Brimmer555

I have A 2005 Scion XB

I have heard that some cars get messedup if you use synthetic oils.
Is that something I should worry about with my scion XB?

I put 5-W30 synthetic blend motor oil in my XB.
Let me know

draxcaliber

wow, where on earth do these stupid rumors come from?

no, there is nothing to worry about when using synthetic oils so long as they are the proper viscosity reccomended by toyota.

all oil does is lubricate the engines moving parts to reduce friction and heat build up. the better the oil lubricates, the less power the engine loses to friction and the easier it is for your engine to power your car.

synthetic oil also doesn't break down like natural oils do.

get synthetic, you really don't have anything to worry about so long as you use the right weight and viscosity.

superboxcarxb

what is the right weight and viscosity doctor?

XbbbbBox

5w - 30 is correct for 05 XB. I have been using Amsoil synthetic oil and synthetic tranny fluid for a while.

superboxcarxb

what about 06.5 xb? Just trying to be a smart ___.....lol.

Reiji_Dorifuta

Oh yeah, that's right. Now I have transmission fluid to worry about as well.

Damned automatics

superboxcarxb

hey, they changed my words.....i used the "a word" and they changed it to the "b word". funny.

mrfuzzy4

actually toyota changed their oil from 5-w30 to 5-w20

and u sure its not 10-w30?

DriverXa

Synthetic blend or full synthetic is NOT going to hurt ur engine. It should actually made the engine run alil smoother plus give you afew mpg since synthetic oil is much finner than regular oil. Now for weights, the car calls for 5w30. This means the car takes a 30 weight engine oil. The 5 in the front is the wieght of the oil when its cold.

What does this all mean? Well on that freezeing winter day the oil is going to be alot thinner to compensate for the cold and as the engine warms up the oil will become a 30weight. If u ran a straight 30 weight oil than on that cold winter day ur oil will get really cold n thick and most likely you'll have a hard time starting ur car or it may just not start at all. On a summer day or if u live where u'll never see snow u can run a 10w30 since u don't need the oil to be that thin when its cold since the oil will never get really cold n thick. U can even run a straight 30 weight for track day if u want, as long as the last number isn't different you'll be fine. The 5w30 is recommended by the manufacturers since it gives the engine proper protection in all climates for all the diffent areas the vehicles r sold. If u look in the book it'll say what weights u can use n what temperature ranges they're good for.

Now if u have to use say a 5w40 weight for ur engine to run right then u have an internal problem with the engine.

Brimmer555

I have the synthetic blend in my Box now and I am going to switch over to full synthetic next time, I just wanted to tranzition into it. but I have heard if you go full synthetic you shouldn't go back to plain oil. that synthetic actually puts a microscopic layer of a plastick like film on the moving parts. And to go back would not be wize

superboxcarxb

what kind of synthetic do you use? the brand?

javastan

Synthetic is the only way to go. I also use Amsoil, I use 0w-30. You will NOT damage your engine using synthetic. Brimmer555 you can go back to conventional oil when you are using a synthetic, the line you can't switch back is a myth. Plus the xB being a toyota, combine that with synthetic oil and you will hit 200,000 miles with little problem.

low_down_xb

i use the synthetic castrol 5w-30 dont use mobile 1 i did for a while and it made the lifters tick

Simmo

I use Royal Purple in all my cars. Its about same price as penzoil. I know a lot of people like Mobil 1 but it has not impressed me. When you can actually FEEL the difference in driving and sound of ur engine with different oil, then you know the oil is good. The only noticeable difference i have seen has been with royal purple and greddy oils. I have tried castrol, penzoil, mobil1 and quaker state synethics and none of those impressed me. At oil changes, oil came out black like conventional, smelled burned and lost its viscosity (thats from my race cars and my everyday cars that i drive hard). All oil always changed at 3K no later than 3500miles. Greddy and Royal Purple are the only ones that keep the viscosity and came out claner after driving 3K on them.
Bottom line though, any syntethic oil is better than conventional. But there are better synthetics to chose from than others - it all depends how you drive your car, how much you are willing to spend and how important giving your car the BEST is to you.

z

I had a strange experience with synthetic oil. I bought a Miata used - with 22k miles on it. I began using full synthetic shortly after I got it. By about 75k, I started using (consuming) more oil than I thought was normal. Needed to add about 1/2 qt. every 500-600 miles. At around 100k (with this problem still existing) I switched back to a high quality non-synthetic oil. The car no longer used a drop (or a measurable amount) between oil changes. Since I change oil every 3k, I discontinued the use of synthetic in that car. I am sure synthetic is good,, even better than regular oil,, but I am just relating one experience I had. I personally will continue to use a high quality non-synthetic oil and high quality oil filter (meaning not Fram - in my opinion) in my Xa,, and it will still probably last longer than anyone would keep a car for anyway.....

Simmo

Z

What year was the miata? the thing about synthetic is that effect varies from engine to engine. High mileage engines that have not been using synthetic oils much, will not run good on synthetic, where as an engine that was switched to synthetic right after it was broken into, could possibly use synthetic till it dies.
Also different engines respond differently to synthetics, older engines tend to be more sensative to synthetic (even though label on oils might say otherwise) than a newer engine.
hope this helps.

z

Simmo,
The Miata was a 95. I bought it with about 22k miles on it and started using synthetics shortly there after.. I sold the car a month ago when I got the Xa. I quit using synthetics at about 95k and went back to regular oil. It was then that it quit consuming oil. No idea why,, but somewhere around 65k it just started drinking the synthetic. Thanks for your input..

Super-Stormtrooper07

[quote="Simmo"]I use Royal Purple in all my cars. Its about same price as penzoil. quote]


Thw word is from the peps at Royalpurple, that there synthetics are to be used strickly for race cars/competition driving. There oils do not contain any kind of detergents/additives to help fend off hydrocarbons- that regular street driving deals with. The race cars engines then get stripped/broken down- cleaned every 500-1000 miles ....... so its no worry.

Reiji_Dorifuta

My Dad always boasts when it comes to synthetic oils about AMSOil.

He claims a buddy of his started putting AMSOil in his F150 I-6 when he first purchased it new and after 250,000 miles when he wanted to do an engine rebuild (maintainence or something?) when the engine was pulled apart the mechanic said everything looked brand new!

Simmo

Um. what are you talking about? there are different types of Royal Purple. the regular RP oil is for any car.. Its the one you can buy at Pep Boys. Now the XPR (extreme performance) is for performance and racing, but still clean oil. What you are talking about is Royal Purple Nitro Plus 60 - specifically for racing ONLY.