2012 Toyota Camry I4 Oil Change Strategy

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Originally Posted By: satinsilver
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
If he trades his cars every five years why are you worried about this? Just follow whatever schedule Toyota recommends and the car should be fine, even if it burns a bit of oil.


Good question. I was considering purchasing the car down the road. Just a possibility. On the previous 07 Camry I remember thinking I probably don't need to check the oil level since my dad would take that car in for oil changes every 5k. But when I first checked the oil level it was a full quart low. I remember at the time the car had 40k miles on it. The previous Camry to that was an 01 and would let out a puff of smoke on start up.

The 01,07, and 2012 are all different designs. The 01 puff was valve seals. The 07-09 I4's had a TSB for a known piston design issue causing oil consumption http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2011/T-SB-0094-11.pdf . Its too early to tell if the new 2.5l I4 design our dads have will experience consumption issues. 1/2 qt at 6k is not necessarily bad, but because of Toyota's history of oil burning its troubling and a potential disaster for the people that don't check oil but will go the 10k.
 
Originally Posted By: satinsilver

I was considering purchasing the car down the road. Just a possibility. On the previous 07 Camry I remember thinking I probably don't need to check the oil level since my dad would take that car in for oil changes every 5k. But when I first checked the oil level it was a full quart low. I remember at the time the car had 40k miles on it. The previous Camry to that was an 01 and would let out a puff of smoke on start up.


When the oil was 1qt down, what was the mileage after the previous OC?

If dad changes the oil every 5k miles then 40k would be 5k since the last OC, and time for an OC...that would be 1qt/5k miles...not an amount I'd worry about

...what I'd recommend, since your OP did refer to costs as much as anything else, would be to continue OCIs of 5k miles, rather than add a quart for another 2.5k miles (for a 7.5k mile OCI)...
 
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Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
I would top-off/replenish and continue to the scheduled interval. TGMO is refined by XOM, so a good choice would be a $6 quart of M1 0w20 from walmart. Watching my dads 2012 Camry I4 he hasnt burned a drop yet (5k into his 2nd 10k OCI).


Yes, that answers another question about what oil to top off with. I was thinking of the ones you mentioned above and even Valvoline Maxlife to help with the consumption early on. I know the miles are low but I had good luck using ML when I caught some consumption issues on my 99 Accord when it first started to consume oil.
 
Originally Posted By: satinsilver
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
I would top-off/replenish and continue to the scheduled interval. TGMO is refined by XOM, so a good choice would be a $6 quart of M1 0w20 from walmart. Watching my dads 2012 Camry I4 he hasnt burned a drop yet (5k into his 2nd 10k OCI).


Yes, that answers another question about what oil to top off with. I was thinking of the ones you mentioned above and even Valvoline Maxlife to help with the consumption early on. I know the miles are low but I had good luck using ML when I caught some consumption issues on my 99 Accord when it first started to consume oil.

Did you see the oil level immediately after service? Perhaps the consumption is less than 1/2 qt. I do not see the need for thicker dino blend HM oils at this time. Recommend you stay with the 0w20 its designed to run on for now. TGMO 0w20 is very thin, so M1 0w20 would be considered going thicker. They days of cheap oil changes are gone, get used to it or start doing it yourself. The oil and filter you need at Walmart is $33. Toyota's are easy to work on, especially the I4's.

Don't think of topping off as a bad thing over an extended interval. Your replenishing with fresh oil, strengthening the oil in the sump. Thats a good thing.
 
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Originally Posted By: KitaCam
When the oil was 1qt down, what was the mileage after the previous OC?

If dad changes the oil every 5k miles then 40k would be 5k since the last OC, and time for an OC...that would be 1qt/5k miles...not an amount I'd worry about


I should have stated around 40k. It was low 40's, probably 43800. So around 4k on that oci. The other weird thing about that interval was the car was taken to a new Toyota dealer that just opened for an oil change and the oil had a distinct red color to it. So a quart low and red in color. The oil was changed immediately changed after that. The dealer may have added an additive to the oil since some of their printed literature mentioned using them.
 
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Did you see the oil level immediately after service? Perhaps the consumption is less than 1/2 qt.


Yes, I always check the level after an oil change since that bad experience mentioned above. Both the Toyota and Ford dealer have been perfect filling it to the top hatch mark.
 
Good stuff guys. I hesitated even posting but good to hear the feedback! It's going on a Cleveland to Pittsburg trip and back this Sunday. I'll top her off before the trip. Two less fluids to check under the hood of the 12 Camry versus the 2007. Since the steering is electric and no more atf dipstick. But the battery has caps on top that can be removed to add some distilled water if needed unlike the previous sealed batts.
 
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The OEM interval is 10k with the proper 0w-20 full-synthetic oil. My 2011 Prius accumulates highway miles fast and is doing just fine with the 10k intervals on 0w-20, after 62,000+ miles. There has been no evidence to suggest that the 10k interval is inadequate if the proper oil is used.

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Well, since you mentioned fluids...change the "long-life" coolant...it's about due...simple drain/fill will do.

The SLL coolant is not due under 10/100k for the first service. ATF is lifetime, but a drain/refill at around 90-100k is probably all that you need per the professionals.

Other than recreational fluid changing, there is no legitimate reason to replace those fluids any sooner.
 
Changing coolant and ATF doesn't seem "recreational" to me...when I changed them on Kitacam @ 100k miles a few months after I bought it with no knowledge of if/when they were (ever) done, they looked awful...owners/mechanics at Toyotanation have recommended changing them @ 40k miles/3 years....good luck.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
The OEM interval is 10k with the proper 0w-20 full-synthetic oil. There has been no evidence to suggest that the 10k interval is inadequate if the proper oil is used.
Other than recreational fluid changing, there is no legitimate reason to replace those fluids any sooner.


