Question Regarding Routine Maintenance
 

Hello friends, I drive about 7,000 miles a year, if that. What would everyone say is more important for routine oil changes, tire rotation and general maintenance, do it every 5,000 miles or every 6 months? I want my rig to last me as long as possible and want to treat her right. What would everyone suggest?

Change the oil every year,
Change the belts every 2 years,(or at least inspect them every year and make sure no cracking)
Flush the coolant once a year
Flush the transmission every 5 years
Do the diff's every 3-4 years depending on your location

That's the general rule of thumb I've always used with my cars and never had any issues.

...22, you can not be serious. Coolant flush every year, but oil change every year also? I think you are neglecting your oil changes. Proportionally to your routine it should be monthly...

I guess what I am wondering is if I should stick with every 6 months or every 5,000. I figured since the manual says which ever comes first, I just want to know what everyone else does...

I drive about 8000...and that was with a relatively long road trip added in..While I've already had my 1st courtesy oil change, I'm planning to keep to the recommended Toyota maintenance schedule. Don't see any reason not to.

Manual says once a year for oil change unless severe driving condition or short trips.

Do it based on mileage more instead of time.

Time is usually only used because of average miles someone puts on a car within a time threshold.

Keep a look at your tires as they age, they will probably dry rot before the tread is run down


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OK, i appreciate the research and development and engineering and manufacturing and parts specing/sourcing dollars that go into OEM parts development. BUT WHY IN THE HELL do Toyota parts cost so much more than aftermarket parts, decades later??? Just priced parts for a tune-up on my 2000 4runner 3.4 V6 2x4 auto (plugs, wires, coil packs), and figured may as well replace the injectors while i was at it, as I would have to make the same tear-down for injector replacement that has to be done for a tune-up (appears the original injectors were still in service ay 240K miles, bless 'em). But $560 !!!???
I did some research/checking (semi-retired attorney, computer research has made me a lot of money) and found NEW injectors, spec dual electro plugs, 3 coil packs and wires, and the throttle body and plenum gaskets (necessary replacements when you take the fuel injection system apart to get to the coil packs and plugs), all for less than $200 delivered to my door, on Ebay.
Yes, I would rather buy from the dealer. Yes, I would love to have that close relationship with people I would like to depend on to maintain my daily transportation. Yes. I have bought a few beers for dealer service managers and dealer techs in my past years. And I have learned, and I am sure the reader knows, that to build a $30K car from the parts sourced from the dealership parts department would cost $100K. A real pity, an open secret, and a fraud on the public.
I cut my teeth wrenching on '60s and '70s muscle and "fun" cars. After watching Timmy the Tool Man and a few other videos, I see nothing to prevent me from tuning up this little fuel-injected V6, but dealer parts prices are OUTRAGEOUS. I understand "Toyota reliability" that is engineered into, and expected from, the branded parts. But when shop managers tell me they regularly use Ebay parts to cut overhead, why should I pay dealer service prices for something I can do myself, with the same Ebay parts??