Yet Another Wrong Oil Saga

[dwilson]

My Gen 3 is due its first service in June but still only 8000 miles....contacted my service garage Charles Clark Toyota Wolverhampton and booked service for one hour on bring and wait...checked which oil would be used and service rep said 0-20 only used for this car. No charge either because of a free three year service and 5 yrs warranty.......and just had tax disc renewed for nil........my second Prius and still loving it..........now only need do battle with car insurance:)

Excellent

David

[r04drunner1]

My Gen 3 had its first service today at 10,334 miles. When I booked I specified 0W20 and was told "no problem". When I arrived it was on the job card OK but the service receptionist said it would cost me extra. The car is a lease car so the leasing company only pays a standard rate which covers 5W30. (!!)

Their first suggestion was for me to pay the extra and sort it out with the leasing company. I pointed out that 0W20 is the oil recommended by the manufacturer, and I am on holiday so don't have contact details for the leasing company nor for my fleet manager (I phoned the company switchboard, it turned out the fleet manager is is on leave as well!). The receptionist came back to me and reported that the Service Manager had said, rather than me having to rebook, they would do the job and take it up with the leasing company themselves. So I was pleased enough about that. However I am back to work Monday myself and I will be contacting the Fleet Manager.

It sounds like we need to convince not only the Toyota dealerships about 0W20 but also the leasing companies!!!

[Chris Dance]

It is hard to believe that leasing companies and a few dealers still have not got the message over the oil issue and the Gen 3. I recommended to Toyota that the owners manual should be amended to say only oil OW20 should be used. As long as the cheaper is listed as an alternative I cannot see this problem being resolved.

[britprius]

Sorry to jump on the thread, but what's the lowest viscosity the Gen 2 can run on realistically?

I run mobil 1 in my 1984 Porsche 924 and it doesn't drink a drop.

Surely us Gen 2 owners could achieve an economy gain by using a better oil?

0W20 oil isis listed on the Toyota Genuine Motor Oil chart as being suitable for the gen2 Prius.

Toyota Oil Applications.pdf

[johalareewi]

Sorry to jump on the thread,

So start a new thread

[britprius]

My Gen 3 had its first service today at 10,334 miles. When I booked I specified 0W20 and was told "no problem". When I arrived it was on the job card OK but the service receptionist said it would cost me extra. The car is a lease car so the leasing company only pays a standard rate which covers 5W30. (!!)

Their first suggestion was for me to pay the extra and sort it out with the leasing company. I pointed out that 0W20 is the oil recommended by the manufacturer, and I am on holiday so don't have contact details for the leasing company nor for my fleet manager (I phoned the company switchboard, it turned out the fleet manager is is on leave as well!). The receptionist came back to me and reported that the Service Manager had said, rather than me having to rebook, they would do the job and take it up with the leasing company themselves. So I was pleased enough about that. However I am back to work Monday myself and I will be contacting the Fleet Manager.

It sounds like we need to convince not only the Toyota dealerships about 0W20 but also the leasing companies!!!

Print this out and hand it to them.

Toyota Oil Applications.pdf

[r04drunner1]

Print this out and hand it to them.

Great post.

As it happens, I've seen that chart. It says 5W20 and 0W20 are both acceptable for a 2010 (i.e. Gen 3) Prius. I thought our message was that it has to be 0W20? So I've relied more on what it says in the manual rather than the chart...

R04drunner1

[britprius]

Print this out and hand it to them.

Great post.

As it happens, I've seen that chart. It says 5W20 and 0W20 are both acceptable for a 2010 (i.e. Gen 3) Prius. I thought our message was that it has to be 0W20? So I've relied more on what it says in the manual rather than the chart...

R04drunner1

Yes unfortunately you are right the chart does not differentiate between when the gen2 finished production and the gen3 started, making it unclear for 2010.

[princeotter]

My Gen 3 had its first service today at 10,334 miles. When I booked I specified 0W20 and was told "no problem". When I arrived it was on the job card OK but the service receptionist said it would cost me extra. The car is a lease car so the leasing company only pays a standard rate which covers 5W30. (!!)

Their first suggestion was for me to pay the extra and sort it out with the leasing company. I pointed out that 0W20 is the oil recommended by the manufacturer, and I am on holiday so don't have contact details for the leasing company nor for my fleet manager (I phoned the company switchboard, it turned out the fleet manager is is on leave as well!). The receptionist came back to me and reported that the Service Manager had said, rather than me having to rebook, they would do the job and take it up with the leasing company themselves. So I was pleased enough about that. However I am back to work Monday myself and I will be contacting the Fleet Manager.

It sounds like we need to convince not only the Toyota dealerships about 0W20 but also the leasing companies!!!

