Oil 5000 miles +

[genethekiller]

I have a great mechanic here in Germany, good honest guy always looking for ways to save me money, (a la buying oil from US shops, 5w-30 is ridiculously expensive in Europe)

But every time I take my car to him for an oil change, he tells me I don't need to bring it in that often. It's been nearly 5000 miles, I always change early, just a couple hundred miles or so, but I don't think he gets it.

It's a common sense issue I know. I'll do what I know is right regardless, but my question is, has anyone here heard of going longer than 5000 as a regular thing? I've always felt (and it's common knowledge) that oil is the lifeblood of the engine, and if anything, should be taken care of early and often.

I'm assuming that it's an issue of kilometers vs. miles. But I was just curious.

[Yawesh]

I have a great mechanic here in Germany, good honest guy always looking for ways to save me money, (a la buying oil from US shops, 5w-30 is ridiculously expensive in Europe)

But every time I take my car to him for an oil change, he tells me I don't need to bring it in that often. It's been nearly 5000 miles, I always change early, just a couple hundred miles or so, but I don't think he gets it.

It's a common sense issue I know. I'll do what I know is right regardless, but my question is, has anyone here heard of going longer than 5000 as a regular thing? I've always felt (and it's common knowledge) that oil is the lifeblood of the engine, and if anything, should be taken care of early and often.

I'm assuming that it's an issue of kilometers vs. miles. But I was just curious.

i personally think 5000 is the Max, waiting over that to change oil- even synthetic would be nuts

regular oil in my opinion should def be changed at 3000 miles
synthetic oil in my opinion can be held to 5000 miles

[nemelek]

For warrantee purposes alone I stick with Toyota guidelines. The benefits of timely oil changes pay off after 100,000 miles. If you plan on keeping the car for 3 years let some oil changes slide. If you plan on keeping the car 10 years keep on top of the oil changes. Different manufactures have different guidelines. My wife’s CR-V has a % oil life left number on the readouts. It’s gone 3000 miles and had 60% left. Using those guideline the first oil change will happen at 7,500 miles. The Honda owners manual says to change at a year if the % life isn’t used up. Toyota recommends to change in 5 months if the 5,000 mile mark isn’t reached. My Dodge diesel truck has 7,500 mile oil change intervals for heavy use and 15,000 miles light duty use. However the diesel takes 12 quarts to change.

I had an old girlfriend that drove 80,000 miles with no oil changes before the car froze up.

[tetzyamis]

I had an old girlfriend that drove 80,000 miles with no oil changes before the car froze up.

Wow. Was the reason why the car froze up because of the oil? Or was it caused by something else?

[Loren]

You have a good mechanic. Germans "get it". While Americans are still clinging to the "change your oil every 3,000 miles" that the oil companies have been feeding us for many, many decades and are hesitant to even go to 5k, the German car makers are going 10, 12, even 15k miles between oil changes.

Doing what is required to maintain your warranty is good, but once your warranty is up, recognize that even 5,000 miles is very conservative with a modern engine using modern oils. Even with conventional oil, I wouldn't hesitate to go to 7 or 8k, maybe even 10k. With good synthetic oil, 15k without question.

My Yaris warranty isn't anywhere near expired, and I've already decided that I'm going with a 15k interval. I'm about half way through it right now and my Mobil 1 looks just like it did when I poured it in. I figure if it's good enough to be the factory interval for the Brazilian-made engine in my wife's MINI Cooper, it's good enough for my Toyota.

[ddongbap]

I'm rocking 9k miles on my conventional.

[MadMax]

By the way, this guy isn't in Ramstein village, is he? Last name Kaprowski?

I used to have a great BMW mechanic that worked on my two E30 3-series and I swear I have never had such an excellent mechanic! I wish I could get him over to Texas.

But Loren is exactly right, with today's modern blends the days of 3-5000 mile oil changes are becoming a thing of the past. If you are really concerned about breakdown, send a sample to a laboratory after you do your next oil change and you will be surprised how little it has deteriorated!

Cheers! M2

[Chupacabra]

cheapest insurance you can buy....change your oil as often as possible.

[voodoo22]

cheapest insurance you can buy....change your oil as often as possible.

Very wasteful.

