Waiting is the hardest part!

Ok... Sounds like you want to do it early, why not wait till 5k then go to 10k oil changes after that. You would be going 5,000 miles less than toyota says is ok on your first oil change.

 

I had mine changed at 3875 because the oil was becoming quite dark, and it made me feel better. It was a tough winter, and my daily commute (when I drive) is 3.2 mi each way... and that is tough on any engine.

My dealer was quite nice about it, and also did the free 5K servicing including tire rotation since I live so far away. Of course, they also reset the pressures to 34/34, so the car felt like mush all the way home. The next morning, once the tires were cold from sitting over night, I drove 3 blocks to the service station and reset the preferred pressures.

 

Hey... I just realized... I think I posted a pic of my dipstick in one of your other threads! I think I was basically told not to worry, but who am I to listen to sound advice

I bought my Prius on Dec 9th. On Dec 10th, we got socked with about a half inch of ice followed by 14" of snow... & since I didn't have access to a garage then, & couldn't run an extension cord across the sidewalk, my poor Prius (like many others I'm sure) was stuck in the elements with no way to preheat the engine.

Next winter I'll have a garage, and a driveway, so if I can't make it up the incline to the garage at least I'll be able to plug it in. I'm also thinking of getting one of those windshield covers so I have less scraping to do in the mornings.

My winter commute is so short, some mornings the ScanGuage-II barely registered 80 degrees F when I arrived at work, and that was with 100% radiator blocking top & bottom. In my case, I think it was a combination of very short trips, cold weather, & an engine that rarely got up to optimal temperature during the week... which I also suspect qualifies for "heavy use" as described somewhere in the owners manual, for which 5K changes are recommended.

& that's why I want a PHEV when they finally arrive in MN. That would be perfect for my commute. The owner at work plans to convert some plug-in parking spaces for hybrid use, so I'd be able to plug in at home and at work.

I think the 1st oil change is recommended at 10K, and since (a) I had a certificate for a free oil change and (b) I knew I'd go crazy before 10K, I figured I'd just get it over with.

 

My Prius is over a year old...I've gone through 3 oil changes already (as of today), only <7800 miles. :X

 

^Wow that is hardcore

I plan on getting mine done at 5000 and 15000 miles under the Toyota Care plan. The dealer said I could move them up. I will pay for the 25,000 change.

I understand wanting to do the first one early, but isn't a 10k interval after that ok if you use the Prius for "normal" driving. I feel I don't abuse mine, except for tearing it up on onramps because I have to.

 

10K interval OR a year. ;-)

I did the first change in May 2010 at 1700 or so miles to remove break-in fluid (paid myself), second at 5400 miles in October 2010 (paid myself) and the third one in May 2011 (used a certificate). Based on analyses I've seen here, I think I will henceforward change it at 7500 miles or 9 months, whichever comes first...assuming I don't default on the loan before that next opportunity (I can easily see it happen with the economical dire straits on a national scale coupled with family stresses). :O