3k oil change or naw?

just about hit my 3k mark.... should i do oil change or should i just wait and let the stealership do it for free at 5k?

-AnT

 

wait

 

I will doing it at 3k and using M1 EP and Toyo filter. I got the free oil change offer at 5k for 2 yrs but opting out.

 

even with alot of long distance driving?? every weekend since ive got it (dec 29) ive been driving from camp pendleton to el monte every weekend..lol..

 

how so? did you get an oil test at your first 5k change?

For me, I can hear my valve train ticking at 2200 miles and did not like the sound of the crank sticking when starting it up at 15 degree this am. The 4runner with close to 90k on the clock is much quieter and been running the M1 EP since 20k.

 

I was curious myself about this as I just hit 3k, and was wanting to switch over to 5w30 syn.. Even though the dealership offers this (Mine only says rotation at 5k, oil starting at 10) I also heard they charge extra for fully synthetic under this, so why bother for a few bucks

 

Honestly, I try changin my oil every 2k. It doesn't just depend soley on the oil and filter you use but also your driving habits. Granted the oil now is better than it used to be, but if your driving in some pretty harsh and dirty conditions, then it doesnt hurt to change it a little more frequently. Personally I'd rather change it a little before it was due then way after. Fresh oil doesn't ruin an engine... Just my opnion

 

my driving conditions is just regular road and freeway.. not too dirty but long distance almost every weekend.

 

Personally, I would do it around 2-3k. But then again thats how I was raised. I would say you should be alright waitin the whole 5k.

 

as mentioned, wait until 5k, as that is the factory interval. save the money that you'd spend changing the oil early, change the oil at 5k with the high quality of your choice (ie redline, amsoil, etc), and at 10k get an oil analysis to see if you can go even further than 5k per change. why would you want to go further? because you potentially can without hurting a thing, all while saving money and not wasting time or oil. it just depends on what the analysis says...otherwise stick to factory interval.

 

dealership let you choose oil?? or am i interpreting that wrong lol

 

well, either way, if you do it or if the dealership does it. but the core of what i'm saying is running a high quality oil and then getting an analysis might yield the fact that you can go quite long on intervals.

but yes, at least the dealership local to me will change the oil with your oil. i don't use them, but i know they do as my friend has done it several times with his trucks under toyota care. seems dumb to me, really, but to each his own ; )

 

Every 5k is fine, anything sooner is a waste of time and oil.

 

why not change the transmission and or differental oil at 3K?
I have a theory on that!
In the trans and diff gears cut and grind a little as part of normal break in and those metal particales are floating around in the oil, so when its done breaking in the gears don't cut and grind anymore, so at the right time change the trans and diiff oils to drain out and remove the metal particals and when you add the new oils you won't get anymore metal particals cause its done brealing in, and only do that ONCE for the life of the vehicle, but do it at the right time!

 

I'll just stick to Toyota's recommended intervals , I think maybe their engineers spent a bit more time on this than you BS .

Sorry , BartStar , do you mind if I call you BS ?

 

For once i agree with you...lol

what you said is why i changed all my oil, every drop in the whole truck at the first 3,000, as per my fathers recommendation, he is a mech engineer and machinist making much more refined, critical things than our trucks and he was right... then i have gone to toyota recommendation after that. I was amazed at the amount of metal on the magnetic drain plugs, nothing major, just from breakin. I changed it again at 30k and it was super clean. The first 3k on a truck is pretty crucial never hurts to be cautious. But after that you can go 5-10k per change if using quality oil and filter

 

Mr. Yoytoda. Thank You for agreeing with me!
The old fashioned basic rule is "Changing Oil Is Your Cheapest and Best Form of Maintence"

Now if I can convince everybody how a engine oil filter is more important than the oil I will gain the trust of most people in this forum.
I LOVE to learn and listen to other people's past experiences and I just want to help by sharing my past experiences.
Yes, I have seen the same thing in the past with heavy metal particals in the diff oil and changing axle seals that I can see little metal particals stuck to the seals.

Thank You

 

I did my first change at 3K after that 5K for routine commuting unless you are doing something out of the ordinary with the truck like heavy towing ,hauling or you see lots of dust and sand. My reasoning is that initially a new engine has a lot of wear surfaces that will lap in and generate more debris than usual in the oil.

 

exactly. And dont let anyone tell you "well these new modern machining processes are so much cleaner"

I trust my father, as most of us do. But hes a mech engineer that has done work for GE, GM, and other companies. He works hands on as a machinist developing new machining processes and knows the importance of proper break in. One of the things he was doing for GE is to develop a way to machine parts to have less of a break in for turbines. Not possible. Lapping parts creates contamination of oil, period. His work for GM was to help develop a way to break in engines on the assembly line. They can, but only on select engines because it is costly and time consuming. Corvettes, some cadillacs, and new camaros are factory broken in and come with mobil 1 from the factory.

They also discovered that synthetic oil lubricates to well for proper break in and you should run at least 3k on a car with dino oil before switching to synthetic.

 

Long distance highway driving is easier on your engine than stop and go city driving. Relatively low RPM and fuel consumption on the highway. You will get alot more "running hours/mile" (hours running at a specific RPM) driving in the city than you will on the highway. Follow Toyotas direction. It's been working for a long time.