Should I change the oil on a car that languished in the dealer lot?

With the Synthetic Oil that comes with the car I'd say you are fine to stick with the recommended schedule.

 

No.

I would be much more concerned with potentially stale gasoline...



Rob43


PS, Welcome to Prius Chat !!!

 

The Toyota maintenance schedule has the first oil change at 10,000 miles or 12 months. Given that you put 4600 miles on the car in six months, and if this is indicative of your regular schedule, you would be at 10,000 miles in another six months, which would be 24 months on the oil.

Sitting in an idle car won't wear out the oil or deplete the additives. But, given that you have asked the question in the first place, it seems you are leaning toward changing the oil at 5K. If this will eliminate uncertainty for you, then do it.

If it were my car, I would do the first change at 10,000 miles.

 

I believe Toyota's oil change interval is 10k miles or one year. So it should be changed by the schedule.

That said, if you had a long drive, say at least 30 minutes with the engine running, at some point, that should have boiled off any excess water that may have gotten into the oil while it sat, it should be fine until the 10k miles.

 

The "regular Toyota schedule" is 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Those mechanics should know that...

 

congrats and welcome!
i changed mine at 5,000 miles to get rid of any break in contaminants, then every 10k or one year thereafter. it couldn't hurt

 

I got mine at 13000 miles and changed the oil. I just do it as a precaution. So I know where I'm starting from.

Honestly, I don't think anything would fall apart if you waited longer, I only do it because I'm anal about those things.

If you have a spare $35 and an hour out of your day, just do it. Otherwise I don't think there is anything wrong with waiting.

 

Delete me.

 

Toyota's maintenance schedule is for traditional cars. The engines, and their oil, in hybrids have a much easier life. This is even truer for a plug in hybrid. So going beyond the one year limit in this case shouldn't be an issue.

 

Just to commiserate: our 2010 was built in Aug 2009, and we bought it (with about 10~15 kms on the odometer) in November 2010. Didn't notice the build-date at the time, probably for the best.

Just treated it like any other new car, no problems. The Canadian 3rd gen oil change interval is 8K kms or 6 months, just went with that.

One thing: how's the 12 volt battery doing? Ours was dead as a doornail. The did try to mask it, had the car "warming up for us", when we arrived to do a test drive.

 

Didn't you buy your car new? If so, you have free Toyota Care up to 25K. This include 2 oil changes and 5 tire rotations. Just ask at the service counter to do the oil change and rotation at your 5K service for free. Then do following oil change in 10K interval, so next free one at 15K. If you keep this schedule, then you will have to pay for the oil change at 25K.

 

Susan, the only way to know the condition of the oil is by doing a lab oil analysis. That's $28 from Blackstone Labs, or elsewhere. It's not worth the money in your case. If you'll feel better about it, have the oil & filter changed. I'd get it done again at 10k and every 10k after that just to make it easy to remember. I'm not strong on the time-based schedule. I've had oil from engines tested that was much more than a year oil, and it tested fine. And, avoid that dealership that sent you the service reminder. That proves that they can't be trusted. They will sell you services your car does not need.

The Canadian schedule is just silly for much of the country. There is no reason that the Vancouver oil change schedule should be different from the Seattle schedule. If the car is in the far north, that's different.

 

Yeah but I like it. Only problem is it's hard as heck to read the oil on the dipstick, lol.

Just as strange, I'm changing it every 6 months or 5000 miles, and the guy in North Dakota...?