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What's Up With This Once A Year Oil Change?

10K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  ravster2015 
#1 ·
Looking through all the documentation for our new RAV and noticed that the oil Change interval is noted at once a year...that seems odd to me. On our OB the interval is every 8,000km. I put a fumoto valve on the OB and change it myself every 6,000km. I think that I am going to put a Fumoto valve in the RAV and change the oil every 6-8k km.
 
#5 ·
As automotive and lubricant technology improves, this has become quite the contentious topic.

Some, based on feelings or old practices, will change their oil early. Others, based on empirical evidence, stick with 10,000 miles oil changes.

My multiple used oil analyses show that the oil and filter work quite well to 10,000 miles.

http://www.rav4world.com/forums/126...-oil-change-interval-even-1st-oil-change.html
 
#6 ·
my honda maintenance minder gives me a 6500-7500 notice of 15% life left. I do 7500 now and that and will likely do it for the RAV as well. The RAV gets alot less usage though... 23k in 33 months, accord has 58k in 26 months...
10,000 is probably a legit interval, but it's hard to change two decades of ingrained behaviour....7500 will have to do...
:)
 
#7 ·
Maintain the car according to the specifications to keep the warranty. If you want to change it earlier than specified to feel good, do so. If you really want to know what is going on in the engine, start getting your used oil analyzed at a place like Blackstone labs. Everything else is just speculation.
 
#8 ·
Maintain the car according to the specifications to keep the warranty. If you want to change it earlier than specified to feel good, do so. If you really want to know what is going on in the engine, start getting your used oil analyzed at a place like Blackstone labs. Everything else is just speculation.
X2! A lot of variables impact oil life. Do a used oil analysis at 8k and the results will tell you how much life if any is left in the oil. UOAs are cheap for what they provide. Also, post the results over on Bob Is The Oil Guy | The Internet's Number One Motor Oil Site

Tremendous amount of knowledgeable folks on this site.
 
#9 ·
Sorry guys ... I'll never wait until 10k miles to change the oil. I don't care what analysis is given. It costs me $40 to change fully synthetic. I have no problem shelling out an extra $40 a year to make sure there's clean oil in there. 5K mile oil changes on fully synthetic is not an issue. It's far cheaper than risking catastrophic breakdown.
 
#10 ·
Same for me. Never used a oil analysis - instead pay $27 per oil change using OEM oil filters & M1 full syn oil. Cheap insurance for me and I know the oil & filter is good. Just can't see a oil filter lasting upwards of 10k and still filtering as needed. So it's been 5k for me. Just do what works for you.
 
#12 ·
Down the road repairs on various higher interval'd vehicles have shown me that there is plenty of issues to worry about, usually caused by misengineering and budget snafus. Science? would that be CAFE MPG, or lower cost of ownership marketing(great for the lease zombies), or the eco-greenie govt to manufacturer tax discounts for lifetime or extended fluid intervals? Science... doesn't mention the number of worn timing chain and tensioners, failed VVT components, sticking or broken rings, oil consumption, bearing wear, rod knock, start up rattle, piston knock,.... which are all pretty common at the used car auctions where many dealers dump your trade-ins.

Toyota doesn't give all a blind 10k/yearly interval. Many fall under Toyota's 5k/6month severe service interval. Too bad dealers and owners are too clueless to even know that a severe service interval exists. Read your maintenance manual.

Severe service 5k/6mo interval:
Extensive idling or low speed driving... who here has a remote starter? or enjoys the city/highway traffic with their commute? or likes to run the A/C or heat while the prettier half runs into the department store or supermarket?
Repeated trips <5 miles when <32F? Anyone in northern half of country with winters?
Towing, car top carrier, or heavy vehicle loading? I'd consider the kids, their sports/hunting/fishing/hobby gear, along with the wife as 'heavy loading'. But, didn't see Toyota's definition of 'heavy loading'. Carpool?
Dirt or dusty roads? unpaved roads, salt/sand on snow/ice roads, desert or wasteland roads....

Toyota is a great automaker. Too bad they can't come out with an oil life monitor algorithm. Fixed mileage/time intervals for all are such a primitive science. I guess that an actual oil life monitor algorithm is just an overly advanced science for Toyota to digest.

Concerning UOA's.... good data requires trending. Bad data means you're simply too late for the interval. Borderline useless to try to extend the $40 oil change a few weeks with a $40 UOA. But, having the data, that most can decipher, sure is hipster beard/tattoo/piercings cool at theoildrop forum.
 
