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Oil type recommendation.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Gilbert, Jan 9, 2008.

  1. Gilbert

    Gilbert Member

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    Hello, my 08 prius has passed 3k miles and i would like to do it's first oil change. What do you guys recommend for oil type, like regular or synthetic and what kind of oil filter and all that info I may need to now when I do this. Also, how much oil exactly do I need to put in? thanks.
     
  2. lefat1

    lefat1 Fat Member

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    my 2 cents...i change oil every 3-5k miles, i use factory oil filters and top quality 5w-30 oil that meets the the latest specs like castrol gtx. i think synthetic is overkill and a waste of $ if you change the oil at that interval. i'm a certified motorcycle tech and have done the same with mc's for years with no problems...i think synthetics are great if you want to leave the oil in for 10k miles + but what about the filter, i dont trust any filters to last that long
     
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  3. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    I use Mobil 1 (sorry, John :)) 5W-30 and Toyota filters, every 5K.

    3 and 1/2 quarts will do it. If you have a shop change it, tell them to put in no more than that. Stories of overfilling abound.

    If you're inclined to change your own, it's easy. Doable even without lifting the car, though lifting gives easier access to the filter.
     
  4. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

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    5W-30 is the baseline but 0W-30 would be the only thing better, but that is expensive and harder to get, and only comes as a synthetic. Some have used 0W-20 for cold weather, but they know what they are doing and why. Synthetic would be a good choice if you have a chance of going longer than the 5000 mile interval (intentionally or unintentionally). The Toyota Oil filter is very good, so use that unless you know of a better one....and few are.
     
  5. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I changed my oil at 1000 miles with original factory filter ($7.) and 3.5 of Mobil One 10-30. In Florida and always very hot.The car really likes the Mobil One. Will probably change the oil every 5K from now on.Its beastly hot here all the time and could be a test bed for oil torture in a motor.I usually keep my cars for 5-7 years and think Mobil One is a good investment. Dino oil is old school.
     
  6. Gilbert

    Gilbert Member

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    10-30?? dealer and manual says to use 5-30 o_O ive used 10-30/40 in my old cars, but dont know about this one...
     
  7. westex39

    westex39 New Member

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    Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30.
     
  8. PRIUS007

    PRIUS007 James Bond -007

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    Heres my thought on this...

    We are paying 20-30K for these cars, is it not worth the extra $15 every 5000 miles to use top of the line quality oils such as Mobil 1 Synthetic?

    As with many things, it's a personal decision, but for me, at 5000 miles I'll be using Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W-30 for just that little extra protection of my investment here.
     
  9. Earthling

    Earthling New Member

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    Same here.

    Keep receipts, so that you can prove you did the oil changes.

    Harry
     
  10. N3FOL

    N3FOL Member

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    I just did the first oil change on my Prius. I used Quaker State 5W30 and FRAM Oil filter. The current odo reading is at 2596 miles. My next oil and oil filter change will come by after 2500 miles. One thing I like about this car...it is one of the easiest cars to change oil.
     
  11. dorf

    dorf Member

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    There has been lots of discussion on the Fram filters here.(search)

    Consenus is, Do Not use Fram.

    Purchase the OEM Toyota filter...they are about $5.00
     
  12. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Spend a little more for quality. It worked when you purchased a Toyota over a Datsun or Chrysler, so it will work when you buy oil and filters to service the Toyota.
     
  13. Earthling

    Earthling New Member

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    Why?

    The owner's manual calls for 5,000 mile oil change intervals.

    Harry
     
  14. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    My exact thoughts. Thank you!
     
  15. lefat1

    lefat1 Fat Member

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    just did my 1st oil change at 3500 miles, simple to do, no jacking required, i used an orig. toyota filter and 5w-30 castrol gtx..once again i dont see any benefits of synthetic when changing oil every 3-4k miles on an ice, thats used a fraction of running time. for those thinking of doing it urself, its a no brainer that took a total of about 30 minutes of which 10 mins was a short warm up drive. 3.5 qts as stated by many on pc filled it perfectly about 1/4" from top dot on dipstick. any questions fire away, be glad to assist if i can.
     
  16. lefat1

    lefat1 Fat Member

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    just curious, what filter do you use and do you think its ok for 5000 miles? i have no problem running synthetic for 5000 + miles, but not sure if the filters are capable of higher milage, unless there is a special type for use with synthetic that enables longer intervals between changes..
     
  17. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    I use the Toyota dealer oil filter, and currently Mobil 1 0W-20. I have "pushed" this oil to 16,000 km, and the used oil analysis came back fine

    Consider that the Prius sold in the EU has a normal 12 month / 10,000 mile oil service interval. This is running ACEA spec oils, not the garbage API oils sold here that still allow cold stuck rings, cold gellation, cold sludge, etc

    There are cars sold in the EU with a normal 12 month or 30,000 mile oil service interval. Some of these cars are still kept around as prototypes and have not had an oil change in 5 years, with motors still in good shape

    Motor oil isn't magic, it's chemical engineering. The whole point of careful chemical engineering is to manage the contaminants in the motor, to ensure long motor and oil life
     
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  18. diamondlarry

    diamondlarry EPA MPG #'s killer

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    It seems to me that I've heard of someone on PC(efusco or krousdb?) that has went 15K+ miles and the used oil analysis showed that the oil(Mobil1) was still good for more life.
     
  19. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Well, as I stated above, I went 16,000 km or 10,000 mi on Mobil 1 0W-20 and dealer oil filter. The used oil analysis was fine, it was good for more.
     
  20. Devil's Advocate

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    Oil change once a year or 35,000 miles whichever comes first, with a filter change at six months or 17,500 miles.

    I use Amsoil, i belive it is now called 0W-30 signature series, oil which is good for 35,000 miles. I am on my third oil change and have over 130,000 miles on my 2005 package 9!

    Haven't had any testing done yet on the oil, will probably do at the next change, in January 2009!