Tundra towing 10K vs 5K OCI

[bikeshopguy345]

First post! I have been lurking for a few years!

I drive a 2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4.7L V8 (135,000mi on odo) approximately 10k miles per year with around 2000 to 2500 of that towing a 4K lb travel trailer at various times throughout the year.

My current oil change schedule is every 5K per the owners manual. The manual calls for 5w30 and I typically use whatever brand name full synthetic high mileage oil is available for a good price. Lately it has been either M1 HM 5w30 or currently Valvoline Full Synthetic 5w30 with Maxlife technology. I have always used the OEM Toyota filters.

The truck has a slow weep from the rear main seal and it gets on the transmission bell housing. The weep has been the same for about 4 or 5 years. Otherwise the truck has no oil related issues.

Prior to owning the camper I used various synthetic blend HM oils for 5K OCI and never thought twice about it. For towing I "upgraded" to full synthetic. It just made me feel better I guess.

Other than that, I live in North MS. I drive easy. My daily commute to work is 20 minutes at highway speeds.

I am seriously considering using M1 EP HM 5w30 with a M1 EP or Fram Ultra filter for 10k OCI. Is this a dumb idea? Should I just live my life, keep doing what I'm doing, and quit thinking about motor oil all the time?

I must admit I was initially weary of the 10K OCI, but my wife's 2011 Sienna has had 10K OCIs with M1 AFE 0w20 and OEM filters and it has 150k miles on it with no problems.

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Zee09]

I wouldn't.
The truck is 15 years old. Stay the course.
You could use an Ultra and leave that for 2 or 3 oci's

 

[JLTD]

First,

Second, I would think that 10k would be perfectly fine, but would use a UOA to be sure of the oil's condition as you extend the interval.

 

[maxdustington]

If you already have a small oil leak, I would expect it to get worse with full synthetic. Oil leaks are not a big deal until you have to park on someone else's driveway.

Would towing effect the OCI? I would want synthetic trans fluid over engine oil if I were towing, your trans will see a increase in temp more than the mill.

 

[bikeshopguy345]

Fortunately the weep doesn't actually drip to the ground. I am currently on the 3rd OCI with full synthetic and it hasn't changed. My old 4Runner I used to have to park judiciously.

I have been thinking about transmission fluid. I'm sort of paranoid to change anything there. I thought about just doing a few drain and fills with Toyota Type IV which is what the manual specs. That routine has served me well on past vehicles. Current ATF looks ok for whatever thats worth but it has never been changed.

The wife's Sienna has 150K on the "lifetime" ATF. No dipstick! The Sienna is a beat up kid hauler and I have decided to see how long lifetime ATF lasts!

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by bikeshopguy345
I have been thinking about transmission fluid. I'm sort of paranoid to change anything there. I thought about just doing a few drain and fills with Toyota Type IV which is what the manual specs. That routine has served me well on past vehicles. Current ATF looks ok for whatever thats worth but it has never been changed.
Maxlife is to go-to around here, but you can use OEM if that's what you're comfortable with. Lubegard red is a well regarded trans additive around here as well. You could do a cooler line flush if it has never been changed, but D&Fs will definitely make a difference on original fluid especially at high mileage. It's not a waste to do a single D&F, but if you plan to do it a few times, you might as well just flush it.

Originally Posted by bikeshopguy345
The wife's Sienna has 150K on the "lifetime" ATF. No dipstick! The Sienna is a beat up kid hauler and I have decided to see how long lifetime ATF lasts!

Man I wish that emoji still worked!

 

[danez_yoda]

I'd say stick with your same routine. HM oil. Most conventional oils in the 5w30 range are part synthetic anyway. Synblend oils is fine or if you can get full syn for less with rebate go for it. 5KOCI is fine no need to stretch to 10K and worry. The amount of money saved is small in the big picture. OEM filters are fine and can be had for ~ $5 each. Like one poster said you could boy a $10 filter and run it for three oil changes but I don't like that. 1) it leave a can full of old dirty oil in the system and 2) I dont like removing and reinatalling a filter twice to drain it. Change the seal may get damaged in the process. Just screw on a new one and be done with it.

Your application is pretty straight forward. Just keep doing what your are doing and drive it like you stole it.

 

[Pelican]

Originally Posted by maxdustington

If you already have a small oil leak, I would expect it to get worse with full synthetic. Oil leaks are not a big deal until you have to park on someone else's driveway.

Would towing effect the OCI? I would want synthetic trans fluid over engine oil if I were towing, your trans will see a increase in temp more than the mill.


