Does my 2013 RAV4 d4d invincible really need an oil change every 10000 miles?

[Neil Lofting]

Hi I have had my rav 4 since August and I am just about to have my 2nd oil change/service. Is it just me or does anyone else think it's a bit excessive?? Most engines and new synthetic oils allow for 15000 to 20000 miles between oil changes and services?? 

Thanks Neil 

[Heidfirst]

Hu Neil, welcome to the forum

HonestJohn would suggest that even 10,000 miles between changes may be a bit longer than ideal ...

If you don't have changes when stipulated according to Toyota service schedule you will not only lose your warranty cover but also any "goodwill" that may have been useful for any future problem should 1 occur.

[Alan1234]

The reason you have a service every 10k is Toyota gives you a lovely 100k  5 year warranty and they need to protect themselfs .if it was ford it would be every 20-30 k and you only get 1 yr manufacture 1 yr dealer warranty so it dosent mater it goes pop in yr 3 onwards 

[Mikeyjd]

I always believe in changing oil more often than manufacturers say. My reasoning is that it is a pretty cheap and easy thing to replace, it certainly won't do any harm and might actually be good for the engine. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Its your choice - ignore the recommended service intervals and risk losing the warranty, or stick with the required service intervals and retain the warranty.

 

[crofter]

Hi, Neil and as no one else has said it, a warm welcome to the club.

Although machining of engine parts can be done to finer tolerances with the aid of computers there is still the scenario of metal rubbing on metal when the oil has run down  while standing. On start up in parts of the engine affected by the drain-off may produce a mixture of oil and metal dust and that is,I was taught, the thinking about early oil changes so that these unwanted particles are flushed out. Would you really like to damage your new motor for the sake of a gallon of oil, I think that to be most unlikely. Enjoy your new wheels matey,you know it will be worth it

Del

[IanML]

Diesel is dirtier than petrol.  The combustion products do not all go out of the exhaust, some are trapped in the lubricating oil.  The worst particles are captured by the oil filter, but the sheer amount of them requires that the filter be changed more often than a petrol engine, as well as the oil.  Failure to do that in a timely fashion will result in greater wear to cylinders, pistons and particularly bearings.

Manufacturers are under commercial pressure to represent their vehicles as having lower maintenance requirements than their rivals, so for Toyota to stick to 10,000 miles does suggest that they know the engine really, really needs it.

[Alan1234]

hi I understand how you feel regarding service intervals times Toyota set . A car should not really be serviced by miles it should be serviced by hours and usage . You will have some guys saying your crazy if you don't change your oil every month some say I never change my oil in 3 years . One guy sits at 60 on the motorway all day and one guy sits in heavy traffic idling all day or stop starting full throttle them stops hard . Then one guy drives down dirt roads all day and only a few miles on Tarmac . What I'm trying to explain is Toyota have to figure in all the types of driver styles and types off driving done and come to a happy medium which will never suit everyone . And then a question like yours pops up .but think about the retired old lady who does 500 miles a year age or mileage imagine her when the glitzy Toyota garage says madam your service bill is £200 for drawing out clean oil and doing a 150 point check . The moral of this story is life's a !Removed! lol . 

[Heidfirst]

5 hours ago, IanML said:

Manufacturers are under commercial pressure to represent their vehicles as having lower maintenance requirements than their rivals, so for Toyota to stick to 10,000 miles does suggest that they know the engine really, really needs it.

That & some  evidence that some cars with 20,000 intervals end up having more problems in the long term (this may not be an issue for those that run cars for 3 years under warranty especially if they only do the averag 12,000/year). Toyota are a very conservative company with a reputation for reliability which I am sure that they wish to maintain.