synthetic oil

In order for it to void your warranty, the damage has to be proven to be caused by the oil. I don't think this is very likely since synthetic oil is considered superior to non-synthetic. I put in one quart synthetic with each oil change...at normal change intervals. I was told by an aircraft mechanic that this was as good as all synthetic oil. If you took 1 quart synthetic to the garage and asked them to add it when you changed oil, my guess is that they would. I change my own oil (its not hard to do) You might consider this if you can't trust those who do the work.

 

That is ridiculous. You can buy synthetic blends (a mix of synthetic and dino oil) at the auto store.

I always change my own oil because no matter who I have change my oil, it always gets overfilled. That has happened at the Toyota dealership as well as at independent shops, even though I warn them not to do so.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Jul 12 2006, 10:54 AM) [snapback]285073[/snapback]</div>

 

I've used Mobil 1 synthetic since the first its first oil change. Although it'll last longer, I still change it every 5K miles (I'll be doing it this Saturday).

If you do it at the dealer, they may take the price of the oil off the bill if you bring your own in. Ask for the bottles back so they'll be a change the oil is going into your car. You can even give them 3 quarts and tell them you'll put the remaining in (to prevent overfill).

 

If you buy Mobil 1 you can get it in 5 quart containers for a bit over $20. I usually do my own but I took it in to a dealer last winter and had them use my oil. They charged me about $18 which included the filter and they gave me the left over oil back. They did not over fill it which pleased me. I told them to leave my tires alone, which they did.

Be aware there may only be three brands of synthetic oil on the market Mobil 1, Amsoil, and Redline. The others being marketed as synthetic oils may be what is known as pseudo-synthetics Castrol won a law suit a while back that permits them and other manufacturers to advertise pseudo-synthetic oil as synthetic.

There is a lot of real good information in this topic:
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=2...synthetic&st=20
mostly on the second page.

I use Mobil 1 myself but it has occured to me I may be wasting my money due to the short oil change interval.

The stuff they told you about not being able to change back to regular oil is just complete nonsense, I don't know where thy come up with such crap.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Jul 12 2006, 12:35 PM) [snapback]285059[/snapback]</div>

You can't tell, unless you do a Used Oil Analysis and compare to the virgin oil analysis. I suppose if you could watch the tech actually using your bottles to fill the car, then maybe you could be certain.

To keep warranty, you have this choice: change the oil and filter every 6 months or 5,000 miles / 8,000 km. Never mind that in the EU the same exact car with the same exact motor has a 12 month 16,000 km change interval. I suspect Toyota got burned by using substandard dealer oil and a handful of motors sludged up.

If you care to search under the topic of "oil" and my user name, I have inputed a lot wrt my experiences with used oil analysis on my Prius. Bottom line is that using Mobil 1 0W-30 or especially 0W-20, the motor produces very little wear metal.

I use synthetics due to the extreme nature of my climate: although it's +36 C right now, in January it can dip to -40. I want an oil that keeps working at -40, and also one that works ok at +36 too.

 

I've used nothing but synthetic in all our cars [Mercedes, Honda] for the past 15 years...BUT...have no intention of doing so in the Prius because of the ridiculous 5k / 6 mo oil change requirement. With those intervals, synthetic is just a complete waste of money, period.

 

If you want to change your own oil, I highly recommend John's walk-through here:

http://john1701a.com/prius/prius-oilchange.htm

Nice, clear instructions with pictures!

 

I find using synthetic oil only ADDS to the value of my Prius.

To each their own.

I feel better about the superior lube qualities of syn. I sleep better knowing less dino oil is being consumed. It just seems the right thing to do in such a technological vehicle. I want the best for the best.
To me, that's worth it.

No Wal-mart 'cheap is as cheap does, no matter the hidden costs' mentality here...that's a whole different thread.

Cheers,

Curt.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Jul 12 2006, 01:35 PM) [snapback]285059[/snapback]</div>

Castrol Syntec 0w-30 European Formula (often called German Castrol because the bottles say made in Gemany) has a green tinge and smells different, like gummi bears according to some. This is the only Castrol Syntec that is a 'true' synthetic like Mobil 1, Redline, Royal Purple, and Amsoil. The other varieties of Syntec are highly refined hydrocracked group 3 dino oil. Castrol 0w-30 is a relatively heavy oil offering superb protection, but the gas mileage may be a bit lower than lighter synthetics like Mobil1 0w-30. This oil meets the same stringent specifications as Mobil1 0w-40, such as ACEA A3, Mercedes 229.5, BMW LL-01, etc. Near me, I find it at Autozone.

As jayman pointed out, if you use oils meeting European ACEA specifications in Europe, Toyota only asks you to change your oil once a year or 10,000 miles, but if you want to be sure that Toyota honors its warranty in the US, you need to change your oil, every 6 months or 5,000 miles regardless of the quality of the oil. If you bring synthetic oil to a dealer once every 5,000 miles, this might cost you an additional $200 to $400 over the first 100,000 miles. You have to decide if the extra protection is worth it to you. Many who use high quality synthetics in Europe and here use longer drain intervals, which gives them lower oil consumption and polution, less maintenance hassle, with comparable engine protection and maintenance costs.

As for mixing synthetics and conventional (dino) oils, many years ago there were real compatibility issues. These days, that's not a big problem though most trust the engineers who make this their life's work to mix the synthetics with conventional oils optimally into a prepackaged synthetic blend if they're looking for some of the benefit at some of the additional cost. I understand that there's a real science to optimal mixing of conventional and synthetic base stocks and additive packages. Some suspect that the synthetic blends are more about marketing and market segmentation or price discrimination that automotive engineering.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
http://theoildrop.server101.com/

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theorist @ Jul 13 2006, 10:18 PM) [snapback]286033[/snapback]</div>

Does anyone get an ICE warrante longer than 3/36000?

Bob Wilson

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Jul 14 2006, 12:53 AM) [snapback]286088[/snapback]</div>

The 5yr / 60,000 mile powertrain warranty covers the engine. Toyota sells extended warranties of up to 7yr / 100,000 miles which also require following the 5,000 mile drain interval.

I couldn't decide how many miles to use when estimating the additional cost of synthetic oil. One one hand, the 5,000 mile change interval is binding only during the warranty. On the other hand, the added protection of better oil might be more appreciated when the car is out of warranty.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theorist @ Jul 13 2006, 10:18 PM) [snapback]286033[/snapback]</div>

I just changed my oil and filter for the first time. I also installed the Futomo drain valve. I used Mobil 1 5-20W. Is Mobil 1 0w-30 or 0w-40 ok to use in this engine?