My dealer tells me the 2011 Prius needs it 0w50 oil changed every 8000km's.....however I'm sure I read on here somewhere if you have the 0w50 synthetic oil, you need only change it ever 10,000km's. Am I imagining things, or what, he even called the service dept to confirm, they said there were no changes, warranty dictates its 8000km, NOT 10,000. Please advise.....thanks
Whatever it says in the Owner's Manual rules, unless/until you receive a letter from Toyota (not a dealer!) stating otherwise. Everything else is speculation or something self-serving.
+1 0w-50 is for large displacement, very high output racing engines without catalytic converters. Yeah, that's the antithesis of the Prius 1.8L.
In Canada the interval is 8000 km or 6 mo, whichever comes first. Even if they aligned with the longer US interval, personally I would stick with the shorter interval, just for insurance. BTW, the US interval is 10000 miles (16000 km's), not kilometers, I think you're mixing your units
0w-20 every 15.000km in EU as mentioned above. It is allowed to use 5W-30 every other time (e.g. once 0w-20, then 5w-30 but then *you have to* put 0w-20) - it's all on the user manual - your dealer can tell you what he wants - Toyota decides, not him....
I think that is a gross misstatement. Large displacement, very high output racing engines don't use any particular weight oil, it has more to do with ambient temperatures and operating ranges than the displacement or output of the engine. I haven't seen an engine in years that recommends 50 weight oil. I would think that an engine with loose tolerances and operating at high temperatures might be more appropriate for this weight oil, but frankly, a motor oil with this wide a range of viscosity would have a very short life span and would probably lose some of it's multi viscosity much earlier than a narrower range so I can't imagine it would be used in a racing engine. Look it up.
Yeah, my mistake, but even the american 10,000 mile oil change seems a lot when you convert it to 16,000km's.....16,000km's seems a long time between oil change intervals or is it just me? Maybe I'm just so new to the Prius, I was used to having my oil changed every 5000km's on the truck. Now if it's 16,000....whoh, 3x the difference. Next question is why the difference between amerians and us, the car is basically the same isn't it? 8000km for Canada, 16000km for americans, seems like too much of a spread to me? Maybe I'm missing something?
first of all 0w20, not 0w50, typo? US 2010 owners were sent maintenance schedule updates, and it dictates: - 5,000mi for 1st and 2nd change (at 5,000&10,000mi) - 10,000mi changes afterward if synthetic oil used - or 5,0000mi if used in severe conditions. if use 10,000mi intervals you still need to reset oil warning after 1st 5K.
In EU we have 15.000km and it is not much - actually I find it too soon. Most German made cars have "long life" oils and get oil changes every 30.000km or 2 years, whatever comes first. I find Toyota conservative to this respect - either 15.000 or 1 year, whatever comes first. Changing the oil any sooner than that for me is nonsense and polluting, if good quality synth 0W-20 oil is used. These are modern engines, changing oil sooner is a waste of money and unnecessary, IMHO. How often you have to change the oil is in the service documentation they have given with the car. Please make sure you have the one for the Prius and not some other Toyota.
Yes....typo for sure, I meant 0w20, NOT 50, (do not know where that came from?)... So I'm going to check my maintenance schedule again, I just ran through it quickly, perhaps what they mean is 8000km on the first change and then the 16,000km on the 2nd and afterward. That would be the same as 5000miles & 10,000miles. I'll go by what's in the owners manual and not by the dealer as someone earlier recommended. 16000km's/10,000mi still seems like a long interval, but it works for me if that's what they recommend. If in fact it's 8000km/5000mi EVERY oil change, I still wonder why there is such a wide spread for american vs canadian vehicles. thanks everyone for the info already provided.
Like I said earlier, I'm going to DOUBLE-CHECK that book tonight, hopefully I read it wrong, but it's what the dealer & Toyota service dept told me. I'm with you.....every 8000km/6 months is TOO soon for synthetic oil to be changed.
IMHO it has to do with regulatory requirements and/or conditions. with respect to 10,000mi interval not to worry, if you use quality oil/filter it will do. I have '96 Protege with 376,000mi (605000km) which we bought new. It has gone through 10-12Kmi Mobil-1 oil changes, engine hasn't been rebuilt.