[TheSilkySmooth]

I think most oil analysis would show the oil is used up by 6000 - 7000 miles in typical mixed driving with trips over 15 mi one way. The oil will be Most likely out of spec for viscosity and the anti wear agents and anti acid chemicals are all gone. 5W-30 API SM synthetic oil is NOT ACEA A3/B3 and will not meet BMW long life stds because it is not synthetic like the europen oil are required to be - none of this phony synth marketing nonsense as is allowed in the States. at 67K miles, my wifes toyota 2azfe 2.4L engine is trash following the toyota guidelines using the specified mineral oils (typ valvoline conventional and mobil 5000). We are currently looking to trade it on a Subaru forester or mitsu outlander or similar - oh and the water pump is leaking too Great. Thanks Toyota and ILSAC! I though I could do better than a suzuki Vitara by spending a few thousand more, but I guess NOT. A very bitter Papa

[TheSilkySmooth]

cheapest insurance you can buy....change your oil as often as possible. +1 and use gray-market imported european REAL synthetics - these hot running, high technology motors will not last on conventional oil.

[gid]

warranty , warranty , warranty , warranty , .................................................. .................................................. ................................ . :moon: . THE END ? :eyebulge:

[ChinoCharles]

Welp, I'm sitting at 45,000 miles. Chances I'll even have to use the warranty on the Yaris are looking slim, it's f'n freezing outside, and guess what? I'm at 6,500 miles on this oil change. :eek: Granted I use Royal Purple, but guess what... my car hasn't exploded! If I wasn't broke I'd gladly snag some oil at 7,500-10,000 miles and send it off for analysis, but I am broke so there goes that.

YW rule #42: If Loren says its fine, its probably fine.

[Chupacabra]

warranty , warranty , warranty , warranty , .................................................. .................................................. ................................ . :moon: . THE END ? :eyebulge:

You don't have to write down every time you change the oil but I will tell you that, by changing the oil as often as possible, it can only be GOOD for the car. The only wasteful part of this that I can see is the utilization of new filters all of the time. The oil is recycled at my local transfer station so...it's not being poured into the ground. It's being recycled. Nothing is more critical to a motor than CLEAN motor oil, period! I have never heard of a warranty claim denied due to TOO frequent an oil change schedule.

[Yawesh]

You don't have to write down every time you change the oil but I will tell you that, by changing the oil as often as possible, it can only be GOOD for the car. The only wasteful part of this that I can see is the utilization of new filters all of the time. The oil is recycled at my local transfer station so...it's not being poured into the ground. It's being recycled. Nothing is more critical to a motor than CLEAN motor oil, period! I have never heard of a warranty claim denied due to TOO frequent an oil change schedule.

i too, would rather change my oil at right intervals than rely on those bumbling people at stealerships if i need to excise my warranty

i guess many here don't agree with us - had good experience with stealerships

[gid]

i too, would rather change my oil at right intervals than rely on those bumbling people at stealerships if i need to excise my warranty

i guess many here don't agree with us - had good experience with stealerships +1 , reason why do it at home . Cheaper too . 3 and 1/2 quarts fills to or bit below the FULL mark . Have had dealer / private service centers overfill by a quart or no oil at all ( did change filter , forgot the oil ) . :eek: .

[ChinoCharles]

I hope you DIY guys are saving receipts and putting them in the warranty book. I don't think the act of saying you changed every X,000 miles is enough to keep you within warranty, and if you take a car in with an engine problem and have no proof of oil changes it could be a long day.

[andries]

My Yaris gets oil chance every 9000 miles (15000 km) or once a year when you drive less. Thats what the manual says.
And her in Netherlands the Toyota dealers use 10w40 oil for the engine.

[fearturtle44]

The reason we are geared for 3000 because the outfits like Jiffy Lube and the Dealers brainwash us with those reminder stickers for 3000 (as more changes means more $$$$). My rule of thumb is:

a. if you do 90%/10% in town driving to highway, then 3000
b. if you do 50/50 type driving, then 4000
c. if you do 90%/10% highway driving to in town, then 5000

Oil is a cheap way of maintaining a car to last 100,000 plus miles.

Kevin

[Chupacabra]

The reason we are geared for 3000 because the outfits like Jiffy Lube and the Dealers brainwash us with those reminder stickers for 3000 (as more changes means more $$$$).


That's BS. The 3-5K mile deal has been around LONG before lube shops and most motors outside of auto's are scheduled on run time(hours).

