We just took the Prius in for the 7500 mile service at Victory Toyota here in Monterey CA. I specified that I wanted 5W-30 oil. The service writer told me that was no problem as they only have 5W-30, that is what they put in all the cars. He didn?t seem surprised by the request. So I left feeling good about how easy this was going to be.<br><br>When I picked the car up, the invoice was ready. While waiting for my car to be brought out, I scanned the itemized list. Everything was covered by warranty. Under motor oil, I saw 5.0 10W-30. The invoice was computer generated, so I figured either they screwed up and gave me the wrong oil or they screwed up the database description. I went in to the service department and found the same guy from the morning and said ?Hey, what gives? You promised....? He said the database was wrong. He said ?Even the drum says 10W-30, but it is wrong too; we only have 5W-30.? <br><br>Realizing there was nothing I could do if I wanted to drive home that night, I said ?OK? and left. Now I figure I might have been given the run-around! But how can I find out?<br><br>The question for the scientific crowd is: is there an easy way to test oil to find out what viscosity it is? Like dropping a drop in water or something? Don?t laugh, I?m serious. I feel like changing the oil again myself just to be sure. But then again, if he was lying, I would like to prove it first. If the dealer only carries one viscosity of oil, I would be happy to bring in my own oil the next time. The owners manual does recommend 5W-30, but it doesn?t require it. So I doubt if there is a legal case here. I just feel bamboozled and used. I want to solve the problem for the future without stress.<br><br>Oh ya, they lowered the tire pressure back to the recommended. I expected that, because of the rotation. But that is easy to fix. The oil is not easy to fix. <br><br>Thanks for any ideas.<br>Jim

In Message 7173 jim_robeson complained:<br><br>&gt; We just took the Prius in for the 7500 mile <br>&gt; service at Victory Toyota here in Monterey CA. <br>&gt; I specified that I wanted 5W-30 oil. The <br>&gt; service writer told me that was no problem as <br>&gt; they only have 5W-30, that is what they put in <br>&gt; all the cars. He didn?t seem surprised by the <br>&gt; request. So I left feeling good about how easy <br>&gt; this was going to be.<br>Yep! Another iggenerant owner ignored.<br><br>&gt; When I picked the car up, the invoice was <br>&gt; ready. While waiting for my car to be brought <br>&gt; out, I scanned the itemized list. Everything <br>&gt; was covered by warranty. Under motor oil, I saw <br>&gt; 5.0 10W-30. The invoice was computer generated, <br>&gt; so I figured either they screwed up and gave me <br>&gt; the wrong oil or they screwed up the database <br>&gt; description. I went in to the service <br>&gt; department and found the same guy from the <br>&gt; morning and said ?Hey, what gives? You <br>&gt; promised....? He said the database was wrong. <br>&gt; He said ?Even the drum says 10W-30, but it is <br>&gt; wrong too; we only have 5W-30.? <br> :-)<br>Find a new service center yet?<br><br>How bout that. It only happened ONCE to me ? and that was the LAST time too: Buy your OWN oil and take it with you.<br>The damnlyingcheatingservicewriter will still charge Toyota $5.00 per quart for their crappy bulk oil but, since neither ee of Pman appear to be here anymore, who?s to notice?<br><br>I?m about to have my second batch of 5W30 synthetic blend ?installed? and then it?s off to pure 5W30 synthetic till I get to 120,000 miles or so.<br><br>Over 16,000 miles and still thrilled!<br>Bill Powell - NJ "HALFGAS"<br>(Prius: Just Drive It!)

Bottom Line #1: Your service department should have been honest with you (my guess is that they were not). You should find another service department.<br><br>Bottom Line #2: 10W-30 vs. 5W-30 isn't a big deal. The reason most shops stock the 10W-30 is because it is just a little bit thicker, and older cars that tend to "use" oil don't "use" quite as much if they are running on 10W-30. All year long in Monterey it won't make a difference which you have, since it is such a moderate climate. People in the Northern U.S. and Canada might have to be concerned about the difference in the winter, but both are almost as thin as water at mild temps.<br><br>I can't help you on finding out if it is 5W-30 or 10W-30, unfortunately, but try not to sweat it too much in the mean time.<br><br>SP

sounds more like an ignorant service writer than a dishonest one. The prevailing disease in a lot of dealerships is the one that makes a rep say anything other than "I dont know- let me check" as long as it sounds good. Univac is right, 5 or 10 isnt a big deal.

huh?? ranting lunatic alert!! duck and cover!

