Yaris Oil Change DIY

[PhilD424]

Damn 5W20? Thats wayyy to thin. Even so with 5W30. I personally wouldn't use anything less then 10W30, atleast for the kind of driving we do in NYC. That thin oil is only needed for extremely cold climates. Also you might want to let people know they don't have to use a socket wrench for the drain plug, its really not needed just use a 14mm wrench.

[AmyV]

Originally Posted by yarisitis

I didn't know you needed to fill the new oil filter with oil before you put it on. So you fill it between half way and full? What's the purpose of putting oil in it?

I never did this with my old car, but will start doing it with my Yaris since my first oil change is coming up soon.

That is to help make sure that there is no gap in lubrication. The hardest thing on an engine is startup, before oil is moving effieciently. In that second before the pump starts pulling from the sump, some 80%-90% of total engine damage is done. Damage being normal wear and tear damage. Now that is obviously unavoidable. But the point is that by putting some oil in the filter, it helps make sure that, right after an oil change, that initial startup doesn't take longer.

Originally Posted by PhilD424

Damn 5W20? Thats wayyy to thin. Even so with 5W30. I personally wouldn't use anything less then 10W30, atleast for the kind of driving we do in NYC. That thin oil is only needed for extremely cold climates. Also you might want to let people know they don't have to use a socket wrench for the drain plug, its really not needed just use a 14mm wrench.

Actually, with newer engine, 5W20 is actually the best. As an engine ages, clearances get larger (i.e. between the cylinder wall and the piston), so a heavier oil is fine. But when the engine is newer and has smaller clearances, a thinner oil is needed to ensure quick and efficient lubrication.

[sbergman27]

Originally Posted by PhilD424

Damn 5W20? Thats wayyy to thin. Even so with 5W30. I personally wouldn't use anything less then 10W30, atleast for the kind of driving we do in NYC.

5w30 is considerably thicker at 0F than it is at 200F. Just not by as much as a straight weight oil. Why do you think that it needs to be *even thicker* when cold, but don't seem concerned about 5w30 at normal operating temperature. In practice, the lower the first number the better. It's the second number that is really significant. Personally, I don't see the point in 10w30. It just takes longer to flow and makes the car harder to start in cold weather.

At any rate, Toyota says 5w30. Some engines, Yaris' included, use the engine oil as hydraulic fluid to do certain things. (Yaris' vvt-i engine uses it to control the valve timing.) So messing around with non-spec viscosities *can* have unintended consequences.

Use what the filler cap recommends.

[Hard_Yaris]

I want to know what the Deal is with the FRAM oil filters? Problems or just a personal preference?

[Happy Little Pony]

Originally Posted by Hard_Yaris

I want to know what the Deal is with the FRAM oil filters? Problems or just a personal preference?

If I may be so bold as to offer my opinion:

The cheapest Fram filters (the "orange can") have gotten a bad reputation. It may be deserved or it may not. There are plenty of anecdotal stories of Frams letting people down, but anecdotes are not proof that Fram's are any more prone to failure than any other cheapie brand. The main point of contention seems to surround the use of paper-like fiber end caps on the filter element instead of something more substantial (like, you know, METAL!). The more expensive Fram models seem to be made a little more stout and you don't hear as many complaints about them.

I've used Frams in the past, there are millions of cars on the road using them now, and, if I couldn't obtain anything else, I wouldn't have a problem using one today. But they are way down on my list.

From Amazon, I can get Purolator Pure One's for about $4.75 or Denso for $3.94. Better filters for about the same price.