[Yawesh]

+1 , reason why do it at home . Cheaper too . 3 and 1/2 quarts fills to or bit below the FULL mark . Have had dealer / private service centers overfill by a quart or no oil at all ( did change filter , forgot the oil ) . :eek: .

i too had that experience, no more - i am changing the oil myself now. they overfilled it(they placed four quarts in with out thinking about the .5 oil possibly in there - or they didn't change the filter)

Royal Purple!

and yup gotta keep those receipts.

[ulmaitre]

Just a brief point: it is only a myth that Mobil 1 and other oils are not true synthetics. I called Mobil 1, and read their official stockholders' report, and they explicitly state that Mobil 1 is a true synthetic from synthetic stock, and not a cracked natural oil.

[PetersRedYaris]

My 1999 Tacoma (2.7L) said directly in the manual, 7500 miles or 5000 miles for harsh driving conditions. So even Toyota has/or had some models with higher mileage intervals...

[talnlnky]

running synth... change ever 4500-5000 just for the waranty issues. Once my waranty is up (80,000miles) i'll change the filter ever 3k-5k, and the oil every 10k (synth oil still).

I ran my 97 mazda 626 on 4k intervals on dino oil and never had a problem... put 90,000 miles on it in 5.5 years.

[Chupacabra]

Everybody has a story...and all are valid. At the end of the day, the bottom line is that, if you can afford to, change the oil as often as possible and preferably at the well known intervals. If in doubt...follow the owner's manual at a minimum. The irony is that you can't afford NOT to change your oil often....it's the cheapest maintenance you can buy. The dealer has over-filled my wife's Scion twice and since the oil changes are free....I bought a fuji drain valve and let the excess out when it comes home. There is no point in addressing the dealer. I highly recommend oil changes at home. They are easy, fast, cheap, accurate and great piece of mind.

[gid]

I hope you DIY guys are saving receipts and putting them in the warranty book. I don't think the act of saying you changed every X,000 miles is enough to keep you within warranty, and if you take a car in with an engine problem and have no proof of oil changes it could be a long day.
all receipts are on file . :thumbsup:

[HTM Yaris]

I've just changed my oil @ 10 K for the second time using Amsoil 5-30 . The oil was pretty darn clean . I will go the full 15 K that Amsoil suggest for this next interval .

[POORSHA]

I use amsoil 0w-30 ss I change the oil every 15,000 mi. If you go to the amsoil site they have a lot of info. It may not change your mind, but then again it might. Still worth the time to read it.amsoil.com

[genethekiller]

By the way, this guy isn't in Ramstein village, is he? Last name Kaprowski?

I used to have a great BMW mechanic that worked on my two E30 3-series and I swear I have never had such an excellent mechanic! I wish I could get him over to Texas.

But Loren is exactly right, with today's modern blends the days of 3-5000 mile oil changes are becoming a thing of the past. If you are really concerned about breakdown, send a sample to a laboratory after you do your next oil change and you will be surprised how little it has deteriorated!

Cheers! M2

No, his name is Edwin Lugo. Awesome guy, always makes sure your stuff is good to go. I love German mechanics. And he's the best.

Anyway, this guy's shop is in Landstuhl.

[Kal-El]

Going 15,000 miles between changes means you don't care about your car. :eek:

Toyota engineers (those silly guys that built the engines :wink:) say 5,000 miles. That's what I follow.

I'd say 7,500 should be the limit.

[MadMax]

We had great mechanics for both my BMW and the wife's Passat when we were stationed in Germany. The Passat went to Rittersbacher VW in Landstuhl (on the B-40), and "Herr Kaprowski" was recommended to me by the guy I bought the 318i from.

And I do miss being in Germany. I was just in Munich and Garmisch last month and hope to get back there again in a few months. I was last at Ramstein in May 08 for an exercise, it was a great time to be there!

Cheers! M2

[ddongbap]

running synth... change ever 4500-5000 just for the waranty issues. Once my waranty is up (80,000miles) i'll change the filter ever 3k-5k, and the oil every 10k (synth oil still).

I ran my 97 mazda 626 on 4k intervals on dino oil and never had a problem... put 90,000 miles on it in 5.5 years.

There is no real way of checking what your oil change interval is at.

