oil changes on your Yaris

[asa805]

The manual states every 5000 miles (which seems to be a lot for city mileage). It says the first should be at 5000 miles too. I always hear that you shoudl do it after the first 500 or 1000.

What is everyone doing for their first oil change? Should i just do what my manual says? My warranty is only 3 years and any engine trouble that the lack of proper oil changes might incur would probably not rear its head until way after that 3 year mark.

[drdavidr4u]

I have always changed my oil on a new car at 1500, then 3000 and then every 3000 for city and 5000 for highway driving. I dont think your going to hurt anything doing the oil changes a little more often and it might just prolong the engine life....for the few bucks I feel its worth it! why be cheap!!!

[asa805]

Actually I hear that some cars have a special break in oil when u first get it that you actually SHOULDNT change the oil for the first 5000 miles (or in some cases more). I plan on changing my oil every 3000 as i do all city driving and id rather err on teh safe side. Just not sure if i shoudl wait till 3000 to do it (im at 500 now).

[Chris07LB]

Mines 3 weeks old, and I have over 2,000 (highway) miles already... Im changing mine! :cool:

[60 Somethings]

Other than a faulty ring on my '58 Ford 352 V8 (in my late teens) and a broken valve on our '72 VW Van (a predictible feature of that engine) we have only had one engine problem in 45 yrs+ or auto ownership - finally re-built our '86 Trooper at 160,000+ miles.

I have generally tried to change oil at 3,000 miles (sometimes got near 4,000 due to time constraints). We have had following car/mileage experiences before selling the vehicles - the ones I can still remember....:

'66 VW - 93,000 miles
'74 ALFA Spider - 139,000 miles (still own it, not rebuilt)
'79 Ford Fiesta - 180,000 miles (engine never touched, very strong)
'82 Dodge PU w/Slant 6 - 125,000 miles
'89 Tuarus 3.8L V6 - 165,000 miles
'97 Explorer w/Pushrod V6 - 114,000 miles
'98 Ford Ranger 4Cyl - 90,000 miles

I changed the oil in the Yaris at 2,500 miles and will go to Mobil 1 at 5,000 miles. Will change oil every 5,000 miles thereafter, with filter change and oil add at 2,500 miles. The car gets mostly city driving. This will keep me within the warranty requirements.

Using good regular oil and changing every 3,000 would probably work just as well. Local dealer recommends 3,000 mile intervals vs. Toyota's 5,000. Sure this is to get you in dealership more regularly, but it's a fact that folks do mostly city driving.

There appear to be all sorts of ideas on this subject as I read posts on various forums. "Just do it" is probably the best advice!

[foober]

Amen to mobil "1" oil. I've only used it in all my vehicles and supposedly according to my mechanic my engines are like brand new as he explained it. My nissan truck is at 160,000.

I'll do my first oil change at 3,000 and then put the mobile "1" in it every 3,000 to 4,000 miles from there on.

[mikeukrainetz]

I had planned on taking my yaris in early for the first oil change like everyone has said and Ive done on every other car ive owned. Toyota just recommended I bring it in on the regular scheduled oil change because the engines are run and broken in before they leave the factory. I dont know if this is true or not.

[eight_heads]

if they come broken in then why does the manual give you instructions on how to?

[swng]

I just drive the Yaris under quite normal conditions. When it comes to oil changes, I would just follow the owner's manual. The bottom line is if I follow the manual and still get into trouble, it should be Toyota's problem. At least this should be so as long as the warranty period has not expired:wink:.
As for the need for a break-in period. It is a bit tricky because my owner's manual does say the the vehicle does not need an elaborate break-in (Page 178). However, it does provide some guidance on what to do for the first 1600 km (1000 miles). Ambivalent? I don't know. Again, I have followed the manual. Afterall, the manual says following the guidelines would lead to better future economy and longer vehicle life. Hope it is true!

