Oil change question

I'm gonna start changing my oil at 5k intervals, not really trusting the 10k changes. Is it better to go to a quick lube place or continue going to dealer? Is it better to go conventional vs synthetic?

 

0W-20 is only available in synthetic.

I do 5K intervals as well, due to my driving style as recommended in the manual.

I would use any place you trust. Or, if you have a place to do it yourself, it's not really hard. But, I understand the convenience of a Jiffy lube type of place.

 

Best place to change your oil is at home. You will save a ton of money, you will have the satisfaction of a job done well.
Who do you think changes your oil at the dealer? The youngest of the wrench monkeys. No senior would do that job.
If you want stripped bolts and improperly torqued oil drain bolts, see our nearest dealer for assistance ! They will even mess up your skid plates bolts, that is fun to fix. UGADAGAUGADA OOOPPPPSSSS
Lube places ? Hit and miss, they dont care about you, they dont make money off of you, they will tell you this and that are wrong and it will be a hassle. Wanna take a chance with that ? Good luck proving they used the wrong oil in your brand new 4Runner.
Buy the filters at the dealer, they are the best and the cheapest.
Buy the Kirkland 0w-20 at Costo on sale, it will be nasty cheap.
Get the oil filter removal tool on Amazon for like $20 or less.
Peace of mind, for everything else, there is (insert your credit card company here)

Why am I even doing this, I dont even have a 4Runner anymore.

 

If I had to choose between the dealership and a quick lube place, I would choose the dealership.

 

Dealership

 

Quick lube oil changes shops cut corners. Sometimes just drain oil without changing filter or mess-up your Skid plates.
Just my 2C. Based on past experiences.

 

I've heard of dealerships doing the same.

If I were going to use a dealership or Jiffy lube, I'd remove my own skid before going.

 

The dealer is about the same as a quick change place. I got chocolate rain after they changed my oil the last time.

 

Yep, I have first hand experience, not once, not twice, so far 3 times so far. No matter me complaining to Toyota Corp. Toyota dealerships don't care. Last time at Autonation Toyota Arapahoe not only they tighten the skid bolt half way, when I ask "Did you change the oil?" service advisor "yes", but when I check the oil at dealership parking lot it was still old (brown). Might have thought I would not notice since I change oil every 5K miles. Then they changed the oil for real.

And yes, even though I do mods on other things still been lazy to do oil changes..

 

My dealership does an oil and filter change for about $70-$75. If OEM oil is $7/quart (not sure about this), then I'm only saving about $20 if I do it myself. So I go this route to avoid crawling around on my gravel drive. First vehicle I've ever done this on.

 

Most especially having dealerships change seal transmission fluids.
The tech will just suspend the SUV without changing the trans fluid.

Twice at two different Toyota dealerships. Watched through service bay glass windows.
Managers refunded my money. They didn't sound surprised. Part of keeping service department afloat and profitable ... I guess

Once bitten, twice shy.

 

I would do it myself, but don’t have a place to do it. I take it to a quick lube shop where I sit in the vehicle while it’s being done. They have a monitor showing the bottom side. At least I can see them going through the motions. I have RCI skid plates. I take the access door for the oil filter off before going in and tell them they do not need to drop the skid plate. Before I started doing this they would spend 15 mins trying to find the correct hex key and then jam whatever they could make fit when they couldn’t find the right size.

One time I spent sometime in the desert near Vegas and needed an oil change before heading on. Listening to the guy on the bottom side cuss when he dropped the skid plate and was covered in dirt was pretty entertaining. I told you it didn’t need to be dropped.

If I go to the local dealer I hear this… “Its in good shape except for all the mud.”

 

Agree with what everybody has mentioned already. There is one thing we don't about when we go to the dealer or the lube place, are they really using a decent oil? Let's say they all do use synthetic and best product, but we know they buy things in bulk and who knows what goes in there, but ok, let's say everything is good. Fine, no issues.....but here is where it gets difficult for me, I have the RCI skid plates and if they are not careful, they will be a bit of spill here and there and it will show later in the corners of the skids or even in your drive way. I haven't had luck with either the dealer or the jiffy lube guys, so I decided to do it myself. The issue with doing myself is now I have to have more tools, get underneath with an iffy back, but I know I will be putting the best effort in doing it myself. I bought all the tools to do it properly and drain everything into a can so that I don't have any mess around. So now, that I got all the damn tools, oil, upgraded filter housing, etc...etc. I get a note from the dealer that says come and get an oil change for 20 bucks, offers expire end of November. I think they are watching me....somehow.

