Looking for opinions on how many miles between oil changes.

[MuskieJunkie]

Here's my deal, my 4runner just ran out of the dealer doing the oil changes for "free" so I'm going to go back to doing them myself and I'm going to use fully synthetic (most likely Amsoil, that's what I run in my boat).

My question is what is a safe amount of mileage to run between these sythetic oil changes. Mobil 1 claims you can go 15,000; the dealer says 3,000; my owner's manual says 7,500.

I also have a follow up question - if I'm willing to change the filter more often then the oil (my filter is right under the hood, extemely easy to change) how long can I go on the oil? example: run the oil for 6,000 miles and change the filter ever 3,000....

What do you guys do, what do you recomend? I would assume there has been a similar thread about this already but I could find it. Thanks for the input.

[MuskieJunkie]

I probably should throw in that I drive in a fair amount of stop and go downtown Minneapolis traffic, and do some towing (boat on the weekends).

[theoilman]

AMSOIL will give you full lubricant warranty with the traditional oils up to 1 year / 15,000 severe duty interval. (25,000 normal duty, but most people fall in the severe category.) AMSOIL does not currently have a filter for your Toyota, so use a premium filter and change it at least once extra through the oil change.

If you choose AMSOIL's XL series oil, it is good for up to 7500 miles.

Check the fine print on the Mobil1 extended (15,000 mile) product: if under severe duty (which is most of us) it is good only for an OEM standard interval only.

Almost all other brands of synthetics are Group III only, a conventional petroleum oil that has undergone an extra processing. Don't use these for extended intervals.

[Jeremy airjer W]

What year and what engine.

[MuskieJunkie]

'06 V6 with about 60k miles on it. I plan on keeping it 'til the end.

[Jeremy airjer W]

You should have no problem running conventional from 3 to 5k mile range between service. Your dealer probably uses conventional Mobil oil. You will have no problem getting well over 200k out of that motor unless you run it out of oil or overheat it!

I'm surprised there is even a 7,500 service interval mentioned after the 3.0 v-6 disaster. 5k is a pretty common service interval for Toyota and to date I don't know of any issues that have occurred with that interval.

[MuskieJunkie]

I'm surprised there is even a 7,500 service interval mentioned after the 3.0 v-6 disaster. 5k is a pretty common service interval for Toyota

I could be wrong on the owner's manual saying 7,500. I might be thinking of an older truck I had before this one.

[skolfoppa]

Both my Tacoma 3.4 v6, and my Landcruiser 4.7 v8 use Mobil 1 synthetic. My intervals are both 7500, but could easily be extended another few thousand miles. Mobil 1 filters are the best on the market as well. There are a few really good Toyota truck tech forums that have loads of info on your specific vehicle and engine. Skol.

[DTro]

I go 7500 with my 4Runner and Mobil 1

I've heard stories of oil analysis coming back good at 25k or more with Mobil 1 and a simple filter change.

[BobT]

If you read the service manual the manufacturer may recommend 7,500 for "normal" driving conditions. The truth is that "normal" is rare.

Here in MN we suffer from winter driving, which adds a lot of potential for condensation contamination and this by itself reduces our driving conditions to something less than normal.

If you live closer than about 10 miles from your work, you are not driving your car daily long enough to heat up sufficiently and this too increases the potential for condensation and so reduces your driving conditions to less than normal.

If you spend more than about 25% of your driving time in town with stop signs, stop lights, stop-and-go traffic, etc., you are reduced to less than normal driving conditions.

If you regularly pull a boat or other trailer you are reducing your driving consitions to something less than normal.

They also claim that driving gravel roads regularly also reduces your driving conditions to less than normal although I don't understand this one because if the dust is getting into the oil I would suspect that the air claeaner is failing to do its job and that's a different problem.

[LightningBG]

I use full synthetic and go about 8K miles between changes on my Envoy.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I run about 7000 with Amsoil XL in my Sequoia.

[Shack]

Heck if you do not even run the correct fuel displayed on the inside of gas door, that will pull you out of the normal driving conditions schedule. There is a 100 square mile area in mid Florida that the normal driving conditions schedule applies to. No kidding. Any where else in the continental United States is considered Extreme.