[fouad84]

OK everyone listen lemme settle this once and for all, but first 60 somthing I want to thank you for your input and I wish you and your small fleet of fine automobiles another very happy and long time together. As an automotive student in my second year at Joliet Jr College in Joliet, IL I was very good friends with my instructor(whos name I will not release cuz itll get back to me somehow,) whos son is an engineer for toyota and works in Japan. Anyone who has been tricked in to the 3,000 mile myth has became an unsuspecting victim of big oil, not as much today as they are bank rolling in profits, but think about this, why is it that the only places that you ever hear about changing your oil every 3 months or 3,000 miles is either autoshops, quckie lubes or the dealership, places that benefit more from you disobeying manufactorer specifications as prescribed in the manual THAT CAME WITH YOUR CAR, guys listen do you know who writes the toyota manual for your specific car....? Not the engineers, usually they hire a writer to get on windows publisher and type stuff up, but you know who gives him the notes as information and input for the manual...? the same people who designed the engine, suspension, body structure, that thing with the starter staying engaged till the engine starts even if you let go of the key too early, the engineers who spent the last year n a half of there lives improving the Yaris for US sales, the same engineers who designed the Yaris engine back before it had vvt(for the intake cam only...sigh) back when it was in the tercel and than in the echo and now in the yaris. And according to the Scheduled Maintenance Guide for my 2007 Yaris S, for oil changes its 5,000 miles or 6 months WHICH EVER COME FIRST, if its been 6 months since your last oil change and you've only driven 2500 miles time to get it changed, if you just changed your oil last month and youve somehow managed to stack up 6000 miles on your car already since than, guess what? time to change it. Guys listen people like my instructors son get booco bux for designing this stuff, they would know best what service intervals you should follow, if anything they always error on the safe side with these interval field tests, for example if it turns out that the yaris motor can infact withstand 9000 miles or 8months and still last the same long amount of time that it was designed to, according to the tests, as it would have with 5000 mile changes theyll still play it safe, cuz they dont like recalls or even so little as changing small things in instruction manuals after doing 100s of thousands dollars of verified tests. So listen don't waste your money, you really wanna know somthing you just can't do enough of to your Yaris, especially if it snows where you live? Keeping corrosive salt dirt and other stuff that eats away that shiney new paint off your car, you can NEVER wash it enough, ESPECIALLY-ESPECIALLY-The underside carraige that need more attension than anything else, I say save your money and go to a carwash with an under carriage washer, er better yet invest in a pressure washer with an under side addaptor, Ok thankyou that was my 2 n 1/2 cents thank you n good night

P.s just as important, make sure you dry your car as much as possbile, between doors, trunks even the hood get as much water as you can off that mutha Yaris

[JaiTomato]

I had a Corolla several years ago that I had up to 221,000 miles. If I remember right I was changing oil on average every 6000 miles. Sometimes 5500, sometimes 7000, once at 8000 :iono: . Never had a problem with the engine. It was the exhaust system that did it in eventually.
Perhaps I might have been able have it longer if the oil changes were more frequent. I'd never know.
I plan to change oil on the Yaris at least 5000 miles no less.

[60 Somethings]

Fouad84, good points - as I said they want you in the dealership. Hey, Jiffy-Lube's goal is to get you to spend $50 every time you are in for an oil change - so the more times you are in, the more they gross.

Also note we will be going 5,000 miles between oil changes; just changing filter every 2,500. (We drive both vehicles 12,000-15,000 miles/yr so the 6 month limit is not a factor.)

Now, to reality for most folks - the ones not on auto forums like this: They probably never check their oil between changes! (...and there are no more "service" stations with the friendly attendant saying, "Check your oil mam?") Also, even when folks mean to change their oil every 3,000 miles, they many times don't get in to do it until 4,000, or maybe 4,500 miles. So, your oil is low and maybe they have installed minimally performing filters to boot.......

If you are reading this Forum, you are at least thinking about these things - I would bet it's off the radar screen of most housewives and young women (notice I said 'most', not 'all') and a lot of men, too.

Additionally, today's engines are a far cry from cars of the 50's & 60's some of us grew up with - many were ready for re-build at or before 100,000 miles. Compared to my '53 Ford's flathead V8 and my Mom's '60 Comet 144 cu.in. 6Cyl, the Yaris engine is a high-strung, precision motorcycle engine.

