switching the oil in my gen 3 - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

michaeld92 · 08-23-2010, 08:57 PM

at 90k right now with a oil change scheduled for 92k, its the first one since i bought the car and i dont have any previous records of what oil was used. im going to make the change to mobil 1 full synthetic high mileage...http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=931871_0_0_

1996 camry 4 cyl 5s-fe is 10w-30 the correct oil i should be using? and is this a smart move to make

thanks

***LynchburgCSI*** · 08-23-2010, 10:43 PM

5w-30 is what you want, although 10w-30 is okay for some regions. Check your owners manual for more info.

The only problem with a full synthetic.... Let's say there's a full conventional in there now. Heaven forbid if put full synthetic in right away... it can cause major leaks. IMO, i'd do a high mileage synthetic blend for this change, just to see how things work out. I know valvoline makes one (red bottle).

michaeld92 · 08-23-2010, 11:07 PM

do u think i would be better just sticking with conventional mobil 1 or other brand conventional oil?

***LynchburgCSI*** · 08-23-2010, 11:08 PM

That's certainly a cheaper and safer option.

michaeld92 · 08-23-2010, 11:14 PM

what conventional oil do u guys recommend?

***LynchburgCSI*** · 08-23-2010, 11:15 PM

Everyone has their brands that they like. There's really no right answer. I'm partial to Valvoline.

71Corolla · 08-23-2010, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaeld92

what conventional oil do u guys recommend?

How often do you change your oil? If you do it every 3000 miles, it's nearly impossible to put in "bad" oil. I personally would run Valvoline high mileage oil for a couple of changes, then a partial synthetic (but not a high mileage version), then a full synthetic. But it entirely depends on how long you plan on keeping your car.

michaeld92 · 08-23-2010, 11:27 PM

if i go with that synthetic blend high mileage Valvoline oil, am i putting myself at risk AT ALL for something to go wrong or should i just stick with conventional

uibalnme · 08-24-2010, 01:10 AM

nothing will happen. I've been running full synthetic since I bought mine at 115k miles. I'm now at 162k with 5k oil changes, and haven't had a problem. If you're that concerned about switching to full synthetic, just stick with dino oil, and be done with it.

SilverSoarer · 08-24-2010, 11:24 AM

Only use the most expensive synthetic oil you can find, otherwise the oil company execs won't be able to sleep at night.

islandboy57 · 08-24-2010, 08:10 PM

I bounce around between "full" synthetic and semi-synthetic on the gen 3.5 depending on how much I feel like spending. I use 10W-40 because of worn valve guide seals = 2 seconds of smoke on a cold start.

No ill effects since switching over (after having used dino oil most of its life and infrequent oil changes); its slight oil leak is still just a few drips a week like before, I had wondered if it would get significantly worse after switching to synthetic - the car is definitely smoother running and quieter after all is said and done. I bought Mobil1 10W-40 'high mileage' synthetic for its next oil change. I actually don't like M1 but it's the only synthetic I can find at WalMart in 10W-40. I personally prefer Castrol but in the end as long as you change your oil regularly it doesn't matter much

***PhatRoyale*** · 08-25-2010, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaeld92

if i go with that synthetic blend high mileage Valvoline oil, am i putting myself at risk AT ALL for something to go wrong or should i just stick with conventional

If it's Maxlife in the red bottle you're referring to then you're fine. It's a great oil.