# Garage owner in Youtube video suggests 5k oil changes **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2022, 10:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882 "2022-08-18T10:56:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 10:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/1 "2022-08-18T10:56:44Z")
[![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/2/f/2f6eeb7bc335e86906923a16135cb06cfedb9713.jpeg "TOYOTA OWNERS! Please NEVER Do THIS to Your Toyota!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJhFAwFv-O0) Really need to start changing at 5k instead of 10 ? (Oil maintenance light _does_ illuminate at 5,000!) Thank you. Robert’s OCD oil change: _Asoon as arriving home, drive up on ramps andrain oil while hot._ - Thoroughly clean oil canister with toilet paper, put on new O-ring, insert Fram filter element, lubricate O-ring, fill canister with oil and screw on. - Clean oil plug and lubricate ready to screw on. - Fill two 5-quart oil containers with 3 quarts of 0W-20 full synthetic Walmart Supertech oil ready to pour in at a moment’s notice. - Allow old oil drip out **over night**. (Naturally, during a recent oil change, a hospital called for an emergentransport at 0-dark-thirty. I screwed the oil plug on and emptied both containers into thengine and departed looking athe driveway for oileakage as I backed out.) 2016 RX350 now 305,000 mostly highway miles. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/2 "2022-08-18T11:43:51Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > Allow old oil drip out **over night** A waste of time. Change it warm and 99.9% of what you can get out with a change, will come out. 5k changes are fine. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/3 "2022-08-18T11:47:27Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > Thoroughly clean oil canister with toilet paper I do not understand the logic behind cleaning with toilet paper. The rest of your method I do not have a problem with, but think it is unnecessary. You could be even more OCD: drain oil, reinstall drain plug, add a quart of fresh oil, the remove drain plug to flush out any remaining dirty oil. Me? I no longer do my own changes except on my lawnmower. Just not worth the hassle to me. Now I use my dealership, they drop me off at home, pick me me up when it is done. Truck with non-turbo V8 gets changed at 20% oil life remaining. Turbocharged car gets change at 5,000. Out of curiosity, checked the oil change “menu” at local big box store, my dealership charges **less** for the oil change, provides checklist of components checked, I.e. brakes, coolant level, tires, etc. I still check my oil level, along with other fluid levels at least every two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/4 "2022-08-18T12:30:02Z")
Here we have more of RG’s ( Hey . look at me posts ) . He has been told before the overnight oil drain is foolish . ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/5 "2022-08-18T12:38:18Z")
Toilet paper is great at absorbing oil and getting everything very clean. I have observed how dealerships and oil change places efficiently **do** il changes without cleaning anything. Themergencyehicle is on call 24/7 so I can’t leave it. Before I remove the oil plug, I measure out 6-quarts and haveverything athe ready should a call come in. (Emergency transports have come in just after I startedraining the oil.) To make listening to CarTalk on NPR less a waste of time, I would do vehicle/fluids/tire checks while listening to Tom and Ray. Miss them. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/6 "2022-08-18T12:45:48Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > > [@Robert-Gift](#): > > > > Allow old oil drip out **over night** > > _A waste of time. Change it warm and 99.9% of what you can get out with a change, will come out._ > _5k changes are fine._ No waste of time while sleeping. 5k is fine, but necessary withe new synthetic oils?? ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/7 "2022-08-18T13:08:51Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > Robert’s OCD oil change: What about the ~1qt of old oil left behind in the oil galleries, pockets, etc.? Draining another cup of oil overnight won’t matter much. Additives in the oil do far more cleaning than toilet paper ever could. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/8 "2022-08-18T13:30:33Z")
I use the toilet paper to clean the canister, oil plug, dipstick and oil filler cap and openings. Sorry if I caused the idea of using ito sop up oil. Can’t do anything about oil pooling in thengine other than letting oil drain overnight. ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 1:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/9 "2022-08-18T13:52:00Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > (Oil maintenance light _does_ illuminate at 5,000!) A while back someone posted that it’s actually a tire rotation reminder. Frankly I don’t know but I use it as an oil change reminder for my 2009 Corolla anyway. And yes, that’s using synthetic oil. Newer vehicles may require less frequent oil changes but personally I’d stick with 5k no matter what model I was driving. