2011 Toyota Tacoma (4.0L/1GR-FE)

[Fink]

Hey all - first time poster, long-time lurker here.

Just a quick background...I'm on my 5th Toyota. In my opinion, they are the best cars on the road for the money. My current one is a 2011 Tacoma with the 4.0L V6 (1GR-FE) that I purchased on 7/6/11 and I am in love all over again.

I live in Orlando, FL where it's way too humid all the time and we only have cool/cold weather for about a month or two before the heat and humidity start all over again.

Now for a brief description of my driving habits. I drive like a grandpa...plain and simple. The fastest I go is five over the speed limit and sometimes I even go under, depending on where I am going. I absolutely baby my vehicles in every sense of the word/saying. I drive 5,000mi/year and that is generous - I live .6 miles from my office and the longest drive I make is to our Data Center (I'm an I.T. Manager for a living) in Jacksonville which is about a 240mi round-trip and I only make that drive about twice a year. The only downside to having such a short commute is the stress that all of the short trips put on the engine. Which is the cause of my concern/questions.

I grew up with a father and grandfather that changed their oil every 3,000mi religiously, often times a little early just to be safe. I am smart enough to know that this is ridiculous these days with as far as oils/additives have come, however, until now, I was planning on doing this with my new Tacoma.

My first question to you guys is, is it worth it to do the first oil change at ~1,000mi to clean out the initial deposits/break-in crud, or should I go the full 3-4k? An old Toyota tech back home said it was bad to change the oil that early given that it helps to have a little gunk in it to break in the seals, etc...

My next question is, with me driving very few miles yet making a ton of short trips, is the 3,000mi OCI that I grew up still ridiculous? Should I go with like a 4mo/4,000mi interval to split the difference?

With all of that having been decided, what type and brand of oil should I get? I've always been an M1 guy, but with the new Toyota, I get the complimentary maintenance every 5k miles (which they agreed to do early for me until the set number of changes runs out). Do I just use whatever oil they use at the dealership or do I bring them my own? I'm all about peace of mind and spending a little extra to make sure things are done right, and usually overkill.

I apologize for the long post, but I know you guys are the experts so I wanted to give you as much information as I could about me and my truck.

I will continue to search as I have done for the past few months and wait for any help you guys are willing to give.

Thanks much!

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[chubbs1]

I am a firm believer in changing the FF to a conventional immediately. I use a conventional for the second fill and change that at 3k. This is because syn tend to be too slippery to set the rings properly. I also subscribe to breaking in the vehicle fairly hard. You have to seat the rings and that will prevent potential blow-by and oil consumption for the LIFE of the vehicle. So after a good warm up get on I-4 and drive the vehicle at around 10a.m. (when it is not stop and go but you still have to punch it to pass and get out of the way of maniacs. Hit the gas hard and let the truck ease back to cruising speed. After you have done this for a few weeks you should be able to go back to your style of driving.

Don't worry about the FF and the Moly for break-in, it is over-rated. I will post the link for the reason to break your vehicle in with conventional. It works. Then you can switch to a Synthetic after 3k and change at 4/4 intervals (I agree with you there) short tripping is rough on oil. I like Mobil one and Pennzoil ULtra, but I use different brands. Use what you like.

I will be back with the reasons for that style of break-in.

Great luck! Mototune Break-in

 

[Jimmy9190]

Welcome to BITOG, and congrats on the new truck....

You will get a lot of different answers to your questions here. I guess I will go first. I also do a lot of short trips. I live in a small town and I work from home, so really the most driving I do is a 1 mile trip to Publix or a 4 mile round trip to the bank and/or Walmart, which are both right across the street from each other. I try to get my truck out on at least a 10 or 20 mile round trip on the highway at least once a week to burn out any accumulated moisture in the oil, and just to get out of the house and stretch my truck's legs a bit. In the fall, winter and spring my girlfriend and I usually will take a 120 mile round trip every Sunday to visit her mother down in Lake Wales. Her mom is a snowbird, lives there for half of the year.

