Maintenance schedule: Spark Plugs and Gearbox Oil

[cacafulla]

I hope someone could throw some light into this matter.

According to the maintenance schedule at the owner's manual, the Spark Plugs must be change every 60.000 miles and the gearbox/front differential oil every 40.000 miles/4 years.

Well, I contacted the dealer that serviced my car all the years before I bought it and they are saying that the Spark Plugs get changed every 100.000 miles/10 years, and the gearbox oil does not get change.

The discrepancy between both statements is huge. Can anybody tell me who should I trust, if the manual or the dealer? Or maybe neither of them!

2009 Auris 1.33 – Currently siting on 72.000 miles

[FROSTYBALLS]

The owners manual and service & warranty booklet - both of which show spark plug change at six years/60,000 miles and gearbox oil at 4 years/40,000 miles. For both, whichever occurs first, time or mileage.

[TAuris]

Platinium tipped spark plugs would be changed at 60k miles and iridiums at 100k miles. The gearbox oil is monograde 75W. The spark plugs and gearbox oil are charged as an additional service item and not included in the oil service. I used to run silkolene 75w fully synthetic oil in the gearbox of my AE92 (4AGE) 23 years ago.

[cacafulla]

On 3/13/2017 at 4:34 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

The owners manual and service & warranty booklet - both of which show spark plug change at six years/60,000 miles and gearbox oil at 4 years/40,000 miles. For both, whichever occurs first, time or mileage.

I had already stated that in my post.  My issue was that the information given by the dealer contradicted the information on the owners manual. But thanks anyway!

[haelewyn]

You asked :    """ The discrepancy between both statements is huge. Can anybody tell me who should I trust, if the manual or the dealer? """"

Frostyballs answer to that question was :   """"The owners manual and service & warranty booklet - etc""""

That's how i read it. I would say the same : trust the book and do the better thing. Don't do the lesser thing and trust the dealer.

[mickburkesnr]

If I bring my 1998 Corolla in to a dealership for an oil change, they'll put in 5w30 or 0w20 in to it, even though the book (and a little sticker on the cambelt cover) states 10w40.

So I wouldn't say the dearlership is contradicting the handbook, it's rather the dealership is using new information passed on to them from Toyota in regards to service intervals. You can go with the dealership and let them do it the new way or you can stick to what the book states.

Personally, for this oil change I've coming up on my Corolla, I'm sticking to 10w40. But I may drop it to 5w30 next time just to see what happens.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The information I took from the service and warranty book is up-to-date - the book includes the 1.2 engine for the 2014-on Aygo, and the BMW engined diesels from 2015.

As stated spark plugs for all petrol cars (except the 1.2 Aygo) are due to be changed at 6 years/60,000 miles and gearbox oil at 4 years/40,000 miles. Both of these intervals are whichever occurs first - time or mileage. 

So either go with the manufacturer recommendations or go with the dealer - its your choice/risk.

[cacafulla]

On 5/16/2017 at 11:41 AM, haelewyn said:

You asked :    """ The discrepancy between both statements is huge. Can anybody tell me who should I trust, if the manual or the dealer? """"

Frostyballs answer to that question was :   """"The owners manual and service & warranty booklet - etc""""

That's how i read it. I would say the same : trust the book and do the better thing. Don't do the lesser thing and trust the dealer.

Ahhh! Ok. Fair enough... I just felt the way in which was stated didn't seem an answer to my question.

Anyway, I did get the spark plugs changed. About the gearbox oil, my mechanic (independent garage) told me that being a manual, he would change the gearbox oil whenever comes the time to replace the clutch.

[haelewyn]

I think that isn't a bad idea.
Changing the spark plugs : better a bit too early than too late.       If the book that came with your car states an interval, that seems to be the right one for me.

Gearbox oil manual transmission : I never changed it before in my entire life. But the most I ever did with one car was 100.000 miles, then sold it. Never had cars with more miles on the counter. I think it's ok...
Sorry to admit maybe, but it's a bit like with the cooling agent / water   and with the brake fluid. I never change it according to specs in the book but only when it measures to be not ok.
I am sure for the hybrid now, i will change the oil whenever it is required, as would i do for automatic gear box.

Filters (aircon filter, air filter, oil filter, fuel filter), spark plugs, oil : i tend to change them as much as the book recommends.

Oil :   If the engine doesn't start to consume oil too much on 0W20, it's a better quality than 10W40. So, why not. No harm is done...