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/10 "2022-08-18T14:04:23Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > No waste of time while sleepin Except you might get a callout from work at anytime forcing you to complete the job before you go as you post. Lots of opportunities to screw this up when you are in a hurry. There is no reward to this and lots of risk. Considering how much highway you drive, stretching that change to 7K would not be a problem. But oil is cheap and engines are not. Your choice. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/11 "2022-08-18T15:17:05Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > (Oil maintenance light _does_ illuminate at 5,000!) Wrong, The “Maintenance Light” it’s a general maintenance reminder not specifically for the oil. ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/12 "2022-08-18T15:23:33Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > Fill two 5-quart oil containers with 3 quarts of 0W-20 full synthetic Walmart Supertech oil ready to pour in at a moment’s notice. Okay, I’ll bite. Why are you using two five quart containers with three quarts of oil? ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/13 "2022-08-18T17:41:29Z")
Mom’s '10 Prius is on a 6K oil change interval which ends up being every 9mo roughly, same shop for almost 30yrs with the same interval as the previous car. ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/14 "2022-08-18T17:52:43Z")
I get my oil changed every 6 months or 6000 miles, whichever comes first. I don’t pay attention to the oil or service indicators. Simple and works for me. I’ve never had any engine problems in any of my cars. Your mileage may vary. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/15 "2022-08-18T18:40:03Z")
When I traded my Buick with 520,000 miles, the salesman asked me how often I changed oil. I told him 3000 miles and he slapped his knee and said I knew it. Still didn’t use oil. It takes me less than 30 minutes to do and I’m not about to put on old clothes and then repeat the same thing the next morning. I let it drain while I get the oil and filter ready and record the maintenance. Works fine. Multi tasking. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/16 "2022-08-18T22:12:57Z")
Sounds like a pretty good oil change routine there @Robert-Gift . I typically change at 5K\*, agree that 10K is too long for typical car use. My change routine differs from yours, but just a little. I find engine is too hot if I start the oil change immediately after arriving home from long drive. I start w/cold engine, and idle a while to warm it up enough oil is thinner, but not so hot engine parts are burning me. I think letting it drip drain overnight is good idea, but worry I’ll forget and drive w/no oil. If I decide to adopt that routine I’ll place a “no oil” reminder on the steering wheel. To make re-filling easier, I use a discarded plastic mouthwash bottle, cut the top off to use it as an oil funnel, perfect fit, threads right in to oil filler opening, sturdy hold. I drain old oil into plastic garbage bag lined drain pan, then pour used oil from drain pan into oil-recycle container, old filter then goes into pan liner along with funnel, toss it all in the trash. Left with nothing other than clean drain pan. - Actually I change by the oil color. Starts nearly clear, then a little opaque, then a little brown, then darker brown, then nearly black. I change when it appears darker brown. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/17 "2022-08-18T23:44:55Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > > [@Robert-Gift](#): > > > > No waste of time while sleeping > > _Except you might get a callout from work at anytime forcing you to complete the job before you go as you post. Lots of opportunities to screw this up when you are in a hurry._ > _There is no reward to this and lots of risk._ > _Considering how much highway you drive, stretching that change to 7K would not be a problem. But oil is cheap and engines are not. Your choice._ At 0330, must becareful that I do not pour in the pre-measured oil before screwing on the oil plug. With everything athe ready, takes only a couple of minutes. Fortunately usually arrive athe blood center just before the blood is ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/18 "2022-08-18T23:47:49Z")
> [@PvtPublic](#): > > > [@Robert-Gift](#): > > > > (Oil maintenance light _does_ illuminate at 5,000!) > > Wrong, The “Maintenance Light” it’s a general maintenance reminder not specifically for the oil. This one reads **Oil Maintenance Required** when it reaches 5,000 aftereset. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/19 "2022-08-18T23:54:45Z")
> [@Robert-Gift](#): > > This one reads **Oil Maintenance Required** when it reaches 5,000 aftereset. There are four different maintenance messages, two of them are; “Maintenance required” displayed every 5,000 miles “Oil maintenance required” displayed every 10,000 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882/20 "2022-08-18T23:59:52Z")
> [@FoDaddy](#): > > > [@Robert-Gift](#): > > > > Fill two 5-quart oil containers with 3 quarts of 0W-20 full synthetic Walmart Supertech oil ready to pour in at a moment’s notice. > > _Okay, I’ll bite. Why are you using two five quart containers with three quarts of oil?_ 3 qts in each 5-qt container so no time measuring it. Just pour in and go. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/garage-owner-in-youtube-video-suggests-5k-oil-changes/185882.md?page=2)