Oil 5000 miles + - Toyota Yaris Forums

genethekiller · 01-26-2009, 03:10 PM

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 · 01-26-2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · 01-26-2009, 04:23 PM

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 · 01-26-2009, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemelek

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 · 01-26-2009, 06:08 PM

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 · 01-26-2009, 06:29 PM

I'm rocking 9k miles on my conventional.

MadMax · 01-26-2009, 06:35 PM

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 · 01-26-2009, 07:19 PM

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

voodoo22 · 01-27-2009, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

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

Very wasteful.

TheSilkySmooth · 01-27-2009, 11:16 AM

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 · 01-27-2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

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 · 01-27-2009, 01:32 PM

warranty , warranty , warranty , warranty , .................................................. .................................................. ................................ .

. THE END ?

ChinoCharles · 01-27-2009, 01:39 PM

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.

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 · 01-27-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gid

warranty , warranty , warranty , warranty , .................................................. .................................................. ................................ .

. THE END ?

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 · 01-27-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

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 · 01-27-2009, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yawesh

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 ) .

.

ChinoCharles · 01-27-2009, 03:32 PM

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 · 01-27-2009, 03:42 PM

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.

01-26-2009, 03:10 PM	#1
genethekiller Drives: 2008 Yaris Liftback Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Landstuhl, Germany Posts: 13	Oil 5000 miles + 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.

01-26-2009, 04:23 PM	#3
nemelek DWEED Drives: 3DR 2008 Metorite Metalic Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,161	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. __________________ Making a decision without following it with an action is still a fantasy.

01-26-2009, 06:08 PM	#5
Loren What? Drives: 2007 Yaris LB Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Safety Harbor, FL Posts: 1,006	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. __________________ ----------------------- Loren@InvisibleSun.org -----------------------

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01-26-2009, 06:29 PM	#6
ddongbap Banned Drives: yw calls me douche and racist. Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: hay Posts: 2,183	I'm rocking 9k miles on my conventional.

01-26-2009, 06:35 PM	#7
MadMax Drives: 2008 Yaris Liftback (Sprocket) Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas! Posts: 2,799	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

01-26-2009, 07:19 PM	#8
Chupacabra Banned Drives: 2009 Yaris liftback Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: CT Posts: 350	cheapest insurance you can buy....change your oil as often as possible.

01-27-2009, 11:16 AM	#10
TheSilkySmooth Drives: 08 3DR 5M Bayou Blue; 09 Fos Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 622	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

01-27-2009, 01:32 PM	#12
gid Drives: '08 Yaris sedan , '08 Liftback Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northeast Posts: 643	warranty , warranty , warranty , warranty , .................................................. .................................................. ................................ . . THE END ?

01-27-2009, 01:39 PM	#13
ChinoCharles Banned Drives: LB Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: OH Posts: 7,787	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. 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.

01-27-2009, 03:32 PM	#17
ChinoCharles Banned Drives: LB Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: OH Posts: 7,787	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.

01-27-2009, 03:42 PM	#18
andries aka Jack Wolfskin Drives: Yaris Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Spain Posts: 239	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.