Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Oil change questions for you motor heads.

I went to the Toyota dealership to get an oil change on my 2.7L 4x4 Tacoma. When I first bought the truck 10-1/2 years ago I was told lifetime free oil changes. They now say that "lifetime" means 4 years and they won't do it anymore. So now, rather than paying $50, I will be doing it myself. I am considering switching to a full synthetic (Mobil 1) so I don't have to do it so often. This is the differing advice I have received:

1) From the dealer: The engine was designed to be changed every 5000 miles and should be changed at that interval no matter what oil is used.
2) I should change it but do the next one in 5,000 miles to flush out the old oil and any garbage the synthetic frees up. Then I can go to 10,000.
3) Full synthetic will leak out seals where regular oil wouldn't.

I really wanted to go full synthetic so I don't have to mess with it for 9-10 months at a time. By my mileage that is what it would be. I do about 12,000 miles a year on this vehicle, mostly at higher speeds with little street driving. County roads doing 35-55 MPH.

I figured on using Mobil 1 0w-20 and NAPA gold filters. Now I'm not sure, I have 5,000 miles to decide.

How many miles on the Vehicle ? Is your Vehicle designed for 0-20?

Mobile 1 will hold up for 10k easily. Just change the filter at 5k.
I've run full synthetic for many years with no seals leaking. That's BS. If the seal's going to leak, it will leak with dino, too.

Right now about 125,000. 0w-20 or 5W-20 is the spec. From what I'm told 0w-20 is what the dealership puts in.

So just change the filter and top it off. .7 quarts for that I read. Should I change the filter every 5,000 as a matter of practice?

I have been using Mobile 1 5W-30 in my f150 since new. It’s a 97 model with 417000 miles. I change it when i start feeling guilty never less than 7500. No leaks no smoke and it runs great.

Yes...exactly this.

I prefer frequent oil changes with a more affordable oil.


There are other brands of oil out there that meet the spec and are way cheaper than Mobil oil.

Just change it all every 5k. Takes about 20 minutes. Holy crap...

I would check the wording on your contract where it says you get lifetime oil changes. See if those limitations are there in black and white.

If not, the contract stands in full force.

Sounds like the dealer is crawfishing, and trying the wheedle out of an obligation to me.

Yeah, that is interesting.


They admitted to changing your oil for 6.5 years out of the kindness of their hearts??

I use Rotella in my diesel, I change oil and filter every 5000 miles. 180,000 uses no oil.

This. I have a 2007 Toyota Corolla 280,000 miles, switch to mobile one about 100,000 miles ago. Used to change my oil every 3 to 5000 miles, now every 10 with new filter at 5000. I put 18,000 on one change sent the sample out to Blackstone laboratories Oil analyst came back fine which was a surprise to me. So if I go over the 10 I don’t sweat it.

I use Rotella in my Dodge diesel. The book calls for 7500 oil changes. I drive it 7500 to 10k a year so I just change it annually.

I switched to 10,000 miles extended oil changes in my 130, 000 mile 07 f150 with the 5.4 in it at 115,000 . So I am about half way Into my second cycle and I have had zero leaks and not burning any oil. I use Mobil 1 oil and their extended oil change filter. Try it and just keep a eye on it check for leaks and consumption, I bet you’ll be fine.

I bought a Ford pickup with a lifetime oil change, after about 6-7 years the service manager tried to keep the warrenty.. I made a copy of it so I would always have proof of it. they continued to change the oil and filter and lube job for the entire 12 years I owned it free of charge. I finally traded it for a chevy. HAHAHAHAHAHA

My 2017 calls for synthetic every 10K miles. I don't let it go quite that long.

I'm sorry.

Why did you have to downgrade?

As soon as I find the contract I will check exactly that. Such a thing has to be clearly stated. But then you have to worry about retaliatory actions. Will they simply reset the indicator and give it back unchanged? I don't trust a MFer, any MFer.

if they dont want to honor their so called lifetime oil change i would let them know that is ok but i will consider that with my next new purchase.....really stupid as oil changes are an easy way to get you back in to the dealership....its not like you cant get it done a jiffy lube and i would think they would want the work