I change my oil every 3K because of all the short trips I take. Some may say that is wasteful or not neccesary with today's modern oils but I really don't care about that. My truck has 146K on it now and I think changing the oil at every 3K is good for it and can help it last another 146K. I buy my oil and filters when they are on sale at a good price and I usually keep a good stash on hand, so it really does not cost me that much. I also change my other fluids at intervals that some would say is too early. That is just how I take care of my truck. My truck runs very well for its age and mileage, and it burns maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a quart of oil in about 2300 miles. That is fine with me. I top it off with half a quart and still change my oil right around 3K, usually 100 miles sooner, give or take a few miles.

My girlfriend has about a 6 mile round trip commute to work and back home. She has a 2003 Accord with the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine. I change her oil every 3K too. Her car has about 120K on it now. Both vehicles are paid for, both run and drive great and I want to keep them that way. I think 3K oil changes are the best way to go when you do alot of short trips and also it is good for older engines too. That is my opinion, others here will certainly disagree and they will be quick to say so. That is OK by me.

I doubt that Toyota uses a break-in oil. Others here will know more about it but I would think they use a name brand or equivalent bulk oil at the factory. If so, I would say not to dump it early. If you want to use synthetic, maybe wait at least until the first oil change to start on it. As for brands of oil, any name brand oil and a good quality filter will do fine. I do think if you use synthetic you should at least go 5K on it, that is one of the reasons for using synthetic oil to begin with - it lasts longer. I personally have never used any synthetic oil.

The Toyota dealer probably uses Castrol, Mobil Clean, Shell or some other name brand oil. Any of those would do fine, especially for a 3K OCI. I guess you could ask the dealer when you go in for your oil changes there. If it were me I would nose around as close to the oil change bay as possible, see if I could spot a brand or logo on the bulk oil container or see if the techs use individual labeled quarts. The dealer should not give you any trouble if you want to bring in your own M1 or other oil you want used in your truck. I would say if you bring in your own oil and filters, it would be a very good idea to watch the tech that changes the oil as closely as you can to be sure your oil and filter goes in and on your engine and not into the lube tech's tool box or the trunk of his own car.

Welcome to BITOG. Others here will surely have more info and opinions for you.

 

[eagle23]

Welcome to BITOG!

I agree with the 3k oil changes. No, it doesn't squeeze the ultimate penny per mile out of the oil, but then I doubt you bought a new truck for what you did to cheap out on oil. Frequent oil changes are the ultimate cheap insurance, just like the other fluids. Besides, it's your money ;-)

I would run the FF for 2k (see, you get differing opinions!) then use M1 or your favorite brand. Corvettes come with M1 as FF, so I wouldn't sweat the low friction. Today's engines have immensely more precise tolerances and finishes than ever.

Using synthetic for 3k is a tad expensive, but it sounds like the water doesn't even get to operating temp, much less the oil, so synthetics could handle with a nice cushion for error.

 

[Fink]

Originally Posted By: chubbs1
I am a firm believer in changing the FF to a conventional immediately. I use a conventional for the second fill and change that at 3k. This is because syn tend to be too slippery to set the rings properly. I also subscribe to breaking in the vehicle fairly hard. You have to seat the rings and that will prevent potential blow-by and oil consumption for the LIFE of the vehicle. So after a good warm up get on I-4 and drive the vehicle at around 10a.m. (when it is not stop and go but you still have to punch it to pass and get out of the way of maniacs. Hit the gas hard and let the truck ease back to cruising speed. After you have done this for a few weeks you should be able to go back to your style of driving.

Don't worry about the FF and the Moly for break-in, it is over-rated. I will post the link for the reason to break your vehicle in with conventional. It works. Then you can switch to a Synthetic after 3k and change at 4/4 intervals (I agree with you there) short tripping is rough on oil. I like Mobil one and Pennzoil ULtra, but I use different brands. Use what you like.

I will be back with the reasons for that style of break-in.

