KIA Niro 'severe usage conditions' = change your oil more often

[@johnmotley747]

I love the great detail you go into to describe how everything works. You’re correct. The guy in the Caribbean knows quite a bit about these engines, but I learn more from your videos. Thanks.

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Very nice of you to say :) , thanks for tuning in. I really love 'the car care nut' channel as well... would love to hear his opinion of the Niro PHEV since he is so familiar with all the Prius models.

[@chrisi1920]

I think it's a good idea to have the oil tested especially since you have questions about the condition of the oil after driving in your specific conditions. The operation of a PHEV is more complex than a typical hybrid and greater awareness is warranted to maximize engine performance and minimize wear. Thanks for keeping us posted on your experience and reseach.

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Thanks.. how did your parking brake issue go?

[@t.damianboyle622]

Excellent point about the hard cold start on the gas engine for areas that routinely hit -20 C to -30C in winter, and -40C sometimes, as in Saskatchewan. I have wondered about the Total Cost of Ownership, as we would likely run the car 15 to 20 years, until we die likely. We don't want to have big repair bills if they can be avoided. For example, how likely is it that the battery would require changing in ten years, when it is out of warranty? We have a 2007 Honda Fit Manual that is going strong, but looking at what to replace it with eventually. Overall, it has been very reliable. In this climate, perhaps a gas engine is still the best way to go. The Honda CRV 2WD Gas Engine offers pretty good mileage, very good reliability, and very good ride and comfort, for about the same price.

[@CamoGreg]

Good video! I did my first oil change at about the same mileage as you. I've only used about 40gal of fuel in that 6K miles. I changed mine thinking it was a good break-in period. Almost all IC engines require some time for the rings to seat in and the combustion chamber to really seal up. I had a 6 hour drive home from where I purchased the car so the engine had a chance to get some wear at varying rpm right away. My daily commute is inside the e-range of the car. So it often doesn't need the ICE at all. I'm currently running in sport mode since the fuel has been sitting in the tank for several months now. I have some highway time and try to give the ICE a little time to warm up before hitting those speeds. Cold climate area here too. For me, I'm thinking about scheduling oil changes more on a schedule dictated by gallons consumed than miles traveled. And while I do use ethanol free fuel, I don't want the fuel to sit in the tank longer than 3 months. Keep up the good work!

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Wow, love the feedback and data...Thank you! Very thoughtful approach to owning this car. Keep me posted if you ever think too. Sharing our experience with this car is gold to me :) PHEV ownership is simply different then anything on the road.

[@dougmathyk7184]

You’re doing a great job. I find, even at the Kia dealers, there is very little knowledge and hence advice available for our PHEV’s. You’re my resource. I’ve got 3,000km (Ont., Canada) on my ‘24 Niro and still have 95% of the fuel left in the original tank of gas. Very interested in your advice on maintaining the little used gas engine. Thanks for your efforts…love the car - hope it lasts!

[@stefanbololoi7110]

I’m in Ontario too and I was looking to get a Niro Phev as well, however, the Ex , only trim available here is lacking so many features that I currently have in my car , like: power seats, sunroof, leather seats, premium audio, etc; What’s your opinion in this regard and how’s your overall experience so far, especially in the cold weather?

[@dougmathyk7184]

@@stefanbololoi7110 HI Stefan…my opinion is the only reason to buy this PHEV is that you have a daily commute of

[@stefanbololoi7110]

@@dougmathyk7184 How long was the waiting time after you placed the order for the Phev?

[@dougmathyk7184]

@@stefanbololoi7110 my 2024 Niro arrived October 10/23 after waiting for approx. 6 weeks. There were no Niros to test drive, Since then, I hear their arrivals are increasing in frequency.

[@stefanbololoi7110]

@@dougmathyk7184 That was fast! Was a specific dealership in GTA area ? Not sure if I should go for a Phev or Hev? I like the Phev being able to drive on electric mode but I like the features from Hev SX trim…also the Hev SX is about $5,000 more expensive…About 70% of my driving is city and on average below 60 km daily.

[@caseyquint]

If it was me, I would go on a several hundred mile road trip to break that gas motor in or just don’t charge for the first 3000 miles. Just bought a 2023 Niro not a plug in but will keep an eye on the oil. I think a 0w20 or heavier oil would help it last longer also. Thanks for the info!

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Yeah, agreed, the engine should be broken in without constant interruption from the electric motor. Just so you know, I had the oil analyzed twice all ready and the samples came back in very good shape. Fuel dilution has not been an issue on our KAPPA II engine.

[@plin20000]

before going on your return home trip, switch from EV to HEV mode. It will start the engine sooner and allow it to reach operating temperature. And it will also reduce the chance of drainign the battery below 20% which is the gold standard to keep battery healthy

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Thanks for feedback.

[@stanimal8]

IMO, for these cold drives, you should switch to hybrid mode so that it runs on the engine ~30 mins at least once every week or so, to get the oil hot enough to vaporize any fuel in the oil. This should address oil dilution issue with direct inject engines, although it wouldn't address keeping the intake track (including the intake valve) clean. The used motor oil from my 2023 Niro PHEV have no gasoline smell at all.

