Not all vehicles use the type of algorithm that GM or others use. Toyota is just every 5k miles.
My daughter’s leased VW Tiguan is every 10k. Which I think is too long, but it’s a lease. Even so I told her to change it to 7,500k
I usually change after 5 hours or less as well on these small engines with no filters. The first few minutes of running definitely gets most of the metal out of the engine but you still see it after a few more uses. I hear some of this may be leftover from manufacturing and that not all turnings, etc. are easy to clean out at the factory so come out in the oil change.
For the past 8 or more years, Toyota has gone to a 10K oil change interval for many of their vehicles. I recall they did that when they went with larger (7.5qt) oil pans, and 0-20 oil.
Yes I know. But they still have a 5k service reminder for tire changes. Every other time for oil changes. My wife’s 07 Lexus with the same engine as my Highlander (3.5L) has a 5k oil change interval. Mine is 10k (although I do it every 5k). And wife’s 07 Lexus oil pan is LARGER then the Highlanders (by .5 quarts).
07 3.5l oil pan capacity - 6.5 quarts.
14 3.5l oil pan capacity - 5.8 quarts.
Most small engine manufacturers actually run the engines for some short period as part of quality control. When I was at the Briggs factory, they had a long trough the suspended engines drained oil out over after testing on their way to button down and packaging.
I wonder how much is gotten out at the factory. I am sure some ends up in the valve cover, etc. that might not come right out with a minute or two of running. I also get the feeling some of these small engines are made pretty cheaply. I have noticed that higher end names like Yamaha do not have as much metal in the oil after the first change. The cheap Briggs from an engine sold on a mower at Lowes, etc. are a different story.
I hear that many European cars have a 10K change interval but these also seem to always be the ones I hear about consuming a lot of oil. I wonder if there is a correlation but changing ahead of schedule has never hurt anything.