[TheSilkySmooth]

Just a brief point: it is only a myth that Mobil 1 and other oils are not true synthetics. I called Mobil 1, and read their official stockholders' report, and they explicitly state that Mobil 1 is a true synthetic from synthetic stock, and not a cracked natural oil. There is no SAE/API/ILSAC definition for "chemist handbook defined" synthetic anymore - its been removed from the books. Show us a Mobil document that shows the base stock chemistry of mobil one 5W-30, otherwize its a BS and hogwash and misinformation. Guys/gals, another path to the truth: Look at the spec on the oil, available on manufacturers webpage; if the pour point is not below -45deg C AND a Flash point above 250 deg C, then its not homogeneous pure synth basestock, just a blend. Oh, forgot, Mobil 5W-30 doesnt meet its specs - so I guess ANYTHING they say is BS. Like blaming the Hurricane on the lack of Mobil oil on the shelf - when the real reason we can suppose is a "silent recall".
check this read:
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:44qDjO2UrRUJ:www.yubase.com/eng/download/articles/synthestic1.pdf+APi+definition+of+synthetic+oil&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8


the bro

[PetersRedYaris]

Going 15,000 miles between changes means you don't care about your car. :eek:

Toyota engineers (those silly guys that built the engines :wink:) say 5,000 miles. That's what I follow.

I'd say 7,500 should be the limit.

I agree, but that's the US oil change interval... I find it very interesting that the European Yari have longer intervals, like Andies 9,000 mile (15,000 Km) recommended change from post #18. His TS has the same motor as the new Corolla, so whats the difference?

You have to question why US yari have shorter recommended oil changes compared to the rest of the world. :iono:

[GeneW]

I have a great mechanic here in Germany, good honest guy always looking for ways to save me money, (a la buying oil from US shops, 5w-30 is ridiculously expensive in Europe)

But every time I take my car to him for an oil change, he tells me I don't need to bring it in that often. It's been nearly 5000 miles, I always change early, just a couple hundred miles or so, but I don't think he gets it.

The US EPA has been leading changes in oil composition in the US. Possibly they are leading the EU or vice versa on this kind of change. Standards have been falling since 1990 for phosphorous content in oils.

The EPA wants reduce Phosphorous content in oils. Phosphorous reduces wear in "tight spaces" under starvation conditions, like in overhead valve assemblies. Phosphorous also "poisons" catalysts in catalytic converters, leading to their expiration. This annoys the EPA, which would like emission control systems to last up to and beyond 100,000 miles (160,000 klicks).

So the US EPA has been encouraging oil makers to shift to oils that contain other critical additives, such as Moly Di-sulfide. Will these substitutes work in the long term? Who can say? Molydisulfide is a great grease additive and dry lubricant, but oils are not dry lubricants and do other things besides lubricate.

Engine oil serves many functions in an automobile. Besides lubricating the crankshaft, bearings and inside walls of cylinders it also removes heat and combustion products. Which of these functions fails first? I do not know. I do know that Yaris do run kind of hot and do need protection.

I rarely go above 6,000 miles on synthetic. To me saving twenty or thirty bucks a year for oil and slightly raising the risk of reduced reliability is not worth it to me. I make a decent living and insist upon a reliable form of transportation, especially as I am out and about into the wee hours of the morning.

There is not even the awful practice of pouring oil down storm drains or burning it in incinerators to deter us today. Quite a few firms will recycle old oil, returning it to service. Castrol, for example, uses a lot of recycled oil. So to me pouring used oil into the tanks of Advance Auto or other firms does not cause me any worries.

We have a member here who achieved 300,000 miles of engine wear, apparently a lot of it at high speeds. He claims to have changed the oil every 5,000 miles. FWIW.

Gene

[Kal-El]

I agree, but that's the US oil change interval... I find it very interesting that the European Yari have longer intervals, like Andies 9,000 mile (15,000 Km) recommended change from post #18. His TS has the same motor as the new Corolla, so whats the difference?

You have to question why US yari have shorter recommended oil changes compared to the rest of the world. :iono:

Yes, I'm quite curious to know why the intervals are different.

:confused:

[ddongbap]

The US EPA has been leading changes in oil composition in the US. Possibly they are leading the EU or vice versa on this kind of change. Standards have been falling since 1990 for phosphorous content in oils.

The EPA wants reduce Phosphorous content in oils. Phosphorous reduces wear in "tight spaces" under starvation conditions, like in overhead valve assemblies. Phosphorous also "poisons" catalysts in catalytic converters, leading to their expiration. This annoys the EPA, which would like emission control systems to last up to and beyond 100,000 miles (160,000 klicks).

