On what page of the 2009 manual(s) is there information on

You should have received a separate, relatively thin manual called Scheduled Maintenance Guide that outlines this info.

 

5K miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. The MAINT REQD light will come on at 5K mile intervals.

The Toyota website is also your friend, see:
Toyota Parts and Service

 

I've looked through the mainentance guide, and it looks like the first service is either the 5K miles, or 6 months mentioned. Since the last new car I bought was 8 years ago, I'm guessing things have changed, but previously an oil change was recommended at something like 1K or 3K miles, with the idea that by then, the oil would have tiny metal shavings from the engine breaking in. Is that no longer a big deal?

 

This is no longer a big deal. Early and too-frequent oil changes are a gift to the service department.

 

No, times have not changed in that regard. The first oil change at a short interval does make sense since there is still a possibility of various burrs, shavings, contaminants in the original oil charge. Think of it as the "putting it into service flush."

The dealer does this first one as a freebie in many cases, so it is also a good opportunity to evaluate the dealer service dept. on a simple routine task (particularly to make certain they don't overfill.)

However, after that the intervals should be as recommended (or perhaps more depending on what oil you use, how you use your vehicle, and whether you keep an eye on such things.)

 

Okey dokey. A definitive yes and an equally definitive no. I'll call my mechanic and have him cast the tie-brekaer.

 

I like Shawn's rationale: get it as a freebie and use it to assess the service department. (There's really no point in paying for a 1000 mile oil change. Any particles big enough to be troublesome were already caught in the filter.)

Always check the oil level yourself before driving away from any oil change, and tell the service writer that you will do it. Perhaps because of an error in the service manual even Toyota dealers often slightly overfill a Prius.

 

My wife's 96 Avalon has a 7500mi schedule for normal driving, 5k for the severe condition.
I don't remember any car of mine in the past having a 1k oil interval.

And, my old car that this 08 replaced cannot remember when I had my last oil change. It ran just fine.

 

But, he is not an unbiased observer