My dealer told me that the first oil change should be done after first 5000 miles. Is it true? I heard people say that first oil change should be done after first 1000 miles since engine just breaks in and oil might have some contamination.
He probably wasn't thinking about that when you asked him. Basically they say you change your oil every 5,000 miles, or every 3,000 miles if you live in a major metropolitan area.
The oil is NOT changed at the first service 1500Km (1000 Mile) The 2nd service is the first oil change at 15000Km (10000 Mile) and if you use anything else but toyota oil the life of the VVT-i actuator is very limited. Oh and by the way Mobil1 is a very low grade syth oil.
LOL, one dealer put up a notice from the manufacturer in their service department, imploring well-meaning customer to NOT change the oil at
1000 miles.
Listen to your dealer. 5000 miles is correct.
Toyota dropped the different schedules for severe service and normal service, and now everything follows the severe service schedule.
Make sure that the dealer uses the proper oil. If using synthetic, avoid Mobil 1 and Amsoil. Royal Purple is probably the best synthetic that is readily available to the consumer. There is no point in using Mobil 1, as it isn't appreciably better than mineral oils. You won't find Royal Purple at Wal-Mart or Target, but most auto parts stores carry it.
In the U.S., where people like to change oil, the first oil change is at
5000 miles.
As to Mobil 1, they advertise a lot, but as you stated, it's a low grade synthetic. If you're spending the money on synthetic, may as well get a decent one, like Royal Purple. Redline is also supposed to be good, but it isn't API Certified.
Beware of the Royal Purple scumbag employees/distributors who don't reveal their connection to the company. It cost about 50% more than Mobil 1, and is not any better, especially since you will need to change your oil at 5000 mile intervals to preserve your Toyota warranty.
What makes you say Mobil 1 is a low grade oil? The oil that Toyota has in their bottles says, formulated by Mobil/Exxon on the back of the bottle. What synthetic oil do you use? Scott
I think that you're confusing Royal Purple with Amsoil. The latter is distributed by the the entities you refer to. AFAIK, Royal Purple is only sold in auto parts stores, and does not use multi-level marketing like Amsoil.
LOL, I don't sell anything. If you're going to spend money on synthetic, understand that the low-grade synthetics have no benefit in non-high performance engines except in extremely cold weather, and don't allow you to extend the change interval.
If you're going to go to extended change intervals (>7500 miles), at least buy a high grade synthetic. Avoid any non-API certified oils, such as Amsoil (except their XL-7500 line). Amsoil's other products are not API certified because they do not meet the API standards due to their high level of zinc dialkyldithiophosphate.
The problem here is that there are too many people that have fallen for the synthetic hype. Mobil 1 used to promote extended change intervals, then backed off of that advertising claim. The fact is that neither synthetics or mineral based oils lose their lubrication properties after only 7500 miles. Both break down.
============ First comment is that changing the oil on a regular basis is the most important thing. According to Toyota, conventional oil changed as recommended provides good service life in Toyota engines. I'll take the bait regarding your comments on synthetic oil, especially since your view is distinctly in the minority. The most persuasive argument for synthetic oils I found was from an engine rebuilder who produced two buckets filled with used main bearings. The difference in wear patterns between synthetic and conventional oils was obvious even to the casual observer. He also found the engine interiors stayed noticeably cleaner with synthetics. Here are some differences in chemistry due to differences is the way each is created (not my words): "petroleum lubricants, whose physical components, both desirable and undesirable, are inherited from the crude oil from which they are refined. Crude oil possesses thousands of varieties of contaminants, depending upon the oil's geographical and geological origins, which no amount of refining can entirely remove. Corrosive acids, paraffins and other waxes, heavy metals, asphalt, naphthenes and benzenes, as well as countless compounds of sulfur, chlorine, and nitrogen, remain in the finished product. Equally as important, petroleum oil molecules, as contrasted to uniform-sized synthetic oil molecules, vary significantly in size, shape, and length. When your engine heats up, the smaller molecules evaporate, while the larger ones tend to oxidize and become engine deposits. As a result, refined petroleum lubricating products differ widely in their overall quality and performance. The presence of and the resulting drawbacks of the undesirable constituent elements lie at the very root of the considerable performance differences between synthetic and petroleum-based motor oils."
You cannot extend the interval beyond 5000 miles unless you are willing to void the new car warranty. So it makes no sense to spend 50% more than Mobil
1 for an oil that allows you to go beyond 5000 miles.
"Mobil 1 Extended Performance" oil does allow an extended change interval oil that is comparable to Royal Purple (Mobil guarantees it up to 15,000 miles), but it is not an energy saving formula, and (as already mentioned) the Toyota warranty requires 5000 mile changes, and it cost more than regular Mobil 1 oil.
Talking about Mobil 1 as a "low grade" synthetic is ridiculous when 80+% of the population is using conventional oil.
Daniel wrote: Equally as important, petroleum oil molecules, as
Well you hit the nail right on the head with the oxidation. This is the prime reason to avoid the lower grade synthetics. Mobil 1 is only slightly better than mineral oil in terms of oxidation.
Again, if you want the benefits of synthetics, as dubious as they are for a non-high performance engine operated in moderate climates, buy a high grade synthetic.
I don't sell anything, I don't use synthetic, I routinely get 200,000 miles on vehicles and sell them with the engines still within compression limits, and able to pass smog.
Well even when Mobil 1 was promoting the extended interval I think that they made it clear that you shouldn't do it during the vehicle's warranty period.
Later they realized that even though a synthetic might retain its lubricating properties marginally longer, other factors, such as oxidation, the saturation point of the ability to suspend particulates, etc., meant that extended oil changes were not a good idea.
If you look at some of the independent test results, the standard grade of Mobil 1 is only slightly better than mineral oil in terms of friction reduction and oxidation. I didn't see any comparison with their "Extended Performance Oil" though, and it may be that this is more comparable to the higher grade oils.
I'll hand it to Mobil 1, they are extremely good in their advertising and marketing.
Since there is absolutely no evidence that 3000 mile changes are better than 5000 mile changes, why not carry it to the logical conclusion and change your oil as often as possible.
According to master mechanics Tom and Ray:
"Very few people recommend changing the oil every 3,000 miles. It's just not necessary, and the environmental cost is too high."
I dont like synthetic oil, why? Because once I used Mobil-1 which claimed a viscosity range of 10w-50. The oil was used in an old tech V8 (351 Cleveland) which had normal oil-pressure with 20-50 dino-oil. The engine was noticeabley noisier with Mobil-1 even tho the OP was normal. I dumped the oil and filled the engine with mineral oil again. From a technical pov,.the synth oil could not maintain film strength within the rod-bearings, is my best guess.
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