I think the all time winner in the oil sludge producing bracket (stock class ) is, get ready Bob , the 2.7l Daimler Chrysler V6. The motors seemed to sledge up and seize up no matter if taken care of to a "T" or neglected. Actually the maintenance neglected seemed to have a longer track record for getting over 100,000. Heck, you still had to run the "extreme" schedule while using Ams Oil & run the cleanest rated fuel available to get life out of the 2.7l. Also for piece of mind you were doing all you could do.

[MNice]

3000 miles on regular old oil, maybe I'm old school, but my bonnieville is approaching 270,000 and pickup is getting close to 200,000.

[Scott K]

3000 miles on regular old oil, maybe I'm old school, but my bonnieville is approaching 270,000 and pickup is getting close to 200,000.

Me too, old school, 3k.

[Shack]

Sorry I left out what I do for oil changes. On my personal vehicles I buy the cheap/on-sale convention oil, the $5.00 level oil filter, and change about 5,000 miles on anything I own newer than around 1996. Some times 3500, other times maybe close to 6000.

Synthetics like Ams Oil are great and more so in MN during extreme cold situations. I use Ams oil in many things I own. I just do not run their oil in my cars, because I have been doing fine for many years not running it. Plus all the training I had over the years pertaining to maintaining your car and promoting maintenance of "your" guy's cars boils down to one simple, everyday factor. Just make sure you change your oil.. The Dura Lube's/Wonder Lubes and my oil is better than your oil debates can come after once the oil change has been done.

In the early 2000's at the Deamler Chrysler training center in Minneapolis, I took a two day long seminar on use of conventional oil (something like that). We did the usual roll-play & watching those videos that no matter how awake you are at the start cause you to do the head bob about the 1/4 way through. The one thing I can say I learned and still remember from that class is the huge advancements in conventional oil refinement in the late 90's. Conventional oil has been processed to last much longer than the stuff from the early 90's on back ever was. I have heard it many times since.

[Shack]

Old School & oil changes is not changing your oil at 3000 mile intervals. That's new school. Old school to me is draining your oil once a year, straining it via a rag, then putting it back in and finding a filter with low miles on it. That what old timers did for their maintenance and was common practice for many years.

Ams Oil & Mobile One, normal/extreme schedules are graduated and gone off to college type ways.

[CaptainBly]

I used to change every 3000 miles until I got a new used 08 truck. The dealer told me to use the oil life feature. He said it is hard to switch but the oil has change like Shack said and filters are better. My first oil change was at 3000 miles just couldn't do it. Next one I did I went 6000 miles and still had 25% oil life, he did say not to go less than 15-25%. I saves on the expense of oil changes and saves oil.

[BobT]

Probably the biggest problem with oils 20 years ago was thermal breakdown. They just couldn't handle the heat and viscosity took a hit so engines were not well lubricated. Oils have come a long way since then and today can handle the heat stress much better. Engines too are much improved in tolerance and machining. Filters do a better job as well.

Have you noticed how many of the newer vehicles no longer have 5 quart capacities but instead are using 6 quart or higher? This helps give the oil a longer life for a couple reasons. First, it helps keep the oil temperature cooler and second, it provides for a higher volume of oil to increase the contaminant holding capacity so the filter can do a better job. This also allows for less frequent oil changes.

[Shack]

I have been told the increase of .5 to 1 quart to the oiling system in newer engines was directed at the increase of oiling points, passages, increase in volume moved & pressure, and down to run off/drainage oil oil back to the pan in some engines. Others like the Triton & F-series increased because of remote located oil filters.

I have also been told that the V-break down of oil decreased because they started using processes that are better at removing org. matter & impurities when it is refined.

[Wildabeast]

You can probably do 15,0000m or 1 year with a good synthetic. An interval of 7,500m or 6 months would be fine and probably inline with your manual. Anyhow, the ONLY way to know for sure is to do oil analysis (at least in the beginning). I would change the oil and filter (no FRAM junk and use a decent synthetic), run it for 5,000m (or four months), take a sample, and send it off for analysis. From that, you should be able to determine if you need to change oil based on mileage, time, or a bit of both. With my truck (GMC Sierra, Duramax Diesel) I've found that fuel dilution in the oil is my limiting factor so I change at 7,500m or 6 months with mainly city driving. If I run extended trips (say a 3,000m vacation hauling a trailer) then I can run the interval much longer. Earlier in the truck's life I ran conventional oil with a 3-5,000m interval until my wear metals reading showed that the engine was finally broken in. Oil analysis is very useful and you'll know exactly what's going on in your truck based on your driving habits.

