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4RunnerGeneral discussion forum for the Toyota 4Runner.
This is a discussion thread titled "Oil Changes and Synthetic Oil", within the 4Runner forum, part of the SUV Forums category.
Would appreciate your opinion about frequency of oil changes and the use of synthetic oil. I have been changing at 3000, but the maintenance guide on my new 03 Limited V6 calls for severe service changes at 5000. So, what do you thinK? What about changes at 5000 with synthetic oil?
I think that synthetic oil is only worth the money if one is in frigid winter country. Or, if one uses extended oil drain intervals without regard for the warranty maintenance recommendations.
I think you'd do well with a good 10W-30 and 3000 mile drain interval. I like Chevron, Pennzoil, Castrol GTX, and Mobil conventional oils. In other engines, I'd go 4000 miles, but I'm still leery of the sludge build up in the V6 Toyotas.
5000 miles would be OK with a good synthetic (probably Mobil 1 10W-30), but it would cost you more.
I use the syn Mobil 1. Manual says 5000 to 7500 depends on use. Reg oil cost about app 15 buck/inc Toyota filter, (internet-$3.29)
Mobil 1 -$28 bucks/filter (Sams or catch it on sale at WM.
Change at 6000- M1/filter =$28 Change at 3000 x2, reg oil & 2 filters = $30. I dont have a problem going 6k. When I bought my 91 Toyota they told me to change at 5k w/ reg oil and I sold it w/ 150k still going strong. May be over kill but I like to think im going the "extra mile" to protect my engine and the cost, as I do is a wash. ---Buzz.
I use 5w30 btw and don't use synthetic... Synthetic is good but they have additives or something like that ... (not sure what exactly) but it leaves a thin film on the inside walls so, I'm not too fond of that concept.
Another thing, synthetic costs more.... figure more frequent reg oil changes is better...
here's a good timeline to i use... (or something like this... i think)
i've used it on all my cars:
3750 - oil
7500 - minor
11250 - oil
15000 - mid
18750 - oil
22500 - minor
26350 - oil
30000 - mid
33750 - oil
37500 - major
or
3600 - oil
7200 - minor
10800 - oil
14400 - mid
18000 - oil
21600 - minor
25200 - oil
28800 - mid
32400 - oil
36000 - major
and then back to zero
something like that i think... don't rem... gotta check my chart...
Just go with what the manurfacture recommends, they can't be wrong, you could always call them and ask, but 3k would just be added peace of mind if you would rather.
I think the lack of an oil change is why sludge builds up, oil still gets dirty the same way if it is conventional or synthetic.
I don't think Synthetic is any better, my father owned tons of chevy trucks for his business that went way over 200k and that was 20 years ago when synthetic did not excist, so suddenly engines will not make it past 100k if you use conventional oil.
I think synthetic oil is great but expensive. If you do mostly freeway miles you can run it 5 to 7 thousand miles before you dump it making the cost of the oil more feasible. If you do mostly city miles or a lot of stop and go driving on that freeway you are driving under more "server conditions" and your oil should be changed more often. I do mostly city miles and dump mine every 3K.
Synthetic oil does not break down with heat like regular oil does and that's its main selling point.
The point that most people seem to miss is that the second reason you change your oil is that it becomes contaminated with fuel, moisture, acids, etc. Your oil filter will strain out most of the solid particles but will do little for the suspended fluids and very small particles.
Don’t misunderstand me. I would use synthetic oil if I drove under the right conditions.
Why do you treat me like a worn out shoe?, Hank Sr.
Well heck, you pays your money and you makes your choices. The Hornet got a diet of Castrol Dino & Toy Filter the first 30K, then Mobil 1 Syn & Mobil 1 Filter 30K-60K, then Castrol Syn Blend & Toy Filter thru whenever she is tossed aside like all the rest. Yeah aren't they a Beauty when you buy them, so why do you ditch 'em for a younger Lady when they are in their Prime. Just a Guy thing me guesses.
Hopefully the Hornet & me will be together for about 10 years. That's about the Norm for me and my Toys. My 1976 Toy truck was my High School Sweetheart, my 1983 Toy 4WD was wild as they come, the 1991 4WD Toy is my favorite so far, but my Missus wanted me to have a newer truck, or was it guilt from her forsaking her 1991 4Runner for the RX Lexus? Women are fickle too, i guess. They would probably dump you too if they could.
Anywho a Woman needs care, and so do the Truck, so give it too them as you perceive their needs.
Cheers,
-RH
"I'm sending you a big bouquet of roses, one for everytime you broke my heart"
-Eddy Arnold
... you know the rest ...