Hopes this is helpful

[mickburkesnr]

2 minutes ago, haelewyn said:

Oil :   If the engine doesn't start to consume oil too much on 0W20, it's a better quality than 10W40. So, why not. No harm is done...

I thought that if you introduced a thinner oil to a high milleage engine that's ran thicker oil then the thinner oil could potentially find it's way in to cracks more easily? Meaning you could suffer from oil leaks more easily?

[haelewyn]

Yeah..  I heard that too, but i never drive cars with high mileage on them. Always sell on and buy new a lot faster.  High mileage would be ... ? More than 100.000 - 140.000 miles ?
I think nothing wrong in your way either, using the 10W40.    

Testing out the 0W20 seems to be ok too, if it goes fine. If not : just change it back after 5000 or so miles ?

[mickburkesnr]

8 minutes ago, haelewyn said:

Yeah..  I heard that too, but i never drive cars with high mileage on them. Always sell on and buy new a lot faster.  High mileage would be ... ? More than 100.000 - 140.000 miles ?
I think nothing wrong in your way either, using the 10W40.    

Testing out the 0W20 seems to be ok too, if it goes fine. If not : just change it back after 5000 or so miles ?

I'd have always thought anything over 100,000 would be high milleage. But that said, it's relatively low miles for a car of it's age. Especially when there are 10 year old cars out there with 250,000 miles on the clock!

I think my worry is if I try it for the 5,000 miles, and I notice leaks etc, that might lead to more work rectifying issues that weren't present when the thicker oil was used.

[murphyo2003]

Took my Auris 2011 1.33 for gearbox oil change in March 2020. The very nice sales person was most insistent that it was not required as is a sealed unit !!!

So strongly advised against it. Scared me off from getting it done

[roks]

12 hours ago, murphyo2003 said:

a sealed unit

A sealed unit that has a drain and fill plugs?

I've been going through the receipts from the previous owner, plugs changed at 42k full service with a NGK last year, I thought it was a bit early, not sure why.

No records of gear oil in the 7 years, I am wondering, should I change it? Although I don't really have any problems with changing gears, just the usual slight friction/notch. Is it 75W90 still and any particular brand that's as good as MrT?

Also it been using 5w30 c3 engine oil after the 1st 3 years at MrT, online record shows 0w20, so I will be switching back to 0w20 as soon as I can.

 

[Mooly]

The service schedule for the 1.33 (I have a 1.33 from 2010) shows gearbox oil as an addition 'check' only which will simply be a level confirmation check. It is normally considered sealed for life as gearbox oil has an easy life with no combustion products to contaminate it. That said I believe it does deteriorate at a 'molecular level' over very long periods of time and use due to the extreme pressures and shear forces it experiences... how long before it is a problem though and I have no idea.

[TonyHSD]

There are many manufacturers that does not recommend gearbox oil change for similar reasons, however oil does gets old and losses it’s lube qualities all depends how the car been used and how much or how long. If you plan to have the car for a long term or putting high miles on Gear oil change at regular intervals may help you achieve that. I do change mine every 60k miles in hybrid Auris. Your car is manual, if there are no any issues with gear selection, whining noises, crunch or any symptoms of bad oil you can just stick with manufacturer recommendation especially if you are not driving it a lot. 
Regards 

[Steve Whits]

I asked about this at last service and the dealer said it never needs doing.  I also have a Merc SLK 5 years old (I've had it 12 months) with 18,000 miles on the clock and it was in the service schedule.  I can only say that it drives like a new car, the difference in the gear changes is massive so really it depends on so many variables (Mileage, service schedule, Manual, Auto, Hybrid, Type of gearbox etc etc) it's impossible to give an answer.

[Motheo]

I took ownership of my 2011 Auris 1.3 and i have been doing my own services to date.

 

I got the car with 159 000km on the clock, did 15k service intervals until 200 000km were i started doing services every 10 000km.

 

I also changed the gearbox oil at 200 000km as i don't believe the story that the gearbox is filled for life. My gears where smoother even when the car was cold, so new gearbox oil did wonders to the gearbox and i used the OEM Toyota gearbox oil.

 

I change the spark plugs every 75-80 000km.

 

I will be keeping this car forever as it does not cost me much to keep it on the road, its solid and reliable.

 

Oh Mileage currently its sitting on 242 000km and it still drives smooth.

 

 

 

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