Confusion on 2010 Motor Oil

[anxious]

I live on Long Island and I think I may have the only 2010 with Sunroof around! I've put 2000 FUN miles on in 3 weeks and two
Toyota dealers have said the same thing to me concerning Synthetic vs Regular Oil. To save money they suggest using Toyota "mixture" of synthetic and regular oil for changes for 29.95 vs 95.00 for 100% Synthetic. I remember Doug Coleman saying that this car calls for 100% Synthetic. I'm going to keep this car for ever and want to do right from the beginning! Does anyone know what kind of oil came from the factory?

[jay_man2]

The owner's manual and the oil cap call for 0W20 oil. How 0W20 is available may be subject to debate, but I've only seen it as a synthetic.

[Paradox]

Walmart stocks Mobil 1 0w20 in 1 quart containers. Unfortunately not in the 5 quart containers which save a little money...

[stream]

Originally Posted by anxious

I live on Long Island and I think I may have the only 2010 with Sunroof around! I've put 2000 FUN miles on in 3 weeks and two
Toyota dealers have said the same thing to me concerning Synthetic vs Regular Oil. To save money they suggest using Toyota "mixture" of synthetic and regular oil for changes for 29.95 vs 95.00 for 100% Synthetic. I remember Doug Coleman saying that this car calls for 100% Synthetic. I'm going to keep this car for ever and want to do right from the beginning! Does anyone know what kind of oil came from the factory?

The owners manual specifies 0W20, which is only available in synthetic. I certainly wouldn't take a dealer's opinion over the manufacturer.

And charging $65 more for synthetic is a total rip off. The Prius holds 4.5 quarts (including filter). List for the Toyota 0W20 is $7.76/quart, or $39 for 5 quarts. The price for the non-synthetic oil service includes oil, so the differential should be less than $39--probably half that.

[Paradox]

You can find these units cheaper on ebay than buying it through Griots, but they work quite well. It makes the oil change easy and clean as well. I just use this and buy the oil myself, only problem left to do yourself would be the oil filter...

Multi Fluid Extractor - Oil Changes - Car Maintenance - Griot's Garage

[a priori]

I you think you're confused . . .

I just went to my dealer for my 5,000 mile oil change and tire rotation. I asked up front about the up-charge for synthetic oil, and the service rep said he thought Toyota had a non-synthetic 0W20. I kindly challenged him on it, while I also asked for the price to be confirmed before I handed the car over for service.

The service rep went to talk with a couple of guys, including the Prius specialists. I figured I was the first 2010 in the area to get to 5,000 miles, so I expected this would be an issue.

I was told they didn't have 0W20 in bulk, but only in quart containers, and they also said it was a Toyota-branded synthetic. Better than anything else, the service rep said he had no direction to charge anything other than the going rate ($42.95) for the "5,000 mile service" offered at the dealership.

When the service was complete, I was told they had to write off around $30 to make it work. If I brought in synthetic myself, I'd have to buy 5 quarts at around $8/qt (plus tax), so this was a real deal for me. I don't think I can plan on it staying that way for very long . . .

[mattjw83]

This topic caught my eye as I have a '10 Prius on order. I would like to hear from those who have had oil changes for their '10 Prius. What oil did you use? How much did it cost? What is the recommended distance between changes? A $90 oil change could be a deal breaker........

[mainliner]

Originally Posted by mattjw83

This topic caught my eye as I have a '10 Prius on order. I would like to hear from those who have had oil changes for their '10 Prius. What oil did you use? How much did it cost? What is the recommended distance between changes? A $90 oil change could be a deal breaker........

Toyota recommends servicing the 2010 Prius at every 5,000 mile or 6 months, which ever comes first.

[msirach]

The Toyota 0w-20 synthetic is less than 50% synthetic. It is a blend. But they do specify synthetic.

[jay_man2]

Originally Posted by msirach

The Toyota 0w-20 synthetic is less than 50% synthetic. It is a blend. But they do specify synthetic.

Page 560 of the manual only specifies 0W20. It also says 5W20 may be used if 0W20 is not available, but 0W20 should be used at the next oil change. The word synthetic never appears.

From the manual:

Engine oil selection
“Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” is used in your Toyota vehicle. Use
Toyota approved “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equivalent to satisfy
the following grade and viscosity.
Oil grade: ILSAC multigrade engine oil
Recommended viscosity: SAE 0W-20
SAE 0W-20 is the best choice for
good fuel economy and good
starting in cold weather.
If SAE 0W-20 is not available,
SAE 5W-20 may be used. However,
it must be replaced with
SAE 0W-20 at the next oil
change.
The 0W portion of the oil viscosity rating indicates the characteristic of the
oil which allows cold startability. Oils with a lower value before the W allow
for easier starting of the engine in cold weather.
The 20 in 0W-20 indicates the oil viscosity when the oil is at its operating
temperature. An oil with a higher viscosity may be better suited if the vehicle
is operated at high speeds, or under extreme load conditions.