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2010 Prius Owners - High Mileage and No Oil Issues

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by orenji, Aug 12, 2016.

  1. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Please list your mileage? 135,000
    Please list if you change your oil at 5,000 miles or 10,000 miles? I used to service every 10k (up until I reached 90k), but since then it has been every 5k.
    Please list if you use 0W-20 weight oil or something else? 0W-20
    Please list if you have the dealer change your oil or someone else? DIY
    Do you use Toyota Oil? No, usually use Mobil 1 Extended Performance.
    Do you drive mostly city or freeway? 2/3 Freeway.
    If freeway what is your average speed? 75mph.
     
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  2. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    My car is a 2012 Plug-in.

    Please list you mileage? 97,000
    Please list if you change your oil at 5,000 miles or 10,000 miles? 10,000
    Please list if you use 0W-20 weight oil or something else? 0W20 Mobil 1
    Please list if you have the dealer change your oil or someone else? Now that free maintenance is over, I do them.
    Do you use Toyota Oil? Mobil 1
    Do you drive mostly city or freeway? Suburb/Freeway
    If freeway what is your average speed? 70 mph. I am not a hypermiler.

    I might change to 5K intervals. I read an article that motor oils have fewer detergents and 10K intervals aren't ideal. I also might change to the next thicker oil grade, to prevent leaks.
     
    #22 Rebound, Sep 5, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2016
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  3. tv4fish

    tv4fish Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Please list you mileage? 140,000
    Please list if you change your oil at 5,000 miles or 10,000 miles? 10,000
    Please list if you use 0W-20 weight oil or something else? 0-20
    Please list if you have the dealer change your oil or someone else? nope I'm a DIY'er
    Do you use Toyota Oil? Yes
    Do you drive mostly city or freeway? Highway - 55 mph max.
    If freeway what is your average speed? 55 mph
     
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  4. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    2010 G3-2 (II) Company use vehicle

    Please list you mileage? 106,000
    Please list if you change your oil at 5,000 miles or 10,000 miles? 5,000
    Please list if you use 0W-20 weight oil or something else? Unknown.....maintained by third party. Presume mixed
    Please list if you have the dealer change your oil or someone else? Non-dealer
    Do you use Toyota Oil? No
    Do you drive mostly city or freeway? Freeway
    If freeway what is your average speed? 75

    No detectable oil use between changes.
     
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  5. Tbkilb01

    Tbkilb01 Active Member

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    echo that ...162000 no oil burning
     
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  6. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    There seems to be one common fact out of this post so far, and that there is a very high percentage of DIY oil changes. So either these owners are more on top of changing their oil on time, and/or that Bottle oil, regardless of brand is better then bulk oil? .
     
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  7. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    I seriously doubt. But a person who runs an oil change business can boost profit a lot by charging for synthetic and using non-synthetic. Or, use the lowest quality, cheapest synthetic there is.
     
  8. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Good point, but it's a know fact that bottle oil is better then bulk, as the quality is not the same for the same brand and weight when comparing the two.
     
  9. Tbkilb01

    Tbkilb01 Active Member

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    I purchase 5 qt size. mobile1 DIY is the way to go... Or find someone to do it for you besides the Dealership... I try to turn wrenches where I can. My next venture is to remove dash to "wipe" off the "anomally"... Over the right side of the Dash monitor...its cloudy blurred and just a eye soar...anyone done it yet? Where the consumption meters get fogged up beyond recognition!!!
    I Just did the throttle butterfly, it was really sooty. included picture. easy to accomplish too. Id really like to get to EGR cleaning ASAP. I Also changed spark plugs. Runs smoother, with higher MPG's!

    image.jpg
     
    #29 Tbkilb01, Sep 10, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2016
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm doing DIY, with bulk Toyota 0W20. Well, for one change so far, it was bottled Toyota oil before that. I'd agree DIY'rs tend to be more on it, changing the oil "on time", or more frequently, and checking level frequently, which at least avoids oil starvation.

