[wolfe]

Got to 4000 miles today. Getting closer to 5000 when the oil needs to be changed. Or can it go for 10000 miles between the oil changes like Gen 3 prius does? It should have synthetic oil also, of course?

 

[mrcutter]

I'm waiting for 10k. Synthetic oil can wait till then.

 

[jrohland]

I wait for the Maint Required indicator. Then do what is recommended for that interval. The cars knows better than I.

 

[Douglas007]

Just had the 5K service performed today. I was feeling a bit sketchy about a 10K oil change, but feel a bit more secure knowing that that the filter has been engineered for same (at least what was relayed by the service manager, who seemed to be knowledgable.)

 

[M4rtin]

Maybe a stupid question, but is Hybrid as easy to change oil in as the Gas version ?
I always do oil change myself on all my cars.

 

[ST-Bob]

Exactly the same as the non-hybrid version. It's a paper cartridge filter inside a well with a composite cover that requires a special wrench to remove.

 

[wolfe]

I got 'maintenance required' warning starting at around 4500 miles. So will be heading to the dealer soon.

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[ST-Bob]

The 'free' 25,000 mile service from Toyota happens at 5000 mile intervals. The first one does NOT include an oil change - the US spec Rav4 hybrid gets oil and filter changes at 10,000 mile intervals (same for other Toyota hybrids) so don't be surprised when you see that all they do is the "5000 mile check".

 

[wolfe]

Good to know, thanks for the heads up, Bob!

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[yatwing]

I don't own a Rav4 hybrid yet but on my 2011 Prius I change to oil every 5000 miles and the filter every 10000 miles. I have a suction thingy that I use on the non filter change time and I don't even need to crawl under the car. I haven't read up on the specs yet but I image I'll do the same when I get my Rav.

 

[erapmicks]

What oil you guys putting in your car? Just bought 3 jugs of penzoil ultra platinum 0W-20.


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[ST-Bob]

In the US, the first and second oil change (10,000 and 20,000 miles) are covered by Toyota. It doesn't say where you're from, but if in the US, why aren't you using Toyota's free service for 25,000 miles?

By the way, Toyota's recommended oil/filter change interval is at 10,000 mile intervals.

 

[erapmicks]

In the US, the first and second oil change (10,000 and 20,000 miles) are covered by Toyota. It doesn't say where you're from, but if in the US, why aren't you using Toyota's free service for 25,000 miles?

By the way, Toyota's recommended oil/filter change interval is at 10,000 mile intervals.

I wouldn't go that far.

 

[erapmicks]

In the US, the first and second oil change (10,000 and 20,000 miles) are covered by Toyota. It doesn't say where you're from, but if in the US, why aren't you using Toyota's free service for 25,000 miles?

By the way, Toyota's recommended oil/filter change interval is at 10,000 mile intervals.

I am from US tho

 

[ST-Bob]

I wouldn't go that far.

There is NO BENEFIT, and possibly some HARM from changing the oil before the engine has fully broken in. The particles which are created as the rings seat into the cylinder walls act to help polish the cylinder bores during the break-in period.

Changing the oil too soon can cause the engine to never break-in properly and to continually burn oil throughout its life. I'd go with what Toyota's engineers say to do - change it at 10,000 miles with a full synthetic high-grade oil like Mobil-1 or equivalent in 0-20 weight.

But I'd use Toyota's free service. If you feel you MUST have it changed at 5000 miles - point out to them that it's been below 32 degrees since you bought the vehicle. That, by definition, puts it into the severe service category and halves the recommended oil change interval. Maybe Toyota will do it for free.

 

[Indian]

Also, keep in mind that, like the Prius (of which I have had 2), in 10,000 miles the engine has only been running about 8,000 of those miles. So, the long oil change intervals are not as large as it seems.

 

[vetterin]

I would think that in 10,000 miles my engine was prolly running for 9,000 (or 10%) of those miles at best. While stopped the engine is not putting on any miles and if doing a lot of highway driving you don't see EV mode very often.

 

[ST-Bob]

The RPM will be lower on the highway for most people than a regular automatic transmission allows. This varies widely as you go up and down hills too. At anything above 46 MPH, the engine must run to prevent overspeeding MG1 (which is 'over-driven' by the planetary drivetrain). Running the engine limits the speed of MG1 and works with MG2 to act as a continuously variable transmission by allowing MG1 to send current to MG2 and provide variable engine torque as needed.

Overall - at a 50/50 mix of highway and city driving, the average engine wear is likely to be between 25% and 75% of what a normal (non-hybrid) Rav4 sees. When the ICE is running under load, it's at the perfect RPM/torque range for highest efficiency and therefor least wear rate compared to a regular automatic transmission Rav4's wear rate.

In all my hybrids (04 Prius, 12 Prius-V, 16 Rav4 hybrid) I've never felt the least bit guilty for going 10,000+ miles between oil changes. That's what Toyota recommends and I don't feel qualified to second-guess their engineers - do you?

 

[Butts]

Mine's scheduled for first service at 8000 km. (4800 miles) Does Canadian models have different engine?

 

[ST-Bob]

Service, yes. Oil and filter change, no. Not till 16,000 km.