Re: synthetic oil
Bulk oil with 'mfg' label is useless. Someone is brainwashed by the brand. Most automakers have multiple suppliers for their 'bottled' fluids. Lowest bid!!!!!!! And Mobil is a big time supplier to Toyota.
Any full synthetic oil for textbook oil change intervals would be great.
I use Mobil1 most of the time. The 5 quart jugs from the department store and 6 quart cases from the membership wholesale store are priced very competitively.
I stick with synthetic since my cars are left outside year round. I always hated the start up noise with mineral oils, especially during the winter.
I also can be abusive to my vehicles, and having the added protection of an oil that can take the stress(heat, negligent OCIs) is a plus.
If you are the type to change your oil every 3k or 3 months, top it off weekly as needed, never see: traffic or towing or extremely cold weather or heat waves or don't speed excessively, don't own a certified sludge monster.... then by all means, use a mineral oil. The latest ILSAC GF-4 performance spec narrowed the performance difference between mineral and synthetic oils. Make sure your mineral oil meets the GF4 spec and is in a weight that matches your driving style and weather conditions.
I would never waste my time changing my oil every 1800 miles. I don't have that much free time and don't care to waste resources.
A used oil analysis can determine if your OCI is acceptable. Anyone pushing more then 6 months or 5k miles on the OCI should do at least one UOA w/TBN to make sure you are not stressing the oil or engine.
One of my Camries requires DexronIII and the other TIV. I use Mobil1 synthetic ATF in both. I'll pull the drainplug and do a partial drain/refill usually once a year(about 7k-15k miles). I also siphon refill the PSF with the same M1 ATF.
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