Oil changes

That makes the most sense. Good job.

 

It is priced in the truck. Toyota pays dealership for service. You’ve already paid for it whether you use it or not.

 

Typically if you are using conventional oil, you will want to change your oil every 3,000 miles or three months. If you are using synthetic, you can go 5,000 and even 7,500 miles before needing an oil change.
Factors such as cold weather and short trips will reduce your oil's drain interval – i.e., the amount of time before you need to change it again. For example, if most of the miles you drive are in stop-and-go traffic during cold weather, your drain interval maybe just be 2,500 miles under those conditions.
The secret is knowing when to change the oil rather than how long it takes for the old stuff to get dirty. It's not like a clock starts ticking as soon as you put gas in your car.
It depends on the engine's design and how it is built. Generally, vehicles made after 1996 have very efficient engines that burn oil more slowly than those from before 1996. Oil drain intervals of 5,000-7,500 miles are now possible with regular oil changes every three months or 3,000 miles - whichever comes first. In most cases, as long as you follow your car manufacturer's recommendations regarding oil type (synthetic blend, synthetic, etc.) and change the oil filter at every other scheduled appointment – you should be okay for a very long time.
If you are not sure that the repair shop changed the oil the last time you took your car in, you should check it yourself.
If the oil looks clean enough to you (no black color), then there is no problem. Otherwise, if the oil has an extremely dark color or smells burnt, it means that metal parts in your engine are rubbing against each other because of reduced lubrication, and you should change your oil as soon as possible to avoid expensive repairs.

 

Welcome! Stay away from the free oil changes and do it yourself. Then you know it's done and done right.

 

The dashboard will tell you when its time to go visit the dealer.

 

I've done basically the same with all my other vehicles, changing the oil early takes out any metal burs and other junk left over from manufacturing, I do oil changes at the first 1500/3000/5000 miles and it seems to help make my trucks last. Also I write oil change date on filter, reminds me and keeps other people honest.

 

I am the same way. I change my oil every 3k or before long trips. I explain to the service department that I am comfortable paying out of pocket if I am ahead of the scheduled intervals and that I am not there to argue if my truck needs it. My opinion: oil is cheap and engines are expensive. Some will say this is a waste of money and they may be right; I view it as cheap insurance and thankfully, I have the money to spend on it.

 

Ah yes. What would a TW oil thread be without copious amounts of misinformation and old wife's tales passed on from grandfather to dad to son?

 

You are LITERALLY going off the road and over the curb. It’s like a mini Moab test with Rudy and Matt.

I don’t think you’re serious enough to leave the pavement.

How many spare tires do you even carry?

How do you restore the oil free deep blackness of your snorkel without attracting all the dust in two minutes?

Might want to consider a Camry.

 

Like a toddler the modern dashboard will tell you a great many things of varying value.

 

Contrary to popular belief, most people don’t meet the requirements for the 1yr/10k oil change interval and should do it at 6m/5k.

Don’t take my word for it, take that of a Toyota master technician, not the dealer “service manager” who is likely a HS drop out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdNCnYHhEm8&t

AMD has a whole series on how to properly maintain your Toyota. He shares the truth, even if it gets him in trouble at work.

 

Good plan sir. These guys make good tools for your maintenance, including oil filter housing.

https://www.motivxtools.com/

 

If you'll sleep better at night change the oil every 1000 miles if you want. It won't hurt a thing. But 10,000-mile oil changes with synthetic oil is actually conservative. The guys driving $500,000 Peterbilt's change their oil every 20,000-25,000 miles.

This guy is at 1.5 million miles using 10,000 mile oil changes. The original engine needed a new head gasket at 900,000 miles and he pulled one from a scrap yard that already had 100,000 on it. The original engine with 900,000 miles did not have an oil related failure, but with that many miles it made sense to replace rather than repair. He now has another 600,000 miles on the 2nd engine in addition to the 100,000 on it when he bought it.

The important thing is to simply keep oil in the engine. The oil does need to be changed periodically. But exactly when, and which oil you use is far less important.

This Toyota Tacoma Has Racked Up 1.52 Million Miles (motor1.com)

I've been using 10,000 mile oil changes for years on all of my vehicles. My Tacoma is at 223,000 miles and I never have to add any oil between oil changes. Still runs like new.

 

Highway miles like this are approved for 10k interval.

 

How many people do you KNOW that have lost an engine due to infrequent oil changes???

I worked in the parts industry and for dealerships for roughly thirty years and the only vehicles I've ever seen lose an engine due to infrequent oil changes were cars that NEVER had their oil changed. Forty thousand miles... more or less.

Why people have this paranoia about oil is beyond me. It's crazy. You changed your oil in your GMC every 3K? You just wasted your money and time and got NOTHING for it except unnecessary peace of mind.

There are all kinds of Tacos on these threads with super high miles on them that have oil changed at recommended intervals. When they go to their final resting place it is likely the reason will be rust, accident, or abuse rather than wear.

Get over the paranoia. It's very expensive "insurance".