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Prius C2 first oil change

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Ubu the Tech Guru, Aug 16, 2013.

  1. Ubu the Tech Guru

    Ubu the Tech Guru Junior Member

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    I have seen different suggestions for the first oil change. Since we know that miles driven on the car don't equate to the amount of time that the ICE has been running how long should I wait to perform my first oil change. Also which grade as I have seen verying opinions on this as well. I only have about 500 miles on it so far.
     
  2. Drdiesel

    Drdiesel Active Member

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    I did my first change at 1000 miles to remove all the break-in metals. I change mine every 5K. It's cheap and easy and if you plan on keeping it for the long haul, it will run longer before it starts to use oil or have any mechanical problems.
    Allowing contaminated oil to remain in the engine will help lead to oil leaks as the acids eat at the seals.
    5K or 6 months is the schedule for my car (y) A clean engine is a happy engine :D
     
  3. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    I did mine at 10k miles... but then again, that only took me 5 months of ownership.
     
  4. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    I did my first change at 2k miles, the next one at 5k miles, and subsequent changes at 5k mile intervals.

    Your choice whether you go early or stay on the owner's manual schedule. 0w-20 oil is easy to find. The Toyota oil is good. I use M1. Purolator filters for me.

    The oil is easy to change on the C. Everything is easy to reach and nothing is hard to understand. No covers to take off. 4 qts to fill.

    In normal driving with my C, the electric is used about 25% of the miles. 10k mile intervals are about 7500 on a normal car.
     
  5. Oldwolf

    Oldwolf Prius Enthusiast

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    I let the dealer change my oil for the frst time at 10k miles.
     
  6. Whirldy

    Whirldy Junior Member

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    VW uses a "break-in" oil. Does Toyota?


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  7. My maintenance schedule/brochure says 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.

    Apparently they want you to use their own patented synthetic oil.... whatever.
     
  8. Drdiesel

    Drdiesel Active Member

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    Their "patented" oil is nothing more than a label. Toyota isn't making oil. It's marketing B/S
    and most people fall for that crap. Buy a good brand of 0W20 synthetic oil and you'll be better
    off and have more money for other items. Mobile 1 is the best bang for the buck and it locally
    available at most auto parts and Wal-Mart stores.

    I don't buy oil at auto parts stores. It's always marked up and will cost you way more when compared
    to Wal-Mart. I haven't found a store that beats the Wal-Mart prices. Even Amazon can't beat em.

    Buy a good oil filter or even a Toyota filter if you like. The dealers will say anything to get you use
    to coming into them for everything. They're way over priced and don't really have good service.
    Find a local indy shop and take your oil and filter with you. They shouldn't have a problem using
    your oil and filter. I change my oil around every 5K to 7.5K, but never let it stay more than 6 months.

    Oil collects all the trash that didn't make it out the tailpipe. Contaminated oil attacks seals and causes
    oil leaks. Keep the oil changed regularly and you'll be a happier owner. Cheaping out on maintenance
    is never a good idea. You'll spend more money in the long run, I guarantee it :eek:
     
  9. tgpii

    tgpii Member

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    At 5,000 miles my dash said maintenance I took it to a dealer and they gave it an oil boast and some other stuff. At 10,000 mi the maintenance thing came on the dash. Took it to the dealer and they changed the oil. The first 2 years or 25,000 mi maintenance is covered by the warranty So just take it to the dealer and let them worry about it. Also, you could look in the owners manual.
     
  10. tgpii

    tgpii Member

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    At 5,000 miles my dash said maintenance I took it to a dealer and they gave it an oil boast and some other stuff. At 10,000 mi the maintenance thing came on the dash. Took it to the dealer and they changed the oil. The first 2 years or 25,000 mi maintenance is covered by the warranty(f0r free). So just take it to the dealer and let them worry about it. Also, you could look in the owners manual.
     
  11. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Paid Toyota dealer to change my oil at 5K miles and 2nd service at 10K miles was covered by them. Toyota oil is Mobil 1 oil, just packaged in Toyota bottle.
     
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  12. Drdiesel

    Drdiesel Active Member

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    What the heck is an "Oil Boast" ? The dealer will only change it @ 10K because that's the freebie schedule.
    Don't be fooled by some Voo-Doo B/S. You should change it when the system notifies you. After the 36K
    warranty runs out, who's holding the bag for that motor ? I would never fall for that B/S and you shouldn't
    either. Proper maintenance is key to longevity. Extending oil changes because it's "RECOMMENDED"
    is a fools game and you'll pay for it later. Engines don't like dirty oil and acids will eat seals.
     
  13. Drdiesel

    Drdiesel Active Member

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    Good choice :cool: And over priced :eek:
     
  14. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Not really, paid $50 bucks for oil change, cheaper than the $80 bucks i would pay on my last car when using Mobil 1!
     
  15. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    $12.50/quart... was the tech wearing a golden overall?
     
  16. Drdiesel

    Drdiesel Active Member

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    I was referring to having it done at the 5K mark instead of waiting until 10K
     
  17. Drdiesel

    Drdiesel Active Member

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    Don't forget the filter and labor.
     
  18. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    You're right... $3.75 filter. $7.34/qt of oil. $33.11 before labor = golden coveralls. ;)

    Note: these prices were amazon cost... not dealership cost.
     
  19. Drdiesel

    Drdiesel Active Member

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    50 bucks with Mobile 1 isn't a bad price, unless you do it yourself. 4 qrts of 0W20 averages
    $30 bucks anywhere. Most filters are around 5 bucks. Oil disposal is a charge at the dealer as well.
    Everybody pays tax on parts. I think a 50 buck oil change at the dealer is pretty decent with synthetic oil.
    The average DIY oil change with Mobile 1 is about $40 bucks and you get to deal with the waste oil.
     
  20. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    I just posted the prices of what it would cost to do it myself.