Toyota Tech Tip--- Oil Viscosity and Interval Change Guide

This will help for all of those who have oil viscosity question and how often you are supposed to change the oil. Click on it, Print it, and stick it in your glove box to show the dealer. (or for your own reference.

http://rav4world.com/pdf/T-TT-0005-10.pdf

 

Flip the Switch!!!!! and read the Tech Tip

 

Great info.....copied it from a post in the 10000 mile oil chage thread. Took into the dealership this morning and got offered an actual oil change and not just a tire rotation. Thanks

 

how does the Rav 4 have the same 1-GR-FE engine, yet it uses more oil and has been approved for the 10k change with 0W-20?

 

Likely the same reason the 7500 mile service interval was eliminated slowly model by model before 2005.
They used to allow 7500 for normal service and 5000 for severe service.
Starting around '02 on various models, they started adding the "Maintenance Required" light to the dash. My wife's '04 Rav4 has a light and only 5k service.
My '03 Tundra had no light, and 7500 permitted.

But rather than using an intelligent oil life monitor like GM, they simply used a 5,000 mile timer.

The 10,000 mile interval is being introduced on Toyota vehicles at the same time the dash hardware and ECU software is being "facelifted"

If your light comes on at 5k, you are due for an oil change.

 

Except that prior years did not not come with synthetic, hence the 5k. If using synthetic, there's no need to change at 5k. I never have.

 

Until Toyota approves the 2.7 and 4.0 for 10,000 mile change intervals, your warranty depends upon sticking to 5k intervals.
Toyota has not yet done so... and the 4.0 in the Tacoma and Tundra/4R/FJ are not the same engine.

 

so basically, the 5k timer is bullshit, and what i should be doing is sending in a sample every 5K for analysis and go off of that, and my 07 is long past any warranty, so that is irrelevant to my truck.

 

we need the person who has been changing every 10k to post up here. i bet nobody does this but i would love to hear about the experience of anyone who tries. what if there's no difference?

 

Except that at $25 for the analysis, may as well change it when Costco puts M1 on sale for $26 and you can buy the filters for $4 each.

At over 100k, I am not paranoid about the 5k interval.
As I mentioned before, my '03 Tundra was good to 7500 on non-synthetic, and I see no reason to believe the same does not apply to the Tacoma... but since I am running synthetic, I frequently hit 7k and occasionally longer, depending on available time and road trips.

I also have one of the "pocket tribologists" as DoorDing puts it and use it to verify the condition of my drained oil. One change at 5k the thing said that it was done, and my last change at 9k (my longest) it said that the drained oil was still good (60% across the green).

My light just came on last night... 2 weeks before I'll be able to think about changing it.

 

interesting. 5K may be the least common denominator for issues or maybe it's higher but the dealer wants the average car buyer to come in any pay for service.

we need independent assessment with good sample size to sort this out. i reckon most of us won't gamble with our investments or 'pocket triboligy' but I agree that the 5K standard is probably on the conservative side.

 

I read it but not sure where my truck stands. I have a 2014 Sport v6, how do I know/find out if I have 0-20w or not?

 

It would see based on the documentation in the OP, it's irrelevant what you have in there now...when 5,000 miles rolls around, you put in in 0-20W.

Same boat as me.

 

2.7 takes 0w20
4.0 still uses 5w30

If in doubt, look on your oil cap.

 

Negative.

1GR-FE

 

I don't see the 1GR-FE listed for the Rav4.
It lists the 2AR-FE and 2GR-FE.
The Tundra, FJ, and T4R 1GR-FE is a dual-VVTi and the heads are completely different. They bolt up to the block, but the emissions connections and headers are different.

 

Yeah, good catch, my post should have reflected 5W-30.

 

Read it wrong, was looking at the 4 runner but its still the same, its listed as a 1-GR-FE engine in it, not the 2-GR-FE, and it is approved for the 10k changes... also, synthetic is never that cheap around me, even on sale, i usually spend $40 on oil and then $8 or so on a filter....

Edit Also noticed that that is the 2010 and newer models... i have an 07 so that guide may not even apply to me anyway...

 

I have an 07 (4.0) and the information is exactly the same as whats in the owners manual.

 

true, idk, i need an oil change so imma order the damn test kit and see what it says, if it even hints at longer oil life than 5k ill try some 0W-20 in it, whats the worst that could happen? push come to shove ill tear it apart and rebuild, my dad is an ex-machinist so he can guide me if it comes to it.