I did oil analysis on the Mobil 1 5w-30 I changed at 3,000 mile intervals in my '98 4Runner, and found I'd been throwing away essentially new oil. I now change at 6,000 miles.
To put that in perspective, our BMW 528i has no stipulated oil change intervals. Oil changes are done according to a service indicator light. I've found that light comes on at 15,000 - 18,000 miles. Needless to say, I change more often than that! BMW requires the use of synthetic oil to maintain warranty coverage.
khaug
was that just regular Mobil 1 5W30 cause if it was I ran that in my Pathfinder as high as 8-9k and it still came out with a goldish tint but it was all highway mostly
Talkin about the Bimmers with those oil change lights my friends son is a retired NYState Trooper with a 540i 6speed who now lives in Florida but the mother still lives in NY, he drives like not a care in the world down I95 and with the needle pinned the whole time, Im talkin he is doin 140 or whatever it tops out at and the engine really only revs about 3 grand 3 and a half and he was telling me the yellow light comes on at over 30k for an oil change he went about 80k with the car and traded it for a new one and it never burned oil or smoked, the second one he has I think he just changes ever 15k but BMW said their is no need to change it until the yellow light turns on, the BMW techs said if you buy the car change the oil every 3k the lights are really for the people who abuse the cars to begin with.
I know people who swear by synthetic oil say its the best way to go if you want your engine to survive high mileage. Consumer reports did an article on it while back they thought it may be helpful to invest the extra$ but only if you do severe duty with your vehicle like towing. I have never run anything but 10w-30 or 40 in summer in my 91, 93 V6 Toyota 4x4's . sold the 91 at 150K and still ran great. My 93 sr5 has over 200K and runs as well as it did at 100K. I'm not annal about changing every 3k thats an old standard that needs to be retired CR said twice that 6K is fine with modern petroleum based oils high tec. engines. I think what others pointed out is makeing sure you do change it at around that 6K mark. I think this would be far better than using the snythetic and waiting 20K miles, thats a little excessive.
My wife has the 4Runner and I have a 2001 Tundra. Both receive a fresh change of oil and oil filter every 7500 miles. I choose to go with Mobil 1 5w30 and the Mobil 1 oil filter for the 3.4 L. and my 4.7 in the Tundra. Wouldn't do it any other way!!
No problems to date with either (4Runner w/ 52K and Tundra w/ 21K)
KDTundra
Originally posted by KDTundra My wife has the 4Runner and I have a 2001 Tundra. Both receive a fresh change of oil and oil filter every 7500 miles. I choose to go with Mobil 1 5w30 and the Mobil 1 oil filter for the 3.4 L. and my 4.7 in the Tundra. Wouldn't do it any other way!!
No problems to date with either (4Runner w/ 52K and Tundra w/ 21K)
KDTundra
You could probably even go longer. I did an analysis at 7,000 miles with mobil 1 5w30 @ 38,000 miles and it looks like the engine is still breaking in. That was with the Toyota.
The oil sheared down a bit, but after a while it would start to thicken back up.
I'm going to test again with 10w30 at the 45,000 mark and then put in 0w40 and see how that works. 0w40 seems like a good compromise though I have to admit I don't run up the engine like you'd do in a european car (that's what the oil is for) but it should provide superior protection.
The v-8 does shear the oil down for some reason (overhead cam engines will in general) so it's best to use good oil. Doesn't have to be synthetic, you want one with a good additive package (or change it at 5,000 miles).
You can use a hi performance synthetic blend though that will allow 7,500 changes also and have great wear numbers.
Though that is just as much as my $3.50 a qt mobil 1 so I might as use mobil 1 even if it's a little on the thin side (for its stated viscocity.
I use the 7500 mile interval for two reasons:
1) The change interval matches the recommnedations per Toyota specifications in service manual and backed by warranty.
2) I talked with the Toyota Service Manager when purchasing both new and that was his recommendation also. The synthetic oil was what I wanted to document since the manual only states the API rating and seasonal viscosity without mention of conventional (dino oil) or synthetic.
I also visited with a Mobil 1 representative to get their slant on things. Even as Allen has indicated, one could go farther than the 7500 miles with synthetic, this is the oil manufacturers recommendation, not Toyotas! When you pursue the warranty....I think the Toyota recommnedations trump Mobil 1s!!
To further the longivity of the oil lubrication properties, I recommend the use of the higher quality filtration of it's sister filter by Mobil ! (M1-102). I recognize that Toyotas oil filters are good (I don't recomend an aftermarket oil filter on toyota like Fram, Autolite, AC) but not as good as Mobil 1 or Amsoil.
KDTundra
Oil Changes and Synthetic Oil
the lights are really for the people who abuse the cars to begin with.
1999 4Runner
Linear Mode