And the bottom line today: The engines are so good they usually outlast the accessories hanging on them and the body (you're right about getting that water, too) and interior. Sold our last two vehicles because the cost of fixing the other things that had happened, or were about to happen, would exceed value of the vehicle, AND getting the stuff done right, at a fair price, is too much work.

[foober]

I have a question.

What if I only have 2,500 miles on my yaris within 6 months. Why do I have to have the oil changed at the 6th month period. Does the oil or oil filter go bad. Or is this just another gimmick to have me change my oil more often. I use mobil 1 oil which isn't supposed to break down so do I still have to change it within the 6th month period.

[TrancosRt]

As far as I know the oil slowly "decomposes" and deteriorates with time, rednering not very capable of lubricating correctly.
I've always tried to stay within the 3000 limit although usually I go up to 500 miles over it (right know I'm about 700 over it, but I'm waiting on the new Yaris and didn't really have time to take it in). I never had problems doing this but you guys are right about following the manual since I guess the engineers know more about the enginee than the Tire Kingdom salesman knwos about it, so I dunno what I'll do once I get the Yaris...

[swng]

One of the ways for oil to deteriorate is for it to take up moisture (water) gradually. Therefore, even if the oil level appears to have been maintained, chances are that after a long time, the oil's quality has degraded. Even good filters cannot eliminate this problem.
Having said that, IMHO, under normal circumtances, there should have been sufficient safety margin built into the manual specified intervals.

[fouad84]

IMHO, under normal circumtances, there should have been sufficient safety margin built into the manual specified intervals.

And into the owners manual itself as well, do you know how many paper cuts ive received from that damn thing:slice:

[mochi63]

Every 3000 miles should be the right time to have oil change

[fnkngrv]

I also went to College for Undercar Chasis and Engines. My instructor was a firm believer that pretty much all the "motor oil manufacturers" out there are peddling the same stuff other than their "patented" detergent technologies so buying one brand from another another doesn't get you much....now running synth as opposed to real is a different story. From all the tests that he performed to prove this to students (which he does each year for oil and spark plugs) I am a firm believer in the same philosophies. As for the comments about the 5k in the manual...if you wanna change it at 3k then you are just lining the pockets of the businesses out there when you could be using it on other maintenance items such as afore mentioned washing your car. Thank you...please drive thru.

[KSIbucky]

for the prise just weight the 5000

[Chris07LB]

for the prise just weight the 5000

Price.... Wait.....

Sorry, had to do it Bucky! :tongue:

[Tankota]

Dang I need some of what Bucky is drinking... Bartender??!! Another one of those over here!!! :biggrin:

[Moose]

5000 miles- even for the first one. I wouldn't mislead you- I'm a service manager at a Lexus dealership.

[El Jefe]

agreed, 5k for them, even the first, im an ASE master tech/ KIA master tech (soon to be a master toyota tech asap also!!)

[fnkngrv]

So then Moose and El....what do you recommend....sticking with natural oil at the first change or going to synth?

[mikeukrainetz]

Tripped over this link while looking online... some may be interested to read it.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/07/12/014497.html

[El Jefe]

gee a study done by an oil company says you should change your oil more often, i wonder why lol
now if you run regular oil, then yes i would say change it at 3k, but full synthetic change it at 5k
fnkngrv, i will definatly switch to full synthetic on my first change and will change it every 5k with mobil 1 full synthetic and a toyota filter.

[Moose]

My dealership, as many Lexus and Toyota dealerships, uses semi-synthetic oil. It gives you all the protection you need for normal driving, retains the 5000 mile interval, and saves you some money over synthetic.

Honestly, following the maufacturer's recommended interval with the recommended oil (with Toyota it will be conventional) and filter will be the best thing you can do.

Toyotas have been running for 500,000 miles for a long time without synthetic oil.

