I really don't need an oil change until 10K??

No you don't need to change your oil until 10,000 miles. It seems very strange and weird because you're not used to it but modern synthetic oils can easily (and I mean easily) handle 10,000 mile changes.

Here in the UK Toyota are regarded as very conservative with 10,000 mile changes, with most other manufacturer requiring oil changes at 12k, 15k, 18k and 20k+ miles or 12/24 months. We don't have engines falling out or breaking down any more often than any where else and if anything we have higher engine warranties than the US with 100,000 miles not being unusual.

So relax and save your money and time.

(It is important to use the correct oils though. Don't skimp on some rubbish stuff from your local supermarket)

 

Grumpycabbie is right, even if you don't have a plug-in you don't need an oil change until 10k, even then you don't "need" it. If you don't want to or don't have time to, don't sweat it.

There's a company online that you can send your oil samples to. Just can't remember it's name.

I have used redline oil and royal purple in all my current cars from the '10 E-class to the '14 GS to the '13 corolla, just a personal preference though. I own my own shop so I don't take them to dealers, even if I have free ones.

My '14 plugin has had 5 oil changes, 10k, 20k, 30k, 40k, 45k, 50k. I just wanted to do the 45k because I did allot of heavy hill driving, it was absolutely not necessary.

It can't hurt to do it. Although, if we're on the topic, I'd recommend a magnetic plug; high quality oil and filter will do you a world of goods. Proper tire inflation will serve you better than frequent oil changes.

 

The Toyota service people told you correctly, you only change the oil every 10,000 miles including the first oil change. The first 1,000 mile oil change your husband is referring to applies to vehicles of many years ago. You have synthetic oil in your's, modern engines are different, the gasoline engine in your car does not run constantly. All of that stuff combined, just 10,000 mile oil change or once a year whichever comes first.

 

i had mine changed at 5,000 and 15,000, i agree with your husband. it was a fight to the death with the service department though, and i barely got out in one piece. anyways, if you only keep your cars for 4 or 5 years, it doesn't make any difference.

 

Not to complicate the issue, but it's true Toyota say's that Oil Changes are only needed at 10,000 mile intervals including the first one.

I would say, it's probably OK and you would be fine waiting until you reach 10,000.

That being said, I personally had the Oil Changed at 5000 at my own expense.

I suspect I'm embracing "Old School" thinking here. I suspect I'm not respecting the On/Off nature of the ICE in a hybrid coupled with the durability and longevity possible with today modern synthetic oils.

Deep in my heart, is suspect I wasted time, money and resources changing the oil and filter at 5000.

But damn if I wanted to wait until 10,000 on a brand new engine, on the original oil. I just HAD to have it changed.

Even if it is perfectly arguable that NOT changing and waiting until the recommended 10,000 mile interval is fine, I feel changing it at 5,000 miles won't hurt either, outside of the pocket book....and knowing that I have changed the oil out on my new engine makes me feel better. Well worth the modest expense of doing so, IMO.

I changed at 5,000- My expense- again at 10,000-Toyota Care-Free....and now I plan to change every additional 10,000 as recommended.

Your husband and I might be entirely wrong in our desire to change the oil prematurely in relationship to Toyota's recommendation, but in this case? It's cheap and changing it early is a modest investment into the realm of "It Might Help and it Makes Me Feel Better".

I think you have nothing to lose by changing it early except for money and time. I would of had them change it at your 5000 mile service. Even though they might of balked or told you not to do so.

 

Everyone seems to agree that with synthetic oil, you can go farther between oil changes, but most advice seems to consist of "overlapping margins of error," which is my way of saying that nobody is willing to say (at least publicly) how long you can go between oil changes before the synthetic oil actually breaks down.

"Better safe than sorry," may be good advice in lieu of actual knowledge, but I happen to think that actual knowledge is better than no knowledge. That's why, through experimentation over the years, I have gradually stretched the oil-change interval to twice a year. At times, I have driven 30,000 miles between oil changes, to no apparent ill-effect. My Dodge Ram pickup has over 160,000 miles on it, and it shows no signs of cylinder wear. The same has been true for many vehicles I've owned over the years.

Take that for what it's worth; I'm not going to tell anyone that it's safe to do what I've done, but that is what I've done, and I've seen no harmful effects.

 

For folks north of the 49th Parallel, Toyota still sets the regular change interval at 6 months or 8000 km (roughly 5000 miles). Same 0W20 weight. It's not like you drop into a deep freeze as you cross the border, lol. Our winters in the lower mainland are a LOT balmier than Fargo, Dakota, for example.

There's a lotta things we do in life that are overkill. Chasing a few wrinkles out of a perma-press shirt with an iron, two or three times a week comes to mind. Ambulance and various emergency response vehicles change their 12 volt battery bi-yearly, or even yearly. Most of us armor up with multi-millions of third party liability insurance, year after year.

If you're in the states and looking for an avenue to justify 5000 mile (or 6 month) oil changes, just take a close look at your driving habits. Most people are at least on the cusp of "severe service". At least close enough that they can't have you committed.

 

5,000 is all a scam to keep the service departments in work. Norway have 10k mile (16km) intervals and they're as cold as most civilised parts of Canada.

 

Since I switched to 0-W oils a few years ago, I've never had to plug in my vehicles. One possible exception was when it was -47C (-53F) one morning, and my '93 Taurus turned over when I hit the remote starter, but it didn't catch after two tries; because the battery capacity had diminished in the cold, too low to allow a third try. I caught a ride to work, and when I returned in the afternoon, it had "warmed up" to the mid -30s, and the car started on the first try, even without a boost.

 

One reason I was given for 10,000 miles was because the engine in the Prius isn't running 100% of the time. It's off at idle and while cruising in shopping centers, etc.

 

I thought that the main reason was the use of synthetic oil. My son had a 2003 AMG roadster a while back, and the oil change interval for it was 12000 miles (all 8 quarts, as I recall).

 

Is the interval for other, non-hybrid US Toyota vehicles also 10000 miles? I'm thinking it is, not sure.

 

It did not hurt a thing to change it at 5,000 miles. It made you feel more at ease by doing it and it did not cost very much. In that respect you did the right thing. Now you are not going to worry about it.

 

excellent!

 

My Maintenance indicator went off around 47,000 miles, but I've been super-busy and it took about a month until I got the car into the dealer, who told me I was about 3,000 miles EARLY for the oil change. So here I thought I'd gone way past 10,000 miles without an oil change, but I'd just gone way past 5,000 miles. Ha ha.

 

A build-up of contaminants is a greater concern in the Prius engine. Long periods of inactivity can lead to accumulation of moisture in the engine, which can react with other substances that can acidify the oil and cause corrosion.

Changing oil on a time-interval makes more sense than doing so, based on miles.

 

Just got out of the shop for an oil change a few hours ago. I had racked up about 12500 miles between the last oil change, of which only about 8500 of were in HV. The attendant said the oil looked very clean, whatever that is worth (probably not much).