Canadian Oil Change Interval

guys.

I sent Toyota Canada an Email to find out why.
I hope them could reply my Email and give an explaination.
I wish this explaination is not like "because we treat US customer better".

 

I think this one is a non-issue. It's not as if there's a physical problem with the car. The concern is a policy, and a disparity in that policy between countries.

First off, I'm not sure it's clear what Toyota's motivation would be for pushing a longer interval in the States, vs Canada. I doubt very much that good will or environmental consciousness is the their prime motivation. I'm just cynical.

It's interesting that Hal's HCHII maintenance minder was telling him to change the oil every 14000 km's. Ours was invariably down to 15% at 8000~9000 km, and I always did the change at that point. Even if I'd let it run down to 0% I'd guestimate that would be around 11000 km, at the most.

Honda's maintenance minder is semi-intelligent, weighing several factors. No one knows for sure, but I'd guess besides raw mileage it was monitoring average engine temperature, and maybe number of start-ups. The variation between Hal's and ours says to me that driving conditions are a factor, ie: frequent short trips and partial warm-ups make it a good idea to change the oil sooner.

Anyway, with enough pressure, Toyota Canada may well say: "Sure, go ahead, increase your oil change interval". They'll weigh their laibilities, and I'm sure consider the disparity to the US schedule.

The deciding factor for them will not be your car's well being. It will be their bottom line, nothing more.

Look at the US schedule closely: the oil change interval for "severe service" is still 6 months or 5000 miles (8000 km). Most drivers have one of the conditions for severe service: repeated short trips. And the other condition, that these short trips are in severe cold conditions, applies to a lot of Canadian drivers. It also applies to a lot of central state US drivers.

Look at Toyota's policy on transaxle fluid change interval. It's, erhh...: never.

 

I received the reply today. It's a bureaucratic BS.

-----------------------------

Thank you for your recent correspondence.
Please be advised in Japan and parts of Europe, service intervals have been extended by using 0W20 oil, however, given the severe driving conditions that exist in Canada, the current 6 month/8,000km service interval indicated in the owner's manual supplement will be maintained.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us and allowing the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
John Ross
Customer Interaction Centre Toyota Canada Inc.

-------------------------------

Maybe only Media and government of Canada can give them pressure to match the policy.

 

The 2010 Prius comes with 0-20 Synthetic oil. That is why Toyota changed to the 10K oil change interval.

 

The Canadian market 2004-2009 Prius does have a specified transaxle fluid change interval. The US market one does not

AFAIK, the Canadian market +2010 FJ Cruiser also keeps the 6 month or 8,000 km interval, while the American market FJ has the 12 month or 16,000 km interval

Starting with 2010, the FJ also went to 0W-20 only

 

I stand corrected. The Canadian maintenance requirements are in the Owners Manual Supplement the accompanies the Owners Manual. And, they're for every vehicle Toyota makes, as far as I can tell: all lumped into about 3 pages of that pamphlet.

It is so chaotic I ended up making a spreadsheet, trying to sift out what applies just for the Prius:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...2010-prius-maintenance-schedule-canadian.html

Toyota Canada does have stipulate tranaxle fluid change interval:

120 months or 160000 kilometers

Our months and kilometers are roughly neck-and-neck, so following that it would likely mean 10 years on the factory fluid for us. I'm likely going to change it at 12 months though, then every other year thereafter.

You know what: I just got out the booklet to double check, and cannot find the above 120mo/160000 km fluid change spec. I think I found it, when I made the spreadsheet. Maybe got it mixed up with the coolant change interval. Anyone else find it?

What I did find, on page 25:

What I interpret from the above, for the Prius:

inspect transmission for leaks, every 24 months / 32,000 km, no change interval

Wait a sec: maybe the exceptions are only for the inspections interval, and the change interval is constant, ie:

72 months / 96,000 km

Very confusing. And still way too long, anyway, IMHO.

I've attached a pdf update of my spreadsheet, with 72 month /96 month transaxle fluid change interval, which I think is right.

