I'm pass due for an oil change. bought car brand new back in may. it is now october with 3600 miles. should i go to the dealer for an oil change? or is changing it myself okay with just regular pennzoil and fram filter?

 

Well good to see people still care about there cars. 3600 miles is a good time to change it. Specially sense its your 1st one. Some people go 5k before they change the oil out. ( for the break in period) However i think 3-4k is good. Its a toyota and you wont break it in till you reach 75k anyways in my opinion. They seem to run forever.

Doing it yourself is fine. If its the I-4 it should be a breeze. Im not sure about the new 3.5v6s It could be more of a hassle....

I would perfer you take it to a trusted shop atleast for the 1st couple oil changes. That way if anything goes wrong theres someone to blame beside yourself. Im not sure how the warranty works on that. I know your allowed to take it anywhere you want but as far as self service im not sure where youd find yourself. If you know what your doing then go for it. Save the extra couple of bucks..

 

I agree with 05cam "I would perfer you take it to a trusted shop atleast for the 1st couple oil changes. That way if anything goes wrong theres someone to blame beside yourself." [8D]

Although doing it yourself will save you some money in the long run.

 

You're not past your 1st oil change.
If you read the manual, it states that regular oil maintenance is every 5K--05cam also mentioned it.
Most dealers will suggest that you adhere to it. As long as the oil passes regulations, its not an issue.
In addition, there are many sites that will sell you bulk OEM filters for a good price. Browse around.

 

Actually I prefer to do my first oil change on a new car as soon as I get it home or at most 500 miles. Then 2000 miles later.The reason is that manufacture and break-in produces all kindof crap that can circulate in the engine. After that just go by the mfg'r suggested interval. I would also not go cheap on the filter. Buy one of the better performing ones or a Toyo. If you doyour own oil changes keep the receipts and note the mileage.

 

I did my first change at 4K. From there just wait for the light to come on. I prefer to have the dealership do it as they check more than just oil. I don't have them rotate my tires and that drops the price from $70 to $35. Go figure.

 

I did mine at 500 Mlles then at 3000.

I now have 5000 and put in Fuel Injector Cleaner today and every 5,000 miles from here on.

Oil every 3,000.

Rx Bruce 07/LE/V6