10k vs 5k mile oil change

Imagine if you factor in not having a trans cooler

good lawd


Is there a prize for mentioning trans cooler first?


Bueller…..

 

Took awhile
Should keep this going for a few moore pages

 

I have a trans cooler.

 

Check the dipstick

if it’s varnished, it’s not good

good oil keeps your dipstick clean

 

Ya beat Hagrid and me to it.

 

Who the fuck idea is it to not equip a trans cooler on 19+ models, should be fired. This is me with like 200 lbs load going up the Mountain to LA

 

This thread makes me giggle. I have a 4.0L 4Runner and a 4.6L Tundra both that I inherited from my father. Both vehicles have had 10,000 mile oil changes since new and the 4Runner has 339,000 miles on it and the Tundra has 228,000. Both have never displayed a reason to be opened up, only the valve cover on the 4Runner started weeping last year but it’s not even enough for me to hassle with replacing it. No harm in changing more frequently, it’s only money. I’m just sharing my experience and how I will continue to maintain my vehicles

 

Is that why for many years Detroit dipsticks were a blued finish? When the oil stain gets darker than the dipstick you may have a problem.

 

Couple things to consider. Oil capacity, horsepower used regularly, engine displacement and gallons of fuel used. Let's say a vehicle had 2.4L 4 banger that got 34 MPG on the highway and had a 4 qt oil capacity. The OCI was 7,500 miles. You could say an engine that had twice the displacement and twice the oil capacity should have the same OCI. Or, would fuel used be a better indicator?

I know my days working on Honda motorcycles taught me that those lubing the transmission with motor oil required more frequent conventional oil changes. Because the meshing gears beat the additives to death. Synthetic oil doesn't suffer the same problems near as much but the more surface area requiring lubrication does affect longevity of oil additives.
I'm thinking for contamination purposes, fuel usage vs oil capacity would be a better indicator or how often oil should be changed....with all else equal.

 

Took my brand new truck into the dealer (Koons Arlington VA) for those free every 5k mi up to 25k or 2 years services. They flat out refused to change the oil for the first service, said I would have to pay. They said the first 5k service does not include an oil change and after I pressure them quite a bit, that I would have to use up 2 of my 5 free services, because it is supposed to be done at the 10k service. I showed them a photo of the maintenance guide which has all kinds of caveats to change oil at 5k, which I do all of (tow, off-road, frequent starts, heavy loads) with my truck and they didn’t care. Not following the maintenance guide to a T would be the first thing they brought up if there was a warranty issue. They are slime and scum.

 

Do you guys read the fine print?
https://www.toyota.com/toyota-care/

 

Yes I do, I am an engineer and I develop with contract language as well so I read believe me. The Toyotacare fine print note 2 states, “Consult the vehicle’s Maintenance Guide for factory-recommended service and intervals. Service requirements and intervals vary by model.”

The pic of the maintenance guide with all the caveats for when oil changes are required. Pretty cut and dry, I’m not done with them yet don’t worry I’ll get my 5 free oil changes.

 

This is the fine print for Toyota Care. Excludes those items listed in the Maintenance Guide under Special/Severe Operating Conditions. 5K OCI seems to fall under that condition which Toyota Care excludes.

 

I just had my steering rack changed for the recall, had only 3600 miles on truck. Been 10 months since bought new and asked for the first oil change from Toyotacare to be done and didn't seem to be a problem. They just said ok. I'm assuming since it was almost a year old they changed it no questions asked.

 

Just saw this article about 5k vs 10k oil changes:

CarScoops: Toyota Master Technician Argues Against 10,000 Mile Oil Change Intervals With Busted Engine Teardown.

 

The comments read like this thread

 

When I took my truck in last year after I hit 5k miles, I told them I wanted my oil changed. He said that’s it’s not part of the 5k service. Told him I knew but to go ahead and do the 10k service because I wanted the oil changed. He said no problem and they went ahead and did it. Same thing last month when I hit 10k miles. Took it in and told them to do the 20k mile oil change and they had absolutely no problem with it and did it for me. It’s weird how your dealer is making a big deal out of it.