Addendum: please have a look at my latest posting, in thread I started on Canadian Maintenance Schedule. I've further tuned my interpretation of the schedule, getting closer I think. Couple of thoughts:

It's still not clear to me what Toyota is saying regarding transaxle change, from reading the above quote. Go through it word by word, it could be they're saying never change the Prius transaxle fluid, inspect for leaks only.

Looking through my Canadian Owner's Manual Supplement, soe of the criteria of severe service is:

"Short trips, 5 km or less, or 8 km or less in sub-zero conditions"

So, 5 km or less trips, regardless of temps are severe service.

 

No worries

Toyota also claims that the WS in the FJ is a lifetime deal

Yeah, right

 

I don't think so.

From 2010 Prius WARRANTY & MAINTENANCE GUIDE (US version), for 8000km/6 months oil change, this guide gives two conditions:
Link: http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms/T-MMS-10Prius/pdf/2010_Prius_WMG_0W20_lr.pdf

(1) Extensive idling and/or low speed driving for a long distance such as police, taxi or door-to-door delivery use
(2) Repeated trips of less than five miles in temperatures below 32°F / 0°C

which concludes the extrame driving conditions of low temperature and low speed driving.

Otherwise, with 0W20, the oil change interval for US toyota prius is 16000km/12 months.

For example, NY state is very close to Ontario. Buffalo,NY is only 130km away from Toronto. Accroding to the weather report, the temperature and weather condition are quite similar bewteen Buffalo and Toronto. If toyota has confidence to let the Prius in Buffalo to change 0W20 oil by 16000km/12 months, why is it so difficult to make the same decision for the Prius in Toronto?

I don't know why Toyota Canada could not match Toyota USA and other country's maintenace guide (more flexible). In fact, not all canadian drivers live in the arctic circle and use their toyota cars for door-to-door delivery.

For example, I drive 15000km annually in Toronto(GTA). Less driving in Winter(20%-30% total kms). No short trip under 5km. Always park car in underground parking lots.

For sure, My car is qualified for 12months/16000km oil change by using 0W20 based on US maintance guide. But the non flexible maintance schedule in Canada makes me to change twice per year.

I think most of prius drivers in Canada cities have the same situation like me. It's very common.

 

what a bunch of BS.....granted there would be some areas of Canada in the winter that might be considered "severe" out West, however we don't all experience continuous snow and cold weather in every province. With only four months of cooler conditions and maybe three months of light snow (on average) this does not warrant the title of "severe". Sounds like a money grab. Why lump us all together, they didn't do that with the americans. There are just as many warm areas of the USA as there are cold & frigid "severe" areas too, but yet they get the break on change intervals. However, I guess we can just ignore the reminders and follow the pattern of every 10,000/year as our american neighbors do.
Sorry for the rant but it just irks me when policy makes haven't got a clue, and for our western friends, I do understand you have very cold and wintery conditions in the prairies, but we're such a large country, weather conditions cannot be all lumped together like they apparently do at Toyota.

 

Carzone.....I agree with you 100%, well said. There is very little difference with the exception of some southern american states which remain at a hot/warm climate year round.

 

It is. It lasts the life of the transmission.

They just don't mention that the life of the transmission isn't as long if you don't change the fluid.

 

Just to be the contrarian: maybe the rest of the world should match Canada.

Actually, I don't really care; I do like the current Canadian interval, and regardless of what the future brings, I'll be sticking with 8000km or 6mo.

If you look at Toyota's various service intervals, in particular the Transaxle fluid change, they do not seem to be motivated by engine longevity.

 

I do not think you meant that, but just to be sure, how can a Transaxle fluid change effect the engine? Won't it only effect the Transaxle?

I am guessing you thought powertrain and typed engine.

 

The oil change interval is motivated mostly by the dealer's need for profit. In the US they changed the interval but refused to change the car's computer notification software. The need to return the car for a tire rotation every 6 months/5,000 miles is only to get the car to the dealer.

 

Yeah, I know LOL. That big chunk of metal in the engine bay.