Help with an oil spec for a 2007 Toyota Prius.

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mongo161

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A friend of mine has a 2007 Toyota Prius base model. When I took a look at his oil filler cap on his engine it states..." API-SL, 5w-30" for the spec on the oil to be used.

I mentioned to him that he has the wrong cap on his engine, since to the best of my knowledge, the oil fill should only be API-SM or SN and the weight of the oil should be 5w-20. IMHO....I think that during one of his oil changes the lube jockey put the wrong oil filler cap on his engine. Would API-SL, 5w-30 be detrimental to his engine sensors or CAT if that spec has been used in the past????

Thanks for your help.
 
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SN or SM are compatible with the old SL spec active in 2006 when that car was built, so thats no problem using a modern oil.
And 5w-30 would work fine in that Prius, no problems, because that is what Toyota speced for that model year !!!

I guess a lot of Toyotas say 5w-20 or 0w-20, but your buddy's 2007 Prius does indeed spec 5w-30. He could also use Mobil1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w-30, popular with Prius owners because of the slightly better cold flow, and available for bargain prices in 5 quart jugs at Walmart.

If SL was used for a short time when the car was new, it won't matter much at all. SL also specified a pretty low-ish level of phosphorous if I recall. It dropped again SM-SN too.
 
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All Prius are back specd to run 0w20, and many have hundreds of thousands of miles on those engines using 0w20/5w20, even with older model years. The factory fill was 5w30 but it's perfectly safe to use anything in between API SL, SM, SN 5w20, 0w20 or 5w30.

I would personally want to use a 0w20 like Mobil 1 AFE 0w20 to get all the fuel savings the car is capable of.
 
Since the vehicle is a 2007 Prius...the API-SL filler cap that he has on his vehicle had ended in 2004.


My question is....I think that the owner of the vehicle has the wrong oil filler cap on his vehicle since the API-SM spec started in 2004 and his vehicle is a 2007?
 
Toyota back spec'd many models including the Prius. I would actually recommend the 0w-20 M1 EP over the AFE (both are the same price) as it is a little better base stock than the AFE.

Both are solid oils though.
 
Originally Posted By: mongo161
Since the vehicle is a 2007 Prius...the API-SL filler cap that he has on his vehicle had ended in 2004.


My question is....I think that the owner of the vehicle has the wrong oil filler cap on his vehicle since the API-SM spec started in 2004 and his vehicle is a 2007?


That must be the wrong cap. Since store shelves and drums emptied of most SL oil by 2005 or so, that car probably never saw actual SL oil, only SM-SN.
 
Prius owners should be using the new-to-the-U.S. Castrol Magnatec, cuz bobbydavro of Castrol pointed out it was actually developed for hybrids with its ability to stay on internal parts between multiple starts.
 
Originally Posted By: fredfactory
Prius owners should be using the new-to-the-U.S. Castrol Magnatec, cuz bobbydavro of Castrol pointed out it was actually developed for hybrids with its ability to stay on internal parts between multiple starts.


It is Castrol 2nd tier oil anywhere else on earth. Nothing special. Do not be pulled into salesspeak.
 
I bought my 07 Prius with 1 mile on the odometer in March 07. It turned 2 miles a ways into the test drive. No one has serviced the car except me. It has the SL oil cap, they all did. I use Mobil 1 0w-30 now for quite some time, so far resisted the itch to change. You can use the longer, but identical otherwise Camry 4 cyl oil filter, like from an 04 year. It makes it easier to touch under the car than the short one. I change the oil and filter in the driveway without raising it.
 
Are you guys certain all Prius years were back specced to 5w20? I have an 07 which calls for 5w30 and I've seen conflicting info on some other boards (which I never trust to begin with for anything technical). I'd love to use 5w20 so I can keep just one oil around for all my vehicles.
 
Originally Posted By: MoreCowbellAz
Are you guys certain all Prius years were back specced to 5w20? I have an 07 which calls for 5w30 and I've seen conflicting info on some other boards (which I never trust to begin with for anything technical). I'd love to use 5w20 so I can keep just one oil around for all my vehicles.


yes it was back-specced to all Priuses. In hot Phoenix, use a synthetic 5w-20 or 0w-20 and you're golden.
 
Originally Posted By: fredfactory
Originally Posted By: MoreCowbellAz
Are you guys certain all Prius years were back specced to 5w20? I have an 07 which calls for 5w30 and I've seen conflicting info on some other boards (which I never trust to begin with for anything technical). I'd love to use 5w20 so I can keep just one oil around for all my vehicles.


yes it was back-specced to all Priuses. In hot Phoenix, use a synthetic 5w-20 or 0w-20 and you're golden.


a lot of nonsense gets propagated here.
please show me the official USA toyota document to that effect, not that fake toyota of canada chart.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
a lot of nonsense gets propagated here.

+1

I'd as well love to see the official word from Toyota USA that 0/5w-20 is approved for the 1NZ-FXE Prius. Given what has been said in this thread, it must certainly exist, right?
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
All Prius are back specd to run 0w20


nonsense. the 2007 Prius has the 1.5L engine based on the 1NZ-FE engine still used in current Yaris. guess what, Yaris is still 5W30, even in MY2015.
the 2010+ prius is 0W20, but with the newer 1.8L engine, duh.
 
Originally Posted By: MoreCowbellAz
Are you guys certain all Prius years were back specced to 5w20? I have an 07 which calls for 5w30 and I've seen conflicting info on some other boards (which I never trust to begin with for anything technical). I'd love to use 5w20 so I can keep just one oil around for all my vehicles.
What is the big whoop about xW-20 oil use?
 
I would do 5w30 synthetic and a Fram Ultra XG 4386

That is the oversized filter for the Camry, and it fits perfectly on that motor.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: MoreCowbellAz
.... I'd love to use 5w20 so I can keep just one oil around for all my vehicles.
What is the big whoop about xW-20 oil use?

They are concerned the oil film thickness will be on the low side when fully hot, causing increased wear. Also maybe an issue with deposits.
 
Originally Posted By: fredfactory
Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: MoreCowbellAz
.... I'd love to use 5w20 so I can keep just one oil around for all my vehicles.
What is the big whoop about xW-20 oil use?

They are concerned the oil film thickness will be on the low side when fully hot, causing increased wear. Also maybe an issue with deposits.


Well my thought was even a bit simpler. All things being equal, if I have to go buy oil I typically buy whatever oil the engine is spec'd for. If I'm in a pinch and I have something close laying around I'd prob use it and not worry much. But buying, I get the spec'd stuff and call it a day. That said, I also try to consolidate the oil taking up space in my garage into as few grades as possible, just a personal simplicity thing I have. So I use the same stuff in my dirt bike that I do in my Harley (15w40 diesel), same in my Rav 4 that do in my Soul (5w20), and would love to add the Prius there but not if it's only officially spec'd for 5w30. At least I could throw that in the lawn mover and leaf blower.

As I posted earlier, sounds like there's nothing official that the Prius was back spec'd. Oh well.
 
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