Great luck! Mototune Break-in


Wow - thanks for the info Chubbs! I greatly appreciate it.

You will have to excuse me sounding like a newb, but I'm guessing FF stands for maybe Factory Fluid? Sorry to have to ask. Also, what do you mean by Moly?

I promise I'm not a total newb, I know Toyota's like the back of my hand but all of this hardcore oil talk is new to me!

Also, as far as the break-in goes, I have always been in the same boat as you as far as driving it hard; however, it is my understanding that Toyota breaks all of their engines in at their plants and then change the oil (using whatever FF they use).

I have exactly 530 miles on my truck as it is right now, so it sounds like I'm a little late to be romping on it to seat the seals, etc... Unless you think otherwise, of course.

Again, thank you so much for the helpful reply.

Fink

 

[Fink]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
Welcome to BITOG, and congrats on the new truck....

You will get a lot of different answers to your questions here. I guess I will go first. I also do a lot of short trips. I live in a small town and I work from home, so really the most driving I do is a 1 mile trip to Publix or a 4 mile round trip to the bank and/or Walmart, which are both right across the street from each other. I try to get my truck out on at least a 10 or 20 mile round trip on the highway at least once a week to burn out any accumulated moisture in the oil, and just to get out of the house and stretch my truck's legs a bit. In the fall, winter and spring my girlfriend and I usually will take a 120 mile round trip every Sunday to visit her mother down in Lake Wales. Her mom is a snowbird, lives there for half of the year.

I change my oil every 3K because of all the short trips I take. Some may say that is wasteful or not neccesary with today's modern oils but I really don't care about that. My truck has 146K on it now and I think changing the oil at every 3K is good for it and can help it last another 146K. I buy my oil and filters when they are on sale at a good price and I usually keep a good stash on hand, so it really does not cost me that much. I also change my other fluids at intervals that some would say is too early. That is just how I take care of my truck. My truck runs very well for its age and mileage, and it burns maybe 1/3 to 1/2 a quart of oil in about 2300 miles. That is fine with me. I top it off with half a quart and still change my oil right around 3K, usually 100 miles sooner, give or take a few miles.

My girlfriend has about a 6 mile round trip commute to work and back home. She has a 2003 Accord with the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine. I change her oil every 3K too. Her car has about 120K on it now. Both vehicles are paid for, both run and drive great and I want to keep them that way. I think 3K oil changes are the best way to go when you do alot of short trips and also it is good for older engines too. That is my opinion, others here will certainly disagree and they will be quick to say so. That is OK by me.

I doubt that Toyota uses a break-in oil. Others here will know more about it but I would think they use a name brand or equivalent bulk oil at the factory. If so, I would say not to dump it early. If you want to use synthetic, maybe wait at least until the first oil change to start on it. As for brands of oil, any name brand oil and a good quality filter will do fine. I do think if you use synthetic you should at least go 5K on it, that is one of the reasons for using synthetic oil to begin with - it lasts longer. I personally have never used any synthetic oil.

The Toyota dealer probably uses Castrol, Mobil Clean, Shell or some other name brand oil. Any of those would do fine, especially for a 3K OCI. I guess you could ask the dealer when you go in for your oil changes there. If it were me I would nose around as close to the oil change bay as possible, see if I could spot a brand or logo on the bulk oil container or see if the techs use individual labeled quarts. The dealer should not give you any trouble if you want to bring in your own M1 or other oil you want used in your truck. I would say if you bring in your own oil and filters, it would be a very good idea to watch the tech that changes the oil as closely as you can to be sure your oil and filter goes in and on your engine and not into the lube tech's tool box or the trunk of his own car.

Welcome to BITOG. Others here will surely have more info and opinions for you.


Again, thank you for the warm welcome and very helpful post! It is very much appreciated.

It is nice to hear the old school 3,000mi OCI has not completely died. I will more than likely go this route, just given the length of time that my truck can sit unused in the parking garage, causing prolonged exposure to the ridiculous humidity here.

