The oil should be changed every 7500 miles (12,000 km) (refer to the maintenance interval charts at the end of this section). Toyota recommends changing the oil filter with every other oil change; we suggest that the filter be changed with every oil change. There is approximately 1 quart of dirty oil left remaining in the old oil filter if it is not changed! A few dollars more every year seems a small price to pay for extended engine life so change the filter every time you change the oil!
CAUTION
Prolonged and repeated skin contact with used engine oil, with no effort to remove the oil, may be harmful. Always follow these simple precautions when handling used motor oil.
- Avoid prolonged skin contract with used motor oil.
- Remove oil from skin by washing thoroughly with soap and water or waterless hand cleaner. Do not use gasoline, thinners or other solvents.
- Avoid prolonged skin contact with oil-soaked clothing.
If your car is being used under dusty, polluted or off-road conditions, change the oil and filter more frequently than specified. The same goes for cars driven in stop-and-go traffic or only for short distances. Always drain the oil after the engine has been running long enough to bring it to normal operating temperature. Hot oil will flow easier and more contaminants will be removed along with the oil than if it were drained cold. To change the oil and filter:
- Warm the oil by running the engine for a short period of time or at least until the needle on the temperature gauge rises above the C mark. This will make the oil flow more freely from the oil pan.
- Park on a level surface, apply the parking brake and block the wheels. Stop the engine. Raise the hood and remove the oil filler cap from the top of the valve cover. Also remove the oil filler cap on the oil tank located under the hood. This allows the air to enter the engine as the oil drains. Remove the dipstick, wipe it off and set it aside.
- Position a suitable oil drain pan under the drain plug.
NOTE: All engines hold approximately 6 quarts of oil, so choose a drain pan that exceeds this amount to allow for movement of the oil when the pan is pulled from under the vehicle. This will prevent time lost to the cleaning up of messy oil spills.
| Fig. 1:
Remove the engine oil pan drain plug
|
- With the proper size metric socket or closed end wrench (DO NOT use pliers or vise grips), loosen the drain plug. Back out the drain plug while maintaining a slight upward force on it to keep the oil from running out around it (and your hand). Allow the oil to drain into the drain pan. It is recommended to discard the old gasket and replace with a new one each oil change.
CAUTION
The engine oil will be hot. Keep your arms, face and hands away from the oil as it is draining
- Remove the drain pan and wipe any excess oil from the area around the hole using a clean rag. Clean the threads of the drain plug and the drain plug gasket to remove any sludge deposits that may have accumulated.
| Fig. 2:
Step back and allow the old oil to flow from the engine
|
| Fig. 3:
Remove the engine cover directly below the oil filter
|
- To keep from engine oil spilling onto the engine cover, it may be necessary to remove it prior to the filter.
- With a filter wrench, loosen the oil filter counterclockwise and back the filter off the filter post the rest of the way by hand. Keep the filter end up so that the oil does not spill out. Tilt the filter into the drain pan to drain the oil.
| Fig. 4:
Use a filter wrench to remove the oil filter
|
| Fig. 5:
Remember, some fluid will drain from the filter too
|
- Remove the drain pan from under the vehicle and position it off to the side.
- With a clean rag, wipe off the filter seating surface to ensure a proper seal. Make sure that the old gasket is not stuck to the seating surface. If it is, remove it and thoroughly clean the seating surface of the old gasket material.
| Fig. 6:
Before installing a new oil filter, lightly coat the rubber gasket with clean oil
|
- Open a container of new oil and smear some of this oil onto the rubber gasket of the new oil filter. Get a feel for where the filter post is and start the filter by hand until the gasket contacts the seat. Using the filter wrench, turn the filter an additional 3⁄4
turn.
- Install the drain plug and metal gasket. Be sure that the plug is tight enough that the oil does not leak out, but not tight enough to strip the threads. Over time you will develop a sense of what the proper tightness of the drain plug is. If a torque wrench is available, tighten the plug to 27 ft. lbs. (37 Nm).
NOTE: Replace the drain plug gasket every time you change the oil to prevent leakage.
| Fig. 7:
Inspect the plug threads and always replace the gasket
|
- Through a suitable plastic or metal funnel, add clean new oil of the proper grade and viscosity through the oil filler on the top of the valve cover. Be sure that the oil level registers near the F (full) mark on the dipstick.
- Install and tighten the oil filler cap.
- Open the hood and fill the engine oil tank. The fluid level on the tank should read FULL or F.
- Start the engine and allow it to run for several minutes. Check for leaks at the filter and drain plug. Sometimes leaks will not be revealed until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
- Stop the engine and recheck the oil level. Add oil as necessary.
