I have a 2023 Toyota Rav4, and it's approaching 1,000 miles on the odometer. Should I change the oil at 1,000 miles?
I am planning to change it every 5,000 miles after that.
The videos that @mmj shared from Lake Speed, Jr a certified Tribologist and who also used to formulate motor oils for Joe Gibbs Racing, plus the vid from the Car Care Nut should provide adequate information to steer your towards the 1,000 mile oil change. After all it does not cost that much (it’s not like you are changing the spark plugs🤔) and you will have only one opportunity to do it. If you change the oil early I don’t think that you would ever regret it. But if you don’t you may always wonder if you should have changed it at 1K especially if the premature wearing of an engine part should occur. If I was to ever have a brand new motor, I would gladly and without hesitation perform the first oil and filter change at 1,000 miles and have no regrets.
I still don't 100% buy the oil geek's story. Just because something shows up on a mass spectrometer or other lab analytical equipment, that doesn't automatically translate into significant real world effects on an engine.
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CCN doesn't present any real world data. We're just supposed to trust his hunch.
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It's something to consider, but until somebody shows me two engines side by side, one of which had break-in oil changes and one that didn't, or perhaps some kind of statistical study on the lifetime of thousands of engines, then they're just conjecture, so I take them with a grain of salt.
@mmj I understand your skepticism but even you stated in your initial response, “Does anybody really know?” So my thinking is that if it is a concern for someone whose vehicle is approaching the 1000 mile run on the engine and there is even the possibility that an early change will benefit the longevity of the motor then for the simple task and relatively inexpensive cost of changing the oil and filter then do it. It’s certainly not going to hurt anything except maybe a scraped knuckle and if the fluid change provides a sense of confidence to the owner that he/she has taken an extra step to maintain his vehicle to the best of his ability, then I think that the peace of mind would far outweigh any potential post-regret for having done so. The cost of one extra oil change over the lifetime of the vehicle is negligible compared with all of the other maintenance that will be needed to keep a car happily spinning for the next 200-300K miles For those who believe otherwise then just change it every 5,000 and be content with that maintenance approach. Either way will certainly be far better than the longer intervals now being recommended by automakers.
But the scientific evidence gathered from a “statistical study on the lifetime of thousands of engines” would be nice to know.👍
Hey, maybe that’s something Scotty could do in his spare time. 😁
Absolutely. If you do it to just to be safe, then that's a totally valid reason, given the small sacrifice needed. But any reason beyond that is dubious in my opinion, so I'm always skeptical when people invent theories to justify doing it.
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It's purely an academic discussion for somebody else to explore 😆 Maybe for someone with a fleet of hundreds of vehicles, it would actually pay off to find out.
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I just want people to be honest and say "I don't really know. I'm just doing it to cover my butt".
Don't bother performing an oil change when it reaches 1,000 miles unless it makes you not able to sleep at night. I have the factory original service manual from GM from 1979 that says your car doesn't require an oil change after 1,000 miles. I got it for my 1979 Pontiac Catalina. That was done away with, decades ago. The oil filter absorbed all of the tiny fragments upon the first time ever starting the engine. With the way computers machine parts nowadays, there's realistically 0 chance of anything happening.
Lots of opinions on this. It’s come up a number of times on this forum and the consensus is basically no. But take a look at the search bar above and you’ll get a broader range of opinions than just from this thread.
Cheers
If you are changing it yourself, it shouldn't cost that much (under $50) and will give you peace of mind. I changed mine @ 2,000 miles the first time and 5K thereafter. Most likely doesn't make any difference but then again, you won't double guess yourself and have peace of mind 🙂
I don't know. Some say yes. What does your manual say?
Does anybody really know?
Analysis might show some metallic content, but does that actually translate into tangible lifetime benefits?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6nWCQ_70J0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4424Q5lLR8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoW1ZFo2chE
Should I change the oil at 1,000 miles?
A 'break in period' and a 'break in oil' are not the same thing. Engine builders use break-in oils to ensure the proper seating of rings and cams. These are specialized oils, they are not the same oils as the GF6 oil one typically buys from a parts store. It is important to drive a car properly during the 'break in period' as per the manufacturers suggestions. Changing the oil and filter at 1K miles won't hurt anything, doing so might remove some fine metal particulates if any have accumulated.