I will probably ask the dealership what kind of oil they use, or see if I can find out from other customers who have already taken their trucks there. As of right now, I am just going to go with the basic Mobile Super in the factory recommended weight. They have a rebate deal going so I may just go ahead and order it online.

I also agree with you with the assumption that Toyota does not use a break-in oil. The master tech at my old dealership told me they do not, and that is why he recommended waiting longer than the 1,000mi initial change. Although, Chubbs reply has me concerned that I should change it immediately...

Thanks again for your reply Jimmy - I appreciate your time helping me.

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[Fink]

Originally Posted By: eagle23
Welcome to BITOG!

I agree with the 3k oil changes. No, it doesn't squeeze the ultimate penny per mile out of the oil, but then I doubt you bought a new truck for what you did to cheap out on oil. Frequent oil changes are the ultimate cheap insurance, just like the other fluids. Besides, it's your money ;-)

I would run the FF for 2k (see, you get differing opinions!) then use M1 or your favorite brand. Corvettes come with M1 as FF, so I wouldn't sweat the low friction. Today's engines have immensely more precise tolerances and finishes than ever.

Using synthetic for 3k is a tad expensive, but it sounds like the water doesn't even get to operating temp, much less the oil, so synthetics could handle with a nice cushion for error.


Once again, another very helpful reply - thank you!

It's nice to know there is another vote for the 3,000mi OCI. Makes me feel like I should just stick with it. Again, I am going to sound like a newb but...when you say not to sweat the low friction...can you explain that? I obviously understand what low friction means, but I don't understand how that applies to my truck? I'm just uneducated when it comes to this stuff.

If synthetic will help with the extra moisture from sitting for so long, then I may consider that - I just want to be sure I am protecting the engine as best I can. A little extra money every 3-4 months isn't going to kill me, and it will be well spent for a $26,000 truck.

Again, I really appreciate all of the helpful replies - it's nice to see a forum that still welcomes newbies asking seemlingly stupid questions. I'm a Mod and member of several Toyota boards and the welcomes are not nearly as helpful as you all have been.

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[Fink]

Well guys, I just got confirmation directly from Toyota that the 4.0L (1GR-FE) engines leave the Texas plant with M1 5W-30 conventional in them.

With that info, what are your thoughts on when I should do my first change? I will have owned the truck for two months on 9/6/11 and will probably have around 580 or so miles on it by then.

Thanks again for your help - BITOG FTW.

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[edhackett]

Stay as far away from that motoman [censored] as you can. You're breaking in a vehicle, not just an engine. Treating transmissions and differentials that way for the first few thousand miles is the last thing you want to do.

Just drive it. Vary the speed. Use moderate application of throttle in the mid and upper gears to accelerate up to 75% of redline then back off and let it coast back down under vacuum. You want to work the engine, but don't "beat on it".

Ed

 

[Fink]

Originally Posted By: edhackett
Stay as far away from that motoman [censored] as you can. You're breaking in a vehicle, not just an engine. Treating transmissions and differentials that way for the first few thousand miles is the last thing you want to do.

Just drive it. Vary the speed. Use moderate application of throttle in the mid and upper gears to accelerate up to 75% of redline then back off and let it coast back down under vacuum. You want to work the engine, but don't "beat on it".

Ed


Thank you for the reply - I appreciate your input.

I generally treat my vehicles as you mentioned, only because I have heard that most new engines are broken in at the factory.

Thanks again!

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[ARB1977]

I changed my factory fill at 5K. Im now at 128K with no issues. Mines a wimpy 3.4L but still fun to drive.

 

[Fink]

Originally Posted By: ARB1977
I changed my factory fill at 5K. Im now at 128K with no issues. Mines a wimpy 3.4L but still fun to drive.


Thanks for the reply!

Nothing wrong with the 3.4's - those things are solid.

I've had three generations of 4Runners (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and all three engines that they offered (22RE, 3.0 and 3.4) and the 3.4 was by far my favorite.

Thanks again for your input!