#13 ·
Nothin' like a good oil fight, eh Greasy? :wink

If one decides that a 10,000 mile oil change is bad, what empirical evidence is that based upon? UOAs? Carefully tracked vehicle failures?

If one decides that a 5,000 mile oil change is good, what empirical evidence is that based upon? A UOA? Gut feeling? Unfounded knowledge about oil? Old wives tales? Anecdotal observation that 5K oil changes are commonplace and vehicles seem to last just fine?

If a 5,000 mile oil change is good, why not change it at 2,500 miles to get even more life out of the motor? After all, why should we trust manufacturers when they tell us to change our oil every 5,000 miles?

Point is that oil discussions are a big swirl of emotions, fact-less opinions, and anecdotes. Even when presented with facts, many will simply say "Well, I don't believe that. There's no way oil can do that." Even when you show them that it can, they still don't believe it.

It's o.k. Just like the switch from 3K to 5K to 7.5K oil change intervals, sooner or later we'll embrace the new lubricant and manufacturing technologies and we'll look back on these 10K oil change debates as silliness.
 
#14 ·
That's so funny. Why would I pay for an oil analysis when I can just change the oil for $40? Feel free to keep the old oil in there as long as you want. It's your car.

5000 miles is a good number for me, regardless of your ranting. I want new oil in there. Life is simple ... new oil is better than old oil.
 
#16 ·
It's not a rant, but if you feel it's devolving into an emotional argument rather than a factual discussion, just holler and we'll quit.

Why pay for oil analysis? Well, you may not have to pay for a UOA. There are plenty out there already (and increasing in quantity as 10K oil changes become more regular). If one doesn't trust existing UOAs within a particular category, then accomplishing one's own UOAs could potentially cut your lifetime oil change costs in half. That was my primary driver for getting proof with UOAs. I did 4 at a cost of $140 ($35x4). Plus, there's a gee whiz factor of seeing what's going on inside my motor and setting a baseline for future troubleshooting, if necessary. If I drive the vehicle to 250,000 miles with 5K OCIs, I'd spend $1750 on oil changes (50x$35). At 10K OCIs, I spend $1015 (25*$35+$140).

You say that 5K changes are fine. Why are they fine? Upon what do you base that confidence? Why wouldn't a 2,500 mile oil change be better? Understand that's not fightin' words or a challenge. I'm genuinely interested in what you base your decision on. Whatever criteria you use to reassure yourself with a 5K oil change, would you at some point be willing to apply that same criteria to 10K oil changes?
 
#15 ·
You just need to do the analysis once to see what's appropriate for your driving conditions.

I first encountered the 10,000 mile oil change interval in my 2002 Acura RSX. And the nutty thing about that? It only required a filter change every other oil change, so at 20k! I did follow the 10k interval, just I did the filter as well.

Took my Celica to 200,000 problem free miles on that long of an interval too using Mobil 1.
 
#21 ·
Here are the places listed by Mobil 1 to buy the oil. Walmart is not listed.