    The mechanics of buying bulk oil, at least at my dealership: it's defined as a "service". I show up at the service counter with my bottles (pair of 4 liter repurposed canola oil containers), which they fill and bill me as a service, parts only ($4.50 per liter), no service charge

    The appearance of the bulk Toyota oil was identical to my eye. It's a "known fact" that bulk oil is no good to Ed the Fox, that's about it. It was just getting to me: all the oil contaminated bottles I was putting out.
     
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  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    How do you think they fill the bottles versus the bulk drum? It all comes from the same large vessel at the facility it is manufactured;). Otherwise think of the scale costs and what cost per bottle would be otherwise.
     
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  12. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I actually use a dealership near me. Only on Sunday's though ( they take $10 off the fee). I take my own oil and they supply the labor and filter. Their waiting room is across from the oil change bay, so I get to view the work from the comfort of a lounge chair and a warm caffeinated beverage :D.

    So for $45( this includes the cost of Mobil one off of amazon) I get an oil change that I watch and don't have to crawl under the car to do.

    Also checking out the new 2016's helps pass the time:). I started to take a shine to the Prius Eco, then realized it was time to grab a coffee and watch the oil change:sick:
     
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I was listening to the CBC radio one time, they were interviewing a recycler, who deals with used oil bottles and oil filters. One plea from him: take the time to really empty the bottles, as well as you can, reduce the oil left in them. But yeah, just like bulk food, if you can buy bulk and bring your own containers, everybody wins.
     
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  14. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Filling bottles at the manufacturing site and delivering oil out of a truck into the bulk drums are two very different methods. I would assume much more care is taken in filling bottles then it is to dump oil into a drum. My concern is if the proper additive package has been added to the drum oils, if the drums themselves are clean, and what other grades of oil have been transported in the same truck in prior deliveries.
     
    #34 orenji, Sep 10, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2016
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  15. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I can honestly say I have never seen the difference between the 2 with regards to engine oil and the process they perform to manufacture.

    I have worked in the chemical manufacturing world for 12 years and when we manufactured materials in vessels, we would have various packagings we would fill from the same batch. This would be drums, totes and bulk tank wagons or rail cars all from the same material. Why? It was easier and led to less conversion of the equipment between grade changes.

    If changing grades, we had a "cleaning matrix" that would be referenced by the operator to determine what (if any) cleaning would be required for both the mix vessel and packaging.

    I view engine oil in the same light and it is probably treated that way. My parents also had a neighbor who worked for a large beverage manufacturer. They do a similar thing for bottling sodas, teas, etc.

    While handling liquids and cross contamination can happen (and does from time to time), it is not more rampant than the rouge noob mechanic entrusted with your car and putting the correct oil into your car ( if at all). I use the trust but verify approach at the dealer and found one that I can easily do this;).
     
  16. Chwisted Sister

    Chwisted Sister Junior Member

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    2010 Gen 3 model III wPlease list you mileage? 161,500 miles
    Please list if you change your oil at 5,000 miles or 10,000 miles? 10,000 miles
    Please list if you use 0W-20 weight oil or something else? 0W-20
    Please list if you have the dealer change your oil or someone else? I change my oil
    Do you use Toyota Oil? Mobil 1
    Do you drive mostly city or freeway? Freeway
    If freeway what is your average speed? 65 mph
    Average mpg ? 52.7 mpg Fuelly
    Fastest highway speed ? 75 mph
    Mountain driving? Twice a year
    Lots of short trips? No

    No oil burning to date.
     
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  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Other dealership oil change negative factors that might be at play:

    1. Chronic overfill.
    2. Unchanged (or omitted!) oil filter. These are easy to do, and very hard to detect on third generation.
     
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  18. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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  19. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    something similar has been done before too:
    oil consumption vs source of oil | PriusChat
     
  20. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    That's great but your thread is only concerned with length of time and who changed the oil, I am asking length of time, who changed the oil, what weight of oil and brand and type of driving one does and typical speed on the freeway.
     
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