I just bought my wife a 2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Premium four wheel drive. The dealer does not recommend an oil change for 10k miles but I never go past 5k and I usually change the oil the first time at 1000 miles. I also use synthetic oil exclusivel and the cost is reasonable (I can get 5 quarts of good synthetic and a filter for around $35 at Advance Auto parts). New the 4 Runner takes almost 7 quarts so that doubles the cost.

So my question, does anyone else change the oil in a new vehicle before the first interval the dealer calls for? I know all the typical comments like "the dealer knows what is best for the vehicle so listen to them" and "you're wasting your money". But I see it as cheap insurance and it certainly does not hurt anything. I bought my 2007 Accord new and changed the oil every 3-5k with synthetic and at 100k the valve train looked new (the valve cover gasket was leaking so I got a peek at it) and my friend had a 1996 Tacoma with the 2.4 that he changed oil every 3k and at 130k the valve train looked new (same thing, I was changing valve cover gasket after I bought it from him).

It could be coincidental but I think more frequent oil changes will extend engine life and getting oil out before it gets more contaminated cannot hurt.

quote:

I know all the typical comments like "the dealer knows what is best for the vehicle so listen to them" and "you're wasting your money". But I see it as cheap insurance and it certainly does not hurt anything.

Basically then, your mind is made up. My question to you then is, why change it at 5k intervals? Why not 3k, 2k, or even 1k? After all, your logic, it doesn't hurt anything and getting the contaminants out early, still applies.

I change the oil when the oil minder tells me to. The manual calls for 5w40 synthetic for my truck, so that's what I use.

I do. I change the oil in my 2012 Camry 4k to 5k with Mobil one. I change oil in the Duramax at 5k also but I use regular Rotella in it.
If I'm wasting my money so be it.

I bought a 2019 4Runner and I had the oil changed at 5K by a shop I trust, my dealer told me they'd change it at 5K but a change wasn't necessary. The manufacturer doesn't know what is best in this case.

Old wisdom, maybe 15+ years ago, when you bought a new car, the first oil change should've been done at 1,000 miles because there was a break in period. Now some folks say that motors are built with such precision that you can follow the scheduled maintenance immediately.

For our 2018 Highlander we bought new, the first oil change was at 10,000 miles but first service was at 5,000 miles under the Toyota Care program. When I picked the car up after the 5,000 service, I read the print and noticed the oil wasn't changed. It was changed at the 10,000 mark. Recently hit 15,000 miles and I decided to do the maintenance myself and changed the oil. Not going to waste my time taking the car up there for them to rotate tires, check fluid levels and check air filters. I'd rather waste that time doing something productive.

I'm sticking with 5,000 mile oil changes for our Highlander because my wife makes frequent short trips which are only 10-11 miles twice a day. We bought the vehicle new in June 2018 and it has 16,000 miles on it now. If it weren't for a few round trips from Orlando to Chicago, we would have less than 10,000 miles on it.

And I don't buy "the dealer knows best" bullshit for a second. Service is where they make their money at, that's what drives them to spew bullshit on you.

On my 2003 Honda Civic, I go with 5,000 oil changes but that's regular Pennzoil yellow bottle with an OEM filter, less than $20 for an oil change. Car has 193k on it now and I plan on driving it until it can't drive anymore.

While buying my new Tacoma yesterday the dealer was saying the same about the 10K oil change. I told them I would pay and insist on a change at 5K. They said if I asked when I brought it in at 5K for the tire rotation they would do the oil change...
We shall see. I just have issues going over 5K on a new motor settling in. I think over 10,000 maybe a 10K interval is ok but still...

Call me old school, the first oil change comes at 1,000 miles. If for no other reason than I can't trust that they don't have a thinner "Break In" oil on board new vehicles.

I've heard that but do not think thats done now.
My buddy does the same thing though and he is a dealer mechanic.

New Toyotas come with the full synthetic 0W-20 made for Toyota by Mobil 1. It is in fact a 10k mile oil. And further, the 0W-20 Mobil sells off the shelf is NOT the same stuff they engineer for Toyota. So basically, the good news is 10K is fine, but only if you use the Toyota oil, at this point anyway. I'm still getting used the the pourability of the 0W-20, but the reports are, despite the fact it appears "thin", it's good stuff.

BMW does a similar sort of thing, their oil, also a Mobil 1 product, is spec'd as a Long Life oil, and the vehicle monitors your driving habits and conditions and tells you when to change the oil, usually about a year for us.

