Oil changes

When I bought my first car it burnt 1qt oil per 100mi or so, so had to have the engine rebuilt. The shop said I was very close to the engine seizing up bc rhere was hardly any oil left! Those scammers that sold me the car!

 

There’s a big difference between running an engine low on oil and unnecessarily changing perfectly good oil. Luckily the 4.0 engines generally don’t burn much oil so you don’t need to worry much about that.

 

I changed mine at 1000, then again at 5000. The dealer took care of the 10k oil service. I'll be doing the 15k myself.

 

I changed mine at 600, did an oil analysis and noted high metal. Decided it was too early and changed again at 1500 with much lower metal but still some present. For me, it was important to get break in metal out as soon as possible to minimize bearing damage. From there, I will change every 5K or 6 month, whichever first trying to time an oil change at the end of the winter.

10K change intervals are the result of EPA lifetime emissions thing. In other countries Toyota specifies lower change intervals. Here with the help of Google translate I found English version manual for a truck with 1GR-FE engine: Armenian Manual calls for 6K miles regular and 3K miles harsh use oil change interval for 2007-2021 Land Cruiser 300 equipped with 1GR-FE engine.

 

Not necessary at all

 

Use Diddy’s baby oil and your engine will last forever.

 

1200? That's crazy talk, 50 miles between changes is the sweet spot... I've been doing that for 750,000 miles on my '24 and haven't had a breakdown yet...

 

These oil threads are funny, I needed a good laugh! Each to their own, change it, don’t change it, whatever the hell you want! Welcome to the madness!

 

Just take a L out.

https://youtu.be/QTDhQ2QECqE?si=Uj2V4cQi3IUtMguU

 

Your oil change intervals depend on driving habits.
5k oil changes for me would be a waste of money and environmentally irresponsible. But then I don't make short trips, do a lot of stop and go driving or leave my car idling in bank or pharmacy drive through lanes.

 

Toyota says that if you have “severe driving” conditions you can use a different weight oil than what is recommended, and/or change the oil more frequently.
Severe driving conditions are defined as:

• Repeatedly driving short distance of less than 5 miles in normal temperature or less than 10 miles in freezing temperature
• Extensive engine idling or low speed driving for long distances
• Driving on rough, dusty, muddy, unpaved, graveled or salt-spread roads
• Driving in areas using salt or other corrosive materials or in very cold weather
• Driving in sandy areas
• Driving in heavy traffic area over 90 degrees F
• Driving on uphill, downhill, or mountain road
• Towing a trailer, or using a camper, or roof rack
• Driving as a patrol car, taxi, or other commmercial use or vehicle towing
• driving over 106 MPH (owner's manual); driving over 100 MPH (maintenance log)
• Frequently driving in stop-and-go conditions

“High speed” driving in “high temperatures” for “long distances” is one of the definitions of severe driving.
“High speed” being defined as 80% of the maximum speed of the vehicle. So, in a 4Runner that is about 90mph.
“High temperature”(per Hyundai) is over 90*F.
“Long distance”(again per Hyundai) is over 2 hours.
So, if you’re in Utah, on a freeway with a maximum speed of 80mph and a a hot summer day, you may be approaching “severe driving conditions”.
At the same time, if you’re in “stop and go traffic” in Los Angeles in the summer, you may be approaching “severe driving conditions”.
Toyota says that one can use different oil weights, or change intervals, in severe driving conditions. BUT, they don’t say what those oil weights, or intervals, are. I don’t think they are allowed to by law.
Here in California where I live we rarely have to worry about low temperatures. I have lived here all my life, and I have never run into low temperatures in the mid -30sF, which is what the “0” of 0W-20 is good for. We worry about high temperatures. Usually in excess of 100* in the summer. I’m not sure I would want to run a 0W-20 oil, of any brand, in freeway (or stop and go traffic), in 100*+ weather.

 

I just received official email from Toyota that says:

"Bring your vehicle in for a service appointment around December 8th, 2024, or every 8,000 km [note: approx 5K miles], whichever comes first."

Are they suggesting unnecessary work? Keep in mind, my DCM is disconnected so this is generic recommendation for my climate zone.

[Edit to clarify] This is not a dealer email, but coming from no-reply@em.toyota official email with "This email was sent by Toyota..." in the footnote.

 

Don't be rude. OP is ChrisB, Not ChrisT.

 

There's a new twist to the bazillionth OCI thread - we now have Hyundai's recommendations.

 

Tire rotations are every 5K, among other things.

 

They want your money and to try to con you into doing even more unnecessary maintenance.

 

Is there any evidence out there of 4Runner engines failing due to dirty oil to fuel these paranoid oil change concerns?

 

If it is newer, they might just be trying to get the standard 5K maintenance items done. Otherwise, you are probably correct.

My money is on no.

But, one time a YouTuber tore down a Camry motor that got nasty from 10K oil changes (and who knows what other conditions), so obviously a 5K OCI is the only answer for everyone.

 

The Car Care nut is also discussed this subject in his "Is Toyota Quality Going Down?" video. His message - you can't neglect modern Toyotas (i.e., 10K OCI) and expect them to be reliable. Here is full video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsFPk6-igBg

The only question is if 5th Gen 4Runner a "modern Toyota". Which is debatable.

 

If there were any chance of a 5th gen 4Runner engine failing because of 10,000 mile oil changes, we would be hearing about it all the time here. And, not just based on one extreme example of a different model and engine.

 

I clarified that this is official Toyota email, so "they" are Toyota HQ. It just not Toyota US that is beholden to EPA and California activists.

 

No! The 5th Gen is not a modern Toyota. Modernity is mostly based on how old the engine tech is and this 4runner has a 20 year old engine and hardly cutting edge. Hence it's reliability.
There is not a single evidence of a 5th gen that has had 10k oil changes not lasting as long as the ones that got 5k oil changes.
We do what we feel is right . It may not be necessary but it makes us sleep better at night.
The car care nut guy is of course one of the best at what he does but everything he says is not gospel truth or the only way of doing things

 

OK. Definitely do everything they say. They just want your vehicle to last forever and don’t care about the money you’re handing over to do it.

 

Make sure you change your cabin air filter every 300 miles too.

 

It’s not a recommendation. It’s a “definition”. There is a difference. I couldn’t find Toyota’s definition for “high temperature” and “long distance”. So, I used Hyundai’s.

 

Never

 

I've watched a few if his videos, definitely some incorrect information in the ones over watched. I'm not real impressed with him

 

There is a reason he's a mechanic. I would weigh his engineering opinions as highly as I would a random person on the street.

But the new toyotas are also trash so there is that.

 

He is a mechanic but he is also eccentric. Most self professed geniuses are.