Non-existent dealer service first time around?

That might work with a quicksand truck, MBM not so much

 

I don't know if things/oils are any better now (Sure hope they are!) .. But it was the same thing back in the 70's with Pennzoil.
Stuff was absolutely loaded with paraffin wax. Pulled a few oil pans off where the oil screen/pick up was 90% clogged and the counterweights on the crank were starting to dig grooves in the sludge on the bottom of the pan. (And this was using 'dino oil' with guys that religiously changed oil/filter every 3K)...
Was kinda' amazing back then when a rig was getting only 20 lbs. oil pressure and once the pan was cleaned out of 10 lbs. of gunk, went right back up to 50 lbs. of oil pressure.
But that was eons ago.
Still, I hiss and cross my fingers at the oil section of the auto parts store when I see those yellow bottles... LOL!

 

Dino oils of today are greatly different and much improved. That said, when I see the prices in the stores, good synthetic oil is very close to the dino equivalent.

My basis for oil prices is still the $0.99/qt that I paid as a kid. So, it is a bit tough to swallow $25 for 5qts of synthetic. It lasting 10k is a good concession though. But, I also know folks who think they are doing something amazing letting go of $17/qt or more and still short change the recommended OCI.

 

There's quite a few advantages to extended oil changes. If testing says it's ok, it's what we should do.

 

Timely thread, I got suckered into taking the company Prius in for service today so I went to the dealer where I bought my Taco. While the Service Writer was writing-up the order for the Prius I asked him if I brought my Taco in at 5K Miles if they would drain the oil or not. He said not until 10K. I’m not sure if I’m going to wait that long or just do it myself when it hits 5K.

 

Just for fun, I'm going to take a sample of my oil and send it off to Blackstone Labs to give us an actual report on how good the oil is after just under 5k miles. I'll post the oil report sheet and we can put this whole argument to bed.

 

There have been other members who have posted UOAs and 10k OCI have been fine, Blackstone even recommended they could go to 12k and retest.

People love to argue about oil and justify whatever brand they buy. Everyone has an uncle's cousin's brother who blew up his Camaro from X brand oil.

The truth is you can't really buy bad oil these days if you buy something name brand that meets MFR spec and follow recommended OCI you will be fine.

There is no conspiracy to make you change your oil too soon or too late. Find a brand of oil you can source easily and afford and change it regularly. Don't forget OEM filters.

 

but we all think we are smarter than the toyota engineers

 

theres nothing wrong with Quaker State, they wouldn't be in business too long if there was

 

My previous truck never saw the dealer after I drove it off the lot with 2 miles on it. Still going fine with my son driving it, 275k miles.

I'm getting older so I let the dealer do the 5k service on my truck. They wasted hours of my life and scratched the wheels in the process. First scratches on the truck caused by the dealer! I'm not going back. Did the oil change and rotation at 10k myself.

 

Nice to know the reliability on these trucks are still holding. Any major work or just fluids and drive?

 

The 2005 succumbed to the head gasket slow leak at 260k miles, a known issue with that year. No other major issues.

Just fluid changes, brakes, tires, shocks, throttle body spray clean; a sunvisor drooped and needed replacement, steering wheel spiral cable replaced from recall, heater fan resistor needed fix (I just soldered it to bypass the weak connector pin) . The head gasket was the only issue that ever required going to a shop. All the rest was easy garage maintenance.

 

Take the oppty to upgrade the plastic oil filter cover.

 

Now, you have me curious enough to do a poll.

 

Y'know, I gotta say I'd agree with that...
Now, I'm 'old school' ... (Very old school, I'm 65.. LOL!) and way back in the day .. When you bought a new rig, it came with the 'Break In' oil (Still haven't figured out what that was exactly) .. But you changed oil/filter after a couple thousand miles and then went with regular scheduled maintenance.
I asked the dealer the same thing when I bought my Taco a month and a half ago. 'Sooo ... how soon do I need to come in and have the oil/filter changed?' .. And I got the '10K miles' answer also.
OK, being as I'm a geezer and set in my ways, that just didn't sound right to me. .... So, I think I'll do it myself at 5K also.
I've seen at the Walmart here, you can buy genuine Toyota filters along with the Mobil 1 ...
I look at it this way ... It's cheap insurance. It makes ME feel a lot better. OK, so it may be a$40.00 bill spent that's not really needed, but my thought has always been 'Better to often, than not enough..'
But hey ... I'm set in my ways, so ... Get off my lawn .. LOL!

 

The only thing a dealership is interested in is units out the door. The loyalty between the customer and dealer disappeared decades ago. Probably around the time the ash trays, paper catalogs and bar stools disappeared from the service department. If you think that's not a accurate statement, ask your dad.
Zim

 

LOL! I went to work at an auto parts store a few days after after I graduated high school (1974) and remember Castrol GTX being 59 cents a quart. That was back when you had to stab the oil spout into a 'can' of oil ..
I still base what things should 'cost' from those old days. LOL! ... I like to torture the kids working at the local parts store with 'WTF! I used to pay $2.99 for these things!!! ........ In 1974.....' They hate/love it when I come in.

 

I do miss the cans of oil. They went out right about the time that I was able to do an entire change. I still have the old metal ramps that we used.

It took me forever to learn how to properly pour oil out of the bottles.

My fav was Havoline Formula 3, esp if I could get it for $0.99.

I still base restaurant meal costs from the good place we used to go. A bit over $30 OTD for the fam. They used to serve just about an entire head of lettuce for the starter salad. Hahaha!

 

That was back in the day when a 'case' of oil was 24 cans ... Not 12 bottles... LOL!
I don't miss the oil can spouts though.. Seems you could never change/add oil without those things dripping oil all over the place.. ESPECIALLY on the exhaust manifold. So you knew what you were in for, for awhile.
My kids think I'm bullshitting them when I tell them that you used to be able to buy a McD's cheeseburger for 15 cents and a six pack of beer for under a buck.

 

Yeah. I vividly remember the smell of drippy spouts. Esp as the garage was under the house.


I was happy to get change from a fiver for a six pack when I had older friends grab one for me.