Some participating retailers include:
A & A Auto Stores
AAFES Exchange
Acdelco
Agri-Fleet
Aid Auto Stores
American Muffler
American Tire & Auto Repair
Andy's Auto Supply
Arlen's Auto Clinic Parts Plus
Arnold Motor Supply
Atwoods
Aubrey Parts Plus
Auto Value
Auto Mall
Auto Masters
Auto Oil Changers
Auto Parts
Auto Plus
Auto Select
Auto Stores
Auto Supermarket
Auto Supply
Auto Tire And Parts
Auto Value
Automotive Parts HQ
Balas Distributing
Band Parts Plus
Baxter Auto
BB Automotive Janesville
BC Auto Parts
Bennett Auto Supply
Benny's
Bi Lo Wholesale
Big Horn Co-Op
Big Kmart
Big R
Big Ray's Quick Lube
Bi-Mart
BJ`s
Black's Tire & Auto Service
Blain's Farm And Fleet
Bolla Car Care Center
Bomgaars
Bond Auto Parts
Bond-Bradford
Bouquet Auto Parts
Bridge Auto Parts
Buck's Hardware Hank
Bud's J and M Service
Bumper To Bumper
Callagy Tires Inc
Campbell Auto Parts And Supply
Carquest
Carr's Finishing
Center Auto Parts
Central Parts & Supply
Chestertown Parts Plus
Cheswick Mobil 1 Lube Express™
City Auto Supply Inc
Clifton Park Store
Coastal Farm
Coastal Gresham
Congress Auto Parts
Conrad Tire Company
Consumer Auto Parts
Corner Stop N Go
Cut Rate Auto Parts
Cycle Gear
Delaware Auto Parts
Dickinson Auto Supply
Dominic Condino Motors
East Meadow
Falls Farm & Auto
Family Farm & Home
Farm & Fleet
Farm King Supply
Federated Auto Parts
First Call Auto Parts
Fisher Auto
Fort Benning Main Exchange
Fourmens Farm Home
Frank's Auto Supermarket
Fred Meyer
Garage of Lowell
Georgia Auto Parts
Gold And Sons Automotive Inc
Goods Automotive Service
GTF North 40 Outfitters
Halm's Auto Parts
Handy Hardware
HEB
Highland East Auto Parts
Home Depot
Home of Economy
Honeoye Auto Parts
Hornung's Hardware
Hovis Auto & Truck Supply
Huelsman Automotive
Isle Automotive
J&G Auto Parts
Jann's Auto
Jiffy Lube
Jim Murphy Buick GMC
Johnson's One Stop Shopping Center
Johnston Autostores
K And W Auto Parts Inc
Kia of St. Cloud
Kmart
Knecht
Koi
KSK Automotive
L&M Fleet Supply
Lacava Brothers Auto Supply
Lake & Country Tire
Lakeland Auto Parts
Lakeshore Auto Clinic Inc
Lebeda's Auto Supply
Len's Automotive
Litchfield Rural King
Lodge Tire Co. Inc.
M&H Hardware
Macedon Parts Plus
Manlove Auto Parts
March ARB Exchange
Mastertech
McCracken's Garage
Meijer
Menards
Merle's Automotive Supply
Midwest Supply
Mike's Auto Service
Miller Hill
Mills Fleet Farm
Minocqua Hardware & Rental
Monarch Auto
Monument Car Parts
Motor Sales
Murdoch's Ranch & Home
Napa Auto Parts
National Auto
Nex Navy Exchange
North 40 Outfitters
North Island Autoport
North Wells Service Center
Nu-Way Auto Parts
Orchard Supply Hardware
Orscheln Farm & Home
P & A Auto Parts
Parts Plus
Performance Automotive
Petersburg
Pete's Service Center
Philip Motor
Poplar Hardware
Potsdam Parts Plus
Pronto
Ranchland Auto Parts
Rap Auto
Ridge And Kramer Auto Parts
Riebes Auto Parts
RJ Cackovic Inc
Rose Motor Supply Inc
Runnings Supply
Rural King
Salvo Auto Parts
Schell's Auto Center
Sears Auto Center
Service World Unlimited
Shelton Auto Parts
Silver Bay Auto Value
Smith Auto
Smith's Marketplace
Smyth Automotive
Spirit Lake Parts City
Strauss Auto
Sturdevant's Auto Parts
Suttle Motor Company
S&W Auto Supply
Target
The Auto Parts Source
The Parts House
The Parts Peddler
Theisen's
Thirlby Automotive
TNT Express Lube
Tom Oates Automotive
Topps Automotive
Town Square Auto Parts
United Auto Supply
Village Street Garage
Virginia Tire & Auto
Vista Auto
Walker Auto Stores
Walsh Auto Parts
Wayne Auto Supply
Wd Matthews
Weaver Auto Parts
West End Sales & Service
Whitney's
Winchester Auto
Woods Auto Parts
World Auto
 
#22 ·
There's always one...
Well, I guess I was lucky both times, as that list is the same every time.
Then again , go to slickdeals and real the war between the 'listers' and everyone else...
I don't think that list is meant as definitive, and if you have any doubts try an email or phone call...

Worth a try?
 
#25 ·
Years ago people had to change their spark plugs every 10,000 miles. Now it's 60,000-100,000 miles for a spark plug change on most modern cars.

The 3000 mile oil change is also a thing of the past. Although places like Jiffy Lube want to perpetuate the idea that you still need an oil change every 3000 miles--naturally this thinking keeps their profits intact. Oil and engines are better than they used to be and both last longer.

I follow what my manual recommends as far as oil change intervals and I haven't had any problems.
 
#28 ·
There are a number of similar conversations about this (frequency of oil & ATF as well as Transfer case and Rear differential fluids) within the forum. What it all comes down to is what makes we (owners) feel comfortable of doing (either change oil/fluids before OEM required intervals or save a few dollars by only change them as required)... In my view, many of us get in to traffic situation during commute where low/rolling speed and long idling occur, so, I prefer change my engine oil/filter sooner than later; the same for other fluids...

BTW, for the DIYs, has anyone used this item ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/121924002137 ), if yes can you share your experience with it? Thanks!
 
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