Oil change question

[Ryu]

I have this question about oil change in my mind.
Toyota recommend every 6 month/8000km for the oil change for Yaris, but it seems a bit long to me, will it hurt the engine if I change it every 8000 km, or should I change it like every 5000km or 6000km?

Need some expert to give me some advises on it

[Schmingie]

I am by no means an expert. I do however work for Toyota in Parts and I don't buy into 8000km oil changes. I drive my vehicles 500,000 km or until they wear out, which seems to be around that figure. I change my oil every 4000km.
Oil changes are such cheap insurance on keeping your vehicle running.

This is only an opinion and should by no means be taken as fact.

S.

[AutoTech1]

Originally Posted by Ryu

I have this question about oil change in my mind.
Toyota recommend every 6 month/8000km for the oil change for Yaris, but it seems a bit long to me, will it hurt the engine if I change it every 8000 km, or should I change it like every 5000km or 6000km?

Need some expert to give me some advises on it

You probably would be safe if you did stay until 8000. Toyota knows what it's talking about... It would not mislead consumers, because it'd come back to them and bite them in the ass.

The earlier you change your oil, the longer your engine will live... As oil life increases, it doesn't protect as well... It starts to sludge up... Blow by gases start to make it's way into the oil sump... And even oil gets into the combustion chamber and is wasted there (not extremely large amounts though). So you get the picture...

[yariman]

The more often you change your oil the better.

[swng]

Forgive me for stating the obvious. The more you drive in stop and go traffic and/or hilly roads, the more often you will need to change your oil. If you drive normally on a reasonable balance of highways and city roads, I presume an oil change every 8,000 kms as per the user's manual should be enough, especially after your car has been properly broken in. However, some cars do need one viscosity of oil for summer and another for winter, probably not in places like Hawaii though. Moreover, synthetic oil makers usually claim that their products last longer and work well in a wider range of temperatures. Having sail that, I would change my oil at least once every six months even if my car has not moved an inch.

[Ryu]

I think i will do my oil change between every 5000 - 6000km since i got drive in stop and go traffic to go.
Thanks for the great reply

One more question just pop out from my mind, is Toyota Genuine Motor Oil any better than the aftermarket oil, or just do the oil change on your own will be good enough?

[swng]

Many people change oil themselves. Provided the correct viscosity is selected and the right method is used, it should be o.k. To play safe, I would recommend to buy from well known brands and retailers. Please also visit the thread about when to change to synthetic oil. However, for such a new car, why not take it back to the dealership for a worry free oil change and at the same time take advantage of the warranty to fix any problems that may have been noticed during the break in period? Also, in the long run, the opportunity of an oil change at the dealership is often taken to adjust/replace some parts which are inevitably subject to wear and tear in daily uses. Moreover, a well kept record of oil change and maintenance by the dealership can help attract a higher resale price, so the extra money spent may return to you at least partially.

Just my humble opionion. I am not an expert anyway, just another consumer.

[Schmingie]

Just to give you an idea about quality of Genuine Toyota Motor Oil. Here in Canada, it is all manufactured, bottled and rebranded by Esso.

Is it better? ..... You decide.

S.

[jcove]

I received a few free oil changes when I bought mine(two or three). Isn't that the norm? That's what I got on my wife's car too, a Nissan Altima.

[AutoTech1]

Originally Posted by swng

Forgive me for stating the obvious. The more you drive in stop and go traffic and/or hilly roads, the more often you will need to change your oil. If you drive normally on a reasonable balance of highways and city roads, I presume an oil change every 8,000 kms as per the user's manual should be enough, especially after your car has been properly broken in. However, some cars do need one viscosity of oil for summer and another for winter, probably not in places like Hawaii though. Moreover, synthetic oil makers usually claim that their products last longer and work well in a wider range of temperatures. Having sail that, I would change my oil at least once every six months even if my car has not moved an inch.

Changing your oil has nothing to do with going up hilly roads or being stuck in traffic... It just has to do with you engine running and the effects of combustion... Oil is usually contaminated with gasoline during short-trip driving in cold weather, because the gaslone doesn't vaporize as easily...

You'll find that a lot of the problems that do happen with engines (but don't get me wrong... Not all of them do) have to do with warming up or a car sitting out to long... Remember... Cars were meant to be driven and not to be beauty queens... Little things start to go, believe it or not...

[swng]

Thanks for your insight. Here is my humble opinion.

The main reason for using engine oil is to reduce friction which is encountered when the engine turns. Each time the engine is switched on, the engine oil is polluted and "consumed" gradually, hence an oil change in due course. If a car is not used, the main reason for the oil inside it to deteriorate is the passage of time because the chemistry of the oil cannot be forever stable. In this respect, some synthetics are better than the others. However, when the car is used, the more it is used, and the harsher the circumstances it is used in, the more engine wear and tear will result. That is bad for the oil in additon to the time factor and the gas mixing with the oil because any engine use and wear and tear will inevitably introduce very small particles of metals and other things into the oil which will make it less effective in protecting the engine. The heavier the engine is used the more so. Therefore, a more frequently used car requires more frequent oil changes.

