Oil Changes

With almost all oil being synthetic, are you going longer between oil changes?
Do you change out filters mid-way of a cycle? Ex: 10k before next oil change but you put a new filter on at 5k

I usually change oil when ever prompted by the car/truck. But the combination of cost and products saying that they last 10k, I think I'm going to start using the 10k distance as my oil change interval. It's gotten so expensive, it's hard not to.

I change oil and filter at 10,000 miles. I have a sticker on my windshield telling me when to change. I simply reset the oil change prompt when it comes on.

If you buy your oil and a filter on sale or at Walmart it’s cheap. I buy a few of quality filters (Bosch, Baldwin, motorcraft, purolator, etc.) whenever I can find a good rebate on them or I can buy some that ship from the same place as an already existing order on rockauto, then buy my oil at Walmart or whenever there is a good online rebate for something like Mobil 1. Most of the premium filters like the ones I listed above are rated for 10,000 miles, but it’ll tell you on the box the mileage rating. If you want to do a 10k oil change then get a little higher end filter, you can order a box online like I said and it’ll usually come out to $2.50 to $3 a filter. That being said, not all 10k miles are created equal, city miles and towing will break down oil a lot faster than all highway miles. I personally run a synthetic blend and change every 4k and use a good filter, 7 quarts oil and filter comes out to about $30. I personally don’t like to stretch my oil change intervals, when I used synthetic in the past I would only go about 7k miles just because my vehicle gets used for towing a lot.

Recently spoke with a mechanic. He as on the other side of the fence with the filters. His argument was that the higher quality filter material was more dense. While that is a good thing, it also meant that at some point, your engine would be starving for oil because the flow through the filter was restricted so much do the higher amount of filtration. He was in favor of the cheaper filters changed at the 5k mark on a 10k oil change interval.

Just bringing up another point of view.

That’s actually very interesting! It actually makes sense now that I think about it. I don’t like to extent my oil change intervals and I use syn blend, so I just use an oe equivalent filter, that’s all I meant by higher end. I don’t waste my money on these crazy wix xp type filters rated for 15k miles, I just use an oe equivalent known brand like a bosch, purolator, Baldwin, etc. I’ve even had good luck with supertech, they’re made by champion labs and pretty good quality for the money, I just don’t trust the super cheap ones that are some white box no name $.50 a piece ones from Amazon or something. The only ones name brand ones I absolutely stay away from are fram, I don’t like the paper end cap design.

Find a new mechanic, that one is dumber then the dirty oil filters he replaces. Oil filters have a bypass valve in them designed to prevent oil starvation.

So if the filter material is restricting the flow to the point that the bypass valve is open, is the filter still filtering the oil?

I've looked at this like the air filters I use in my home A/C. I've looked at some of the "high end" filters with the thicker paper. I'm sure at 1st it was some great filtration. But as dirt collected on the filter material, the flow of air has to be restricted.

The engine oil filters aren't designed to filter 100% of the oil every pass, if they were they'd have to be about 10x the size to handle the volume. The bypass valve will always open to a varying degree depending on oil pressure. Some oil gets filtered every pass and some don't. This is where quality filter media comes into play. Also modern engines have much tighter tolerances then say 30 years ago or so. They have much less blow by and contaminates hence how they can go 8-10k intervals as opposed to 3-5k years ago.

Change mine when 5% shows on "oil life" dash monitor.

When I owned Tacomas that had top mount filters I changed them every 5k. I just change the filter on the Tundra when I change the oil at 10k.

Since I've started this conversation I think almost every oil and filter I've looked at says something to the tune of "good for 20k miles".
But yet the computer in the vehicle will tell you time for an oil change anywhere around 3200 - 3500 miles.

There's a big difference in 3k miles and 20k miles.
Do you really think the oil and filters go as much as 20k miles these days?

The only way a modern vehicle with an oil monitor is telling you to change at 3200-3500 miles is if you do way too much excessive idling. If its a modern diesel then thats a sure way to have EGR and DPF issues.

And higher quality filters have more pleats so greater filter area. So less likely to plug or initiate bypass. Biggest deal is do regular changes

I change at 10k on my two diesels. Dodge Cummins and VW sportswagen.
My Toyota get one free at 10k at the dealer for 2 years or 25k miles. When that stops in a couple months I will research it a little more.


I owned a 2016 F150 2.7 that had one of the tiniest cartridge oil filter I have ever seen. Its smaller than my VW filter.
If I had kept it I would change that out every 7k miles.

The best filters have synthetic material in them. They filter more because they hold more. I know Amsoil, Fleetmaster and Mobil 1 advertise that their filters hold twice the dirt that conventional paper filters hold.

I had so many problems with the free oil changes at the dealer I think if I bought a new truck I would pass on them. On my Tacoma they did not put a catch can under the oil filter drain and just drained it onto the skid plate. Another time they just put a rag under it and left it. Both times I had oil dripping on my driveway. On the Tundra they under inflated my tires, over tightened the filter cap, and skid plate was either missing bolts or they were not OEM. At least I know they took the skid plate off to access the filter. When I did my first oil change I used a 2' cheater bar on the filter cap and had my neighbor hold my legs. I broke one filter wrench and destroyed the plastic cap. Fortunately I had a metal replacement ready to go.

Toyotas are easy to change, but I had to buy a special filter wrench from my snapon guy to do it. Saves a ton of money. KwikKar wanted $129 to change it. Full 0-20 synthetic and skid plates to be removed and reinstalled each time. It costs me about $45 to change it myself. Every 8k mikes.

I cut an access door in my skid and added a fumoto valve on the pan. They are easy now. I hook a hose to the fumoto and drain it straight into an oil bottle.

Is that with Toyota brand oil and filter? Seems a little high for a DIY oil change, or does that engine take a high volume of oil?

I follow the manufacturers recommendation for oil and duration!

$45 is about right for a Toyota DIY oil change.

I have a 4Runner. It takes 6 quarts of 0W - 20.

I stock up on Mobil 1 full synthetic from Sam's - $30 for a 6 quart case, when they have it on sale. $40 is regular price. Toyota OEM oil filter $6.

I ordered the Toyota oil filter wrench on line, I think it was $50, I got the heavy duty one, not the cheap thin metal one.

120,000 miles, oil & filter changed every 10,000 miles per the recommended oil change interval in the service manual.