Too soon, or what?

I don't think many fall into this category, so I haven't seen this addressed. I don't put many miles on the 4R...Last changed my oil 9/23 @ 13,461 on the odo. It's now 8 months later, odo is @ 15214. 1753 miles driven. What would you do?

Change oil now!
Wait 'til one year (miles driven since last oil change will be about 2650)?
Wait 'til 5k driven?

FYI, the oil change @ 13,461 was my third.

 

^Go by calendar time if you have low utilization. Oil degrades chemically with time, so change every 12 months if using synthetic.

You are spraying rodent repellent under the hood monthly I hope?

 

I would wait for a year to change the oil..

My daily driver gets oil changed every ~5,000 miles,

But for cars not driven that often, I still make sure I change the oil every year...and brake fluid every two years

Did you hear about that guy in the DPRK who went over 10,000 miles between oil changes?
His 4Runner exploded...

 

I'd wait until a year. I have a '96 Silverado that doesn't get driven much. Maybe 2,000 a year. I change the oil every April.

 

When I was getting ready for my last road trip, I changed oil after 6 months/1,800 miles. The road trip 6k miles, so I had to change again as soon as I got back.

 

Thanks.

I did have a rodent issue early on, two weeks after picking up the 4R new. I'm convinced that happened in transit from Japan. Nevertheless, I still treat the engine with rodent spray periodically. It's not that the vehicle sits for long periods of time, it's just that it shares DD duty with a 2003 Tacoma, and work is only 3 miles from home. So the 4R gets driven at least every other day, if not more often. Just not very far, usually, just around town.

 

All the more reason to change. Short trips are hard on vehicles.

 

I second one year. If you want to do some science you can send a sample for analysis but probably better used if you were piling on the miles and wanted to see what interval you could stretch to instead.

 

short trips, every 6 months. Long trips let the oil get up to temp and burn off any water condensation the oil picks up.

 

I follow a simple procedure. Every 5000 miles or every 12 months, which ever comes first.

 

One year interval, even for low miles

 

Are there any other oil change enthusiasts ITT?

oil changes every 5,000 miles are for rookies,
I like to change my oil every 500 miles...

but for reals, here is a deal for you guys ending today at your online Toyota dealer...

Toyota 0-20W Oil for $4.80 a quart, no sales tax, no shipping
I bought 24 quarts shipped to Texas, for $115.20
PICREL

 

Gettin those taxes back at tax time got all that extra money to spend!

 

I know, right? I thought long and hard before posting this. I now wear the OCI thread cone of shame.