UPDATE: I got the fumoto valve as well and all the other crap we have to use for doing it going forward. I think if you can get on the ground and be active, do it at home if possible. I will post pictures this weekend.

 

A few years ago, I decided I was done changing my own oil. Had our Tahoes oil changed at the Kwik Kar and the next time I decided to do it myself. When I went under the car to start removing the drain plug, I was able to turn it by hand. It was even marked. So back to changing the oil myself.

I took my Silverado for its free oil change at the dealer. I then decided to switch to Mobile 1 about 1500 miles later. Oil was dark and old. They never actually changed it.

So with the 4runner, I do it myself. The free dealer oil changes have no value to me. Frankly, I can do it faster than driving to the dealership. $40 for Mobile 1 and a TRD filter. I don't trust them to not screw something up nor do I want the FNG with an impact wrench anywhere near my vehicle.

 

You can't tell how good oil is just by looking at it.

 

@Dillusion when it's thick and super dark, it definitely had more than 1500 miles on it. I changed the oil on that truck for the next 50k miles. At 5-7k each time, it never looked that bad.

 

Given the choice between a quick lube OR the dealer........I'd pick the dealer.

 

I highly recommend doing it yourself, if you are competent, and capable of doing it. I was a service advisor at what wasbthe world's largest midas a long time ago. I did not do the hiring or the firing of oil change techs. If they were competent they became mechanics very quickly. If they were incompetent they changed oil untill they screwed up something so bad they had to be fired. Dont let your vehicle be the one that dude gets fired over.

Steve

 

I took my 22 runner to the dealer for its 5k free service. I told them I already changed the oil, as they don’t at 5k unless I paid, and already rotated tires. They told me I was wasting my time bringing it in, 5k is just a tire rotation. So I drove off, thinking they should have at least put it upon the lift and given it a once over, checked fluids and what not. I learned that the dealership service is just lazy and don’t really care about customer’s vehicles.

 

I would not go to quick lube places. My neighbor kid high as kite and druggie got hired at uncle Ed’s oil change a quick lube change. He could not put air in a bicycle tire let alone change oil on a car.

For those that had issues with dealers did you report to BBB? For my Hondas I have a trusted mechanic who has some “gray hair” and is mature. I am very grateful for this. He is not rushing and we have become friends. I hope to find the same for the 4Runner

 

I doubt the dealer is using the genuine Toyota fluids, dealership techs have said on here they just use cheaper stuff dispensed from a bulk tank.

 

I'll confirm that on my next visit, which is due. Thanks.

 

Most likely this. The engine doesn't care either as long as you change it in regularly.

 

Not saying they did change it.

You still can't tell if its good or not with your eye balls.

Unless you talking a blob of gel.

 

You can tell by smelling it. Old oil smells totally different than new or slightly used oil. Oil starts to smell worse as the miles accumulate.

 

Again you cannot tell if its good or bad.

Read up.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/

Only accurate way to tell if its good or bad.

 

Nope. It’s the taste that’s the real giveaway. Like burnt toast.

Yes!

 

@Dillusion yes, you are correct, you can't tell if it's good or bad. The point is that is was the covered oil change and it wasn't actually done when I took it to them to do it. That trucks oil meter averaged about 7.5k per oil change. I'm sure if I just trusted that they did it, it would have gotten to 15k miles. Now you can argue that it may have still been good at 15k but should that be the risk I assume when I take it to them to have it done on time? The engine won't fail or show damage until I'm way out of warranty. Guess that is what they want. Lots of profit in a motor replacement.

I'd rather not take it to the dealer. Do it myself, it's done right, I know what oil and filter were used and it's cheaper and more convenient to do it at home.

 

I literally just did a post about this. Took it to the dealership and they didn’t change the oil filter I guess bc dropping the skid plate is too much work. Lesson learned. I’m doing it myself

 

I had an issue with my trusted, local Toyota dealership with my Venza. They called me up and said they had to replace the oil pan because wherever I took it last for an oil change, that place stripped the threading for the oil drain plug. I told them to check my records because I had been going to them for 3 yrs. Person on phone said “let me call you back.” Someone else called me back an hour later saying, they were mistaken, it’s due to age of vehicle, and said new oil pan installed would be $500+. I wanted to go down there and argue with them, but I had this vehicle on trade in for my 4Runner. I know their remark was BS and they f’d it up. A 2016 with less than 100K kms, fully dealer serviced. A week later I get the call my 4Runner is in. If I only waited a week more