Which oil to use???

[crc13]

I apologize for starting a new thread, since I just posted one about burning oil, but I did not think this would fit under that thread. I have heard so many stories about what oil to use, 5w30, 10w40, etc, etc. I have had my car for 10k miles and have changed a couple of times. With a 1994 v6, 223k miles, burns oil, what is the best grade to use? I have heard the 10w40 is thicker and will reduce this, but then again I was told to use what the manufacturer suggests. I am using Castrol high mileage oil. I guess I am a little confused and don't want to keep swithching back and forth, cant be good to do that. Thanks!

[Mister_Perkins]

Originally Posted by crc13

I apologize for starting a new thread, since I just posted one about burning oil, but I did not think this would fit under that thread. I have heard so many stories about what oil to use, 5w30, 10w40, etc, etc. I have had my car for 10k miles and have changed a couple of times. With a 1994 v6, 223k miles, burns oil, what is the best grade to use? I have heard the 10w40 is thicker and will reduce this, but then again I was told to use what the manufacturer suggests. I am using Castrol high mileage oil. I guess I am a little confused and don't want to keep swithching back and forth, cant be good to do that. Thanks!

It wont hurt to switch between oil. Since your burning oil, theres really no oil that would help you. A thicker viscosity may allow it to not burn as quickly, but every oil will thin out regardless of how thick once it heats up.

[96ToyoCam164K]

you best bet is to use Lucas oil additive as well. It staves off oil burn-off consumption.

Your car will also sound better in cold weather as well at start up rather than just oil alone.

[ricamryman]

I run Mobil-1 10W or 5W-30 depending on the temps with 5K intervals! Runs like buttah!

[Mike Gerber]

If you have the owner's manual or the original oil cap on the car, it will say what oil to use. My guess is that it's 10W-30. That's what my 94 4 cylinder 5SFE engine uses. If that's the case, I could see going with the 10W-40, as the slightly higher viscosity will slow down the oil consumption just a bit, and it is still 10 weight when cold so you shouldn't have any trouble starting the car in this cold weather.

Mike

[deadrx7conv]

How much oil are you consuming in 1k miles?
What weight Castrol GTX HM are you using?
How many miles do you drive a year?

Go a little thicker if oil consumption is an issue. Remember to keep it topped off regularly and check it often enough not to ever run low. Running low is more of an issue than the weight you chose.

Since you're in a relatively cool climate, I would use ANY 0w40 or 5w40 that you can find. This gives you the viscosity bump to hopefully reduce oil consumption while not stressing the oil pump or engine on cold morning starts. 10w40 and 15w40 would be good for warmer summer months.

[nz-dude]

I'm just gonna hijack this thread to avoid creating a new what oil should I use thread.

First of all, I don't have one of the common engines in my 92 Camry, I don't have the original handbook and every sticker and label in my car is written in Japanese.

So my engine is a 2.5l V6 - 4VZ-FE ... I bought it 3000 km ago, don't know when and where the last oil change was ... don't know which oil is in etc...

so the engine's oil level is now down to the minimum and I usually would top it up but since I don't know what's in there ... I figures that I'll just change oil and oil filter ...

So know the interesting part, which oil to use .... Since I don't have any real winter in New Zealand, the temperatures in winter are far away from 0C / 32F ... that means I don't really need 5W .... oil ... so I could start with 10W ... but then 10W-30 ... or better 10W40 ? I don't do much hard core stuff with the car, no towing, a little bit of mountain driving, but nothing crazy ....

The engine leaks some oil, but nothing unusual for 18year old car ... still I'd go for thicker oil ...

any advice?
cheers

[JohnGD]

In the US the warm viscosity has been going down, from 40 to 30 and now 20. Some said in other regions 10W-40 was still a common fill for those vintages. Was that correct?

You can top off with the specified oil for the temp range. That's not a problem.

So if 10W-40 was the spec oil for the temp range and you want a thicker oil, then use a High Mileage 10W-40. It's slightly thicker than normal 10W-40. The seal conditioners may help seal a bit better. But if the seals really hardened and worn or if the leaks are from pistons rings, then I'm not sure HM oils are going to help.

