I also have the 2003 Sienna.
The PCV valve on your 2000 Solara is located in the rear valve cover....kind of on the passenger side.
It is SUPER critical to make sure that it does not get clogged.
I have Mobil 1 AFE 0W-20 in mine right now.
However, what you mention will also be fine.
I like a Oil Change Interval (OCI) of about 5K miles, but for you, it will depend upon how long it takes you to put 5K miles on.
If you drive a lot.....not many short trips....that is one thing.
However, if you drive very little....many short trips...then even 5K miles may be too long.
Short trips in cold weather can lead to moisture & acid buildup in the oil.
Longer trips give the engine a chance to warm up and evaporate out all the moisture.......through the PCV valve that we have mentioned.
The Oil analysis that was mentioned....
You can take a sample of your oil and send it in for analysis.
I have done this on another vehicle.....I seem to remember it costing about $40.
Blackstone labs will send you a sample kit and instructions for FREE.
The Sample kit includes a mailer container.
VERY easy process.
As mentioned .....they will tell you if you changed your oil in time....or ran it too long....or if there is some other oil issue with your engine.
There are MANY,MANY 1MZFE engines out there as many Toyota and Lexus vehicles used that engine.
That means that there is a lot of data as for as oil analysis that a company, such as Blackstone, can compare your sample to.
I have not had a analysis done on my Sienna, but it is a good idea if you are unsure about your oil.
I run a slightly longer filter on mine.
I have the Bosch Distance Plus on mine....D3422
It is identical to the D3330 that is listed for our engine...except that it is slightly longer.
It has the same gasket size, threads and pressure bypass settings.
There is room for it.
The Purolator Pure One is also an excellent filter. I have used them....they are made by the same company.....the Distance Plus is a step up from the Pure One.
In the FRAM line....I would use the XG3600 which is the longer version of the XG3614.
I have read that it is now called "Ultra" instead of "Extended Guard".
I have mentioned the FRAM XG series and the Bosch Distance Plus filters because they are very easy to find and are also available at Walmart......which has good prices on oil and filters.
Your engine also has a timing belt that is supposed to be changed every 90K miles.
Many folks also have the water pump changed at the same time....as the water pump is driven by the timing belt.....so you are paying all the labor of a timing belt job to have the water pump changed.
In my case......the local Toyota Dealership was cheaper than the local independent shop for the job......around $500 for the belt & water pump job.
I would recommend that you register your Solara for FREE on the Toyota website.
You will need your Vehicle Identification Number to do this.
This will give you access to a online version of your owner's manual (in case you don't have that) and also give you a record of ALL service performed at any Toyota dealership since the car was built.
It will also list any open Recalls that there may be for your vehicle.
Spark plugs.....Even though we have the same engine.
I have found that Toyota specifies a different spark plug number for different years.
The owner's manual AND the underhood Emissions sticker both list the Toyota specified plug brand and number.
My 2003 Sienna owner's manual lists both a DENSO and a NGK number.
I think yours will call for a DENSO PK20TR11 Spark plug....but please verify that.
It is a real pain to change the rear 3 plugs, so you want to put in the correct plug that will last.
I got the number from the Toyotapartszone website.
I purchasing parts from a Toyota Dealership website such as that (there are others), it is BEST to use your Vehicle Identification Number to search for the parts that are most appropriate for your specific vehicle.
