If you love your 2016 Toyota RAV4, you’ll want to keep it in tip-top shape with regular oil changes. To successfully change your RAV4’s oil, you’ll need 4.6 quarts of oil.

One of the many advantages of owning the RAV4 is that changing the oil on your own is a relatively simple (and money-saving!) process. If you want to learn more about how to change the oil in your 2016 RAV4, what kind of oil it takes, and how much it requires—you’ve come to the right place. Let’s get started!

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2016 Toyota RAV4 engine oil capacity

All 2016 Toyota RAV4 trims are equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that holds 4.6 quarts of oil. This info can also be found in the

2016 RAV4 owner’s manual

If car specs confuse you, we’ll make it simple. The 2.5 liters refers to your engine displacement—which is not the same thing as the 4.6-quart engine oil capacity. You never want to underfill your engine unknowingly, as this can cause some pretty substantial engine damage.

What kind of oil does a 2016 Toyota RAV4 need?

Ok, 4.6 quarts it is—but how are you supposed to know what kind of oil is best for your RAV4?

The manufacturer recommends using

Toyota Genuine SAE 0W-16 Full-Synthetic Motor Oil

. If you’re having trouble getting your hands on the Toyota 0W-16 type—don’t panic—you could also fill your RAV4’s engine with

SAE 0W-20

SAE 5W-20

engine oil.

So, how do you read engine oil types? Take a look at the definitions below and you’ll be an expert in no time!

SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers, the organization in charge of creating globally recognized oil viscosity codes. Viscosity is just another way of describing how thick an oil is.

The number to the left side of the dash represents an oil’s viscosity in freezing temperatures, marked by the “W” (winter). The lower the number, the thinner.

The number to the right side of the dash is how viscous oil is at 212°F.

This means that SAE 0W-20 oil has a thin viscosity when your vehicle is in freezing conditions, as well as when the engine is running in hot temperatures.

0W-16—the type of engine oil Toyota recommends for the RAV4, is the new kid on the block when it comes to oil types. This low-viscosity oil was developed in Japan and is known for increasing engine efficiency and helping your engine warm up faster.

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How often to change oil on a 2016 Toyota RAV4

The recommendation in your owner’s manual is to change the oil on a 2016 Toyota RAV4 every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. If you opt for fully synthetic oil, however, you could wait a little longer in between oil changes—about every 7,500 miles.

Check your RAV4’s oil once a month to ensure everything is running smoothly. The dipstick under the RAV4’s hood allows you to keep tabs on the oil level. If you see that the level is lower than what the dipstick indicates as an acceptable range, you’ll need to top the engine off with more oil—just make sure you’re using the same kind of oil that’s inside your engine already.

Checking the oil is also the best way to observe how dirty it is. Clean oil will be an amber color with a honey-like texture. The longer the oil circulates through the engine the dirtier it gets—if you see that the oil has turned very dark like the color of cola or is black or has a coarse or sludge-like consistency, you need to change the oil right away.

A RAV4 that’s overdue for an oil change may also start behaving oddly while it’s running. These are some performance-related signs that are your vehicle’s way of telling you it’s time for an oil change:

Sounds coming from the engine, like clunking

A laggy or inconsistent drive quality

Smells like oil, burning, or smoke emitting from the engine

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How to change your oil and oil filter

Changing your RAV4’s oil on your own is a major money-saving hack. If you want to give it a shot, start by gathering all the materials you’ll need:

4.6 quarts of oil

Oil funnel

Gloves and eye protection

Ramps

Oil drain pan and shop rag

Crush washer for oil drain plug

⅜ ratchet, ratchet extension, and 14mm socket

Oil filter wrench

Torque wrench

New

oil filter

Metal pick

Ready? Let’s start.

Carefully drive your RAV4 onto some ramps and put the e-brake on.

Use your 14mm socket to loosen the oil drain plug and have the oil pan ready underneath to catch all of the draining oil.

With your ⅜ ratchet and extension, loosen the oil filter housing cap. If the O-ring is stuck on the oil housing, you can use a pick to remove it. Position the oil drain pan below to catch spillage.

Clean out the oil filter housing with a shop rag and remove the old O-ring if it’s attached. Apply clean oil to the new O-ring and install it, then put the new oil filter in.

Pick the old crush washer off of the oil drain plug and carefully tighten it back in place with the torque wrench until you hear a click.

Replace the oil filter housing. Start by manually tightening it and then use the oil filter wrench to tighten it to 18 ft-lbs of torque.

Tighten the oil housing bolt to nine ft-lbs of torque.

Use your funnel to fill your engine with 4.6 liters of clean oil.

Run your car for 30 seconds to a minute to warm up your engine. You can then lower your RAV4 off the ramps, and check the oil level with the dipstick. When the oil level is where it should be, you’re done! Congratulations, you’ve changed your oil!

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