Suggestion: Complete a break-in oil change on your new Land Cruiser

thomez

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Jun 7, 2024
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Munroe Falls, Ohio
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2024 Tundra Platinum
Let me just say it up front, I don't want this this to devolve into any arguments, and I'm sure people will disagree on this topic.

Myself, I will be completing my first oil change somewhere between 500 and 1000 miles. Then every 5,000 thereafter. If you plan to keep your Land Cruiser long term, my suggestion is for you to do the same.

Here's a much better explanation than I could provide, if you are interested.



May we reliably cruise the land in peace.
 
If you needed a second opinion, from a Toyota/Lexus expert no less, I would encourage you to listen to this explanation of what conditions make a 10k oil change interval an acceptable policy, and his exhortations to follow a 5k interval unless you meet that rare condition.

 
Let me just say it up front, I don't want this this to devolve into any arguments, and I'm sure people will disagree on this topic.

Myself, I will be completing my first oil


500% in agreement.
 
Great videos and even better concept of an early first oil change. We'll follow the 1K/5K/5K plan. I've never been brand loyal when it comes to oil, but the new Valvoline Restore and Protect has me sold.
 
This is exactly what I do. I already did a 1K oil change and I plan on 5k/5k on.
For the dealer free 10k oil changes I'll be removing the skid plate before I take it in. This way I can both inspect the work and ensure they don't cross thread my bolts.
 
I always send my oil samples to blackstone labs for analysis. After a few changes, they'll be able to tell you what your ideal oil change interval is based on your driving habits. A 5k OCI isn't for everyone, its really only for specific heavy use cases.

On my 2022 Tundra after 4 oil changes, Blackstone said 10k was fine for my use, I could even stretch it to 12k if I needed to. I did not do a break in oil change, and even at 10k miles, the oil was fine.

No use arguing about what the "best" oil change interval is, unless you have your own hard data to back it up.
 
To each their own, 5K changes, even if it's overkill, doesn't hurt a thing and is very cheap insurance.

I have always wanted to try the oil sample route and I'm curious as to the cost of sending in a sample for analyses.

(edit) I looked up the cost on Blk Stone's site $35 +shipping if anyone else was curious.

My last oil change was approx $42.00 so there's that.
 
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To each their own, 5K changes, even if it's overkill, doesn't hurt a thing and is very cheap insurance.

I have always wanted to try the oil sample route and I'm curious as to the cost of sending in a sample for analyses.

(edit) I looked up the cost on Blk Stone's site $35 +shipping if anyone else was curious.
Shipping is included! I've been sending them samples for almost 10 years for 7-8 vehicles. They always tell me my ideal OCI for each vehicle and in the case of my dedicated racecar Miata, they were able to tell me that my head gasket may have been leaking. Sure enough, I pulled apart the head and a tiny crack in the gasket had formed a passageway between the coolant jacket and one of the oil galleys.

Here's a report from my Tundra after ~10k miles on its first oil change.

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This is exactly what I do. I already did a 1K oil change and I plan on 5k/5k on.
For the dealer free 10k oil changes I'll be removing the skid plate before I take it in. This way I can both inspect the work and ensure they don't cross thread my bolts.
Think under “ToyotaCare” the 5k oil change is free, right?
 
Yepper on my Taco, they notified me to bring it in for 5K service, implied it was for an oil change/service....... but the shop report said different. So I changed my oil when I got home, took it in at 10K for oil/service, changed my oil at 15K, then took it in for service, at 20K took it in for oil/service. Since then it's been my party.......LOL
 
10k. They are going to spend the least amount of money possible. This is probably one of the biggest reasons they have pushed 'recommendations' to 10k miles. If anything goes wrong with wear, it will be well after warranty.
 
One thing to keep in mind for some folks: I've run across a few dealers that offer a "Lifetime Warranty" on new (and some used) vehicles they sell. Covers engine, transmission, 2WD and 4WD for as long as you own the vehicle. Sounds great but the big caveat is that you must follow Toyota recommended service and maintenance schedules.

My guess is that this is really a play to keep people coming back to the dealer for expensive service long after the free stuff is complete. The big question is whether "self-service" counts and what documentation you'd need to supply to prove that you had actually followed the maintenance schedule. Would receipts for oil and a filter every 10K miles suffice to prove that you'd actually changed the oil or do they need documentation from a shop? Who knows?

I'm planning on doing my own oil changes for the 5K, 15K, etc. interval and not worry about trying to prove anything to Toyota. I figure, in the long run, I'll save myself enough in labor to pay for another engine at 200K if I need to.
 

Great post! I’ve summarized all his points with a couple considerations related to our new and arriving Lanc Cruisers:

First 200 miles
  • avoid sudden stops & hard braking

First 500 miles
  • no towing

First 1000 miles
  • avoid hard acceleration
  • avoid long periods of low gear
  • avoid very high speeds on highway > 70
  • avoid long long highway trips of constant speed

Day of delivery
  • Do a thorough visual inspection- reports on here of port-caused dents (especially roofs)

General new car care
  • fill tires to pressure on door sill sticker (many coming over-filled from factory)
  • Do a 1000 miles oil change (clear manufacturing debris) then again at 5000 miles and every 5000 after
  • Don’t overfill gas tank (unfortunately 17.9 gallons in new LC)
 
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