Valvoline said Tacoma will only take Full Synthetic Oil ???

Thats what I thought, bud, nothing but your feelings to back up your claims.

 

• Mobil 0W-20 case of oil from Costco (on coupon) = ~$30
• Wix Filter from Amazon = ~$9

So a DIY costs "me" about $40. I can check under the vehicle, rotate/check/top off the tires, check the brakes, air filter, cabin filter, etc. all in an hour. Its faster than going somewhere and I know its done right. And since its cheap to do, I do it every 5k miles.

 

This was kinda my point in my original post somewhere in this thread. I remember a time, maybe 30 ish years ago, when it was possibly cost effective to DIY, purchase a case of oil from Costco or something like that and the whole thing ran around just under $20 (assuming no tools needed to be purchased). It made some sense back then. Now, not so much.

Synth for Tacoma makes sense to me, spend a little more, change the oil less often. If I can do that once or twice a year at $100, that is way better than 3-4 times a year with conventional x $45 (average) $180 ish. Save $80+/yr. plus time.

 

There's no amount of analysis that will ever justify to me again not to do maintenance myself. I grew up with a dad who worked on our cars out of budget necessity but it was reinforced when my then girlfriend's (now wife) engine was wrecked by a dimwit jackass leaving the drain plug loose. There's no bottom line on the price for trust and if anything that was almost 25 years ago now and I'm sure the drive to reduce labor costs isn't improving the situation for skilled people who give a shit about their work.

 

Side

its not about cost savings, its about doing it yourself and knowing its been done right.

As for the 5k/10k question, I'm sure the current synthetics last 10k, probably more, however there is no way to tell how much the oil filter is clogged. My point being, once the oil filter is clogged then the bypass valve opens up, then no filtering takes place (this is how I understand it). This is why I change oil out between 5k and 7k.

 

$70 at local Toyota dealer to deal with the mess and hassle plus a free rinse

 

On the other hand, the 25 Mile drive to the Dealer, the wait, and the oil they spill in the engine bay is a hassle to deal with too.

 

What is toytoasmspecification?
They have no specific manufacturer specification, the specify API SN

 

My dealer uses semi syn Motorcraft 0w20 in all the Toyota care changes.

 

Toyota dealership charges about $66.00 incl taxes for oil change. I had them change my oil at 5000 miles even though they were saying no need to change.

 

Might depend on the area, really. Around here, a full synthetic oil change runs roughly $70, it's just the going rate. So for me, it's about $45 in savings to take 15 minutes of my time to do it ($22 for the 5 qt jug of Mobil 1, $5 for the filter). I know there's some shops that will do the work for $15-20 if I supply the oil/filter.

All that matters is if you're happy, and feel its worth your time. For me, it's not worth paying $45 more for 15 minutes of work.

 

Just went to Costco today and they finally had all the oil back in stock and for a great price too. Looks like I will no longer have to worry whether or not the Dealership F'd up my truck or not. Just can't trust them anymore after all the problems. They seem to think they are doing us a favor by changing our oil when it is included for the first two years.

Mobil 1 Full Synthetic Motor Oil 0W-20 - 26.99$

 

Good to know...

 

Bit off topic here but,
Buddy who works at a large toyota dealer says DNF's are a common occurance. (Drain and fill)
Especially if the filter is a pain to get to. This alone made me just change it myself properly and cleanly at 8k and I will be declining the 10k oil change come that time. According to him, plenty of "Toyotacare" cars are running on old unchanged and bypassed filters.
Take with a grain of salt but I will just do my own oil changes instead of saving a few bucks at the dealer.

 

Agreed... they are just a bunch of lazy Union mechanics... Sorry if you are Union but I have never heard of a good story of the Union taking care of their guys.

 

+1 for this. Periodically you can get the 5 qt bottle of this oil on sale for $30. So 6 quarts, filter, and the socket for the canister will run you around $50. Ez pz

 

0w20 only comes synthetic. No such thing as 0w 20 conventional. Engine bearing tolerances are so tight in these motors you don’t wanna go with a heavier oil. If you want your taco to run longer don’t be cheap it’ll cost you more down the road

 

I usually buy 2 jugs at a time and get the $24 rebate

 

What about the 2000 to 3000 miles per year driver (third car in a two driver household)? Should that oil be changed every year whether mileage is reached or not. Can that oil change interval be extended?