 

Words to live by in so many ways.

 

I get a look from the service person when I ask for an oil change, they ask "you don't believe in 10k oil changes?" UMMM No I don't , hence the reason I am requesting one.

 

When I purchased my 2019 “certified” Tundra, the dealer had a lifetime powertrain warranty included. It specified 5k mile oil changes however…. So I have been doing the 5k mile intervals on it.

 

I just changed my oil, and I'm taking this to 15k, possibly 20k. Gonna test it at 10k and 15k to see if it'll be good to 20k. I run great oil, so I'm not concerned. I believe 5k OCIs are good for Dino oil, but "most" synthetics are good for 10k.

I had a wonderful opportunity to talk to some of the biggest names in the oil industry this weekend, people who have made oil what it is today, and learned way more than anything I've ever read online. Alot of people online, and even this forum, are very misinformed. Hell even I was misinformed until I got to spend a weekend with these guys.

I'll keep yall posted on my extended OCI results

 

When I was doing 10k changes with Amsoil, my engine was significantly quieter than with Mobil1. My next change is coming up, and I’m going to Kirkland with 5k OCI. We’ll see how noisy it is.

Also, Amsoil is $10/qt with a $15 filter (membership price). Kirkland oil is $34.99 for 10qt, and I bought Toyota OEM filters in bulk for like $6 each. I’m actually saving money by going to a 5k OCI

 

Oil is cheap. Just change at 5k and don’t worry about potential engine damage.

 

And Kirkland oil is cheap. And very good

 

That’s what I use with oem filter.

 

I change it @ 6k

 

Well, Bob is the oil guy did weigh in. Or at least a bunch of opinionated posters did.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/why-10k-miles-oil-change-may-not-be-good.357801/

 

Let me get this straight.

You have a powwow with the oil gods, and choose not to drop the knowledge bomb which you received upon your tundra brethren?!?

Just cruel to leave us here, salivating for the inside deets.

 

One thing no one has mentioned here is the TUNDRA holds 8.5 qts, and the car only 5, so our use is distributed thru a greater amount of oil. And to run AMSOIL or MOBILE 1 , FOR 10,000 MILES is a no brainer, and just keep the filter changed every 5,000 at 6.00 each is very good maintenance . And changing just filter can tell you an enormous amount about what it's doing inside. Never have I ever seen or heard of anyone run until sludge forms, not sure where that comes from. My only thought on the mechanic saying guy was burning 3 qts every 1000 miles, is that in my opinion would be a mosquito fogger big time, and usually heavy oil consumption is past valve seals, and that is why valves looked all carboned up. Also cheaper oils don't have the quality additives like Mobile 1 or Amsoil, and that is usually where failures happen is from oil breakdown. And with 8.5 qts , that's a very large amount of oil in a reservoir and with OEM filters , oil coolers, it's in my opinion very safe at 10000 oil, 5000 filter.

 

I'm honestly not great at trying to explain the stuff like it was explained to me. I have the knowledge in my head, but trying to articulate it would probably end horribly

I got to see lab tests run on oil, results from previous oils ran (pretty much every major and boutique oil you can think of) and I got to see the comparison charts of all the different oils. I've mentioned the name of the oil I use, but I dont wanna act like a salesman or anything. But they were at the top every single time.

API certifications are ok, but not the end all be all. The worst part about them, is that once you pass the ceiling of API, and make a truly superb oil that outperforms anything you can get off the shelf, people think it's no good since it doesn't have an approval on the bottle. I bought over 1k worth of oil this weekend, and not one bottle has an API cert.

When you get chemists and oil gurus who are passionate about oil, and let them make the best oil they can, it's really something to behold. They're not held back by labels and certifications.

The facility was also the cleanest facility I've ever stepped foot in. You can literally eat off of the floor, and that's no exaggeration. Not a drop of oil anywhere. And the precision in their bleeding is out of this world. Even small things down to packaging are done with the highest quality.

I'm getting off topic, but it's really cool stuff.