What's your OCI? (oil change interval)

I'm just wondering how many Gen2 owners are going over the 5000 mile recommended OCI?

In Australia the recommended OCI is 10000 km (which is approx 6200 miles) and every time I drain the oil it always looks in very good condition. I really think the prius is pretty easy on oil compared with other cars I've owned. Maybe it's the way it uses the electric motor and goes very easy on the ICE at start-up. Maybe it's the fact that the ICE doesn't even run for all the miles logged (I mean for example if you drive a lot around town then the ICE might be off for 30% of the distance travelled).

Anyway I'm thinking of going 12000 km (about 7500 miles) on the next oil change. Just wondering if anyone else is doing similar.

2006 Prius-I still stick to my 3-4,000 mile oil change interval. I change it myself. I figure more frequent oil changes are a whole lot cheaper than a rebuilt engine job or new engine replacement. Doing the simple routine maintenance saves mega $$$ in the long run.

Last car, 2001 Honda Insight hybrid went to 287,000 miles, 3-4,000 oil change intervals and didn't burn a drop of oil. Struts, batteries, and transmission were getting tired, so I sold it to get the Prius.

So you're going under the 5k mile recommendation then gasmiser? I know what you mean though, a DIY oil change is a pretty easy job on the prius. What brand/type oil are you using?

I'm doing 10k oil changes, personally. I've done so with all my cars that are running full synth. So far, it hasn't hurt them over the last 3 years.

If I can get the Toyota brand on sale, I use it. Otherwise, I'm using Castrol.

I haven't made the leap to synthetic oil. I don't see the point with the frequency of my oil changes. Plus, I'm not racing the car. I believe synthetic was originally designed for racing engines and higher temps.

Is that 10k miles on the filter too Ohpbalance? I noticed in another forum that some people doing extended oil change intervals are still changing out the filter every 5k miles. What's your take on this?

Yeah I'm pretty sure if I was changing every 3-4k then I wouldn't bother with synthetic either.

Would that be the "Castrol GTX" you're using? That's the most common "dino" Castrol oil here in Aus. (BTW might be marketed under a different name in the USA, lot's of stuff here is the same as in the US but for some reason marketed differently).

I'm using Valvoline DuraBlend, it's only semi-synthetic but I've seen a few people post some really good UOA's with it. Actually it was just the first (somewhat random) oil I chose the when I first changed my own oil, and since I always have some left over (5L containers) I just buy the same next time to avoid mixing.

Yes. Castrol GTX is the one I use. I heard Vavoline DuraBlend is a good choice too.

check out this site:

www.bobistheoilguy.com

Lots of useful info.

I'm using the Amsoil 0w30, run it all year, swap the filter at 10k or six months.
One Prius was 20k miles/year, the other closer to 6k.

The OCI for 2001-2003 US Prius was at 7,500 mile intervals. This was reduced to 5,000 mile intervals for 2G because of the V6 engine oil sludge issue.

I am observing 7,500 mile OCI for my 2004 and 2007 and am using full synthetic oil, either Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, or whatever name brand oil I can buy at Walmart on sale (typically US$21 for a five US quart jug.)

Thanks Patrick, that makes me feel more confident about doing 7500k mile intervals.

I'm mostly following Toyota Canada's recommended 8 Mm interval using dino oil, although I'm a bit over at the moment. I haven't heard of any Priuses ending their life due to engine wear, so I certainly wouldn't do it more often.

Dull and Boring, every two months I have another 5000 Oil Change.

I was somewhat neglectful, and went 15,000 mile before my most recent oil change. I use Pennzoil Platinum synthetic. Here is the text of the report from Blackstone:

Wear was nice and low in this first sample from your Prius. In fact, if you hadn't of told us you had 15K miles on the oil, we never would have guessed. But we're not surprised, because Toyota makes some the best wearing engines we see around here. Universal averages show typical wear levels for this type of engine after about 7,300 miles on the oil. From what we can see, your 1.5L is doing very well mechanically.

Low insolubles and silicon show good oil and air filtration. No fuel or harmful coolant found in this sample.

Check back after 17,000 miles on the oil.

Correct. With the exception of the Sedona (which is cartridge based), it's Mobile1 synth and Mobile1 filters. I dunno if I'd advocate it to everyone, but that's what I do.

The point is running full synthetic saves time, money, and oil waste
and keeps the inside of the engine brand new.

And can double the oci with full syn.

Your still running dino because you haven't taken the valve cover off a car that has spent its life running dino oil and seen all the burnt oil on the valve cover itself and how nasty the engine surface is in general.

I had a Nissan 240SX for 10 years and it only ran Mobil 1. When I sold it at 140,000 miles I pulled the V cover off to check the chain and it was perfect and when you wiped the oil off the cover and engine it was brand new clean metal.

Synthetic oil keeps the dirt in suspension and does not break down under high heat and adhere so easily to metal.

I run 8 to 9K now with a OEM filter in between. Mobil 1 10-30.

I like those filters too but on the odd chance something really bad fails in the engine the dealer could come back and say you did not use factory approved oil filter and the bypass valve failed on the one you used and the engine failed because of poor lubrication.
How do you prove him wrong?

Its just a scenario I do not want to have with my dealer as they will try to rip you every chance they get.

Besides the oem filter is really good and very cheap. $4 ?

5k on 0w-30 M1 synthetic, with Toyota original 90915-10004 filter (slightly longer than stock otherwise identical.) Probably can go 10-15k with UOA's but I don't have time for it, and the oil is black in the pan at 5k. This is said over and over, but any hard particles the oil filter isn't able to catch, and they don't catch all, makes a sort of grinding paste with motor oil, UOA or not. So I save the UOA cost and bother, and do 5k to flush it out. Used to do 3k on conventioanl. Engine always runs smoother right after change, why, don't know, but it likes it.

If it makes a difference (it does to me) Castrol is owned by BP. I've used it for years, but after BP's recklessness in the gulf, I switched to Mobil 1 (which I should have done years ago).

WHOA! I didn't know that tid-bit. I'll have to switch brands for sure.

Thanks.