You get free oil changes they say!

[cabmandone]

I bought a new Toyota Highlander back in September. One of the big pitches was that the vehicle comes with "free maintenance" with Toyotacare. I called yesterday to schedule an appointment for an oil change because the vehicle has about 5000 miles on it. The service representative says that the 5000 mile service doesn't include an oil change and that Toyota's recommended oil change interval is 10,000 miles. I don't give a damn how great synthetic oil is, that's almost 12 months of driving at the rate my wife is going and that's too long between oil changes!.

The maintenance guide states that the oil should be changed at 5000 miles if towing or using a luggage carrier or if you makes short trips during cold weather. I'm gonna have to call Toyota. 10,000 miles on the original oil for a new engine is just too long to go.

[flatbutt]

They told me the same thing for my '20 Taco. I called to make an app't and they said no need. I said yes please and they agreed. I brought it in at 3000 miles and had the oil changed at no charge. I'll change it myself at 6000 and bring it to them at 10,000.

BTW I do not like these new (to me) oil filters.

[KNS]

Years ago when BMW started offering free maintenance with a new purchase the oil service interval coincidentally went way up.

I think they dropped the free maintenance after a few years...

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

They told me the same thing for my '20 Taco. I called to make an app't and they said no need. I said yes please and they agreed. I brought it in at 3000 miles and had the oil changed at no charge. I'll change it myself at 6000 and bring it to them at 10,000.

BTW I do not like these new (to me) oil filters.

I'll have to give that a try. I haven't even looked into the oil filter. Is it something weird?

Okaaaaaaaay! I just looked. It is weird.

[cabmandone]

It's canister type. I'm used to that with hydraulic filters on different machines. Never seen it for the engine oil filter.

[Arthropraxis]

My car has 10K or once a year oil changes with a canister filter. It uses 10 quarts of oil though. If you think it is too long send it off to Blackstone and have it checked. I think people have been conditioned for frequent oil changes when they are not necessary for all cars.

[Scott Douglas]

Nick - You must be a youngn' as most filters on cars were canister type back in the day.
Do you know if Toyota uses a break-in oil in their new cars?
Honda does and if you change it out too early the rings might not seat properly and the engine ends up using oil, or so I've read. My Honda's don't use any oil at all, in fact, none of them have.
If I remember correctly I changed our CR-V's oil out at about the 6500 mile mark when it was new. I'd have to check my log book to be sure. Factory wanted it to go 7500 or so.
Nothing but Mobil 1 in my Honda's since 2012 when I got my Accord.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by cabmando

It's canister type. I'm used to that with hydraulic filters on different machines. Never seen it for the engine oil filter.

A little off topic.

Just changed oil on an Equinox and Terrain with cartridge filter. Nice big 32mm nut formed onto the top of the twist off lid but no vertical room to get a larger socket on it or swing a wrench.

Harbor freight to the rescue - $20. Two foot extension and a swivel.

[craigster59]

My Audi came with free oil changes. The first was at 5k and then every 10k after that.

My 4Runner had the canister oil filter, what a PITA. My Tacoma on the other hand had it sitting right on the side up top near the battery, piece of cake.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Nick - You must be a youngn' as most filters on cars were canister type back in the day.
Do you know if Toyota uses a break-in oil in their new cars?
Honda does and if you change it out too early the rings might not seat properly and the engine ends up using oil, or so I've read. My Honda's don't use any oil at all, in fact, none of them have.
If I remember correctly I changed our CR-V's oil out at about the 6500 mile mark when it was new. I'd have to check my log book to be sure. Factory wanted it to go 7500 or so.
Nothing but Mobil 1 in my Honda's since 2012 when I got my Accord.

IDK but since I had the dealer do it I have no concerns about it. They did use synthetic oil.

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by cabmando

It's canister type. I'm used to that with hydraulic filters on different machines. Never seen it for the engine oil filter.

My 06 MCS has a canister type as do all first gen MINIs, 2002-2006.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Nick - You must be a youngn' as most filters on cars were canister type back in the day.

Yep. All I worked on until I bought my first American car was tractors and Volkswagens. They were either canister filters or no filter at all. My Dodge and my 356s all have canister filters, but they are all bypass filters so they don't get changed often.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Nick - You must be a youngn' as most filters on cars were canister type back in the day.
Do you know if Toyota uses a break-in oil in their new cars?
Honda does and if you change it out too early the rings might not seat properly and the engine ends up using oil, or so I've read. My Honda's don't use any oil at all, in fact, none of them have.
If I remember correctly I changed our CR-V's oil out at about the 6500 mile mark when it was new. I'd have to check my log book to be sure. Factory wanted it to go 7500 or so.
Nothing but Mobil 1 in my Honda's since 2012 when I got my Accord.

I don't know. I'll have to ask them!

I called it the wrong thing btw... It's a cartridge type, not the spin on canister. I meant cartridge but my brain made me type canister.

[cabmandone]

FB,
Did you use a filter drain tool when you did the filter on your Taco?

[cabmandone]

I just talked to the service adviser at the dealership. I was told "the breakin is done at the factory on Toyota engines. Synthetic oil is used so the oil change interval is 10,000 miles".

Mmmmkaaaay.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by cabmando

FB,
Did you use a filter drain tool when you did the filter on your Taco?

I didn't do it, I let the dealer do it as it was no charge.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I didn't do it, I let the dealer do it as it was no charge.

It's not looking like they're gonna be that nice to me. Just seems sketchy to me but as someone else mentioned that might be because I've been conditioned to change the oil earlier.

I asked another tech about the 10K interval. He said "Yep that's how they do it. Oil at 10 and 20K, tire rotation and vehicle inspection 5,10,15." I told him I'm used to doing all of my vehicles at 5,000 miles. He said "that's when I change mine too"

So the tech changes oil at 5K in his own... but Toyota recommends 10K...

[hcoles]

I suspect we are running into simple bean counter math.
Change every 10k and the engine lasts 250k miles.
Change every 5 k and the engine lasts 400k miles.
In both cases Toyota doesn't have to pay for the engine wearing out.
However, going with 10k saves Toyota money.

[Sooner or later]

It is dependent on how you drive. A lot of interstate miles and the interval goes up. A lot of stop and go/long idle/short trips and the interval goes down.

[Chocaholic]

I think with modern engines and modern synthetic oil 10k isn’t so long.