5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
I can't comment about which is better but this will answer your second question...
On October 1, 2002, the acquisition of Pennzoil-Quaker State Company by Shell Oil Company, an affiliate of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, was completed. In 2003, Pennzoil-Quaker State Company began doing business as SOPUS Products. Pennzoil® brand products are now manufactured and distributed by SOPUS Products. Combining Shell Lubricant's networks and infrastructure and Pennzoil-Quaker State Company's leading motor oil brands, portfolio of car care brands and Jiffy Lube franchises, the new company is a leader in the U.S. lubricants and car care business.
i wouldnt say penzoil is greater...but they are certainly comparable.
moreover, i think if you're going down the synthetic route, all of the oils are about the same - minus the real expensive ones that arent always sold in stores.
I have never used syntec so i cant say anything, but i've used the platinum from penzoil with the adaptive molecules and found it ran well, stayed clean and gave me good fuel efficiency.
but now that i can get high mileage synthetic mobil1 for a few cents more...i go mobil.
im with you on this only from word of mouth of experienced technicians.
when i was going to school for automotive tech. there were various instructors that found that after using penzoil for thousands of miles the inside of the engines would have wax build up.
some people love it but you could say most of us got scared straight to never use penzoil or quakerstate.
Well, my mom is a petrolum chemist for one of the largest oil comapanies and helped devloped one of the first formulations of the fuel additives starting with T (I don't know if I can say the name, they own the patents). She says the Castrol is the best (She said that what alot of the people she works with use), thats what our family has been using for over 10 years now.
Well, my mom is a petrolum chemist for one of the largest oil comapanies and helped devloped one of the first formulations of the fuel additives starting with T (I don't know if I can say the name, they own the patents). She says the Castrol is the best (She said that what alot of the people she works with use), thats what our family has been using for over 10 years now.
...and I'm sure that's the reason GM has dropped them from their list of approved oils. You know, because they are the best.
Why is it that every Tom, Dick, and Harry have to post a bunch of B.S. information in every single thread? What does it accomplish exactly?
...and I'm sure that's the reason GM has dropped them from their list of approved oils. You know, because they are the best.
Why is it that every Tom, Dick, and Harry have to post a bunch of B.S. information in every single thread? What does it accomplish exactly?
Entertainment?
I would challenge anyone today to find a truly BAD name brand oil.
I mean one that will truly and undoubtedly DAMAGE your engine. <-- this assumes you change properly and when you are suppose to and that your engine does not have any forced induction of any kind.
I have looked and I can't find one
all these opinions about oil and which is better, blah, blah, meant something 20 years ago, does not mean as much in 2007. As long as it meets the API rating specified by your owners manual, change it properly and you will have many many many of thousands of miles without failure due tio faulty oil from your car.
Even if you put in the fossil based supertech oil from walmart and changed it every 3000 miles, you would be perfectly safe from any engine failure caused by bad oil.
If you have forced induction, you should run some type synthetic, that is just IMO a fossil oil would probably be fine if you just chande it more often.
^ It might be "entertainment" but it's really annoying.
In another thread a guy has a catalyst effeciency problem and a "ASE Certified Level 1" retired technician is telling him to clean his MAF or check for an exhaust leak.
Synthetic oil is better than conventional oil in most cases.
Personally, I'm not a fan of Pennzoil or Castrol. I also used Castrol Syntec when I first started using synthetic oil. Switching to Mobil 1 eliminated an oil system problem that I was having at the time and I've used them ever since without a problem. That was about 14 years ago.
When I met my wife 27 years ago, she was driving a 1980 Dodge Diplomat.
The oil/filter were changed every 4000 miles by a Firestone place down the street. I worked on the 10th floor of a neighboring building and could watch eveything going on. Car went up the lift - saw the tech in the vicinity of the filter and all looked well. At the end of the day, I would crawl underneath to ensure that the filter was indeed changed and pull the dipstick. Oil was nice and clean, so the Firestone dealer had done his job.
The oil was Pennzoil 10W-40 - very common weight in those days.
A couple of years later, I noticed oil leaking out the valve cover gaskets. Bought new gaskets from local Dodge dealer. Pulled the valve covers and boy was I shocked. I saw what looked like globs of a sand colored muck all over the rocker arms, etc. I cleaned it up and went about my business.
Some years later I was having a chat at a party one night with a mechanical engineer who worked for a local engine research firm. I ran this by him and he asked "were you using Pennzoil"? Fo shizzle I said.
Yeah...I've heard the the "wax" stories over the years too, but got to see with my own eyes what an engine looked like after 80K running Pennzoil 10W-40.
That was awhile back and hopefully they've cleaned up their act. I have an 18 year old lawn mower that has been run exclusively on Pennzoil 30W and I can't say what the inerts look like, but it runs well.
As for Castrol......uh let me see.
1975 Kawasaki 900 Z-1B motorcycle - 32 years old - Castrol 20W-50 GTX
1983 Toyota Pickup - 22R motor - Castrol 10W-30-winter & 20W-50-summer - 300K + miles
1987 Honda Accord - 1955CC motor - same weights as truck - 300K + miles.
I wouldn't put a lot of stock in GM dropping Castrol from their approved list, if indeed that "really" happened. They are after all in last place right now in the Domestic arena with regards to sales/reliability, etc.
Oh how I love these oil threads.
Last edited by Mike Murrell; 08-05-2007 at 11:33 PM.
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pennzoil > Castrol ?
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