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Any thoughts on first oil change interval?

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Hammersmith, Jun 14, 2023.

  1. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    If you think that more than .1% of the people who maintain and service engines are actually "experts",
    you are delusional. Actually that one in a thousand might be a bit high.

    And pretty much NONE of the actual experts show up in forums like this.
     
  2. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Hey!!!

    I resemble that.....
     
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  3. KevininFl

    KevininFl Junior Member

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    Hammersmith,If you are concerned about metal shavings in your Engine, your best bet is to get a Gold Plug, They work Awesome for the Engine and Transmission.
    http://www.goldplug.com
     
  4. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    You’re fine to do more, I see glitter in any new engine oil drain pan so far. What wears in an engine when new, mostly the cylinder walls I guess.
    When people look at used car service records do they want to see someone using oil analysis to keep that oil in as long as possible, or someone who changed oil a lot? They, I, like to see on time oil service, more is ok.
     
  5. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    The cylinder walls NEED to wear a bit when new, along with the rings, to "seat" properly.

    And the original need for a "break-in" oil change really was because of sloppy assembly
    techniques, mostly.

    Since engine makers have largely cleaned up their act now,
    and the oil filter catches anything big enough to cause a serious problem, there
    really is no NEED for an early change.

    Unless it just makes you feel better.
     
  6. dlandersson

    dlandersson New Member

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    6,000 is fine. Get a free Carfax account and enter your car info in "my garage". They'll send you reminders when stuff needs doing. ;)
     
  7. dlandersson

    dlandersson New Member

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    lol
     
  8. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    I would say the walls get balanced in very short order, peaks get into the oil, and the filter is full flow so not great. Anyone who has run a lathe at 3000 rpm and imagined if pistons were attached to the spindle should be in awe of how long an engine lasts. Then we want the cross hatching to last for 300k. My comment was more what else “breaks in” other than the walls, not much if anything. Not to make me feel better, the particles are drained out, it has to be better. I would say better to say if it makes one feel better leaving oil in 10000 miles with all that sliding action from moving parts, to save money, go for it. But then don’t waste the saved money on oil labs. Change it rather and recycle the oil properly.
     
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  9. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    What "cross hatching" are you talking about here ?
    IF it is the scoring that is done to the cyllinder walls, that is not intended to "last"
    more than a few hundred miles or so.
     
  10. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

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    Crosshatching is the term for the diagonal lines etched into the cylinder walls during the honing process. Those lines are absolutely critical to the function of the engine. They form a surface for the oil to hold onto to lubricate the piston, and they help the piston rings form a tight seal between the combustion chamber and the crankcase. Once a section of crosshatching is worn away on most Toyota engine blocks, the block is toast, and the owner is looking at a $5000-$8000 repair bill. (Many blocks by other manufacturers can be saved by re-boring and re-honing the cylinders and using oversized pistons, or re-boring and installing cylinder sleeves, but most Toyota blocks are one-use only.)

    Scoring is a term for damage to the cylinder wall. One type is when metal chunks get into the cylinder and wear distinct vertical grooves into the wall. The other type is when a piston ring gets locked off-center(instead of floating freely) and wears away a section of the crosshatching. This is accompanied by massive oil consumption(1-2qts or even more per 1000 miles) and eventually loss of compression and misfires.

    I'd suggest watching some Jim's Automotive Machine Shop, Inc.(JAMSIOnline) on YouTube to see how engines are put together and the different terms and parts.
     
  11. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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  12. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    It sounds like you have some experience and knowledge on this subject.......but I think that above statement is pure BS.

    While it is true that an old engine with a LOT of miles on it will indeed also be absent any hint of the original crosshatching
    in the ring travel area, that is a RESULT of a lot of use and not a cause of engine failure.
     
  13. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

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    Changed my mind on the Pennzoil Platinum. I've got a couple replacements on my short list, but I've also got a year's worth of PP to use up before I make a decision. Hopefully I can find more test data during that time to choose an oil that excels in the areas I prioritize.
     
  14. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    My thoughts exactly.

    The engineers see 100k wear before anyone else. What they don't see is tens of thousands of stop starts and thermal cycling. 10k miles maintenance is a marketing executive decision, not a design engineer's best practice.

    Yes

    Here is a guy who constantly berates everyone on their technical expertise but has clearly exposed himself on this bit of engine 101 which is essential to maintain proper cylinder wall lubrication and reduce wear.
     
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  15. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

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    If I wasn't clear, that's pretty much exactly what I was trying to say. I think I might have been getting a bit frustrated with the debate and used a little extra hyperbole in that sentence. I do actually care about the design engineers(and I have great respect for the ones at Toyota), but unless I hear it directly from their mouths, I have to believe the marketing divisions and bean counters have a say. So I prefer looking to those that are tearing down real-use engines from a wide variety of driving and maintenance habits to look for trends. Like cylinder scoring due to stuck oiling rings.

    Yeah, I tried one more time, but after he doubled down on the ignorance, I gave up. Wasn't worth it.
     
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  16. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Ignorance is curable......usually.
    And everybody makes "mis-statements" occasionally.

    After say 10K miles, the major ridges and grooves from cylinder scoring are usually gone,
    leaving only microscopic grooves which might help with lubrication.....some.

    After another 50K miles or so, ALL evidence of the original cylinder prep is usually gone
    yet the rings still seem to get lubricated somehow. Sometimes for another 100K miles or more.

    If a person was to take your theory as gospel, they would tear down their engine and re-hone
    the cylinders every 50K miles or so. For some strange reason, nobody seems to do that.

    In every forum like this, there seems to be people who can't carry on an adult conversation
    without throwing around insults. Look in the mirror.
     
  17. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Not my quote bud... not my fb group in your other post... not accurate about many things...
     
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  18. Doug McC

    Doug McC Senior Member

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    These discussions are hilarious! Clearly enough opinions to pick from. Will an early oil change (say around 1000 miles) hurt your engine or any of the other parts that use that oil? Nope. Will it help? perhaps.
    Does a OCI of 6months/5K hurt the vehicle? Nope. Will it help? Very possibly, yes.
    Source for the above: API and PQIA. Two organizations that should really know what they are talking about.
    From them, the “oil” may last longer, but your concern should be the additives.

    Add the information gleaned from John Kelly of Weber University (via YouTube videos) and the Car Care Nut, I did the 1K oil change and will continue to do 6 month OCI (unless I hit the 5K mark sooner). AND I use the recommended oil (Toyota’s). Just based on those 4 sources alone.
     
    #38 Doug McC, Jun 23, 2023
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2023
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  19. flarecde

    flarecde Member

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    I tend to trust the greedy. If early or more frequent changes could be argued for, I'd expect the dealership to be the first one doing so, expecting me to spend more money getting it changed more frequently.

    I'm surprised too the engine doesn't have a milage separate from the car. It's not always running, and in some use cases, hardly running, yeah?
     
  20. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Oops. I messed up the attribution on that quote but my reply still applies. Sorry.

    Then, I just went back and reviewed all 40 or so posts in this thread and found no reference to ANY FB group, from me or
    anybody else either. Maybe you make a mistake occasionally too ???