Originally Posted by nz-dude

I'm just gonna hijack this thread to avoid creating a new what oil should I use thread.

First of all, I don't have one of the common engines in my 92 Camry, I don't have the original handbook and every sticker and label in my car is written in Japanese.

So my engine is a 2.5l V6 - 4VZ-FE ... I bought it 3000 km ago, don't know when and where the last oil change was ... don't know which oil is in etc...

so the engine's oil level is now down to the minimum and I usually would top it up but since I don't know what's in there ... I figures that I'll just change oil and oil filter ...

So know the interesting part, which oil to use .... Since I don't have any real winter in New Zealand, the temperatures in winter are far away from 0C / 32F ... that means I don't really need 5W .... oil ... so I could start with 10W ... but then 10W-30 ... or better 10W40 ? I don't do much hard core stuff with the car, no towing, a little bit of mountain driving, but nothing crazy ....

The engine leaks some oil, but nothing unusual for 18year old car ... still I'd go for thicker oil ...

any advice?
cheers

[nz-dude]

cheers

i think it's just the seals and I'm not gonna change anything until the car consumes 1l per 1000km or so ....

how comes that they decrease from 10W40 down to 30 or 20 in the US?

In Europe, 10W40 is pretty much standard for middle aged cars and it doesn't seem to disappear ...

Did anybody have some issues with 10W40?

[JohnGD]

The US Environment Protection Agency wants better fuel economy. Therefore oil and ATF viscosity have been decreasing.

If you are using 10W-30 right not, you should be fine with 10W-40. That's what Mobil's FAQ says. See if a synthetic blend or fully synthetic high mileage oil is available. In the US Valvoline MaxLife is a good choice.

http://www.valvoline.com/products/co...ge-motor-oil/2

Originally Posted by nz-dude

cheers

i think it's just the seals and I'm not gonna change anything until the car consumes 1l per 1000km or so ....

how comes that they decrease from 10W40 down to 30 or 20 in the US?

In Europe, 10W40 is pretty much standard for middle aged cars and it doesn't seem to disappear ...

Did anybody have some issues with 10W40?

[nz-dude]

Originally Posted by JohnGD

The US Environment Protection Agency wants better fuel economy. Therefore oil and ATF viscosity have been decreasing.

That's a joke? I hope it is?

I'm pretty sure it has an impact, but aren't there many other more obvious and more efficient thinks to consider before?

[nz-dude]

Originally Posted by JohnGD

If you are using 10W-30 right not, you should be fine with 10W-40. That's what Mobil's FAQ says. See if a synthetic blend or fully synthetic high mileage oil is available. In the US Valvoline MaxLife is a good choice.

http://www.valvoline.com/products/co...ge-motor-oil/2

sweet ... but I don't know what the previous owner put in ... so I'm just gonna do a completed change and put in new fresh 10W40 if available

[fenixus]

High Mileage 10w-40 sounds good considering warm temperatures at your place and some wear and tear already on engine.

I cannot find anywhere the factory oil specs for this car, but assuming it was 10w-30 then 10w-40 is OK. have you checked the oil filler cap for imprinted oil grade/weight? I think numbers on Japanese cars (JDM) are still Arabian (meaning like ours) only "letters" are ... different.

[JohnGD]

No, it's no joke. Car makers are try to squeeze every fractional miles out. It doesn't matter to the individual owners, but add up as the corporate average. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) is a big thing here. I still noticed today's European cars use slightly thicker oils -40 warm viscosity is quite common.

"Additionally, vehicle manufacturers are struggling to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements set by the government and avoid paying associated fines. Any fuel mileage improvement associated with a lubricant use would be good for them, and lighter viscosity grade motor oil will make a difference. "
http://www.texlube.com/oilmyths.htm

Originally Posted by nz-dude

That's a joke? I hope it is?

I'm pretty sure it has an impact, but aren't there many other more obvious and more efficient thinks to consider before?

[uibalnme]

I'll stick to 10w40, thanks. I'm not willing to trade the longevity of my engine to gain 1 or 2 MPGs.