Oil change, how often on my 2015 Prius Plug In Hybrid?

Assuming you're in the USA (is that a US zip code??), look in the Warranty and Maintenance Booklet: every 10K miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Unless you're severe service, which cuts that interval in half. If you're missing that booklet, you can download from Toyota Tech Info site. And also Toyota Owners site?

In Canada, for third gen, it's 8000 km (5000 miles) or 6 months, whichever comes first. Fourth gen, they've matched the US schedule.

This is a table I made, just taking info from the US booklet:



Ultimately, and especially once you're out of warranty, it's your call. I would change it more often than the US spec, suspect Toyota's first priority leans more towards wowing potential buyers with low maintenance requirements, than engine longevity.

 

i drive 5-6k a yearend change the oil every spring. is it necessary? there are no clear answers without oil testing, but everyone has an opinion

 

Yeah if you're really low miles, once a year is the smart money.

I'm really low miles, but also DIY, and I NEED something to do, so stick with 6 months (the Toyo Canada edict for 3rd gen).

Honda Canada has a Maintenance Minder in the dash for all vehicles. Much more than a dumb odo counter, it's monitoring various items (what is a bit of a mystery). It counts down in 10 percent increments to next oil change, with additional codes for various services that might also be needed. But it has a stipulation, paraphrasing, it says if the Maintenance Minder hasn't got down to 0 percent within a year, change the oil anyway, and reset it.

 

I may get in troutrouble for this answer, but I've given the matter a lot of thought. Say you get 50 mpg. If you change oil at 5,000 that's every 100 gallons of gas. I am filling up once each year and I refuse to get an oil change every time I get a fillup. So the only real question is how long the oil can last while sitting there in the engine.

 

Yeah it does kinda fall apart with you short-run Plug-In owners, where the engine's just about mothballed. Do other issues then arise, say rust in the cylinders?

 

The engine automatically runs every 125 miles, so that's a good thing and it ought to help keep the cylinders rust-free. The gas tank is actually pressurized to help the fuel stay fresh, and water that may have condensed into the oil tends to vaporize when the engine heats up.

 

People with antiques have the same problem as Prime owners. I think it is how guilty you feel leaving it go past the manufacturers recommendations.

 

what you're not accounting for is what happens to oil that mostly sits there for a year. and i have no idea what, if anything happens.
so how often are you changing your oil?

 

bisco, I knew this thread was going to get me in trouble. At the end of this month it will be two years for the oil and 6,180 miles, but only about 15 gallons of gas went through the engine. So, am I a criminal or what?

 

honestly, i'm still trying to figure it out myself. i'm wondering if it's worth spending the $90. a year. even my mechanic says every two years is fine

 

When I was drag racing, years ago, I used to visit "bob is the oil guy" website. I learned that an oil analysis is cheap and tells the story if the oil still has life left in the 'add pack' (additives).

In those severe conditions, miles and time mean nothing. You could use up the protective components of the oil in a much shorter interval, so testing the oil helped understand. It also told you specific materials were in the oil ... And this told you when certain parts, like valve lifters, should be changed before failure.

Just a thought .....

 

Apologies, see that's in fact a linkable US zip code.

 

agreed. that's why i mentioned testing in my post #3. but it is rare, and not widely known. easier (though potentially more expensive) to just follow the manual.

 

There was a question about that the other day in another thread and I tried to find that info in the manual, but couldn't find it. I've gone over 80 miles since my last engine run and don't foresee running it for another 30-40 miles, but will have a beyond range trip tomorrow that will spoil my chances for the first auto-start if it is indeed 125 miles.

 

The only instances of "125" in the (pdf) 2012 PIP Owner's Manual pertain to page number 125.

 

PiP doesn't start periodically to run the engine. I've heard from a few people here that the Prime does. I just can't find it in the manual. Maybe it's not in the manual. <still need a head-scratching emoticon>

 

Page 57 in Europe/Aus/NZ manual:

It's 124 miles, not 125

 

my pip has always started every 124 miles, unless i've started it first.

conversely, i have read here that prime does not?

 

When the manufacturer recommendation is the same for the PiP and the non-PiP it makes you wonder if the "recommendation" is anything but a service promotion for the dealer. Engine hours would make much more sense. I've settled on once a year.