Thats why when I organised my company car through Lex Leasing I made sure that I got a written confirmation from them that I could request 0w20 oil and the right type of tyres when it was serviced or tyres replaced. They agreed with no arguing to be fair. However yet to have first service so lets wait and see ..... I expect that as I am based around Bournemouth / Southampton area they will either make me use Westover Toyota, Snows in Southampton (where it came from) or Hedge End - I know people have been happy with Snows but any experience of Westover?

[Terry953]

Suggest Prius Gen3 owners read my post at http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=125657&st=45&gopid=1145311& dated to-day 8 Sept for a good result story re: 0W/20 engine oil, it's quit an epic but has a happy ending.

Cheers TerryB

[r04drunner1]

Thats why when I organised my company car through Lex Leasing I made sure that I got a written confirmation from them that I could request 0w20 oil and the right type of tyres when it was serviced or tyres replaced. They agreed with no arguing to be fair.

EXCELLENT suggestion. Good move.

[r04drunner1]

Oh, and by the way my Fleet Manager got back to me and said that she had sent a query to Toyota GB. She got an email back confirming that I was correct and that putting anything other than 0W20 in the Gen 3 Prius would result in worse performance, consumption and CO2 emissions. So she has contacted GE Capital, the leasing company that handles our servicing, to emphasize the point.

Sadly she wouldn't send me the original email from Toyota GB, because of confidentiality. I would have loved to have posted it here (having first redacted personal information) and then forum members could have printed it out and taken it to their dealer and/or leasing company. But it was not to be.

[Thrawn60]

Good that it's solved, I just been to my 10.000 km service, and they put 5W45 of all oils... I requested 0W20 when I booked the service by phone, again when I confirmed the date and time, and just once more when I delivered the car to service.

But all at no gain..... They did though call Toyota head office in Bangkok to check with them, and their reply was "0W20, is for countries where it gets cold, in Thailand you can run on 5W45 with out any problem since it's never cold here" But did get the service guy to mark in my service record that it was not 0W20 that got on the car, and I could get it changed if it posed any problems.

And so far I have driven around 2000km and it's does feel a bit slower, and uses slightly more fuel, but not more that could be caused by me being more focused on the problem, so I will run the other 8000 km on this oil and then get the 0W20 again to see if there is any difference, unless I track a major change in Fuelly with same driving as normal.

I did search priuschat for posts from Aussies on this topic, and it seems they put anything that is black and smell like oil in their cars, and it still runs normally, well they did say that they used 5W40 with out any problems :)

[hoylakegrumpy]

Just back from my first service. I rang the garage on Monday and asked what oil would be used for my Gen 3 Prius. I was told 5-30 by a technician. I said that this wasn't the correct oil and after a brief discussion was told that 0-20 would be used if that is what I wanted. I was concerned that the correct oil might not be used so emailed the garage from their website requesting 0-20 oil be used. I did not receive a reply.

I delivered my car this morning for the service and spoke to the Service Receptionist and requested that 0-20 oil be used. She said that was fine and showed me the job sheet where 0-20 oil had been handwritten.

I came to collect the car, and guess what? Yes, they had used the wrong oil!

After some discussion I refused to accept the car and left in the loan car which they had already provided.

I have since received a call from the Service Manager who stated that both the technician who put the oil in and myself were both correct as there was a choice of oil grades which could be used. He said that he had contacted Toyota GB Technical Department to check the oil to be used and they told him that 0-20 was not the only grade which could be used. He has offered to put 0-20 oil in tomorrow as soon as they receive stock. I am their first customer to specify that they wanted 0-20 oil!

I am happy with the outcome but what a fuss to get the correct grade of oil! What is going on at Toyota Technical Department?

[Ancient Nerd]

Just back from my first service. I rang the garage on Monday and asked what oil would be used for my Gen 3 Prius. I was told 5-30 by a technician. I said that this wasn't the correct oil and after a brief discussion was told that 0-20 would be used if that is what I wanted. I was concerned that the correct oil might not be used so emailed the garage from their website requesting 0-20 oil be used. I did not receive a reply.

I delivered my car this morning for the service and spoke to the Service Receptionist and requested that 0-20 oil be used. She said that was fine and showed me the job sheet where 0-20 oil had been handwritten.

I came to collect the car, and guess what? Yes, they had used the wrong oil!

After some discussion I refused to accept the car and left in the loan car which they had already provided.

I have since received a call from the Service Manager who stated that both the technician who put the oil in and myself were both correct as there was a choice of oil grades which could be used. He said that he had contacted Toyota GB Technical Department to check the oil to be used and they told him that 0-20 was not the only grade which could be used. He has offered to put 0-20 oil in tomorrow as soon as they receive stock. I am their first customer to specify that they wanted 0-20 oil!

