Good Evening,

I have a question:

I'm new to this forum. Purchased my 2007 on 7/25/07 and have just turned 5000 miles this afternoon.

I changed the oil for the first time at 3800 miles with Mobil 1 5w30 and a Toyota oil filter. But did not reset the maintenaince req. light since it wasn't lit yet. It did start flashing briefly at startup at exactly 4500 miles. It changed today to constantly lit at exactly 5000 miles,

My wife and I this week attended a new owners reception dinner at the local dealer that we purchased from. They had a Q&A session with the service manager afterward.

I asked him what was necessary to fulfill Toyota's service requirements. He said, "if you do your own maintenaince, be sure to keep all the receipts showing the oil/filter/air filter/etc purchases, and maintain the warranty booklet." He also mentioned that the onboard diagnostic system keeps track of the "main.required" light and when it is reset. He approves of and recommends using Mobil 1 5w30.

Here's the question:
If your using Mobil 1 and plan to go more than 5000 miles between oil changes, such as 6-7K ( I drive 100 miles per day), will Toyota still honor the warranty if something bad happens? I plan on obviously resetting the maintenaince light every 5000 miles, but in the long run if might be difficult to prove exactly when I did the oil changes. Does any of the "old timers" (in terms of car age and mileage), have first hand experience with Toyota warranty repairs on a major/bad engine warranty claim?

Looking forward to hearing from some members.
Thanks, Dave

Hi Dave, I guess I qualify as an old-timer because I have been monitoring Prius groups since 2001. I have *never* seen a Prius engine warranty problem. Power steering, HV batteries, transmissions, and other systems have, but not the engine.

Doing your own maintenance is great. Keeping complete and accurate records is great. Getting the used engine oil analyzed can be great also, primarily because it will alert you of any looming problems with your own car.

Prius engine is very well designed and made, and it tends to amaze the oil analyzers because it simply does not seem to release 'wear metals'. I suppose that the vast majority of Prius engines will last for-nearly-ever.

In the amazingly rare situation of an in-warranty engine problem, a history of said oil analyses would be a great resource. But statistically, it ain't gonna happen.

As others use mobil1 on 10+k mile change intervals with very good used oil analyses, I see no problem with you going 7k.

By the time you get to 15k, please read posts in Yahoo and Prius Chat, and decide when you want to change the transmission fluid. That's the system where the old-timers are debating fluid change intervals.

I don't know how to shut off the maint required light in your Prius, but somebody here does

Wrecks take many more Prius out of the fleet than mechanical failures. Eyes up while driving, that's all I'm sayin'

DAS

I would not go beyond Toyota's oil mileage or they could deny warranty coverage. Why give them a reason to deny anything? Beyond the warranty period, do whatever you want.

This is my practice too:

• 3/36k - engine
• 60k - transaxle
• 100k - battery, inverter (91k miles and counting)

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Thanks for the advice. Years ago with my 280z I did all my own repairs and maintenaince. I haven't heard of Oil Analysis, I'll check it out. Good to hear no horror stories about the prius motor.
Dave