Oil Change

Andrew,

My apology to all for digressing subject-wise. Point the way to a new topic starter, and I shall follow.

Your citation of European fuels needs to take into account that their rating system changed. Without documentation to back this up, you are making an apples to oranges comparison. Case in point, Porsche, BMW, MB. etc. have not produced separate fuel classified engines. In fact, they cater to the substantial US market. It used to be that you had to perform emission control and bumper changes when you imported a "gray market" model. But, not for about 10 to 15 years now, IIRC. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do not believe that these high end performance car ever required down-tuning to reflect our lesser quality fuel.

Could you provide a source for these 2 items? My understanding is that the gasoline brands have been providing basically the same "burn clean" additives across their octane ranges for 10+ years now.

Car and Driver did a study of the benefits of using higher grade octane in a 2001 issue (link below). In it, they do dyno and track testing of a handful of cars using different grades of octane. Granted, it is not looking at MPGs, but it is informative all the same. Its conclusion is:

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?se...4&page_number=1

The Federal Trade Commission also offers some good info here:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/octane.htm

 

I keep hearing that Toyota recommends changing the oil in the 2004 PRIUS every 5,000 miles instead of the standard 3,000. Of course my Toyota dealership is looking out for their pocketbook and claims the oil still needs to be changed every 3,000 miles or it voids the warranty. Therefore I am going to need some ammunition if I am going to challenge them.

Can anyone point to a source (web page or offline manual) that states exactly the recommended oil change mileage? Thanks very much!

 

Okay, I found the information I was looking for. In the PASSPORT TO PERFORMANCE (Scheduled Maintenance Guide) that comes in the black leather binder, it clearly lists the first oil change at 5,000 miles, the next at 10,000 miles, etc.

 

When I was at the dealer ordering mine, I also had problems finding this information page(s) in the Owner's Manual. Seems strange if they hadn't included it.

 

Hi everyone,

I'm amazed how often the Prius needs an oil change. I'm more used to deal with a 12.000 or 18.000 miles (or 2 years) oil change with our days brand new european cars. What about the others cars sold in the U.S. ?

This has a cost that must be known before buying this car.

Anyway, the ICE starting and stopping all the time must be more hard for the oil than a conventional engine running continuously, don't you think so (despite the fact that the Prius ICE doesn't start the same way) ?

"To boldly go where no ICE has gone before ..."
Richard. 8)

 

They have it listed as 8,000km for Canada, so 5,000miles seems about right.

But that said, changing the oil is the absolute cheapest form of preventative maintenance you can do to preserve your car. The $40 or so it would take to get it changed every 8,000km is more than worth the peace of mind.

Dave.

 

Hello Dave ("reply : hello HAL" ...),

Thanks for the answer, Dave. You're absolutly right, but I just wish to know if every car in the US need that kind of oil change interval, or if it just the Prius.

Let me explain why : this car is not yet available in France, we can't yet have any french maintenance book. Every Toyota member who I'm asking about this tell me that the Prius needs a standard interval oil change.

Apparently, they're lying, or they've got a wrong information, or the interval oil change is not the same in all countries (US oil is worth than european oil ?) !

Anyway, I think I'll have to deal with a 8000 kms interval oil change. Only $40 when it's done by a Toyota dealer ?

Richard. 8)

 

Actually Richard, most cars in the US have a 3000 mi. oil change interval.

 

Thanks for the answer. I'm really wondering why there is such a differance between our oil average frequency change ? The oil is not the same ? If anyone can find the anwser ...

By the way, the UK Prius needs to have its oil changed every 10.000 miles !

Richard. 8)

 

Not true. It is more along the lines of 7,500 miles plus. The oil / automotive service "industries" WANT people to think 3,000 is what it is.

 

I have a somewhat different take on the synthetic vs. dino question. It is this: In 5 or 10 years, when I sell my '04 Prius to buy the next generation of Prius, will I have a harder time finding a buyer, or have to settle for a lower selling price, if I saddle the new owner with having to use synthetic?

A used-car buyer is probably someone who cannot afford a used car, and therefore may be reluctant to buy a car with higher maintenance costs. Some buyers may look at the presumed better condition of the engine, but others will only see the higher cost of an oil change.

Any thoughts?

 

P.S. I posted a similar question as the above on the Yahoo 2004-Prius forum, and a half a dozen people replied that it is not necessary to stay with synthetic once you start using it. I had always been told that if you start using synthetic you had to stay with it.

Does anybody know anyting about this?

 

There is no requirement or need to maintain either dino or synthetic once started. If you flip and flop, no harm done.

 

But in stealth mode...
:lol:

 

Navigating from here:
http://www.toyota.com/html/help/
and clicking on FAQ and then on FAQ again, and then on Synthetic Oil. I was taken to a page with a URL too long to cut and paste here, but which yielded the following:

If you decide to use synthetic oil for the engine, it is best not to switch until the first scheduled oil change. Synthetic oil should meet or exceed the specifications provided in your Owner's Manual. Even if synthetic oil is used, we do not recommend a longer oil change interval. Also, once synthetic oil is used, you should keep using it and not switch back and forth with natural petroleum-based oil.

 

Which model Fumoto Drain Valve is the correct one to purchase?

Bruce Webster

 

Thanks Danny. The URL went off the end of my browser's URL window and it seemed to me that CTRL-C was not grabbing the whole thing, as CTRL-V was producing a line of text ending with an equal sign, and I thought that could not be. In any case, the link you provided does go to the page I was quoting.