My 2010 Prius just hit 75K. Last oil change was at 66K last September. Have been doing 10K oil changes. Should I continue with 10K or go to 5K here on in...?
I've been doing 10k and I'm about to hit 140k. Just routinely check the oil level to make sure it's not low.
It's 10K miles OR 12 months, though maybe it's always miles that arrive first for you? North of the 49th it's 5K miles or 6 months, works for me. Some manufacturer specd intervals (Toyota, Honda etc) get shorter after the first, coolant, transmission fluid for example. Your call I guess.
Engine oil becomes dark much more slowly in the Prius than in any other car I've owned or known well. Why? I wonder whether the difference is in the car itself, or in the use of synthetic oil. I guess either less soot is created, or else the soot that's created is forming deposits that will cause trouble later. I've been changing oil at around 8-9K intervals, so far.
I'd agree it stays very clean looking on the dipstick. And that does mean something. But collect a jar of the used oil and it's opaque black, very quickly. Our oil changes are as little as 4000 kms (I slavishly adhere to Canadian 8000 km or 6 months), and even by then oil is black.
Given the same number of miles - compare the percentage of time the ICE runs in a Prius and at what RPMs and load compared to a non-hybrid car.
what bothers me is the very strong smell of fuel in my G2 oil. Not just mine but a lot of people notice it which has to be diluting the oil. So on a g2 I would not recommend 10k oci. Never smelled a G3 oil but have seen it reported there's a fuel smell too. Maybe another Atkinson weirdness.
I've noticed the gas smell on my G2 as well. However, no where near as strong as on the dipstick of my old Subaru.
