Oil change frequency

[RainCityShecks]

Hey ya'll,

How often is everyone doing their oil changes? Book says every 10 K if I'm not mistaken but the service guy at Toyota told me every 5 K. In my last Audi it stated every 10 K and I asked the service adviser if it'd help/be better for my vehicle to bump it to every 5 k and he told me I'd just be wasting money and oil (though in the olden days I did drive a civic for about 10 years and changed it every 3 K religiously). Just curious. :guitar2:

 

[homeyclaus]

The consensus here is that you're not going to hurt it if you do 5k oil changes - that's the "severe service" schedule. But it ain't the 80's anymore, and 3k changes have not been the norm for vehicles made by anyone other than the "big three" since then.

There is a long thread of people spouting off all sorts of bro-science about oil change intervals and oil viscosity, and then claiming used oil analyses were bs or something. It's an entertaining read, think of it as the automotive version of the movie Idiocracy.

ETA: Dropping the front skid is a pain, even with electric drivers available, so I keep the changes at 10k unless I have done something severe to justify a 5k interval, like tow for 3500 miles and off-road for 200.

 

[mugoo]

There is a long thread of people spouting off all sorts of bro-science about oil change intervals and oil viscosity, and then claiming used oil analyses were bs or something.

hahah

 

[kenski]

The consensus here is that you're not going to hurt it if you do 5k oil changes - that's the "severe service" schedule. But it ain't the 80's anymore, and 3k changes have not been the norm for vehicles made by anyone other than the "big three" since then.

There is a long thread of people spouting off all sorts of bro-science about oil change intervals and oil viscosity, and then claiming used oil analyses were bs or something. It's an entertaining read, think of it as the automotive version of the movie Idiocracy.

ETA: Dropping the front skid is a pain, even with electric drivers available, so I keep the changes at 10k unless I have done something severe to justify a 5k interval, like tow for 3500 miles and off-road for 200.

Well put, my friend. I vote for this to be the official answer in 1E's top 10 FAQs for the 5G.

 

[ant-ny]

i know it says 10K, but that's about all i drive in a year. i just can't get comfortable with one oil change every 12 mo, but that's me. i do it every 5K or 6 mo, whatever comes first.

 

[jspagna1]

Ya breaking the every 3k miles was tough for this old timer as well. Now for my two newest vehicles, my 11 SR5 and my wife's 12 Maxima I change the oil at 1k and then at 5k and then every 5k after that. Also rotate the tires. Just makes it easier to remember.

 

[MemBrain]

Anyone with a 2010 SR5 4WD? I'm at 45k and am wondering if i need to do my oil change or if i should do it at 50k... Does anyone have the updated maintenance schedule for the 2010s? As of now my original one says 5k oil changes but i remember seeing it here before that all 5th gens were updated to 10k..

 

[Whiplash Willy]

Oil that is designed for longer OCIs like 10k, have additives in them that have to break in, and there is actually more wear in the first couple thousand miles of a 10k OCI oil then towards the end of its life. There was an study on a TDI 10k OCI oil, where an Oil Analasys was taking at every 1k miles to support this theory.

OCIs taken on 10k OCI oil have show that the oil still has much more life in it. If it makes you feel any better Europe uses 30k OCIs on some of the same oils we change at 10k.

Just follow Toyota's recommended OCI and spec oil.

 

[LandCruiser]

The service guy told me that the 12s and 13s need 10k oil changes but the 11s get 5k "because the engine is made differently."

Strange that the 10k service interval would coincide with the same time Toyota started to pay for oil changes... will my dealer ask me to do 5k changes after the free service intervals expire?

My friend had a Bronco that leaked oil so bad he never had to change it, just keep adding it and swap an oil filter every few months...

 

[eddiebx]

Anyone with a 2010 SR5 4WD? I'm at 45k and am wondering if i need to do my oil change or if i should do it at 50k... Does anyone have the updated maintenance schedule for the 2010s? As of now my original one says 5k oil changes but i remember seeing it here before that all 5th gens were updated to 10k..

Changing it at 45k or 50k would depend on when you last changed it, duh

10k intervals should be fine, unless you fall under the severe duty category (which is still 5k OCI), but most normal driving does not.

 

[homeyclaus]

The service guy told me that the 12s and 13s need 10k oil changes but the 11s get 5k "because the engine is made differently."

:infidel:

Strange that the 10k service interval would coincide with the same time Toyota started to pay for oil changes... will my dealer ask me to do 5k changes after the free service intervals expire?