Ranting, yes. Lunatic, no!<br><br>He's right; if you can't trust the service people with something simple, how can you trust them with something complex?<br><br>If they had just been willing to say (assuming that is the truth), "Our drum is 10W-40. However, in this climate it makes no difference since the number before the W relates to cold viscosity and it is never cold here" they would have a lot more credibility.<br><br>Burns<br>LOWCO2 - NH (where the "W" probably DOES make a dif!)

yes burns your correct- my posting hardly defends the service guy or anyone else. read again.

You're right toyobri, 5 or 10 isn't a big deal. <br>Phxprius is also right, deception is a big deal.<br><br>Part of the reason we all purchased the Prius is because of the apparent excellence in the design engineer's intellect, his/her forward thinking. If a customer is then deceived somewhere along the road by an associate with the same company name on his shirt, (trained to do what he does) he robs from the initial excellence.<br>You go to a whore house to get lied to and screwed - not your dealership. What I hear you saying is the opposite. Just wink and its ok to deal with a customer without regard to honesty. After all he/she may be a lunatic.<br>We all have our own individual psycho-physical limits, (ranting limits), but no one with an intellect wants to be lied to. <br>Hope you understand a bit better - our real journey is not in our car...

As Burns_Fisher wrote, if you can't trust the service people with something simple, how can you trust them with something complex?<br><br>I write this after reading about the octane rating causing the warning lights to come on. 5W30 or 10W30 makes no difference but 87 octane versus 89 octane causes warning lights to come on. And you call my examples lunacy!!<br>It starts with little lies and they grow. And then lawyers get involved.<br>So unnecessary.

i completely agree- im confused as to where you are getting the impression that im defending him<br>please read again. again no excuses offered- just a statement of fact!!<br><br>&gt;&gt;sounds more like an ignorant service writer than a dishonest one. The prevailing disease in a lot of<br> dealerships is the one that makes a rep say anything other than "I dont know- let me check" as long<br> as it sounds good. Univac is right, 5 or 10 isnt a big deal.

Bill,<br>Could you tell us when you started to use the 5W-30 synthetic [mileage]? And also what mpg difference or other things you could see different with the 10W-30 oil useage?<br><br>Thanks,<br>Don

My turn!<br><br>The "Book Of Prius" PLAINLY STATES, IN 7th grade ENGRISH:<br>5W30 is the PREFERRED oil.<br>Period.<br>End of sentence.<br>End of message!<br><br>In short: They just don?t CARE about the absolute quality of their work and are NOT interested in following Toyota?s instructions.<br><br>Over 16,000 miles and still in love ? even if I have to BYOB,<br>Bill Powell - NJ "HALFGAS"<br>(Prius: Just RTFM!)

In Message 7198 dsgprius asked:<br>&gt; Could you tell us when you started to use the <br>&gt; 5W-30 synthetic [mileage]?<br>I switched to Pennzoil BLEND at about 11,000 miles. I plan one more change (due NOW) using BLEND and then switch to 100% synthetic thereafter.<br>Of course, all of this depends on what the dipstick looks like. I expect my first batch of 100% will wash out the last remains of aged Dino-poop and the color on the dipstick will probably lead me to an earlier change but, so far, I have heard NOTHING "bad" about synthetic in new cars.<br>I can NOT justify it by it's price: it just makes me feel better.<br><br>&gt; And also what mpg difference or other things <br>&gt; you could see different with the 10W-30 oil <br>&gt; useage?<br>Boy - I SURE wish I could but consider that I got the car at the end of November, first change to 10W30 at 7500 miles and NOTICED something "different" - sluggish?<br>The next change was to the blend and temps were WAY up so, of course, I was getting better mileage. I don't expect to see any change this time, or when I go to 100% synth.<br>All-in-all, my driving pattern simply doesn't support the consistency necessary to provide meaningful data.<br><br>Sorry,<br><br>Over 16,000 miles and still in love ? even if I have to BYOB,<br>Bill Powell - NJ "HALFGAS"<br>(Prius: Just RTFM!)