Do you change your oil every 5000 or 10000?

That depends on whether "low" means lower than someone assumes is proper, or is actually significantly below the pressure specified in the manual excerpt Mendel kindly posted. If the former but not the latter, there's no drawback. If the latter is also true, there's a worn engine bearing or leak to worry about---or the oil is less viscous than it should be.

 

Paladain55: Have the exact oil pressures I was reading in a different thread somewhere under turd gen threads. The pressures were perfect with the 0W-40. I never want to see oil pressure under 10 PSI with this car And I haven't done the test but I'm inclined to think that's where my pressure will be in the summer at wide open throttle in Florida if I use 0w20. It's okay people can use what they want They don't all have to agree with me So don't anybody get your panties up in a bunch. I've just proven that 0W-40 is not outside of range. But 15W50 share as heck is weather outside temperatures get in the 40 Fahrenheit range. Definitely don't do this pressures are way too high

 

This reminds me of all the people who complain about the ls400 factory oil pressure spec being dangerously low (but the last forever) but as long as you are there or above there is no problems up to a certain point below what we would consider excess. the extra pressure just robs a bit of horsepower so that's why toyota aims for lower numbers. Porsche a couple years ago said they had gained like 15hp on their new cars from reducing oil pressure or something. Just so many different ways to lose energy lol

 

I can see your point. And the new Camry addresses that with the variable speed electric oil pump. To hold the pressure around 10 PSI and then raise it to 30 at high RPMs in full load. Quite a neat system

 

2015 2ZR-FXE engine batch in Auris TS (Corolla IM Station Wagon) , 80k miles, 10k miles interval, 0 oil consumption. 0w-20 Toyota oil.

I switch to 5k miles interval at 70k miles. I am now using certified VW 508/509 oil instead of API SN oil.

The API SN oil is always cheaper ~€4-8 per L. but always has higher pouring temperature. >-40C. Typical certified VW 508/509 OIL is <-45C. Castrol, Shell, Mobil 1 ESP are all about -60C. It definitely contains more PAO or higher grade group III than API SN oil.

Interestingly, new Toyota oil on metal can 0w-20 API SP now has -50C pouring temp and 700 ppm Molybdenum. A shift that probably reduce oil consumption issue with 10k miles interval. Toyota Motor Oil 0W-20 08880-12205 - 0w-20 - Ölanalysen und Ölanalytik für Motor und Getriebe

 

Manual says every 10K. I’ve stuck with that. Also use high-quality Amsoil. I’d only do shorter intervals in harsh environments or if I was using cheap oil. I know my truck sees very little use, so it gets Amsoil every year regardless of mileage.

 

Pretty sure every generation of Prius scheduled maintenance guide I've ever looked at says 5k, unless you can honestly answer no on every one of four or five usage questions, and in that case 10k. You're on the honor system when answering those questions.

 

I see two criteria, in the Toyota USA Warranty and Maintenance Booklet, and with both it's stressed that it has to be the usual case, with adjectives "repeated" and "extensive". That said, Toyota Canada sets the regular 3rd gen oil change interval at 8K kms (5K miles) or 6 months, whichever comes first.

 

Don't overlook the one just above the yellow box there.

 

Ah, ok.

Just picturing the ideal candidate: backroad, rural mail delivery guy in Minnesota.

 

Get a decent oil 0w-20 ILSAC 6A standard or API SP, do it every 5k miles/6 months and you will thank yourself later. Pennzoil/Shell gas to liquid oil, Mobil 1, Valvoline, Castrol Edge, Walmart SuperTec, Amazon Basic, Costco Oil are all decent quality. There is no point on saving 4q of oil every year if after 100k miles your car consume oil 1L every 2k miles and will definitely only get worse.
Once it consume oil, the EGR and intake will clog faster, higher carbon deposit in piston that can create pinging and eventually fail head gasket. The cherry on top will be bad catalytic converter from oil consumption. Those easily cost $3000 or more. It is not worth it in saving $30-50 a year from frequent oil change.

Some higher standard oil with manufacturer certification rated for longlife 2y/20k miles Dexos 1 gen 3, VW 508/509 are generally more stable with better base stock oil. You can see the pouring temp often below -55C. Typically, the cheaper 0w-20 only at about -40C.

 

I always think about how much cheaper cars would be if people actually maintained them so they would last. If people started with changing their oils in the correct manner there would be a lot more affordable cars for purchase still on the road (similar to what we have seen with the diminished overall supply of cars due to manufacturing road blocks recently and the price impacts it had on the whole all the way down to the bottom of the used car market). If BMW had their way they would have us all with lifetime motor oil and buying new cars every 90k.

 

We're trained for it from birth. Convenience vs conservation. Immediate gratification vs long term rewards.

Long term rewards require effort. Consumption simply requires desire. Desire can be easily manufactured: marketing honed to an art form morphed into an algorithm. Nuff said.

 

Maybe there'd be fewer used cars to choose from, as people wouldn't be parting with them as often?

 

Right you never know which way it would go. Although, people buy cars out of boredom as well. I do it too. Maintain them like i want them to last forever and then get bored and swap out again.

 

I found that very rare people do10k miles interval and do not observe oil consumption issue later on. The chemistry of petroleum refinery has not changed that much since the past 20 years. The Hydrocracked synthetic oil (group III) is getting more common, but the quality of the base oil still varied. Pennzoil/Shell Ultra is still my preferred oil, not as expensive as PAO Ravenol or Amsoil Signature, but very close in performance. Mobil1 Truck/SUV is also better than other Mobil1, it contains Alkhylathed Naptha.

The additives is the one that changes very fast, from high ZDDP to now lower, but better with more balance specific detergent, and effectively reduce catalytic converter poissoning.

1L/1200 miles oil consumption is just enough without killing the catalytic converter before 80k miles (Federal Law emission warranty)

 

I do 10k miles interval since I had the vehicle. It’s at 284k, changed every 10k with mobile 1 synthetic 0w-20 oil. Take a look at my valve cover, camshaft housing, cylinder head and block, they look pretty good with those miles interval oil change. You decide how many miles you want to change yours, I’m sticking to 10k.

 

Impressive work on the head gasket @NutzAboutBolts. I agree that full synthetic oil really clean the engine well. My Altima 02 that has blown head gasket at 70k miles was also really clean, but it consumed engine oil 1L/1200 miles. What I cannot see is the condition of the piston rings, especielly the oil control ring. It is probably the hottest place where the engine oil must endure and oil analysis won't reveal the carbon formation there.

You reached 284k miles for 2012, it means your 10 000 miles is almost on ideal driving condition, not in freezing cold north, nor extreme heat Spain or Greece. I will also do 10 000 miles interval if I drive 20k miles per year.

I prefer to use 4L more per year than burning oil later on. 1L per 1200 miles (Toyota limit) means 5L between oil change poissoning the catalytic converter instead of recycled.

 

wow that’s a lot of oil burning, mine burns 1 qt every 5k, and that’s normal. Have you tried thicker oil? Maybe it’ll help reduce oil burning.

 

My Altima 02 was sold and thicker oil did not slow the consumption, mostly just placebo effect since the speed in the highway affected more than anything else. it burned >1L/1000 miles when I drove down to Miami and back.
My current car does not burned engine oil since I did 5k miles interval. Sienna 04 230k miles. My current Corolla hybrid 2016 110k miles does not consume engine oil. I switched to 5k miles interval from 10k miles after the standard warranty was over at 60k miles.