It certainly sounds like that would be a profitable thing to say to less savvy customers.

My friend had a Bronco that leaked oil so bad he never had to change it, just keep adding it and swap an oil filter every few months...

F***ing polluter. How hard is it to fix that most of the time?

 

[vicpick58]

I am a guy that used to change my oil every two thousand miles back when I was using dino oil. The theory being that oil is cheap and engines are not. Oil gets dirty and it was better to keep it clean.

About 13 years ago I got a job that requires up to 1000 miles per week, I got real tired of changing oil every other weekend. So I did some research and switched to synthetic oil and extended my OCI to 5000 miles. I have gone though 2 vehicles since then, I put well over 200k miles on both of them with out any engine problems. (280k on one of them)

I think the 10k mile OCI for our 4Runners is great and would really like to go three or four month between changes. But I just cannot make myself do it.

I am still doing 5k OCIs and doing it every 6 to 8 weeks. But maybe someday I will push myself to advance in evolution and move into the 21st century and try the 10k just once to see what happens to my engine.

 

[1engineer]

I am a guy that used to change my oil every two thousand miles back when I was using dino oil. The theory being that oil is cheap and engines are not. Oil gets dirty and it was better to keep it clean.

About 13 years ago I got a job that requires up to 1000 miles per week, I got real tired of changing oil every other weekend. So I did some research and switched to synthetic oil and extended my OCI to 5000 miles. I have gone though 2 vehicles since then, I put well over 200k miles on both of them with out any engine problems. (280k on one of them)

I think the 10k mile OCI for our 4Runners is great and would really like to go three or four month between changes. But I just cannot make myself do it.

I am still doing 5k OCIs and doing it every 6 to 8 weeks. But maybe someday I will push myself to advance in evolution and move into the 21st century and try the 10k just once to see what happens to my engine.

I have faith in you lol!

 

[veloindy]

Why is it so hard to just follow the owners manual?

 

[Whiplash Willy]

I finally found the post on changing extended OCI Oils Early, that I was referring to in my early post.

TDIClub Forums - View Single Post - Final Horrifyingly Stupid Question - OCI?

It is a good read, especially for those fearing extended OCIs, and explains why changing extended OCI oils early can actually increase wear.

Granted it is based on VW TDI Oil, but I think it translates to our 10k OCI oil.

 

[Greg_Canada]

Why is it so hard to just follow the owners manual?

LOL cause they are all smarter than toyota engineers.

I change my 99' every 6,000 miles with mobil 1 synthetic. 244,000 miles later it's still all original and runs great.

 

[desertred]

Anyone with a 2010 SR5 4WD? I'm at 45k and am wondering if i need to do my oil change or if i should do it at 50k... Does anyone have the updated maintenance schedule for the 2010s? As of now my original one says 5k oil changes but i remember seeing it here before that all 5th gens were updated to 10k..

When the 2010 4Runner initially came out, the service guidance recommended 5K intervals. Toyota then sent out a "Maintenance Schedule Update" along with a new updated "warranty and Maintenance Guide" indication a 10K/1 year interval over a 5K/6 interval. The letter accompanying the new Guide cited the 'completion of a long term study' as the reason for the change. The updated Guide adjusts the maintenance schedule for select items (including oil changes at 5K/6mo) for those that drive a "majority" of their miles in the listed special operation conditions. I have always changed my 5th gen at 5K out of habit with synthetic oil, but am working on my first 'extended' interval of 10K. I actually received two copies of the updated guide. One was sent in March of '10 the other in July.

 

[homeyclaus]

Why is it so hard to just follow the owners manual?

Broscience and stuff people heard someone say they heard 30 years ago trumps everything, apparently.

 

[eddiebx]

I finally found the post on changing extended OCI Oils Early, that I was referring to in my early post.

TDIClub Forums - View Single Post - Final Horrifyingly Stupid Question - OCI?

It is a good read, especially for those fearing extended OCIs, and explains why changing extended OCI oils early can actually increase wear.

Granted it is based on VW TDI Oil, but I think it translates to our 10k OCI oil.

This is pretty interesting, I wonder does diesel vs gasoline engine make a difference? I would imagine the oil detergents/additives being a lot different between the two?

 

[Steamfitter]

My 2014 owners manual says: every 8000 km (5000 miles)/6 months, and the. Every 16000 km (10k miles)/12 months after 24000 km. But the guy at Toyota says it's every 8000 km(5k miles)/6 months. I don't get what the discrepancy is