So the US EPA has been encouraging oil makers to shift to oils that contain other critical additives, such as Moly Di-sulfide. Will these substitutes work in the long term? Who can say? Molydisulfide is a great grease additive and dry lubricant, but oils are not dry lubricants and do other things besides lubricate.

Engine oil serves many functions in an automobile. Besides lubricating the crankshaft, bearings and inside walls of cylinders it also removes heat and combustion products. Which of these functions fails first? I do not know. I do know that Yaris do run kind of hot and do need protection.

I rarely go above 6,000 miles on synthetic. To me saving twenty or thirty bucks a year for oil and slightly raising the risk of reduced reliability is not worth it to me. I make a decent living and insist upon a reliable form of transportation, especially as I am out and about into the wee hours of the morning.

There is not even the awful practice of pouring oil down storm drains or burning it in incinerators to deter us today. Quite a few firms will recycle old oil, returning it to service. Castrol, for example, uses a lot of recycled oil. So to me pouring used oil into the tanks of Advance Auto or other firms does not cause me any worries.

We have a member here who achieved 300,000 miles of engine wear, apparently a lot of it at high speeds. He claims to have changed the oil every 5,000 miles. FWIW.

Gene

How much of the EPAs 'encouragement' is actually working?

[TheSilkySmooth]

Yes, I'm quite curious to know why the intervals are different.

:confused:One thing, longlife synthetic meets a chem-E definition of 'synthetic' in the EU, so you have grp iv-v blends over there that have MUCH lower residue over a 15km interval where a "big USA Name oil" SM/SL would be 'toast'. rest assured though, Your Redlines and some Amsoils would compare favourably to the energy conserving EU oils. The Eu ACEA spec can be manufacturer specific, and A3/B3 is very conservative for HTHS viscosity;BMW lost a whole bunch of engines running underspec USA oils over here and spec only ONE Castrol very high weight oil. But Dont worry, EU typical citizen microcar EU manufacturers and producers will soon be following API/ISLAC for lower emissions and their engineer will be pulling hair. See the ACEA A1/B1. In fact we are running a French Motul 8100 that meets SL and a1/b1 and I can say its not too great, so they are already in the dumpster on changes. It will take time and a lot of engine failures before this gets settled. I bet in 2-3 years you will see something in news about bad oils if a new "wonder chemical additive" doesnt come out to replace the "banned' Zinc phosphates (zddp). I need to studythis big advance that Castrol is touting. - Papa

[TheSilkySmooth]

I am curious to know if the EU spec vehicles and those sold in NZ and Australia have differing piston and journal clearances to utilise the more viscous oils for long life intervals. You can't specify 5w-20 and 15W-40 in the same engine regardless of ambient temps. The engine temp is mainly determioned by the coolant thermostat.

[trini_per4mance]

I've always felt (and it's common knowledge) that oil is the lifeblood of the engine, and if anything, should be taken care of early and often.

like you said, "oil is the lifeblood of the engine". I have a yaris with over 300,000 miles on it. why? because I use synthetic oil and i still change 5000 miles or before. don't sacrifice your car's engine to save time or money or headaches! because in the long run it may cause you more time, money and headaches, if you damage the engine.

[nemelek]

like you said, "oil is the lifeblood of the engine". I have a yaris with over 300,000 miles on it. why? because I use synthetic oil and i still change 5000 miles or before. don't sacrifice your car's engine to save time or money or headaches! because in the long run it may cause you more time, money and headaches, if you damage the engine.

Wow. That is 10,000 miles a month. (About what I'll drive the Yaris in a year) Almost 330 miles a day. Do you use the car for work? Or do you just have a real long commute? What if any thing has failed and needed to be replaced? How long do your brakes and tires usually last? Have you done any other service work besides oil changes?

[trini_per4mance]

Wow. That is 10,000 miles a month. (About what I'll drive the Yaris in a year) Almost 330 miles a day. Do you use the car for work? Or do you just have a real long commute? What if any thing has failed and needed to be replaced? How long do your brakes and tires usually last? Have you done any other service work besides oil changes?

nemelek, check my following topic: http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13471

[ztrack157]

Atleast no one here has tried the Ams 25k mile oil yet. I use it in my Diesel truck once a year changes though its 9 years old and has 4k more miles than my yaris

[churp]

I don't consider myself 'green' by any means, but (believe what you want on the longevity of the oil) if you change the oil at 15,000 miles the cost per mile (40 mpg / $1.90 per gallon / $25.00 for oil & filter) is $0.0491---oil change is 3.5 % of driving costs. At 10,000 miles oil change is 5.3%, and at 5,000 miles oil change is 10.5% of driving costs.

