Service Interval

[bigred70 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close bigred70]

Hi everyone,

I have done a search for this topic but couldn't find anything.

I have a 2005 prado with the 1 KZTE engine.

During the warranty period i was changing the oil religiously every 3 months. However I only do approx 2000 km in 3 months (city driving).

The warranty has now expired and i was wondering if i really need to change the oil every 3 months (the service book says 5000km or 3 months).

Can i stretch it out to 5000km (or approx every 6 months) without risking any engine damage? I have read that oil deterrioates with age but i'm not sure how true this is.

Thanks,

Tom

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Service Interval

Tom,

Unfortunately there's no one answer fits all situations with this question. Various factors come into play here, not just time/km's but also fuel and enviromental (airbourne) contaminants.

The best practice is to take an oil sample for testing at 3 months/5000k's and have it tested (If you're in SA then CavPower can help you, costs sub $30). If the testing shows the oil is still ok (soot load will be the big factor here I imagine) then you may be able to stretch the service interval out.

Everybodys driving circumstance is a little different so the only sure fire way to know is with testing. (you don't have to do it every time, just once off to see what suits your situation).

The danger with guess work with extending the service interval by kilometres on a diesel is the soot load in the oil. It can only hold so much before it starts to form engine sludge that can build up to the point where it restricts oil flow.

When extending by time, problems can arise if the oil is contaminated (airbourne or fuel) losing it's protective properties and sometimes also causing corrosion.

Mick

[PeterB Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close PeterB]

Re: Service Interval

5000 Klm interval is fine.

[clifton Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close clifton]

Re: Service Interval

Hi everyone,

I have done a search for this topic but couldn't find anything.

I have a 2005 prado with the 1 KZTE engine.

During the warranty period i was changing the oil religiously every 3 months. However I only do approx 2000 km in 3 months (city driving).

The warranty has now expired and i was wondering if i really need to change the oil every 3 months (the service book says 5000km or 3 months).

Can i stretch it out to 5000km (or approx every 6 months) without risking any engine damage? I have read that oil deterrioates with age but i'm not sure how true this is.

Thanks,

MickL has explained the details well, I would stick to a 5000km oil and oil filter change.

Tom

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Service Interval

And now it's out to 10,000km or 6 months as per my owner's manual 2009.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Service Interval

MickL has explained the details well, I would stick to a 5000km oil and oil filter change

Don't get me wrong, it's ok to extend the interval, But you shouldn't just pull a time/km out of your backside. For $30 or so you know exactly whats going on with your oil.

Oil only at 5000k by the way, no filter change required. (Toyota servive schedule for 1kz-te engine).

And now it's out to 10,000km or 6 months as per my owner's manual 2009

The D4D is current diesel technology... it contaminates its oil with soot and fuel/combustion by products far less than an indirect injection engine like the 1kz, Hence the longer interval in the factory service schedule.

Same practice should apply though. If you want to extend the interval then get a sample tested.

$30ish isn't very much for peace of mind. Better than choking you engine up with sludge over the long term.

Mick

[Fozzy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fozzy]

Re: Service Interval

So you'd hive off a litre or so while you drop the oil at a change and then send the sample to the lab?

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Service Interval

So you'd hive off a litre or so while you drop the oil at a change and then send the sample to the lab?

No, they only need a small amount. I've used Cavpower (Catapellar franchise) here in Adelaide and they supply a small sample bottle that is about 100ml or so. You may also have to give them a referance sample of your clean oil if they don't have it on record.

Mick

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Service Interval

More info if your interested:

http://www.cavpower.com/cavpower/ser...l-analysis.jsp


Mick

[bigred70 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close bigred70]

Re: Service Interval

More info if your interested:

http://www.cavpower.com/cavpower/ser...l-analysis.jsp


Mick

Thanks for the info Mick.

