Syn blend 5w20 good for Prius 7500 mi. OCI or...

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dvancleve

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This combines several other questions I have put out there, please bear with me. The car is a 2006 Prius with about 75K miles on it, driven about 15K miles a year. I think it is pretty gently driven, mostly near the speed limit. It is in Phoenix, AZ. Being a Prius, the ICE (as the hybrid nerds like to call it ;^) starts and stops frequently, but is Miller cycle and pretty low stress otherwise. I have used Motorcraft 5w20 blend for all but a couple oil changes, changed about every 5K miles with the Toyota YZZF2 filters.

I am well outside the powertrain warranty now (just figured that out), so I want to got to a 7500mi or so OCI and I think I will go to the slightly taller but otherwise same spec YZZF1 equivalent filter. I don't see the need for a 0wXX oil here, so I think I am settled on 5w20. Are the blends good for a 7500 OCI or should I be looking for full synthetic? The Motorcraft, great stuff by all accounts, has come close to doubling in price since I started buying it at Walmart 5 years ago. Is there another great blend that might tend to be less moolah? Should I mostly be looking for full syn 5w20 on sale or with a good MIR? Any specific recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks, Doug
 
You should looking for synthetic xW20 on sale and/or with rebate. PP, QSUD, Synpower, M1, Maxlife full syn ... all are good for 7.5k miles OCI.
 
If you really want, you could go 10k on that oil with that driving profile. We've seen it here before sucessfully.
 
I would step up to a full synthetic and use Mobil 1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy. It is the perfect oil for a Prius and widely available.

I wouldn't trust a blend for 7500 mile oil changes.
 
No real need for synthetic in that engine. It would be hard to beat MC-SS with anything other than high end euro oil (Motul 8100 5w30 EcoNergy) or Amsoil. MC-SS is pretty thick for a 20, Maybe try the high VI Idemitsu 0w20 and a fall/spring seasonal oil changes. Does that 1NZ variant have a 3.5 litre sump like my old yaris?
 
Sometimes I dont understand this site. I've had a conventional recommended to me on here to go 8K, and now we're unsure weather or not a blend can go 7.5K. My answer? YES
 
I put about 3.3qts in per oil change, which puts it right between the two marks on the dipstick. It "holds" more than that, not sure exactly how much though (car/manual aren't here right now). So stick with the MC, or would a full syn be preferable if priced the same or better? Thanks, Doug

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
No real need for synthetic in that engine. It would be hard to beat MC-SS with anything other than high end euro oil (Motul 8100 5w30 EcoNergy) or Amsoil. MC-SS is pretty thick for a 20, Maybe try the high VI Idemitsu 0w20 and a fall/spring seasonal oil changes. Does that 1NZ variant have a 3.5 litre sump like my old yaris?
 
I would put ~3.8qts (just under the full mark) in and take a sample at 5k miles and send it into a lab.

I've done a "LOT" of oil changes on prii and the oil comes out clean every time, but that doesn't mean that the oil is still good or bad, more then likely your main issue will be TBN.

That said i've seen a UOA, on BITOG, of a prius with 25k miles on toyota 0w20, that looked good.

FYI: there's a TSB on over filling the prius, it's never a good idea, but worse on the prius.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: dvancleve
I put about 3.3qts in per oil change, which puts it right between the two marks on the dipstick. It "holds" more than that, not sure exactly how much though (car/manual aren't here right now). So stick with the MC, or would a full syn be preferable if priced the same or better? Thanks, Doug

If synthetic is within $1/qt more than synblend, I would buy/use synthetic all the times. If you can buy synthetic for less than MC, no reason to use MC at all.
 
The Prius is very easy on oil. The engine spends much of its time shut down and it is brought up to idle speed before gasoline is injected. Here are a bunch of examples of different oils and oil change intervals:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?...;hl=en_US#gid=0

I am currently running Mobil AFE 0W20 and there was a noticable mileage improvement over the valvoline 5W20 I was running.
 
My engine is running most of the time, so I really doubt the Prius engine is any easier on oil than a conventional engine. I would also guess that fuel dilution is higher due to the cycling, but I'll find out once I get my UOA back.

I've been using Mobil 1 AFE 0w-20 in mine for the last 7,000 miles. At the upcoming 10k dealership service, they'll install Toyota 0w-20 which I will likely run for 10k unless I suddenly change my driving routine to city service, which at that point I will go down to a 5k interval.

I see no reason to switch to a 20wt from the recommended 30wt on the second gen Prius.
 
Doug,

The Prius engine is more like an Atkinson Cycle engine rather than a Miller Cycle.

I am using Mobil 1 0W30 in mine and this next change will be my first with an interval of 7k to 7.5k. I have 6k on the oil now and it is still clean looking. Sometimes I wonder if there is any point in extending the oci's too much in these 1NZ-FXE engines since they only hold 3.8 qts and the cost to change the oil really isn't too significant anyway.
 
Originally Posted By: mva
0W20 oils are fine in a second generation Prius with all the same benefits they provide for any other car - improved mileage and improved cold starting:

http://priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=8537


I doubt that information is accurate because the 2007 and 2008 Prius definitely show 5W30 on the oil cap and in the manuals.
 
Originally Posted By: mva
Originally Posted By: The Critic


I doubt that information is accurate because the 2007 and 2008 Prius definitely show 5W30 on the oil cap and in the manuals.


0W20 is approved in 2nd gen Prius by Toyota Canada:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...463#Post2143463


I find that chart difficult to believe. For instance, it approves of 5w-20 in the older 1MZ-FE engines?

The Prius probably has enough fuel dilution as-is, so I would stay with the US recommended 5W30 for the 2nd generation.
 
Hey Doug:
I was at wallys yesterday and motorcraft blend was 15.50 for 5 qts. Go and ck it out. It will do great in your prius for 7500 mile oil changes.
 
Thanks merdog
smile.gif


I have 3qts. that I will return, they will pretty much pay for the jug...

Doug
 
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