So.....If you believe 15,000 miles between oil changes is ok, You can save as much money or more than if you drive like a hypermiler. Or roughly you can drive an extra 500 miles for free if you extend your oil change by 5,000 miles (1,000 free miles if you change at 15k instead of 5k). Gamble at your own risk...my warranty is off now so I'm going for the 10,000 mile change.

[ddongbap]

I.. don't think cost is the issue here man.

[churp]

I.. don't think cost is the issue here man.

If cost is not the issue ... change every 1,000 miles! Guaranteed that your engine will have the best benefit of clean oil. :smile:

The "facts" of oil performance are buried somewhere in reports by indpendant and not so independant labs. Everyone is free to pick the "facts" that they choose to go by. :confused:

In the 60's I changed oil every 3,000 and engines were still sludged up. Now oils are so much different....the EPA mandating changes in additives for green concerns, is the main source of reduction of oil's effectiveness (trade offs).

[ddongbap]

Are you even reading this thread?

[churp]

Are you even reading this thread?

Sorta thought I was! The only reason to spend money changing your oil is to prevent spending a lot more money by changing your engine. Some people think 15k is fine for synthetics, and seems like someone mentioned an oil that claims 25k.

My warranty is up, I drive 30k a year, and my opinion is that I'll drive 5 to 10k before I change my synthetic oil. If you have a different opinion fine. Driving conditions vary for everyone, and that is a big factor. As far as 'factual' info on this, it's sort of like global warming, you will find supporting 'facts' however you think.

[TheRealEnth]

Well.. The best you can do is tally up info from various cars knowing how often they were changed on a continued basis and see what happens.

[ddongbap]

Sorta thought I was! The only reason to spend money changing your oil is to prevent spending a lot more money by changing your engine. Some people think 15k is fine for synthetics, and seems like someone mentioned an oil that claims 25k.

My warranty is up, I drive 30k a year, and my opinion is that I'll drive 5 to 10k before I change my synthetic oil. If you have a different opinion fine. Driving conditions vary for everyone, and that is a big factor. As far as 'factual' info on this, it's sort of like global warming, you will find supporting 'facts' however you think.

Not really. The entire argument questions the validity of changing your oil at 3000 miles. You can't really say that people here are debating oil change intervals just because of the cost issue.

IMHO, I don't think oils have much to do with the change intervals. If the oils meet the minimum requirement, it'll then depend on how well made the engine is.

Unless you're a Ferrari owner or something. Then that would be a different story.

My mom's Nissan Quest went with out an oil change for 150k miles. Thats right, 150,000 miles. Thing ran like crap. My buddy and I had done a engine flush, twice, changed the spark plugs, and it ran like new. It was epic.

Go VG30DE.

[Havana]

Here's my experience with oil changes for what it's worth (possibly nothing). FIY I have never used synthetic oils.
1986 Jeep Cherokee 289,000 miles at time of selling, 3K oil changes as recommended, never rebuilt or replaced engine, used many different brands of oil over the years.
1983 Mercedes 240D 394,000 miles at time of selling, 5k oil changes as recommended, no problems at all, used regular Castrol.
2000 Civic HB 222,000 miles at time of selling, 7k oil changes as recommended, no problems at all, always used standard Valvoline, still getting 38mpg when I traded it for my Yaris.
Based on my past experience, I think the Yaris will do fine with 5k oil changes. Recommended oil change intervals for passenger cars are always set within a much larger safety range. Remember it's a recommendation, your car will not self destruct if you take it to 5,001 with no oil change, or 10k or even 15K (though I wouldn't suggest trying it). The Yaris is a well engineered, solidly manufactured, quality machine and that's a big part of the equation that often gets overlooked. It's built to last if well maintained. Consider how many oil changes you will do for each 100k miles - 33 times if you change at 3k or 20 times if you change at 5k. Consider how much you spend for each oil change. I do my own and it costs me about $25 each time including filter. That's $500 for every 100k miles with 5k changes or $$825 with 3k changes. I am personally not convinced that the extra expense of the 3k change is warranted for the Yaris. Based on knowing many long term Toyota owners, I just don't see any otherwise properly maintained Yaris blowing an engine at 150k even 200k because someone did 5k changes instead of 3k. These are just my opinions, based on my own real world experiences. Change your own oil as you see fit. To each, his own.

