LavaBox_v1

Maybe if you are using conventional oil ... That is why they say don't go more then 5,000 miles on conventional oil ... You will not see a "sludgy" engine that is using a semi-synthetic or a fully synthetic going 7500 miles on their oil changes ... the only way you will see a "sludgy" engine is if there are existing engine problems.

AND you oil filter is there to remove anything harmful in the oil ... that is why there is an oil filter on the car ... some of your cheap oil filters will collapse after 3-5k but if you are using a good quality oil filter they will last way beond that ...
My dad uses Mobil 1 oil and Mobil 1 oil filter in his LX470 and he goes 20k on his oil changes and the filter does not collapse and there is no engine problems the truck is still running stong after over 100k on the engine!

Sciond

there is some great info there. For a more in depth discussion on lubricants check out
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

Scion05BOPxB

The cost vs benefit debate has been beaten to death over the years, but I'll give the short version:

5,000 mile oil change, conventional oil, WalMart/Jiffy Lube: about $20

15,000 miles with this ^^^ oil change, $60 (3 @ $20)

15,000 miles (or higher *amsoil*) with synthetic: $40-50.

$60 vs $50... synthetic is still cheaper.

LavaBox_v1

I have seen Mobil 1 Synthetic oil changes for as low as $39.99 and as high as $69.99 (Mercedes shop). Synthetic are just plain better for your engine. They have more cleaning agents, more anti-wear agents and will not break down under extreme conditions.
Which ever brand you go with Synthetic oil is better. Synthetic oil has also been proven to increase your gas mileage which is also a big +. If you factor in increased gas mileage & better protection Synthetic oil is a no brainer and should be used!

__________________

OD3X1

another thing that is worth mentioning...when your motor reaches full operating temp the fuel vapors in the crankcase wind up getting burned off anyway due to the PCV Valve...fuel build up in oil only ocurs when your driving consists of short drives that do not let the engine heat to proper temps...

619AKIRA619

great info!

brownbanana

From what I've been reading, Im wondering how often I should change my oil. It takes me almost 6 months to rack up 3000 miles. I drive every day but the trips are usually only like 5 miles each way. I use Mobil 1 synthetic and OEM toyota filter.

Sciond

you can longer than 3 mos. also I would buy extneded drain interval oil.....

designone

Great info. I get my first 3 oil changes from the dealership for free. After that I plan on running synthetic.

Seanzer

Thinkin the same thing. I want to use up my free maintanence at the dealership, then I want to take care of maintenence by myself when I can. That's why I'm here, browsin for filter/oil/other suggestions :D

Sean

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

Thanks for the great information.
I got 20 quarts of MaxLife engine oil. They were suppose to be for my old corsica. Could I use them in my tC then switch to Synthetic?

MTcX

I had a friend tell me to change my oil at 500 miles and then again at 1000, then i can start the normal every 3000 mile change. Opinions?

SciFly

The "hard" info I could offer is from textbooks many years old. Synthetic oil development began in **** Germany.

-The earlier inputs include worries that the oil, no matter from which base, should be changed on a relatively frequent basis


-It is a fact (I do beleive) that synthetic oils are -oilier- (more like lard oil = gold standard for greaseyness) than petroleum oils. I don't think this statement can be nullified. It's always been true that petroleum oils are not so -oily- as castor or sperm oil or even rape (canola) oil.

Now, the fact is, too, that multivis petroleum stock oils get most of their multivis rating by the additions of large amounts of "VI" improvers (viscosity index). These things don't -add- to the oilyness of petro oil.

Synthetic oils are "all oil" plus the necessary anti-corrosion and anti-scuff protectants which must also be added to petro oils -perhaps in even larger amounts (?) that to engineered synthetics.

Try washing your hands of synthetic oil, compared against petroleum based oil to see what I mean by "more oily"

---One thing this thread lacks is a basic tretise on -how oils lubricate in the engine-. Such an essay is key in understanding how it is that the relatively inferior petroleum lube oils are -just fine for our engins- and that synthetics are "better" but not crucial to obtaining very long and trouble free engine life.

Such an essay would go a long way towards understaning how oils work for us.

I can't quite accept yet that sythetics carry much larger additive loads than petro oils, unless their (the syns) lack of needin tons of VI improvers, somehow leaves more room for more of the vital surfactants, dispersants, anti-scuffs and acid neutralizers, which -doped up petro oil just does not have all that much "room" to accomodate on account of it's already inferior oilyness quotient.

rhetorical question:: what does the 'w" mean in the multivis rating system? There's no such thing as "30 weight" oil in engineering circles. The w does not stand for "weight" at all.

best thoughts.. lots of typos 'cus I did not proof or edit.. thanks for reading through the crap.


r

zyzyx6969

thanks, great info

jamesgang

Now here is where it gets tricky ...

