Do we really need oil changes every 5K?

I find it hard to believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that Toyota asks for oil changes every 5k....
My wife's VW with a turbo is every 10k!

What gives? Anyone with a high mileage Taco space it out to every 10k miles?

Thanks

 

You should change it every mile like the manual says.

 

The V6 Taco is a 10k interval between oil changes. I can’t speak for the 4 banger though.

 

Toyota does not require oil changes every 5k miles, it's every 10k miles. You get nagged for a service every 5k miles, but the 5k service is stupid. It's like tire rotations and fluid changes, that kind of crap.

 

Mine gets changed every 10K miles with Mobile One, per the dealership. Works for me.

 

I take mine out and only use enough to make any noises quiet down, still using the same batch from 1992.
Just buy a new truck every week or so.

 

Have a look at your owner's manual for oil change intervals...

 

I space my oil changes out every 15k miles and no issues been doing it for years now. You will be okay to change every 10k if wanted.

 

Bold strategy, cotton.

 

Why's that?

 

Take it to Jiffy Lube they will tell you every 3K miles.

 

reg oil 5k, synthetic 10k, had to be said

 

As stated, Toyota recommends every 10K for the V6, but if I remember right 5k if you use 5w20 or under “severe service conditions”. Now that I’m out of the included maintenance period, I plan to combine the 5k and 10k services and basically do both every 7500 miles or roughly every 3 months.

And I’ll bet dollars to donuts that your wife’s VW will be in the shop far more frequently than its 10k recommended services and more than your Tacoma.

 

change it every 5k so you dont get sludge build up as time goes on

 

Bold because you're just making up your own shit. Which is fine... but still.

Back in the day, we used to change oil every 4k, then it went to 5, 6, etc. Now engines and onboard computers are good enough that it's accepted to "just listen to the computer." But tacking on another 5k just because you want to? Thumbs up, vaya con dios.

 

The oil change intervals written into the owners manual is there for 2 reasons. #1, it is so Toyota, and all other manufacturers can say "gotcha" when something goes wrong with the truck. That is one of many hoops they ask owners to jump through, and have documentation for, in order to get warranty work done. Some choose to do the oil changes themselves, but most can't document it well enough to satisfy the car companies and this is an excuse to not cover problems. Others choose to take their trucks back to the dealer for the documentation. But the free oil changes and tire rotations they offer are just a ploy to get you in and pressure you to pay 3X as much as they could pay an independent mechanic to do the same work. And they will pressure you to do a lot of unnecessary work. Most dealers make most of the profit in the service dept. And an awful lot of people fall for this.

 

Regardless of the recommendations (10k w/ synthetic), spending $60-90 every 5000 miles is less than a dollar per day of maintenance for me. Worth it for the peace of mind. Almost inconsequential compared to my daily gas costs.

-Craig

 

What’s reason #2?

 

I'm still under dealer warranty. They've been changing it every 6 months.

Reason #2-profit!