[Scott K]

You can probably do 15,0000m or 1 year with a good synthetic. An interval of 7,500m or 6 months would be fine and probably inline with your manual. Anyhow, the ONLY way to know for sure is to do oil analysis (at least in the beginning). I would change the oil and filter (no FRAM junk and use a decent synthetic), run it for 5,000m (or four months), take a sample, and send it off for analysis. From that, you should be able to determine if you need to change oil based on mileage, time, or a bit of both. With my truck (GMC Sierra, Duramax Diesel) I've found that fuel dilution in the oil is my limiting factor so I change at 7,500m or 6 months with mainly city driving. If I run extended trips (say a 3,000m vacation hauling a trailer) then I can run the interval much longer. Earlier in the truck's life I ran conventional oil with a 3-5,000m interval until my wear metals reading showed that the engine was finally broken in. Oil analysis is very useful and you'll know exactly what's going on in your truck based on your driving habits.

Or, you could save the money from the synthetics, and the oil analysis's and just use conventional oil, and change it every 3k, and not have to worry about it. No mess, when trying to get an oil sample, just change it, then you know you are running good, clean oil! Just a thought

[CaptainBly]

But, why change so often when you really don't need to? I use conventional oil and change about 5000 to 6000 miles depending on the type of driving I am doing. Just think of how much oil would be saved if everybody went a little longer between changes.

[Scott K]

But, why change so often when you really don't need to? I use conventional oil and change about 5000 to 6000 miles depending on the type of driving I am doing. Just think of how much oil would be saved if everybody went a little longer between changes.

Some vehicles could go longer, I was just using the point that, your not saving much, and it is much simpler to just change it when recommended, then to use synthetics, and pay to send in an oil sample, to see if it is still good, when you could just put in new, and know it was good!

[Shack]

One of the big reasons dealers have their own service schedules and use 3000 at oil & filter change interval is because of the reality that 98% of drivers on the road today rarely (if ever) change their oil right at 3000 miles. Ultimately it comes down to authorization from the manufacture, not the dealer, when it comes to repairing a major engine failure while the vehicle is under warranty. More often than not, if oil maintenance records are requested or a major engine repair is declined due to lack of maintenance, the dealer is blamed.

Just nature of the beast when told to change oil at 3000 miles, but by the time the driver(s) get into the dealer to have it done, they are around 4,000-5,000 miles since the last L.O.F... Same with saying 5,000. Statically the majority when told 5,000 miles, they show at around 6,000-7,000. You show even one service record with the above and the owners manual does not reflect otherwise, your chances at a major engine repair being covered if maintenance records are requested (even for a failed part with no connection to to lack of maintenance) drops dramatically. You show a track record of going over the owners manual interval of 5,000 by 1000 or more mile, good luck .

Most manufactures (maybe all by now depending on the dealerships status with the factory) require a factory authorization for single repairs submitted under warranty that go over $2000-$2500. Some times you just get an approval. Other times they require a factory field rep./engineer to inspect. Every once and awhile the manufacture requires all or a certain period of maintenance records to be submitted. None of which your local dealer has any pull or say in, but in the end will take the majority, if not all, of the blame when something is denied.

So anyone saying 3,000 miles on you L.O.F. at the dealer level has an understanding the majority have a hard time actually hitting that mark. Unless you are retired and wait for L.O.F. day to roll around.

Big Note:

No repair shop makes money at doing just an oil change. Even if you have it done without a coupon or special. There is no incentive to get you to more oil changes, other than having the customer come in more often and finding something else beyond the oil change during the muti-point inspection. Honestly having customers come in at 3,000 verses 5,000 for your oil change has little effect with getting the customer back in the door. I do not (or have not seen) know if they even have a statistic on this for loyal customers who come in at 3,000 miles verses loyal customers who come in at 5,000 and further repair dollars spent.