They always say that right before the class action lawsuits hit and then they apologize for the oversight and offer you free oil changes.
lol.gif
 
i have been adamantly against toyota's 10k OCI, and will continue to do so.
 
Originally Posted By: Doog

They always say that right before the class action lawsuits hit and then they apologize for the oversight and offer you free oil changes.
lol.gif



Aside from user error (i.e. low oil level or using the incorrect oil), there has been zero evidence to suggest that the 10k intervals will become an issue. If you have any solid scientific evidence, please post it.

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Changing coolant and ATF doesn't seem "recreational" to me...when I changed them on Kitacam @ 100k miles a few months after I bought it with no knowledge of if/when they were (ever) done, they looked awful...owners/mechanics at Toyotanation have recommended changing them @ 40k miles/3 years....good luck.


A lot of mechanics are recreational fluid changes - I am myself. However, this does not validate the need to replace the fluids at that interval. They may do so out of personal preference and their gut instinct - but this is not evidence that the fluids actually need to be replaced.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic

Aside from user error (i.e. low oil level or using the incorrect oil), there has been zero evidence to suggest that the 10k intervals will become an issue. If you have any solid scientific evidence, please post it.



http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm

"In the 1980s, Toyota came out with a 10,000-mile oil change policy, in part to brag about the quality of their cars but mostly to market low maintenance costs. After receiving thousands of warranty claims for engine repairs from angry customers worldwide, they backed off of this absurd recommendation and went back to 3,000 mile intervals."

Now...30 years later....we are back at 10,000 miles OCI's with the 2013 2GR-Fe with the famous 0w20.

Frankly, I don't believe them and they need to show me statistical proof that running 0w20 in this engine (I have 2) is better than 5w30 and then more proof that 10,000 miles is better than 5000. My guess is that 10w30 would be best for this engine.
 
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Well done. Nothing like a website full of pics and examples from 10-30 years ago to scare consumers into continue to live in the dark ages of 3k OCI's.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Changing coolant and ATF doesn't seem "recreational" to me...when I changed them on Kitacam @ 100k miles a few months after I bought it with no knowledge of if/when they were (ever) done, they looked awful...owners/mechanics at Toyotanation have recommended changing them @ 40k miles/3 years....good luck.


A lot of mechanics are recreational fluid changes - I am myself. However, this does not validate the need to replace the fluids at that interval. They may do so out of personal preference and their gut instinct - but this is not evidence that the fluids actually need to be replaced.


There's a history of failed water pumps and overheating that may be related to headbolt failures, loss of coolant and worse....encouraging coolant replacement every few years...
 
Originally Posted By: Doog


http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm

"In the 1980s, Toyota came out with a 10,000-mile oil change policy, in part to brag about the quality of their cars but mostly to market low maintenance costs. After receiving thousands of warranty claims for engine repairs from angry customers worldwide, they backed off of this absurd recommendation and went back to 3,000 mile intervals."

Now...30 years later....we are back at 10,000 miles OCI's with the 2013 2GR-Fe with the famous 0w20.

Frankly, I don't believe them and they need to show me statistical proof that running 0w20 in this engine (I have 2) is better than 5w30 and then more proof that 10,000 miles is better than 5000. My guess is that 10w30 would be best for this engine.


So you use top of the line oil and filters and change every 3K like your link suggests is required?
 
Originally Posted By: Doog


http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm

"In the 1980s, Toyota came out with a 10,000-mile oil change policy, in part to brag about the quality of their cars but mostly to market low maintenance costs. After receiving thousands of warranty claims for engine repairs from angry customers worldwide, they backed off of this absurd recommendation and went back to 3,000 mile intervals."

Now...30 years later....we are back at 10,000 miles OCI's with the 2013 2GR-Fe with the famous 0w20.

Frankly, I don't believe them and they need to show me statistical proof that running 0w20 in this engine (I have 2) is better than 5w30 and then more proof that 10,000 miles is better than 5000. My guess is that 10w30 would be best for this engine.


There's probably zero similarity between the 2.2L and 3.0L engines from the late 90s and the 2.5 and 3.5L engines today.
 
Originally Posted By: KitaCam

There's a history of failed water pumps and overheating that may be related to headbolt failures, loss of coolant and worse....encouraging coolant replacement every few years...


And how are headbolt failures and overheating related to coolant replacement intervals? If the coolant is at the correct concentration (and the additive system is still functional), passages are clear and the system is in good health, I don't see how coolant replacement would stop the issues that you mentioned.

As for the failed water pumps, there does not appear to be any correlation between water pump failures and coolant replacements. There's likely heresy and personal preferences expressed by Technicians, but none of this has been verified in a scientific manner.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: KitaCam

There's a history of failed water pumps and overheating that may be related to headbolt failures, loss of coolant and worse....encouraging coolant replacement every few years...


And how are headbolt failures and overheating related to coolant replacement intervals? If the coolant is at the correct concentration (and the additive system is still functional), passages are clear and the system is in good health, I don't see how coolant replacement would stop the issues that you mentioned.

As for the failed water pumps, there does not appear to be any correlation between water pump failures and [lack of...] coolant replacements. There's likely heresy and personal preferences expressed by Technicians, but none of this has been verified in a scientific manner.


Right...if a coolant mix is functionally correct then no problem, but if it isn't, it is a problem...same for water pump, from what I've read at Toyotanation...if it's anecdotal vs scientific evidence I'll go with a $26 PM ev. 40k mi/3yrs in lieu of such evidence....like extended OCIs, pick your preference, pick your poison, pick your PM.
 
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