In daily uses, driving more in stop and go traffic and on hilly roads means higher average engine revolutions because lower gears are used more frequently than on highways. To the engine, that is more work. Also, "stops" in stop and go traffic does not mean the engine is switched off. It is still running and is still consuming oil slowly whilst achieving no mileage. Hence, a same distance of city/mountainous roads driving will be equivalent to a longer distance of highway driving. It is a reasonable presumption that the 8,000 km interval for every oil change specified by Toyota is an average distance meant for a reasonable balance of driving in various conditions. Drivng in harsh conditions, including driving relatively frequently in lower gears(as in city and mountainous conditons), poorly paved or unpaved surfaces(hence less high gears), extreme weather conditions(necessitating e.g. longer warm up periods in cold weather), high altitude(reducing engine efficiency and necessitating more use of lower gears) and driving with heavy loads and some other situations(such as aggressive driving) will also necessitate more frequent oil changes.

Nowadays, some cars have onboard computers that can, inter alia, suggest to people when to change their oil. The computers base their calculations more or less on some of the things you and I have mentioned.

Once again, thanks for sharing your insight.

[swng]

Originally Posted by jcove

I received a few free oil changes when I bought mine(two or three). Isn't that the norm? That's what I got on my wife's car too, a Nissan Altima.

I recieved only one! Lucky you!

[AutoTech1]

Originally Posted by swng

Thanks for your insight. Here is my humble opinion.

The main reason for using engine oil is to reduce friction which is encountered when the engine turns. Each time the engine is switched on, the engine oil is polluted and "consumed" gradually, hence an oil change in due course. If a car is not used, the main reason for the oil inside it to deteriorate is the passage of time because the chemistry of the oil cannot be forever stable. In this respect, some synthetics are better than the others. However, when the car is used, the more it is used, and the harsher the circumstances it is used in, the more engine wear and tear will result. That is bad for the oil in additon to the time factor and the gas mixing with the oil because any engine use and wear and tear will inevitably introduce very small particles of metals and other things into the oil which will make it less effective in protecting the engine. The heavier the engine is used the more so. Therefore, a more frequently used car requires more frequent oil changes.

In daily uses, driving more in stop and go traffic and on hilly roads means higher average engine revolutions because lower gears are used more frequently than on highways. To the engine, that is more work. Also, "stops" in stop and go traffic does not mean the engine is switched off. It is still running and is still consuming oil slowly whilst achieving no mileage. Hence, a same distance of city/mountainous roads driving will be equivalent to a longer distance of highway driving. It is a reasonable presumption that the 8,000 km interval for every oil change specified by Toyota is an average distance meant for a reasonable balance of driving in various conditions. Drivng in harsh conditions, including driving relatively frequently in lower gears(as in city and mountainous conditons), poorly paved or unpaved surfaces(hence less high gears), extreme weather conditions(necessitating e.g. longer warm up periods in cold weather), high altitude(reducing engine efficiency and necessitating more use of lower gears) and driving with heavy loads and some other situations(such as aggressive driving) will also necessitate more frequent oil changes.

Nowadays, some cars have onboard computers that can, inter alia, suggest to people when to change their oil. The computers base their calculations more or less on some of the things you and I have mentioned.

Once again, thanks for sharing your insight.

This reminds me of an interesting fact... Believe it or not, your engine wears the most during start-up. This is so because the oil is not yet flowing through all the parts... It's just sitting in the bottle of the oil pan, so tons of friction occurs at start-up. Not too pretty isn't it?

[jcove]

Originally Posted by swng

I recieved only one! Lucky you!

I'm in purchasing by profession, so I take it as the norm when I get things like that. Not trying to say I'm better than anyone, but I negotiate on a daily basis, so sometimes when I get something like this, I just assume that everyone gets it....

[jcove]

Originally Posted by Ryu

I have this question about oil change in my mind.
Toyota recommend every 6 month/8000km for the oil change for Yaris, but it seems a bit long to me, will it hurt the engine if I change it every 8000 km, or should I change it like every 5000km or 6000km?

Need some expert to give me some advises on it

Just my opinion, but if you talk to a lot of people who actually work on an engine on a regular basis, such as an engine rebuilder, they will tell you that stop and go traffic is considered by the OEM as Harsh conditions (I think I'm saying that right) and the oil should be changed sooner than if you just drive on the highway. I think someone already covered that it's good insurance at a good price to change the oil more frequently. It should help the life of the car. I believe this is the best advise that I've ever heard. Keep in mind that while the car manufacturer doesn't want to be liable when something goes wrong, they are also hoping that you will need a new car sooner rather than later to keep them in business. They don't build things to last forever, or they wouldn't be around to keep selling cars.

[swng]

Originally Posted by AutoTech1

This reminds me of an interesting fact... Believe it or not, your engine wears the most during start-up. This is so because the oil is not yet flowing through all the parts... It's just sitting in the bottle of the oil pan, so tons of friction occurs at start-up. Not too pretty isn't it?

Thanks for pointing out. That is very true and that is why we should not labour or race our engines too soon after start up.

[AutoTech1]

Originally Posted by swng

Thanks for pointing out. That is very true and that is why we should not labour or race our engines too soon after start up.

Very good point as well.

[swng]