"Not all Toyota dealerships are on the Toyota OEM BULK Motor Oil Program .. .which means if they are NOT on the program they have non-Toyota Spec 5w30, 10w30 & ATF in their bulk tanks ... If they ARE on the program they have Toyota Spec OEM 5w30, 10w30 & ATF in their bulk tanks. Toyota does NOT require each dealership to buy the OEM BULK 5w30, 10w30 & ATF but they will not warranty the engine or tranny if OEM 5w30, 10w30 & ATF is not used on cars still under warranty."
__________________________________________

I'm looking at a oil change receipt for my 2nd free change. The part number shown for the oil is "Q-5W30-BULK"
What does this part number tell me?

Also, since I did an oil change using Castrol Syntec blend, are you saying my engine warrenty is now voided?

And, I was just quoted $8.00/filter for Toyota brand - this was from the Service Writer (he qualified his quote as a guess)

markbvt

Good article. As you point out, there are lots of different theories on oil, just as there are on engine break-in, etc. Many of these go hand-in-hand.

The factory tells you to avoid heavy acceleration or high revs for the first thousand miles, and to change the oil at 5000 miles. But I've talked to numerous people who believe you should drive the car normally right from the beginning, change the oil at 500 miles, again at 1000, then at 3000, and from there maintain a 3000-mile interval. I've talked to a few engine builders/mechanics who even say you should run the engine hard for the first 20 miles, then immediately change the oil, then change it again at 500 and 1000 miles. They maintain that engines broken in this way consistently make more power and get better gas mileage than engines broken in according to manufacturer's recommendations.

By the same token, the common wisdom is to NOT run a synthetic oil in your engine during break-in because it's TOO slippery and doesn't allow the rings to seat properly.

(By the way, anyone happen to know whether the tC engine has old-fashioned crosshatched steel cylinder walls, or one of these new Nikasil coatings, or whatever the other manufacturers call their version of it?)

I'd be very wary of a 15,000-mile oil change interval even with a synthetic oil. Synth oils break down too, just not as quickly as conventional oil. I run Mobil 1 in my motorcycle; I was skeptical of the motorcycle-specific formula (which costs $8 a quart), so I put regular 15W50 Mobil 1 in my bike at the last oil change. After less than 2500 miles, I was noticing an increase in mechanical noise from the engine and especially the transmission; changing the oil again eliminated the noise. Granted, motorcycles are much harder on oil since it also lubricates the transmission and clutch, not just the engine, and gear mesh breaks the oil down a lot quicker. But still -- 2500 miles? I definitely would not feel safe running it in my car engine for 15,000 miles. (For what it's worth, I also decided to pony up the $32 and get the motorcycle-specific stuff for my bike.)

It would be interesting to get a comparison of various oil filters. How does a Bosch/Fram/STP/whatever compare to the Toyota OEM one?

--mark

PS: Toyota wouldn't seriously decline warranty coverage for using a non-OEM motor oil, would they? That seems WAY out of control!

4est

Very good point.

There are at least a couple web site that adress this. I have also seen at least one that tested various brands of air filters. Sorry, I have no URLs

Racer_X

IF I CHANGE THE OIL MYSELF HOW DO I GET THE maintience light off .... can some one help me plez...

engifineer

Instructions are in the manual

VdubbsXB

Some of my friends have Toyota trucks and one of them used non oem filters in his, now both of these trucks were maintained very well, the truck with the non oem filter had to have the timing chain and sprockets replaced before 80K miles due to excessive wear. The other truck with the oem filters had no problems for well over 100K plus. No, this cannot be used as a case study, but here is the point, the OEM filter has a valve in the filter to keep the oil from leaking back down into the pan when the engine is shut off, some non OEM filters do not have this valve and thus causes the engine to suffer longer periods of oil starvation at start up.

This was also the recommendation of the mechanic who fixed the truck. The Mech was not a dealership mech, but one who specializes in yoters and knows his trade very well. He recommended buying the Toyota filter so this would not happen again.

My plan will be to buy Toyota filters regardless of cost, but that is my plan, yours may vary.

I might add, I have used Fram filters in both Honduh, Nissan and other domestic autos for years with no problems being traced back to the filter. But I will still buy the OEM filter for my xB as I don't want to take the chance by saving a few bucks on a non OEM filter. I will have 100K plus miles in less than 5yrs and want to extend the life beyond that as far as possible.