[DERICK]

I'm sorry to say this, but US motorists are being ripped-off by these short oil change intervals! I use Fully Synthetic oil & good quality oil filters in all my cars (latest being a Yaris), and I have ran a Honda HR-V for 40,000Km (24,000 Miles) on Mobil 1 without changing it - All I did was change the oil filter every 10,000Km (6000 Miles). When I eventually dropped the oil out of the vehicle, it was only slightly contaminated with fuel from piston ring blowback! The engine still runs like a dream! There is no way on this earth that I would change my oil & filter at 3000 Miles - It is simply a waste of your money & time.

[DERICK]

I forgot to mention in my previous post that a friend of mine drove a Toyota Corolla 1.6 EFI for over 200,000Km (120,000 Miles), and never changed the oil once! It was still using the oil that it came with... Whilst I don't believe this should be a policy that we all adopt, it just shows what these engines can cope with!

[ctrj]

I forgot to mention in my previous post that a friend of mine drove a Toyota Corolla 1.6 EFI for over 200,000Km (120,000 Miles), and never changed the oil once! It was still using the oil that it came with... Whilst I don't believe this should be a policy that we all adopt, it just shows what these engines can cope with!

I work at a Lexus dealership and let me tell you, you need to do regular maitenance on your car! We have customers who come in with cars with 30,000 miles on them and have never done an oil change. We call them sludge jobs, but they include a hefty engine rebuild cost for being idiots! Unless you have deep pockets, change the stuff every 3-5k miles.

[Ryu]

I only take it to the dealer to do the oil change using their so called"Toyota Genuine Motor Oil".
It is not a Synthetic oil so will that be ok to let them do the oil change every 8k using their oil?

[07WYarisRS]

I run Amsoil TRO 2000 0W-30 and change it twice a year...
Once in the spring and once in the fall and even doing this I am changing my oil at nearly 1/2 the recommended miles for this oil, which is 35,000 miles or once a year.
My parents change there Amsoil one a year and get just as much life out of their engines as well. I change mine a little more often just because I can LOL. I drive in the city, lots of stop and go, lots of short trips under 10 minutes and drive harder then they do. They live out in the boonies and drive like most old farts do LOL

I've run Amsoil for years in my own cars and bikes aswell as my customers bikes and race engines. I have not only saved my customers thousands of dollors in repairs but I've saved big $$$ in oil costs as well as repairs myself.
the cars I ran it in were
84 S-10 with over 700,000km (started using amsoil in 87-88)
87 S-10 w 350sb V8 350,000km engine is in my camaro and still running strong
Beretta GT 290,000 km
Cavalier 460,000 km, still going
Sunbird GT turbo 360, running 15 psi of boost 90% of it's life
Laser RS 300,000km Still going strong
Chevy Xtreme 180,000 km
As well as my Street bike that has nearly 100,000km and still on the OE clutch
hundreds of ours on 2 stroke outboards and race engines and not a single complaint or failed component. All of these engines are either still running perfect to this day or I have sold the car/truck E-tested and cert.

I save a few hundred dollars a year just by using Amsoil and I know I'm getting better protection then i do with ANY conventional oil or mineral oil based synthetics like Mobil 1

[07WYarisRS]

I only take it to the dealer to do the oil change using their so called"Toyota Genuine Motor Oil".
It is not a Synthetic oil so will that be ok to let them do the oil change every 8k using their oil?

Even conventional oils have come a long way in the past 20 years
Every 8000k is is fine but using conventional oils your engine will wear out quicker for harful deposits and performance will decrease quicker as you rack up the miles. IMO start changing you own oil or at the very least have your dealership use Mobil 1. (yes they do carry it)

see my last post.
I use a true 100% synthetic that contains no mineral oil, so it does not break down like even the other mineral based synthetic like Mobil 1 do. Mobil 1 extended life oils have a higher volume of esters and synthetic additives that allow it to last much longer then the regular mobil 1 but you can still get better. Amsoil and Redline are two of the best out there, they contain NO mineral oils and will out last and outperform just about any oil out there. Royal purple is another good brand but lab results I have had done show some quality control issues.

[Buckethead]

My packet says "First Service At 3750 Miles"
Which I figure is the works.

[Buckethead]

Reading the previous posts, looks like they won't be seeing me until 4850 miles from now. Or Until Jan 2007... Which ever comes first. :w00t: