Oil change interval maintenance - What all do you do?

A recent thread here prompted my question: What all do you do to your truck as part of your regular maintenance with each oil change? I've always felt good about my routine, but would like some new ideas.

At every oil change (every 5,000 miles,) I:

1. Remove and clean skid plate.
2. Change oil (Castrol GTX 5W-30, but this thread is NOT an oil debate.)
3. Change oil filter (Toyota YZZF2, but this thread is NOT an oil filter debate.)
4. Remove and clean MAF sensor with CRC MAF spray cleaner.
5. Take intake apart and clean throttle body with CRC Throttle Body Cleaner.
6. Lube drivetrain (U-joints; Double cardan joint, slip yokes) with grease type per Toyota spec.
8. Drop a bottle of fuel injector cleaner into next full tank of gas (whatever brand/type is most readily available.)
9. (Lightly) hose off and wipe down engine, if needed.
10. Remove and clean battery & terminals, and apply CRC battery terminal protectant, if needed.
11. Enter all this in a spreadsheet, noting mileage, 'cause that's the nerd I am.

What about you? I need some new ideas. Or shoot some holes in mine.

 

I do 1/3 can of seafoam in the brake booster line to clean the intake and the other 2/3 in my tank.

 

^Don't need to do these every oil change. Removing the intake and MAF sensor every few months increases the chance of something getting damaged. And there's enough detergent in gasoline already if you buy premium gas at a major-brand station. Driveshaft lube is a 10k/12mo. task.

- Get a can of spray-on white lithium grease and lubricate all the door hinges and latches, including the tailgate latches and fuel door hinge. The fuel door hinge can rust and break after as little as five years depending on your environment: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/158506-gas-door-hing-rusty.html
- Check tail light for burned out bulbs. It isn't easy to detect from normal driving.

 

I will add, on a 3.4 V6, introducing your favorite cleaner thru the brake booster hose is the wrong place. That hose will only clean 1 cylinder and 1/2 of the intake runner feeding it.

 

I use synthetic Mobil 1 5w30 for 241,000+ miles (have used other brands too). I change my oil anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 normally. I have let it go longer a time or two because I forgot to check. I use any type of filter but fram, normally Pure1 or Bosch.

For door hinges, I got a mess all over from white lithium grease. I now use a needle bottle oiler and put Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic on my door pins.

I do the air intake maintenance like you but not that often. Once a year for me....

 

Good stuff. Thanks for the door hinge tips. I'm not sure what they're called, but I've recently had trouble with the black piece that creates sort of a detent in the middle of the door's swing. Both doors were creaking like crazy, and I haven't quite figured out how to deal with it. Maybe I'll try some lithium grease.

Regarding the other items, would you say there's any harm in doing those as often as I do? Understood that the driveline maintenance isn't necessary, but I don't see how it could hurt anything. And, while understanding the increased risk of damage with the intake cleaning, assuming that appropriate care is taken to not damage anything, I don't see any risk in cleaning it that often. Do you think otherwise?

Thanks, guys. Hoping to see more ideas here, so bring 'em.

 

I cant find maf cleaner in none of my auto parts stores near me. I thought that was strange.

 

+1

Cleaning the MAF is not a low-risk procedure.
Every week or two we see threads where someone cleaned their MAF and ended up with a CEL and the truck running like shit.
Same for cleaning the throttle body.

Regular use of Seafoam is also not needed with quality gas.

Taillights and turn signals?

Once every week or two I pull into a strip mall after closing and drive a circle... use the windows as a mirror.

 

Good to read this stuff. I go through spurts of spending lots of time here, and spending no time here. I haven't come across these threads/reports.

I've been doing both with every oil change for years now and have never had a problem (same for my maintenance of my wife's '06 Corolla.) I definitely appreciate everyone's input here, but will likely continue keeping these things clean, while taking a little more precaution in doing so. But I definitely take your comments as a challenge to what I assumed was a relatively safe maintenance routine. Your warnings are appreciated.

I don't, and don't plan to in the absence of a compelling argument otherwise. Is there any reason to not occasionally, but regularly, run off-the-shelf fuel injector cleaner through an engine?

 

I suspect that many of the problem reports are due to not properly reconnecting everything that was disconnected. If you've been doing it regularly without a problem, then you are obviously capable of performing the operation properly.

Won't hurt anything.

 

I use Valvoline SynPower full synthetic
Toyota oil filter
Replace drain plug gasket
Top off any fluids (usually just windshield wiper fluid)
Check tire pressure
Wash and wax!
Then take it for a ride through the country!

 

The TB every 5K? That's a bit nuts, and I imagine it is still clean.

Do you realize that the aluminum crush gasket is not reusable? You are running a risk of an intake leak if you are reusing it, especially at that frequent interval.

 

One thing I do every year (usually) before winter is take apart the front brakes. When I do this I re scuff the brake pads, clean the ends where they touch in the caliper, add NAPA syl-glide on ends, clean and lube pad pins. Here in a salt state rusted pr seized brake pins are very common if never checked. Also I remove the rear drums (loosen adj first), spray with brake clean, adj brakes till drum doesn't turn then back off about 8 clicks.

 

Mobil Synthetic High Milage 5W30 and Redline SL1 before I change the oil. Grease the drive shaft also. Haven't touched my door hinges.

 

WOW that's a lot. My truck is 14 years old and all I do is change the oil every 4000 miles. Still runs like new original timing belt and water pump I'll probably change out before winter along with some of the other original lubricants. About to put on third set of brake pads just put on third set of tires, third set of wipers, and third battery. And I replaced the starter once.

 

That part is called a door check. At the dealer I work at (Lexus) we put a light coat of lithium grease on them. Use little grease as possible so it doesn't attract dirt.

 

I guess this isn't entirely accurate, now that I'm re-reading it. I take the intake off of the throttle body, open the butterfly valve by hand, and clean as much as I can, as far in as I can reach, without taking the entire throttle body assembly apart.

Just to be completely accurate...

 

How so?

 

The port is not in the plenum, it is in one of the runners.
You only end up cleaning that one runner downstream of the port, and the cylinder at the end.

Anyone who is using the brake hose and thinks they are getting more power/MPG/etc... it's all placebo.

It MUST be introduced into the plenum, or through the fuel tank (which is more effective anyways because it helps clean the injectors through the entire tank).