I am happy with the outcome but what a fuss to get the correct grade of oil! What is going on at Toyota Technical Department?

Its left hand doesn't know what the other left hand is doing.

[Chris Dance]

hoylakegrumpy. Who was the dealer you took your car to?

I have been told all dealers have been informed that only OW20 oil should be used. Your dealer seems to have missed out on this communication. Toyota GB are supposed to have all this sorted out but until the owners hand book and all service docs are amended to say only OW20 oil must be used I can see this confusion being an on going problem.

[Seamaster73]

Sounds more like the dealer doesn't keep 0W20 in stock, used 5W30 instead and is blaming Toyota as an excuse.

These guys have been told often enough. I don't think it's Toyota's fault.

Name and shame the dealer. It's the only way.

[Parts-King]

The network have been confused with the mixed message that WAS being used when 0w 20 first hit the market, 5w 30 could be used and was the oil of choice for fleets

HOWEVER that changed a long time ago and 0w 20 is THE ONLY oil that should be used in Gen3 Prius and Auris HSD

An extract from a Toyota bulletin

New Hybrid Synergy Drive vehicles, such as the Prius MK3 and Auris Hybrid are filled at the

factory with 0W-20 TGMO. 0W-20 is mandatory for use as the service oil grade.

Now there will be dealers, especially large groups that have oil supplied on a group basis, that will still be supplying "other" oils. I don't deal with much in the way of info from our service department but I was able to look up the info in seconds, so whilst dealers HAVE been informed of the correct oil grade, I can quite easily see how people would not know, if their oil is supplied from a group source, they would never be involved in ordering different grades. I'm not making excuses, they should know, 0w 20 hasnt just popped up overnight

As for "we have never been asked for it before" really? I would have lost it at that point

Kingo

[hoylakegrumpy]

I almost did lose it!

By implication this dealer has been putting the wrong oil in every single Gen 3 Prius which has ever come in for service!

The Service Manager STILL insists that 0-20 is not the only oil which can be used. I've passed on all the information to Toyota GB and await their reply with considerable interest.

The Toyota dealership concerned is the nearest to where I live, take a look at my username. I'm not sure of the legal implications of "naming and shaming."

[Parts-King]

The Toyota dealership concerned is the nearest to where I live,

Now you know what I mean about "Groups"

You need to move around the coast a tad

Kingo

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I almost did lose it!

By implication this dealer has been putting the wrong oil in every single Gen 3 Prius which has ever come in for service!

The Service Manager STILL insists that 0-20 is not the only oil which can be used. I've passed on all the information to Toyota GB and await their reply with considerable interest.

The Toyota dealership concerned is the nearest to where I live, take a look at my username. I'm not sure of the legal implications of "naming and shaming."

Toyota say 0w20 is the oil to use, you asked for 0w20 and if the dealers decides not to use it, then I would name and shame them.

Put it another way - if you got in my taxi and asked to be taken to the train station and I said OK but kept taking you to the bus station would you be happy? No, you'd be cheesed off and would tell everyone I was **** - and in those circumstances, with good reason.

This is a 2 year old issue that was supposedly fully resolved about 18 months ago. If your dealer is getting it wrong and doesn't want to learn or listen, then hit them with your full arsonal (wrong spelling but it won't let me put correct spelling as it contains the word ****).

[Opifex]

Here's one on the brighter side.

I had a 20K service done at Octagon Toyota in Bracknell a few weeks ago. The pre-printed job sheet said 0W20 oil. I was told it would take about one and half hours so settled down with a coffee and it was handed back, all clean and sparkling, after an hour. No problems at all.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Here's one on the brighter side.

I had a 20K service done at Octagon Toyota in Bracknell a few weeks ago. The pre-printed job sheet said 0W20 oil. I was told it would take about one and half hours so settled down with a coffee and it was handed back, all clean and sparkling, after an hour. No problems at all.

Good point!

Let's remember the good service we get at our local Toyota dealer. Was at mine last week for new front discs and pads. After an hour I get my car back all lovely and fixed as well as washed and vacced. Due the 60k service middle of October so back again

GF had cause to take her car in for her 10k service and was greatly impressed. Much much better than her experience of the local Honda dealers! B)

[Chris Dance]

hoylakegrumpy. Name the dealer. Other Toyota owners need to steer clear of them. From what Parts King has said they have no excuse for using the wrong oil. Most Toyota dealers are very good from my past experience.

[hoylakegrumpy]

The dealer is Johnson's Toyota, Wallasey.