appeals to the outdoor adventurer in all of us with its rugged good looks and impressive handling. Regardless of if you’re taking your Rav4 down back roads or just on your morning commute, knowing your engine’s oil capacity can help you keep your SUV in top shape.

You can keep your vehicle performing well and save you some money if you choose to DIY some of your vehicle’s routine maintenance. A good place to start is changing your own oil—it is relatively easy, all you need to know is your 4Runner’s oil capacity and the type of oil you need.

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2011 Toyota Rav4 engine oil capacity

Your first step to changing your oil will be purchasing new engine oil—but how much do you need for your 2011 Toyota Rav4?

The 2011 Toyota Rav4 2.5 L 4-Cyclinder has an oil capacity of 4.7 quarts or 4.4 liters and the 3.5 L V6 has an oil capacity of 6.4 quarts or 6.1 liters. Engine oil is typically sold in 1-quart or 5-quart bottles, so you’ll have to buy 5 quarts of oil at a time. You’ll have a little left over, but you don’t want to only fill your oil reservoir part-way—this could cause some serious engine damage.

What kind of oil does a 2011 Toyota Rav4 need?

You’ll also need to buy the right kind of engine oil. There are lots of different varieties, but not all of them will be best for your Rav4. Toyota recommends using a full synthetic or synthetic blend of 0W-20 engine oil for the 2011 Rav4 2.5 L 4-Cylinder while recommending SAE 5W-30 for the 3.5L V6.

Don’t take the manufacturer's recommendation lightly—using a different oil can decrease your engine performance and you could void your warranty if it causes engine damage!

Full synthetic and synthetic blend oils use conventional oil and mix it with different ingredients and additives to enhance your vehicle’s performance and provide better protection against rust, corrosion, and general wear and tear.

The numbers indicate the oil’s viscosity grade—or how well it performs at extreme temperatures on a scale from 0 to 50. A 0W oil will perform at the most extreme cold temperatures, while the 20 means it does pretty well in the heat, but not as well as a 40 or 50-weight oil.

MORE:

Ultimate FRAM oil filter guide

How often to change oil on a 2011 Toyota Rav4

Not sure when you last had an oil change? Toyota recommends changing your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles if you’re using conventional motor oil. However, if you get full synthetic or synthetic blend engine oil, you can wait a little longer in between changes—typically between 7,000 and 10,000 miles as long as you check your oil levels regularly.

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If your oil needs to be changed sooner, you may notice any of these indicators that it’s time for an oil change:

Motor oil that needs changing is dark brown or black (Clean oil is light brown or amber, like a cup of tea. Dirty oil is like a cup of soda)

Motor oil feels coarse or gritty

Strange or new noises from the engine

Any burning, smokey, or oil smells

Any changes in your vehicle’s performance

MORE:

Basic car maintenance schedule

How to change your oil and oil filter

Now that you’ve purchased five quarts of 0W-20 oil and you have a replacement filter, it’s time to assemble your tools and change your oil. You’ll need a socket wrench, a drain pan, and a filter wrench.

Start your vehicle’s engine and let it run for a few minutes until your engine heats up to regular operating temperature. This will warm your oil so it will drain faster. Once your engine is warm, turn off your vehicle and open the hood.

Remove the oil fill cap

Position your drain pan underneath your vehicle then remove the oil drain bolt. Let the old oil drain out into the pan, but don’t move the pan yet!

Remove the old

oil filter

. At this point, more oil may leak out into the pan. Wait until it stops draining before moving on

Install the new filter

Replace the oil drain bolt

Refill the engine with your new oil

Replace the fill cap

Start the engine again and let the new oil cycle for a few minutes

Pour the dirty engine oil into a sealed container

After changing your oil, it’s a good idea to turn on your car and let your engine run for about 30 seconds before you check the oil level. This will give you a more accurate measurement, and you’ll be able to top it off if necessary.

You don’t want to dump your old engine oil or throw it away in your trash can. You’ll need to take it to a recycling facility so it can be disposed of properly.

Don’t forget regular insurance policy maintenance

Keeping up with a regular maintenance schedule for your vehicle is crucial to keeping it running at top condition, but doing some routine maintenance on your

car insurance

policy is just as important. That’s where

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