+10 on that! I'd worry more about the transmission fluid than the engine oil.

 

[ka9mnx]

Mobil1 HM 10w-30 stopped a rear main seep I had for years in my F150. May or may not work for you.

 

[Zee09]

Who would ever remove an oil filter to drain it and put it back on?
Old oil in a filter harms nothing. Removing an oil filter, draining it and screwing it back on, is a no no.

 

[bikeshopguy345]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by bikeshopguy345
I have been thinking about transmission fluid. I'm sort of paranoid to change anything there. I thought about just doing a few drain and fills with Toyota Type IV which is what the manual specs. That routine has served me well on past vehicles. Current ATF looks ok for whatever thats worth but it has never been changed.
Maxlife is to go-to around here, but you can use OEM if that's what you're comfortable with. Lubegard red is a well regarded trans additive around here as well. You could do a cooler line flush if it has never been changed, but D&Fs will definitely make a difference on original fluid especially at high mileage. It's not a waste to do a single D&F, but if you plan to do it a few times, you might as well just flush it.

Originally Posted by bikeshopguy345
The wife's Sienna has 150K on the "lifetime" ATF. No dipstick! The Sienna is a beat up kid hauler and I have decided to see how long lifetime ATF lasts!

Man I wish that emoji still worked!

Well I couldn't stand it and did a drain and fill on the Sienna with 158k on the original Toyota WS fluid. I used ML to refill. I'm thinking the WS was pretty spent. Completely black. It didn't smell burned but it smelled very different than new fluid.

I am now pretty convinced that WS transmission fluid probably won't last as long as the vehicles they come in. That would be my definition of lifetime.

The original T-IV fluid in my 2004 Tundra with 145K looks like new still. The WS from the van was more like used diesel oil.

I plan on doing drain and fills with ML during my 10K OCIs. It replenishes a little over 2 quarts of trans fluid that way.

I will do some drain and fills on the truck too.

 

[njohnson]

Originally Posted by bikeshopguy345
First post! I have been lurking for a few years!

I drive a 2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4.7L V8 (135,000mi on odo) approximately 10k miles per year with around 2000 to 2500 of that towing a 4K lb travel trailer at various times throughout the year.

My current oil change schedule is every 5K per the owners manual. The manual calls for 5w30 and I typically use whatever brand name full synthetic high mileage oil is available for a good price. Lately it has been either M1 HM 5w30 or currently Valvoline Full Synthetic 5w30 with Maxlife technology. I have always used the OEM Toyota filters.

The truck has a slow weep from the rear main seal and it gets on the transmission bell housing. The weep has been the same for about 4 or 5 years. Otherwise the truck has no oil related issues.

Prior to owning the camper I used various synthetic blend HM oils for 5K OCI and never thought twice about it. For towing I "upgraded" to full synthetic. It just made me feel better I guess.

Other than that, I live in North MS. I drive easy. My daily commute to work is 20 minutes at highway speeds.

I am seriously considering using M1 EP HM 5w30 with a M1 EP or Fram Ultra filter for 10k OCI. Is this a dumb idea? Should I just live my life, keep doing what I'm doing, and quit thinking about motor oil all the time?

I must admit I was initially weary of the 10K OCI, but my wife's 2011 Sienna has had 10K OCIs with M1 AFE 0w20 and OEM filters and it has 150k miles on it with no problems.

Thanks in advance for any input.


Our Dad has a 2006 Tundra SR5 Double Cab 4.7L V8. He travels around for his work and is sometimes gone for a few months at a time. He tows his travel trailer to different campgrounds that are close to the glass plants that he works at. I called the Mobil tech line and asked the gentleman what would be the best oil to use, since our Dad tows for hours at a time. He recommended the TDT 5W-40, he said it would give better protection for towing, especially the valvetrain.

Give it a try, you might like it. We notice that the diesel oil quieted down the engine, at idle, the engine just sounds so smooth and quiet now.

 

[meep]

in our 06 I typically went about 7500-8000 per OC on full synthetic 10-30. Sold it with ~150,000 on it, and the engine and trans still ran like a swiss watch. it too had a slight weep in the rear main seal. IIRC yours has the 4 spd auto trans. Make sure you keep it out of OD when you pull.

The weak spot in mine for towing lots was the rear axle bearings. Toyota doesn't float their bearings in lube - they are sealed units. I replaced a couple of them and it just kept going. That and at its age the suspension could have benefited from new bushings.

That engine is well-engineered and is not hard on the oil. timing belt probably helps it. I'm be a little leary of 10k with the towing you do but had no problems with 7500-8000.