Oil change?

Hi,

I have a Tacoma 2012 4x4, 143,000 kms. For the last 3 years I have not used it much. In March 2020 I was recommended to use Mobile synthetic oil, and a special oil filter for this type of oil, and so I did. By March 2021, the truck had only run 3,000kms since the oil change, and checking it seems still celan.

In the Toyota shop they recommended to change it, even when synthetic may run up to 15,000 kms. A mechanic friend of mine, tells me that the synthetic does not loose properties as the mineral oil does, and I can wait until 10,000 or 15,000 kms.

Opinions?

 

I would just do what your manual says.

 

Oil Thread.... IN!


BTW: do what the manual states and use OEM filters.

 

Here we go! lol


I’ll give you my experience. I’m at 160,000 miles on the motor.

I go 15,000 km between oil changes using Mobil 1 and a factory filter. my oil analysis reports show no signs of early wear and the oil still has its properties remaining.

I just had the valve covers off to change the cam gears and everything looks amazing.

I have no indications that I’m doing any harm by running 15k km OCIs.

 

Are those 3k severe duty? Dusty, short cold trips, very hot operating environment. Not so much about the oil, synthetic is fine at that life, it’s about the additive package and debris.

Getting it up to temp most trips helps get fuel residue and water to evaporate out. Mostly short cold trips is hard on oil life. Antioxidants and detergents are sacrificial in nature. If you just did normal driving the past year, it’s probably still fine.

 

Listen to the people that made it they have a pretty good ideal. Between all of the Toyota's I have owned it's pretty close to a million miles.

 

I run 20w-50 diesel oil in mine.

 

90% of those 3K where regular high way trips. 10%, city drive. No off road. Temperatures, between 10 and 35 Celsius, nothing extreme

 

You'll be fine. I ran 12 month 7500 mile oil changes in my 2nd gen in conditions ranging from -50F to +100F, on/off road, towing, idling to warm up daily, etc and had no indications of any wear on oil analyses.

 

I love oil threads

 

The oils been sitting in the crankcase exposed to temperature changes and the condensation that goes with it for a year. Sounds like you possibly didn't get the engine up to operating temperature for long enough, and enough times, to burn that accumulated moisture off. Depends on your climate temperature ranges and humidity.

If it was my engine, I'd play it safe and change the oil. But many will probably disagree. I just don't like taking changes with an expensive engine because of a simple oil change.

That's just my cautious 2 cents worth.


I can never resist an oil thread

 

Id keep oci’s at 5k to keep things cleaner, regardless of what flavor oil you run

 

I run only pure white vinegar and change it every 3 mikes.

No problems yet.

 

I believe the OP question is related to time not distance -- the oil has been currently been in the engine for a year.
If he waits until 10-15K the oil will be in the engine 3 to 5 years at the current rate of driving.

 

LoL yes. Oil can turn acidic over time if left to set.

I believe mobile1 states directly on the bottle to change every Nk miles or every 12 months IIRC because of the above reason.

 

There are lots of us in this predicament now. Every year feels adequate.

 

Are use mobile one full synthetic but I still change my oil every 5000 miles

 

Once a year sounds like a good plan.

 

Once a year regardless of mileage.

 

I’m at once a year and I drive right at 5k, give or take 1k