[@costy_8_9]

I haved 2017 model with same problem. I change everything: injectors, fuel pump, other sensors etc still increase oil level and oil smell gas. After one year of search i find one producer of sintetic oil that not mix with gas.... Also i use a electric oil pump every 2000km remove 500ml oil+gas and put new clean oil. Bised this it is great car. Nice information! 👏 Also i drive car only hybrid and issue is the same, not related to engine temperature. First visible was when I change fuel pump from other car and smell reduced alot. If you look at Honda user it is alot mess. Recommendation from Honda technician was to change oil every 7500km. My car was 157.000km and it was run fine, no metal parts from inside seems to be affected by this problem, only my nouse 😊 and knowledge i know it's not comfort.🤝

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Thanks for the great info on this. I'm still awaiting my lab results concerning the exact amount of fuel in the oil. I will most likely change my oil every season (3 months = 3000 miles).

[@costy_8_9]

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid For me was much more easy and not expensive to refresh oil with electric pump more often. Because i think this way oil properties are kept and also it is simple to do because nothing is removed. I just entered the theft on the dipstick and took out as much as I wanted. 🤝👏

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

@@costy_8_9 Yes, the more I think about this method, the more sense it makes. Thanks for the good idea, I think I will start using this technique between full oil changes / oil filter changes. I wish there was a way to quickly check for the exact %of fuel in the oil.

[@costy_8_9]

@@KiaNiroPluginHybrid It is good you have this company for testing oil. In time you can send to analyse different mileage of used oil and create a graffic with quantity of gas present. We don't have this in our country. Oil I used available in my country was Ravenol 0w16( has specifications for direct injection and hybrid engine). 🤝

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

@@costy_8_9 Hi, yeah, I'm still awaiting the lab results on two sample....just curious what country you are in? How's your Winter climate... do you get below freezing? thanks

[@nickhaas2474]

Thanks for your videos. I got the same car 3 months ago and the 12V has needed 2 jumps in the last couple weeks. The dealer says it checks out fine, but I'm not sure they've thought through usage like mine where I might do 10 miles a day all EV and only use gas once a week if that. I want a new car that just works, but unfortunately it seems like a bit more monitoring might be needed here.

[@johnmotley747]

I’ve had my Kia Niro 2018 for a few years now and I’ve never had a problem or ever had to jump my 12 V, I would call Kia directly see if you can get some help from them

[@nickhaas2474]

@@johnmotley747 PHEV? If so, do you use any apps like Optiwatt to manage charging times?

[@MostlyHarmlessNebr-gb6di]

Be very interested in your UOA. My feeling was since my HEV use is 'good miles' (i.e., highway), I can take the oil to ~7,500-8,000 odometer miles if anyone can take their oil that long. At my first change (7,500) it seemed pretty clean on the dipstick still, but I do know what you mean about the gas smell in the crankcase. I'm estimating we're about 50/50 EV/HEV, except for a 3,500-mile all-gas roadtrip we took in ours over the summer.

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Thanks for the data on where your at with your Niro... I'll make sure to update the channel when I get results. I really like this car, just want to know all is well in the crankcase. These Kappa II engines were designed to be really light weight and efficient for the European market (their biggest market).. consequently they shave aluminum off the piston skirt and use an offset crankshaft design.. To be sure, you (all of us) might be doing just fine with our engine... apparently some Kappa owner get over 400K. I'll keep the channel posted

[@jsj297]

I have a 2023 hybrid 1.6L Kia niro. 0w 16 oil. I change mine every 3k full synthetic w/ Kia (rebranded Mann) oil filter. I use liqui moly oil since 600 mile break in change. (

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Love the comment. Time will tell. I had .8% fuel dilution in my last crank case oil lab test. 3k sounds smart. I'm using AMSOIL hybrid OW-16, hoping its the best

[@nickhaas2474]

Have you noticed when you go to the Convenience settings in the vehicle there is an estimate of the life of the oil? I just got a notification on the dash and am just over 3200 miles on my Niro, going into that setting it says oil life is at 5%. Probably because I've only filled my gas tank once so not using the engine much?

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

hmmm, very interesting. The software on our 2023 Niro PHEV wasn't asking for an oil change until 8,000miles. Not exactly sure how the car is doing this calculation... thanks for the feedback. I'll look into this.

[@johnmotley747]

I have a Kia Niro 2018 plug-in hybrid bought used with 27,000 miles on it, I’ve now put 30,000 miles on it since I bought it two years ago. So a lot of driving. I change my own oil every 5000 miles roughly, I use the Kia filter, and I use the total oil that they recommend. My car continues to get low 50s high 48 miles to the gallon depending on how I drive it, If I go on a long trip and use up all of the plug in the battery.

[@KiaNiroPluginHybrid]

Excellent feed back on your Niro,,, thanks for the update! I have a 500 mile round trip ride I'm heading out for now. Lets see how she does (longest trip since purchasing the car in August)