[dallas]

Good info, some Euro mfg go as long as 40,000 km to an oil change. in North America the BMW LL4 spec is over 20,000 km change, but you have to use a ACEA (euro) oil to meet the standard. THe VW TDi diesel is hard on Oil and the drain is 15,000 km, Better base oils and additives allow the longer drain intervals. The problem is that Canadian and US gas contains Methanol/ethanol which is hard on the oil. I go 12,000 Km with Euro oil with no problems, but would recommend following Toyotas suggestions if you want warrantee. :thumbup:


You have a good mechanic. Germans "get it". While Americans are still clinging to the "change your oil every 3,000 miles" that the oil companies have been feeding us for many, many decades and are hesitant to even go to 5k, the German car makers are going 10, 12, even 15k miles between oil changes.

Doing what is required to maintain your warranty is good, but once your warranty is up, recognize that even 5,000 miles is very conservative with a modern engine using modern oils. Even with conventional oil, I wouldn't hesitate to go to 7 or 8k, maybe even 10k. With good synthetic oil, 15k without question.

My Yaris warranty isn't anywhere near expired, and I've already decided that I'm going with a 15k interval. I'm about half way through it right now and my Mobil 1 looks just like it did when I poured it in. I figure if it's good enough to be the factory interval for the Brazilian-made engine in my wife's MINI Cooper, it's good enough for my Toyota.

[phenoyz]

can you use bmw genuine synthetic oil 5w-30?

[supmet]

I change at 5k if I have money, but usually go 6-8k on mobil 1 synthetic.

And all this talk about the great german engineers.. Don't get me wrong, I'd pick up an M3 if I had the money, but every person I've seen with a beemer drives the dealer loaner more than their car...

[TheSilkySmooth]

can you use bmw genuine synthetic oil 5w-30? Who knows what this stuff is? I thought they use Euro Castrol BMW spec 15W-60? Motul Or Elf extended drain LL A3/B3 5W-40 rating tends to be the best, lowest wear, longest life. Easy 8000 mi OCI intervals for the Yar if not a short distance driver in Manitoba:wink:.

[SilverGlow]

cheapest insurance you can buy....change your oil as often as possible.

Sure, for those that ignore science, common sense, are easily dilluted, cheated, and have no use for research, Used Oil Analysis (UOA's), and have no sense of financial success, go right ahead.

[SilverGlow]

Not really. The entire argument questions the validity of changing your oil at 3000 miles. You can't really say that people here are debating oil change intervals just because of the cost issue.

IMHO, I don't think oils have much to do with the change intervals. If the oils meet the minimum requirement, it'll then depend on how well made the engine is.

Unless you're a Ferrari owner or something. Then that would be a different story.

My mom's Nissan Quest went with out an oil change for 150k miles. Thats right, 150,000 miles. Thing ran like crap. My buddy and I had done a engine flush, twice, changed the spark plugs, and it ran like new. It was epic.

Go VG30DE.

150,000 miles on same oil. Bool Sheet! The things one reads on the internet...lots of absolute lies!

[SilverGlow]

I change at 5k if I have money, but usually go 6-8k on mobil 1 synthetic.

And all this talk about the great german engineers.. Don't get me wrong, I'd pick up an M3 if I had the money, but every person I've seen with a beemer drives the dealer loaner more than their car...

Good point!

And what is it with those 1 or 2 posters here that brag about their mechanic, and know his name?

I've been driving Toyotas and Hondas for 20 years and I never knew the names of any of the mechanics, nor had any type of friendships with them. I didn't see them enough!

[The Shape]

I use regular castrol and change at 4K. I think even a dino oil is ok as long as it is changed at reasonable intervals.

[TheSilkySmooth]

I use regular castrol and change at 4K. I think even a dino oil is ok as long as it is changed at reasonable intervals.

Castrol, A British oil? How 'bout a bailout for the American OIL Co's. On second thought ... ...

[firemachine69]

5K on dino. I'm under warranty. I've got synthetic for extended drains when my warranty runs out.