Oil Change Interval. Yes I know it has been covered over and over. My two cents.

[John2112]

Great video! I have multiple vehicles, so they never reach the mileage intervals within the recommended timeframes.
Because of this, I change the oil every 6 months (full synthetic).
For an example, by TH that I got last October only has 3400 something miles on it, so it would take me over 2 years to reach 7500 miles.

I do the same, that's a good plan.

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[nprsuit]

Maybe I am crazy, but if you can afford it, the more often you do it, really the better. I do every 3k on my runner. Probably overkill but I do not trust the 10k oil change BS, and these turbos generate a ton of heat in the oil. 3-5k and I think we are all on solid footing.

 

[MikeK]

Maybe I am crazy, but if you can afford it, the more often you do it, really the better. I do every 3k on my runner. Probably overkill but I do not trust the 10k oil change BS, and these turbos generate a ton of heat in the oil. 3-5k and I think we are all on solid footing.

You're also creating more waste by changing the oil every 3k miles. It's unnecessary unless you're racing that engine every drive cycle. 5k-7500k are more reasonable.

 

[nprsuit]

I tend to disagree with your waste argument. I recycle what I empty. I spend my money in the local economy at local stores to purchase my products. I am also trying to make this vehicle last as long as possible without sending it to the junkyard to just buy another car and rinse/repeat. Like I noted, it may be overkill, but there are certainly vendors appreciative of my money in their pockets.

 

[John2112]

You're also creating more waste by changing the oil every 3k miles. It's unnecessary unless you're racing that engine every drive cycle. 5k-7500k are more reasonable.

Driving in hot Texas heat in my Trail Hunter 3 to 4,000 mi for oil changes is not unreasonable. Turbos run extremely hot and after doing an oil analysis test with oil that was at the 5000 mile mark it had degraded significantly. People that buy 4Runners aren't concerned with waste or they would buy a Prius, Plus oil is cheap.

 

[sstarrx2]

 

[4Everest]

Driving in hot Texas heat in my Trail Hunter 3 to 4,000 mi for oil changes is not unreasonable. Turbos run extremely hot and after doing an oil analysis test with oil that was at the 5000 mile mark it had degraded significantly. People that buy 4Runners aren't concerned with waste or they would buy a Prius, Plus oil is cheap.

Michigan here,

Cold is also hard on your oil, especially the shocks between a very cold start and the heat of a turbo. Even worse if you do a lot of short trips.

So I'll say it too: Oil is cheap (and can/should be recycled). Peace of mind is priceless.

 

[Vincenzo]

My BS meter doesn’t move when watching the Oil Geek

 

[Dyingbreed]

1,000 miles for the first oil change on my 2025 Tacoma and my 2026 4Runner. I will change at every 4k going forward. I will be doing my differentials at 12k too. My Tacoma next week and the 4Runner when it gets there. Good "early" maintenance is not a waste. I can promise you that.

 

[CO/ZA]

If you're worried about heat in Texas, you should be using -30 grade oil instead of -20.

And besides, it is always 190*F+ inside your engine no matter what temp it is outside.

 

[John2112]

If you're worried about heat in Texas, you should be using -30 grade oil instead of -20.

And besides, it is always 190*F+ inside your engine no matter what temp it is outside.

That's absolutely bad advice, showing that you don't know what you're talking about. Oil passing through the turbocharger bearings reach 230 to 260°.
During heavy use the oil temperature reaches 210 to 225°. To say that the engine stays at 190° is misinformed and sounds like something a backyard mechanic would make up. The owner's manual even suggests 5,000 mile intervals for oil changes under certain circumstances. If there is an engine issue at some point, when Toyota does their oil analysis and it comes back that you've used a higher weight oil, you've just voided the repair warranty. I have 8 years and 100,000 mi Toyota Care warranty on this 4Runner, and I'm not going to take a chance on ruining an engine on a $75,000 vehicle.

 

[morsk]

If there is an engine issue at some point, when Toyota does their oil analysis and it comes back that you've used a higher weight oil, you've just voided the repair warranty.

No you didn't and no they won't. It sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[CO/ZA]

That's absolutely bad advice, showing that you don't know what you're talking about. Oil passing through the turbocharger bearings reach 230 to 260°.
During heavy use the oil temperature reaches 210 to 225°. To say that the engine stays at 190° is misinformed and sounds like something a backyard mechanic would make up. The owner's manual even suggests 5,000 mile intervals for oil changes under certain circumstances. If there is an engine issue at some point, when Toyota does their oil analysis and it comes back that you've used a higher weight oil, you've just voided the repair warranty. I have 8 years and 100,000 mi Toyota Care warranty on this 4Runner, and I'm not going to take a chance on ruining an engine on a $75,000 vehicle.

The point I'm making is that it is always hotter inside your engine than out, so it doesn't matter so much it's 110*F off the tarmac on MoPac.

Its up to your cooling system to maintain that Goldilocks range your engine and trans is happy at.

On the topic of 0w-20, it was discussed to death in other threads. The only reason Toyota says to use 0w-20 is due to US CAFE requirements, so they meet their fuel economy targets fleet wise.

Across the border from you, a 2026 Mexican market Tacoma with the same 2.4 T24AFTS engine can use anything from 0w-20 to 10w-30 semi-synthetic according to the owners manual.

I use 0w-30 because it is 95*F and the thin air means its a bit taxing, and off roading at 9,500 ft is a different environment all together than going to HEB on flat roads at sea level.

It is on Toyota to prove that 0/5/10w-20/30/40 hurt your engine if anything goes wrong, if they even bother to test.

 

[Dr_Al]

Do what feels good to you. If you're worried about oil life then letting your engine idle after use before shutting it off will do more than early oil changes. This is one of the oldest arguments about engine oil that I can remember. My 90 Celica alltrac turbo said to change the oil at 5000 for synthetic. If driving spiritedly then sooner. Back then some in the group I belonged to said they wouldn't go over 2k miles. I just never worried about it and went 5k.

When I finally get mine I'll do the first one at 5k and the rest at 10k intervals. The only exception would be if I tow with it. I'm not going to be racing between lights and I let the engine warm up for the first minute. I'll also shut off the engine after letting the oil cool a bit. If it doesn't last, then I own it.

I'm sure that a modern turbo will last 200k miles without a problem following Toyota's schedule. The simple fact is that Toyota prides itself on longevity and reliability. It's one thing to have an issue because of issues with manufacturing. But lots of testing went into making sure that using a turbo was not going to cause lots of angry owners because their schedule for oil change intervals was too long.

 

[Zeeke]

MOBIL 1 ESP 0W-30
EVERY 5K MILES or 6 MONTHS, whichever comes first
NO AI

But oil doesnt go bad sitting in the non running engine. Thats fact. No different than in the bottle on the shelf. 5k miles is my number as well, but 5k miles, not 6 months. Thats silly.

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