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is synthetic oil worth it?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cnschult, Jan 20, 2008.

  1. kohnen

    kohnen Grumpy, Cranky Senior Member

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    That's true, but the motors that start the Prius engine are MG1 spinning the engine and MG2 providing counter torque to keep the wheels from moving.

    And, MG1 is geared down when spinning the engine.

    I bet MG1 backed by a 21 KW battery can spin up that 1.5 liter engine no matter HOW cold it gets.

    Just a thought.
     
  2. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Correct, but using a conventional oil in temps of -30 C and colder will cause unnecessary engine wear. I first switched to synthetics around 25 years ago due to proven low temp performance