I'll definately get a oil test done. Would it be best to wait till i've done 5000km and then get the test done, or get it done now at approx 2500km? I guess it depends on how the test works and whether they can identify how much life is left in the oil.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Service Interval

I'll definately get a oil test done. Would it be best to wait till i've done 5000km and then get the test done, or get it done now at approx 2500km? I guess it depends on how the test works and whether they can identify how much life is left in the oil.

I would assume it would be best to wait untill 5k kms (and it's easier to take the sample during the drain out), but maybe give the lab you are going to use a call and ask.

Mick

[WizudOfOz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WizudOfOz]

Re: Service Interval

Hi All

On another (related) point, I just noticed that the sticker on my windscreen, placed there by the Adelaide dealer after my freebie 1500km look-see, says next service due 5000km (oops...already passed by about 1500km) but the service book says 10k intervals.

Anyone had any similar experiences?

My cynical thought is that as I got the deal for scheduled services fixed at $180 up to 60k service they've stuck 5k on the window thinking I'll just take it in when the sticker tells me to & charge me a small fortune as it's not a 'scheduled' service.

Cheers

Craig

[mjforder Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mjforder]

Re: Service Interval

Hi All

On another (related) point, I just noticed that the sticker on my windscreen, placed there by the Adelaide dealer after my freebie 1500km look-see, says next service due 5000km (oops...already passed by about 1500km) but the service book says 10k intervals.

Anyone had any similar experiences?

My cynical thought is that as I got the deal for scheduled services fixed at $180 up to 60k service they've stuck 5k on the window thinking I'll just take it in when the sticker tells me to & charge me a small fortune as it's not a 'scheduled' service.

Cheers

Craig

Craig....depends on driving habit by the book. Likewise, when i bought my brand spankin new truck they said the next service was due 10,000kms after the "free servie" but i bought this beast for fun and games and have changed the oil every 5,000kms. the 10,000 and the 20,000km servicfe now has the sticker showing next service due 5,000km later so i recon after spending some time under it, they realised i use the car......so they think it is 'exteme' usage. that said, i can buy 20L of caltex Delo 400 for $100 and its good oil. cheap compared to the delaer chargin $100 or so for 7L so i do the oil myself and give them the oil for the dealer service.

M

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: Service Interval

Just some food for thought here, but if you have upgrade your tyres to a larger size then I'm assuming the odometer is effected by this just as your speedo is. So if you are doing 110km/h on the speedo then you are actually doing 113km/h. The actual speed is reading in error of 97%. So my assumption is that the oddometer is in error by the same amount and the service interval needs to be reduced to 97% to take this into account or run the risk of a longer service interval period based on the Oddo readings.

I hope I've got this correct. I assume that both the speedo and oddo work based on the fact that the computer assumes that for each full revolution the car has advanced a a set distance.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Service Interval

Just some food for thought here, but if you have upgrade your tyres to a larger size then I'm assuming the odometer is effected by this just as your speedo is. So if you are doing 110km/h on the speedo then you are actually doing 113km/h. The actual speed is reading in error of 97%. So my assumption is that the oddometer is in error by the same amount and the service interval needs to be reduced to 97% to take this into account or run the risk of a longer service interval period based on the Oddo readings.

I hope I've got this correct. I assume that both the speedo and oddo work based on the fact that the computer assumes that for each full revolution the car has advanced a a set distance.

You have your percentage ass about... just under 3% is your error... :wink:

Yes the odometer and speedo use the same speed signal pulse and will both have the same error from any change in tyre diameter. This signal is taken from the final drive output of the gearbox (basically tailshaft revolutions).

It's easier to get your head around it if we look at the units in nice roud "Tens" (It is for me anyway... otherwise I have to get the calculator out :wink: )

Find your speedo error @ 100kmph.... say you are actually doing 103 at an indicated 100. For for every 100 km your odo shows you have actually travelled 103km.
So...

100km = 103km(actual)
1000km = 1030km
and at 10,000km you would have covered 10,300km

If you're anal about servicing right on the number you reduce the service interval by the error (In this case 3%) or 300ks. Personally I don't worry about it, a couple of hundred k's either side isn't going to harm anything.

Mick