The old 5k or 10k oil change debate

I do my own maintenance and I couldn't care less about dealer service records. I'm not advocating against DIY.

 

I assume we are all talking full synthetic right?
I run 10k on AMS Oil...have for years with no issues and I typically drive my vehicles well over 200k. My company yehicle (Ford Transit) is only done every 20k and we have vehicles in the fleet over 300k and they get beat like a drum. I wouldn't feel comfortabe going that long though.

Our shop guy has oil tested at random and says everything checks out.
https://www.amsoil.com/p/oil-analyzers-test-kit-postage-pre-paid-oaippkit/

 

I do 5k, period.
Why go longer? Not worth the risk IMHO

 

I’d hope so. My trucks have been 10k amsoil signature since new

 

I’m on the time vs. mileage plan on our two vehicles. Oh well. Things we do are close here most of the time. The tacoma and a 2013 sequoia. I try to change their oil every 12 months. I’ve wondered if it’s really that big a deal to extend that, and by how much, but it seems reasonable to keep it around that timeframe.

 

Ze Germans recommend Mobil 1. It’s not required.

And if you read the damn manual, Toyota considers anything like off-road use, winter driving, towing, hauling, using the 4x4 as heavy use and recommends you go to the 5000 mile plan.

 

Because it gives me peace of mind!!!

 

Fuck no, I have been doing it since 1990, on Jeeps, Chevrolets, Fords, Nissans, Hondas and Toyotas. Never had an engine problem, Jeeps, Fords and Chevy went thru a lot of problems, but not engine. Alternators, A/C compressors, carrier bearings, all kinds of electrics. Nothing but Mobil 1. I dont give a shit if you change the oil every 50 miles, and rotate the tires, change the plugs and wheel bearings.

If it hasnt bit me on the ass in 30 years I doubt it will.

 

ACKUALLY If you read the foot notes at the bottom of the page it says you only need to do that if you spend the majority(51%) of your time driving under those conditions so off-roading on the week end, towing a few times a year or being stuck in traffic a occasionally don't really count.

 

I think everybody should change their oil at an interval they're comfortable with. Modern synthetic oils do a really great job protecting engines. Me,,,Eh,,, I change it every 5000-6000mi. Just me though.

 

I have changed my own oil exactly once in 15 years. Since using synthetics, it has always been 10K. I have sent my oil into Blackstone a few times with no issues. Dealer has always done it.
In my real life, I deal with oil and synthetics all the time.
My opinion... Even hard use in a Tacoma is light duty for that oil and engine. Only way I would switch to 5K OCI is pulling a 5K trailer every day.
If I only did interstate, 15K would be my normal. My opinion.

 

Super informative thank you!

 

Oil is cool.

 

"I always change 1k miles no matter what" be like

 

I was actually thinking about this post, I think there is a mind set difference in all the opinions you read. Why buy a $40k vehicle and cheap out? Well I dont look at a vehicle as an investment, its a business expenses, a consumable thats required for my work. The companies I have worked at always reimbursed me for a vehicle, lowest was probably $400 a month, as high as $650 a month. Several companies used a plan called Runzheimer, they had stipulations that you could not keep a vehicle past 4 models years old or 150,000 miles (you could, they just cut your reimbursement to nearly nothing). I drove in those days 50,000 to 60,000 a year and timed my trade in where I could buy the next years model. The second they announced the next years model I would buy. When you put 60,000 miles a year on a truck, your $40,000 truck aint worth shit in 3 years.

Companies that didnt use Runz, I just ditched it before shit could start going wrong, usually 200,000 to 250,000 miles on Nissan, Honda or Toyota. Dodge usually 75,000 and Ford or Chevy at 125,000 miles.

In my life (65 yr) I have had one engine related failure, and that was a 60 Chevy short bed with an engine out of a 327 SS Impala that threw a rod through the side of the block. I dont think oil had anything to do with it, I suspect it was using valve float as my rev limiter.

Not saying its dumb to change your oil at 3,000 miles if it makes you happy, but I am saying changing your oil at Toyotas recommended 10,000 miles is not a hand grenade waiting to go off.

 

I changed the oil in my tundra once every 12 months or 15k miles using mobil1. Truck had no engine issues for the 19 years i had it....same for the transmission using dexron3.

 

Hey, if you have extra money to piss away, more power to ya. I'll just follow the manufactures recommendations.

 

You my friend are probably not the norm here. For someone who uses their truck as a business expense and need only get four years out of it- it doesn’t matter what you do, if any. For someone who drives 60,000 miles a year OICs become insignificant. Every 25,000 miles is likely perfect.

For those who use their truck for personal reasons and plan on keeping the vehicle for 7+ years &/or 300k+ miles the equation is totally different.

There is no single solution for everyone’s situation but you will find many more to follow this post that will scoff someone’s viewpoint, tell them their wasting money, and that Toyota engineers have engineered this perfectly- with the exception of the timing cover, lol.

 

I mentioned this in another post, but I am amazed by the number of people who evidently use their trucks as a hobby and put 3,000 or 4,000 miles a year on them. Basically everyone I associate with was the same as me. I'm serious when I say if I found 10K oil changes to cause problems I would not be doing them. Cause if you aint in front of customers you are losing money. I have kept 3 vehicles for most of my life for just that reason, a back up in case mine is down for any reason. I could see 200,000 in 4 years, so I dont get the worry. Electrics and shit start causing problems long before the engine in most cases.

By the way, my hobby has 2 wheels and on a good year that will be 20,000 a year, slow year, 5,000 miles. LOL

I used my work trucks/SUV's for beach trips to Padre Island, trips to Moab, Ouray, Terlingua and where ever tickles my fancy. But the miles may also be because getting anywhere out of Texas is a pretty long drive.

The thing that surprises me is all the people say Toyota says 10k because they want you to buy a new truck when the old one wears out. It's like some kind of conspiracy theory. I mean do people think Toyota is stupid enough that they couldnt build a Dodge that only last 75,000 miles before shit starts falling off? That really didnt work for American manufactures in the 70's and 80's, but maybe Toyota isnt that smart. I mean the 3rd gen aint perfect, but its a shit load better than the last Chevy I had.

 

My current mileage As Of July 23, 2022 is: 12,224.

I brought my Sport home on a Friday...May 14, 2021.

My Sporty has its 3rd scheduled Toyota Care (15K) this Tuesday...doesn't include an oil change...I'll do it myself at Dover AFB Auto Hobby Shop.

Other Dates
Feb 14, 2022 - 8301 miles
Sep 30, 2021 - 4693 miles

I use my Sport as daily driver and work is 4 miles one-way. Other than trips to Delaware Beaches from Dover and a couple of off-site/state trips, I'm not much of a driver who spends more than 2hrs going somewhere one-way.

Much of my traveling was done during my 25yr military career so you can say, "I'm taking it easy" for the time being.

I'm going off on a tangent here but I'm tired of this work gig...lately been venting to my family about this new system our hospital migrated to; it pretty much was a terrible transition with lots of shortfalls. Without getting into the details, I wanted to stop working and live off military retirement.

But I digress...I reconsidered my thought process and now need to work on an exit strategy so I can leave the workforce within the next 2 years.

Back to this oil change conversation...I make an effort to change every 5K miles...or if 6K miles happens, I'm ok with that. I use full synthetic and OEM filters and have the OEM metal filter case to swap out for the plastic one. (That's another debate!) lol

Everyone has their own agenda for how they use their Taco. Whatever works for each owner. In the end, it's their decision.