think this is a case where the improvements are microscopic. The standard filter isn't going to cause reduce the oil flow below what's needed, nor is it going to get the oil any less clean. The only differences I can see are

1. You could go longer between filter changes, if the interval is so long that the standard filter would get plugged and open its bypass
2. It's easier to change because it sticks out more

You're putting high-performance items on a 75hp engine. :noidea:

 

The main point is that you get less wear on the engine when less flow restriction exists, as the oil flows faster to critical parts. This is most critical when starting cold and the oil is a little thick. It also plays a role during the frequent engine stops/starts that are characteristic of the Prius. Just a little more longevity out of the engine. To be sure, 1-year oil changes mean less time, labor, & cost out of your pocket, so everyone should be doing 1-year ones with an oversize filter and a synthetic fully tested to exceed SM, GF-4, and ACEA A1/B1. It makes ecosense. Now, some motor oil companies and quicky oil change businesses want you to change it at 3000 miles, to enrich their bank accounts, even though it has been shown over and over again in field tests and engineering studies that this is an ecological advance we could make right now without harming engines at all. Isn't owning a Prius really an eco-statement, after all? As we know, we could buy a Corolla for $5000 less and pay only a little extra for gas, but the Prius says "I care, and I'll pay to care." With 1-year oil changes, you actually pay less to care more.

 

Glad we got this cleared up in time for your oil change! Ha-ha

Personally, I go to about 9k on my oil and then have a UOA performed by Dyson (DYSON ANALYSIS). I make my oil changes based upon those results.

 

Using a higher capacity oil filter is hardly a high performance item. Please stop, that's silly.

 

So how much is the reduction in wear?

 

The benefits of a good oil filter like the Mobile 1 oil filter or the Amsoil oil filter is that as they are made from primarily synthetic filter material rather than the primarily cellulose matrix of a conventional filter.

This allows these filters to filter a larger percentage of debris of a certain size and, because the synthetic material has a larger capacity per area they can last longer. So a better filter is not about getting more horsepower or performance, it's about reducing wear over the long term.

Rumple

 

For those who do their own maintenance (oil changes, etc.), you might want to heed Toyota's words regarding warranty coverage. The Owner's Warranty Information book states that the "New Vehicle Limited Warranty doe NOT cover damage or failures resulting directly or indirectly from the Installation of non-Genuine Toyota Parts."

There is no way that I would take the chance of having a warranty claim denied by using after-market parts (oil filter, in particular). If I want to gamble, I'll go to Las Vegas.....