Fink

 

[Fink]

Originally Posted By: Fink
Well guys, I just got confirmation directly from Toyota that the 4.0L (1GR-FE) engines leave the Texas plant with M1 5W-30 conventional in them.

With that info, what are your thoughts on when I should do my first change? I will have owned the truck for two months on 9/6/11 and will probably have around 580 or so miles on it by then.

Thanks again for your help - BITOG FTW.

Fink

What's the consensus on the first oil change now that Toyota confirmed they put M1 5W-30 Conventional in the engine before it leaves the plant?

I have about 550 miles on it now, and I will have owned it for two months on 9/6.

Not sure if I should go off of time, or mileage given how little I drive; the number of short trips has me concerned.

Thanks for the help!

Fink

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: chubbs1
This is because syn tend to be too slippery to set the rings properly.


This just isn't true. Many rigs are filled with syn right at the factory, including the Corvette and Porsches, and they seem to break in just fine.

Mototune break in? No thanks. Besides, according to what I remember, the OP missed the special "window of opportunity" of the first 20 miles. LOL what a joke

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: Fink


With that info, what are your thoughts on when I should do my first change?


Fink, it really won't matter much when you change the FF. Many people, like myself, change it early just for the peace of mind that it brings. But that's a throwback to the days when engine castings left quite a bit of debris and even sand in the engine, so getting that out was important. These days engines are much cleaner coming from the plant, so not so much to worry about.

From the sounds of how few miles you're putting on your rig, you're going to be changing the oil based on time, not mileage. What does your OM say about the parameters of changing the oil?

Welcome to bitog

 

[Fink]

Originally Posted By: hate2work
Originally Posted By: chubbs1
This is because syn tend to be too slippery to set the rings properly.


This just isn't true. Many rigs are filled with syn right at the factory, including the Corvette and Porsches, and they seem to break in just fine.

Mototune break in? No thanks. Besides, according to what I remember, the OP missed the special "window of opportunity" of the first 20 miles. LOL what a joke



Originally Posted By: hate2work
Originally Posted By: Fink


With that info, what are your thoughts on when I should do my first change?


Fink, it really won't matter much when you change the FF. Many people, like myself, change it early just for the peace of mind that it brings. But that's a throwback to the days when engine castings left quite a bit of debris and even sand in the engine, so getting that out was important. These days engines are much cleaner coming from the plant, so not so much to worry about.

From the sounds of how few miles you're putting on your rig, you're going to be changing the oil based on time, not mileage. What does your OM say about the parameters of changing the oil?

Welcome to bitog

Thanks for the welcome and the reply!

Toyota's recommended OCI is 6mo/5k when using non-synthetic oil, which they recommend from reading some of the literature I received from them.

I will probably get my oil changed at three months for the first change, and then either 3 months or 3,000mi from then on. I was going to get it changed here soon, but with only 530 miles on the truck, I think even that is pushing the "peace of mind" motto.

Thanks again for the replies - have a great weekend!

Fink

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Fink
Well guys, I just got confirmation directly from Toyota that the 4.0L (1GR-FE) engines leave the Texas plant with M1 5W-30 conventional in them.

With that info, what are your thoughts on when I should do my first change? I will have owned the truck for two months on 9/6/11 and will probably have around 580 or so miles on it by then.

Thanks again for your help - BITOG FTW.

Fink

You said your pickem up came with "M1 5-30 conventional". Any oil tagged M1 is a synthetic.

 

[Fink]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Fink
Well guys, I just got confirmation directly from Toyota that the 4.0L (1GR-FE) engines leave the Texas plant with M1 5W-30 conventional in them.

With that info, what are your thoughts on when I should do my first change? I will have owned the truck for two months on 9/6/11 and will probably have around 580 or so miles on it by then.

Thanks again for your help - BITOG FTW.

Fink

You said your pickem up came with "M1 5-30 conventional". Any oil tagged M1 is a synthetic.

I was abbreviating Mobil 1 as M1. I wasn't aware there was a universal M1 = synthetic correlation.

It most definitely came with conventional, though.

Fink