2007 High Mileage Prius - Oil Level/Oil Change

You can't be sure it was filled to the full mark at the last oil change, so drive it and check it at the next thousand mile mark
to see if it has used any more oil, if it has, fill it, but be very careful not to overfill it. 5 thousand miles between oil changes should be ok.

 

agree with mun, ^^^ but i would check it at every gas fill up as you suggested. remember to let it sit awhile so the oil drains down into the pan. not sure about adding mobil 1 if you get low, unless you know that's what's in there.

 

Without knowing more you can’t really know. If a lot of old oil is left when changing then it might be just it that’s going. Or it might not even be filled to top mark. And also Prius oil tends to take time to drain back to oil pan so some of it may still not be in oil pan. And you don’t even know what oil is in it. Just fill it to just below top mark and check it every fill-up. You can draw better conclusions at next oil change interval.

If you use synthetic oil you can go at least 5k miles. But now you don’t even know what’s in it?

Probably you can use it trouble free after first problems for many times longer than one year or 10k miles.

 

yes, depending on your def of normal, there are plenty of threads here from high mileage pri and burning oil. not a big issue, just something to keep on top of.

 

I have 07 with 235K, I drive about 125 miles a day, I check oil level every 2 weeks. I usually am about a quart low, because of the high mileage and useage, I no longer use synthetic oil.

 

My car doesn't burn any oil, but I always keep the oil level halfway between the "full" and "add" marks. That minimizes the amount of oil vapor that gets into the intake via the crankcase vent (which can pool in the manifold and produce inconsistent starts). If you use three quarts with a new filter, that's the dipstick reading you'll get.

Depending on who did the last oil change, they may have followed the same practice I have used since we bought our 2001 Prius nine years ago.

 

1/2 a quart in 2k isn't bad. don't worry about mixing oil. synth isn't gonna hurt it. when the maint light comes on, change it with your favorite synthetic oil and drive the hell out of it.

 

synthetic s/b able 2 go 10k miles. change my oil at 5k, looks pretty clean w/dino oil. am thinking of going to mobile 1 04 165k burns no oil but worried it might then start burning, kinda worried . dont change horses in the middle of the stream comes to mind. actual proof syn oil lasts longer?

 

i changed from dino to synthetic in my 72 fiat with over 100,00 miles. it would still be running if all the metal body parts hadn't dissolved.

 

just to clarify, that the motor itself would show less wear in the long run/ I know slipperier and better mpg

 

synth clings to the metal, so on every start, there's already lubrication. unlike dino which is all down in the pan, waiting to be pumped back up.

 

My opinion is if your car is burning oil,then maintain the oil at the full mark. You are asking for trouble if you leave it half full

 

you could check it more often and eliminate any concern. it only takes a minute before you get up and go. after awhile, you'll have a feel for it.

 

thanks for the response bisco/others used to run in porsche (syn) seemed it weeped around seals etc. miata mechanic I know says all blown motors he has seen ran synthetic, obviously not scientific. can get mob 1 for around 4.70/qt. thinking of buying a bunch then finding bunch of filters/ lot of long driving, was in az yesterday. would go to 10k changes

 

I've never heard of an inconsistent start from a prius that resulted from oil at the full mark. Toyota would get sued

If your car burns oil and you routinely keep it half full, forgetting to check once in a while can mean serious damage when it runs low.

Some cars burn 1 qt or more per 1000 miles. If you keep it half full and go on a trip that's 1000 miles, you would end up below the low Mark