Also, almost all fluids in your 4Runner are "lifetime" fluids including the differentials, transfer case, transmission, and coolant. Obviously, if you are doing regular off road driving or towing, or other hard driving, you'll want to shorten the intervals, and all my fluids get replaced at 100K just because of the chance of breakdown or contamination. The coolant is specifically for Toyotas (red), but there are aftermarket compatible clones. The diff and TC are pretty standard, but the weights are not commonly found. Redline makes some good ones though. The ATF fluid, however, that's only available from Toyota, AFAIK.

The power steering fluid is the oddball. It's clear or amber color from Toyota, but they actually spec Dexron II or III ATF for the steering box which is red. I just changed mine and went with the Mobil Full Synthetic Dex II/III compatible fluid which is supposed to be great stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:

The coolant is specifically for Toyotas (red)

My wife's new Toyota is white. does that use a different coolant?

I do mine every 5K and use Pennzoil platinum full synthetic.

Here's what I'm doing with my new ride. After break-in period (1,000mi). I plan on some WOT runs and normal driving until 1,2000mi, then Blackstone labs analysis and oil change. I want to see what the new oil looks like after break in, that way I have a baseline. After that annual oil change. Following first change/analysis, I'll do analysis either every year or every two, haven't decided yet.

My car is a pleasure vehicle, it's driven rarely. Last car was traded I. With 26,000 miles on a seven year old car.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:

The coolant is specifically for Toyotas (red)

My wife's new Toyota is white. does that use a different coolant?

Where is the damn "Like" button?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:

The coolant is specifically for Toyotas (red)

My wife's new Toyota is white. does that use a different coolant?

It wouldn't surprise me that the coolant is white. We own 5 vehicles, 2 Hyundai, 1 Honda, and 2 GMC vehicles. I have 3 different types of Anti-freeze. One for the Hyundai Sonatas, One for the GMC's, and One for the Honda.

As for the changing of oil on a new vehicle, I do all my new vehicles before 2,000 miles. I want to get any of the casting byproducts out of the oil before it will do any damage. While I agree newer engines don't have as much contamination as engines in the past, for a peace of mind I do it sooner rather than later.

I have a Camry and a RAV4 and have no problem going 10K with the synthetic oil. I don't use them for towing - if I did, I think I would only go 5K.

I wouldn't care what the dealer says, but I would care very much what the manufacturer says. They may very well use a particular oil for break in, and need it in there for the period specified to properly break in. So at least for the first change, I'd stick to the instructions in the manual.

quote:

While I agree newer engines don't have as much contamination as engines in the past, for a peace of mind I do it sooner rather than later.

You're needlessly wasting $40, no sane individual would do that. Follow the damn manual!!!

Oil is cheap, I have the same thought process, get crap out from manufacturing and break in. My work vehicle is changed at 3,000 even though it's good to 5k. Cheap insurance.

I've performed hundreds of UOAs (Used oil analyses) since the mid-1970's, and still do to this day. (I'm an amateur tribologist)

There is no question that analytically, oil contains far more contaminants from metals in the first several thousand miles of an engine's life. This is an established fact that cannot be refuted, because I have proven it repeatedly dozens of times, on lots of different vehicles.

What I CANNOT state as fact is how significant these increased metals are.

On average, it takes 3 - 4 oil changes to get the levels to establish themselves at whatever levels are normal for that engine. In general, contaminant levels stabilize between 20 - 30 thousand miles.

In my opinion, early oil changes are probably a waste of money. That said, I do have my first oil change around 1,000 miles just because it makes me "feel better".

But in reality, any real difference from early oil changes is probably so small, that you're more likely to get rid of the car for reasons other than a worn-out engine.

My $0.02...

I'm in the cheap insurance camp. I change it at 1K and grab a first baseline oil sample. There are certainly differences in the first 1k miles that mfg. recognize (my latest truck came with a don't tow for 1K advisement). Almost every motor I've bought in things other than vehicles (like excavators, tractors etc.) asks for the first change at a sooner interval.
I don't see any real downside (the cost is not material versus the lifetime costs of the vehicle)and some possible upside.
And I also feel better...

Always at 1k. Given the amount of wear that happens on a new engine, it just seems like a good idea to get that old oil and filter out.

My truck and work vehicle get oil at 5k intervals. I tend to do my bikes at 3k. Personal preference.