BG MOA oil additive question

Hi everyone,

I am new to the 4Runner world, but not new to Toyota. Last summer I traded my FJCruiser for a last year 5th Gen 4Runner limited. After owning the FJC for 10 years, and raising two babies with this vehicle I was in a dire need of a larger SUV. Thus, I got the three row limited trim with the last 5th Gen 6 cylinder engine. I am pretty familiar with the engine, and I have done most of the maintenance of the FJC on my own - fluid changes, brakes, spark plugs, filters, etc. No surprises here. The sluggish engine on the 4Runner is producing even slower acceleration with the heavier body and larger wheels; however, I am used to that - no hard feelings. On the positive side I like how the vehicle handles the snow even with stock tires.
I was really shocked, however, when I went to the first service appointment at the dealer and they offered me an oil conditioner (BG MOA oil additive) for a surcharge as an engine treatment between oil changes. I have never heard of such a product while servicing the FJC which has the same engine. Does anyone know whether this is an OEM recommended product or just a dealer initiative? I do not see in the manual any recommendations beyond the synthetic oil changes.
BTW, I did not purchase the conditioner.

 

Dealer recommended walletectomy

 

It's BS.

 

Put it in the category of Blinker fluid.

 

Some will say it's snake oil, others will stand by it.
I never used BG MOA personally but during my time as a service advisor I was surprised how many of my customers would request this additive. (I think their prior service advisor really sold them on it.)

 

Welcome

 

Welcome. Toyota does not recommend oil additives. The additive pack in api SN and SP oils are beyond sufficient.

Also decline the cabin filter offer. It’s so easy to diy.

 

welcome

 

Welcome to the forum from North Carolina.

Dealer up sale, Is not OEM except that I believe GM has AC/Delco private label 44k fuel cleaner available from dealers. Inside the bottom of the can is a plastic coin. They come in different colors based on the product. Different for fuel cleaner and oil/trans additive if I remember correctly. BG Rep in turn pays Techs around every quarter for all of the coins they accumulate over the months from upsales. Depending on the dealer, The BG products can be rolled into major services. Tech can make a pretty penny over a quarter on the coins.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/question-about-bg-products-specifically-tokens.343273/

 

I had a service writer offer to lubricate my shaft once.

 

welcome. Those things are crap and only ticket padders.

 

Thank you for the explanation, RumHamRunner73! That makes sense from marketing and distribution perspective. I assumed there is no value for customers, but I was surprised to have this dealer offer it, especially since I never heard about it in the past 10 years when I had my vehicle serviced by them.

 

No additives needed.

 

Dealership kick backs come in all shapes and sizes ranging from paint and interior treatments to multiple types of electronics devices.

Also is a decent indicator of how a Dealer puts its priorities.

 

The BG MOA additive may be helpful as a crutch if you had been negligent and sporadically missed oil changes. The 1GR-FE isn't prone to any of the problems the MOA additive is advertised to address, if you simply kept up with oil changes, so it would be a waste of money in the the 4Runner application.

 

Def not needed if service is done properly. That said it is an additional layer of protection that can only help. One huge benefit: if used every oil change they give you free extended warranty on your engine and they absolutely stand behind it.

 

Did you take him up on that?

 

Same dealer you got your FJ from...?

 

No. I had to purchase the 4R from Wisconsin, as my local dealer did not have any stock of third row seaters. Only 5% of the manufactured models are configured with third row. However, my local dealer has serviced my FJ for the last 8 years, including some big repairs. They never mentioned to me the additive before. Not sure if they wiped out the customer history because of the new vehicle...

 

NO NO NO!! I hate dealerships. Next they tell you that your blinker fluid needs changing.

 

Change your oil every 5k miles, do general maintenance and it will last 300k plus.

 

No, the surcharge was too much. Besides that, the polarity of my system was the opposite.

 

If you do regular oil changes (this means don't wait recommended 10K unless it is all highway driving) there is no need for oil additives of any kind. Just spec oil.

 

BG MOA is not snake oil, it is legitimate oil additive that in the age of EPA mandates may help older vehicles with oil-related issues. However, there is zero need for it in a brand new 4Runner.

 

Welcome.

Tell the dealer "sure, ill take it". Then pay them with monopoly money. When they look at you odd, and say "well, that doesn't do anything, its fake" .... just look back at em in the same way, and say "uh huh?"
On the level, happy adventures in your rig and with your fam. Go get have fun mate.

 

Or you could just say "no thanks" and be on your merry way.

 

This is where you show off your JDM TRD wallet

 

BG snake oil strikes again. My Honda dealer is also pushing BG but did not ask prior to my Accord oil change. I was pissed, almost enough to contact Honda and ask why their lubricants were deficient and their dealer was putting it in the engine without asking!
Now I have the service writer put NO additive just Honda bottle oil and filter.

 

I also came over from an FJ and had the same "BG MOA surprise" at my first service. It’s definitely not OEM-recommended—Toyota doesn’t call for any oil additives beyond using the correct weight full synthetic oil. I passed on it too, but I did end up using TriboTEX after hearing great things about it from other 4Runner owners. It’s a smart alternative because it actually reinforces wear surfaces with a diamond-like carbon coating. My engine feels smoother and quieter now. Way better long-term benefits than MOA.

 

Subtle…