Oil change

Howdy I’m currently staying at a hotel for about another month for military reasons, I’m at 5k miles and took it to toyota but they don’t change the oil until 10k. Would you all trust a shop to do it? Or have Toyota do it and pay for it? I’m not about buying oil change supplies considering I’m heading home in about 3.5 weeks. (California-texas)

 

You have to make it clear to the service writer you aren't asking for complementary service. Make it clear you want to pay for an oil change. They are not in the business of not making money.

 

Is this your first oil change? If so I would take it to Toyota or a reputable shop.

 

I found my purchase and closer dealer with a long relationship will do the change at 5000 which is what I did but you have to make a decision in the overall formula of what Toyota includes. I took the oil change, tire rotation and inspection but know I will likely have some out of pocket cost towards the end of Toyota's terms (included services).

My interpretation of the Toyota inclusions was standard service. My use is a split between local/urban and heavy duty or truck type use so both point to more frequent service. When I was at the dealer for that both staff and a service manager said they personally do longer service now from seeing thousands of vehicles do well at standard intervals but also agreed with my scenario. At 5000 miles and original oil I just did a thousands of miles trip that was absolutely harder use.

 

Don't know if anyone has tried this yet, but the maintenance schedule actually says:

"Replace both the engine oil and oil filter, even when the maintenance reminder does not appear, after 12 months have passed, or when driven over 10,000 miles since the last oil change. This may cause the maintenance reminder to appear even when driven less than 10,000 miles. Replace both engine oil and oil filter every 5,000 miles or 6 months, in which the vehicle is mainly driven on dirt or dusty roads, when the maintenance reminder does not appear."

So if it just so happens that you drive "mainly" on dirt or dusty roads, you could show them their own manual and tell them they should do it at 5000 as part of the 2 year maintenance plan included with the purchase. Or if it's been 6 months you've been driving it they might also be convinced according to their own recommendations. It's worth a try anyhow.

Otherwise I mistrust both dealership and quick oil change places equally. In that situation I'd probably instead choose a non-dealership/non-quick oil change regular auto repair shop based on a recommendation from anyone at all you would trust. Hotel manager probably has to get vehicles serviced and probably lives locally?

 

Funnel and disposable Walmart aluminum foil turkey pan aren't too expensive for DIY while traveling.

An independent non-quick lube place is your best bet, but be prepared to pay $100 or so for shop time.

 

They will change the oil on your dime, you just gotta tell them it's customer pay. My local dealer did this for my first 6 month visit.

 

It costs like 70$ I think. Ive trusted them to do it and just ended up with overtightened oil filter housing & pan bolt, they use pneumatic.. If you have time just do it yourself, if not yes its fine but check oil dipstick after to make sure oil is new and also full.

 

Best case scenario you've bought only a crescent wrench and oil filter wrench, have managed not to make a mess in the hotel parking lot, and you've got like 10 lbs of oil sitting in a flimsy open aluminum foil pan which will spill out as soon as you pick it up. Then you.....dump it in the bushes?

 

^You get two pans so neither is full, and pour the used oil into the empty oil jug. People swap rear axle third members in Walmart parking lots. Oil change is relatively simple by comparison lol.

 

Why do you want to change oil at 5000?? The OM calls for 10,000, they put synthetic in at the factory. I see no problem with driving it until you get home and then changing it if you feel the need.

 

now you have done it…..

 

You can use your two free oil changes when ever you wish. It does not have to be at 10 intervals. You could theoretically go at 1k and then 2k miles if you wish. They mark the service off accordingly and it's that simple. State what you want.

 

Oh shit, forgive me, I’ve sinned.

 

It can wait.

 

I did a used oil test on mine. That Toyota OEM oil thinned down to a 0w-16 after 5000 miles. 10k is fine, but not with that oil.

 

Exactly what I was thinking, so the OP goes just a little over the 5,000 mark it’s still way better then 10,000

 

Oh that's helpful. Can you summarize the kind of driving you mostly did for those miles?

 

About 80% highway, 5% 4wd gravel, balance in city. I should say, it was technically still in grade for a 20 grade, but just barely. It was right on the cusp of a 0w-16, but many of the 16 grade oils are in the low 7s and mine was in the high 5s on the 100c viscosity test. The toyota 20 grade oils are so amazingly thin right out of the bottle, and loaded to the gills on viscosity improvers you don't get much room to run.

 

10,000 is fine. I did 10,000 mile oil changes for the 1st 200,000 miles. I don't put as many miles on my truck as I used to so I now base it on time instead of miles. Works out to 7000-8000 miles

There is an 08 Tacoma in North Carolina with 1.6 Million miles on it and the owner did 8000-10,000 mile oil changes. The original engine needed a head gasket at 900,000 but rather than fix it he bought a scrap yard engine with 100,000 miles on it. He then drove it another 700,000 miles before the owner died. As far as I know the truck is still running.