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've taking my 07 Camry SE to the dealer for oil changes the first 2 1/2 years even though they use crappy Castrol GTX oil. I'm now going to start taking it to my mechanic to use Mobil-1 synthethic oil in the cam and my 07 Taco, I've always thrown a synthethic lucas in the oil of my 2000 accord but not sure if I should do it with a new car let me know what you guys think.
more or less personal choice...i put Zmax in mine the oil treatment and fuel injector cleaner..almost every oil change (if i can afford the stuff).
EDIT: I use Mobil 1 as well.
__________________
2002 Camry SE V6 "Snow White" - She ate the poison apple and is asleep until April.
1998 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited "Grimhilda" - Geared Up For Winter!!!
Last edited by Punks_Not_Dead5; 11-04-2008 at 11:43 PM.
personal preference honestly....i use some 3M additives in my camry's oil and gasoline
i use mobil 1 fully synthetic 5w-30 oil and toyota oil filters as well
Based on the UOA's of Castrol that I have seen, it is not "crappy" oil. I do use Mobil 1 but almost any major brand of oil changed every 5,000 miles will do a fine job for the life of the car. A lot of the additives that I have seen tested actually hurt the performance of the lubrication system. I do not use anything other than a nice oil and prefer not to use any additives. YMMV
Based on the UOA's of Castrol that I have seen, it is not "crappy" oil. I do use Mobil 1 but almost any major brand of oil changed every 5,000 miles will do a fine job for the life of the car. A lot of the additives that I have seen tested actually hurt the performance of the lubrication system. I do not use anything other than a nice oil and prefer not to use any additives. YMMV
+1 I just use 100% Mobil 1 full sync. No additives!!!
In your area of expertise, when you test and compare the results of UOA.
I'm just curious how do these 3 brands of full sync. in comparisons:
- Mobil 1
- Royal Purple
- Amsoil
Thanks!
__________________
Back on stock height and love it!
This will open a can of worms.... Mobil 1 has had slightly higher wear indicators than Amsoil (but I do mean slight) and about the same as Royal Purple and is well within statistical range of both of them on most of the UOA’s that I have seen or had done. Amsoil is WAY too high priced for me as is Royal Purple when I can buy 5 gallon jugs of Mobil 1 at Wally World for $23 to $24 dollars (when I bought them a few months ago). I like the higher temp ranges without viscosity shearing that I can get from synthetic oils and tend to prefer them but the other synthetics such as Pennzoil Platinum, German Castrol, and several others work just as well.
The main drawback (to me) with Royal Purple and Amsoil is the lack of API approval and that pesky little seal on the bottle. I know that the burden of proof on a warranty claim lies with Toyota but I don't feel like giving them a freebie by not using API certified oil. They might have them certified by now but I have not heard or seen anything to that effect. Edit: It appears that Royal Purple is API certified. Amsoil still has just one of it's lines certified with the remainder not certified. Make sure you know what you are buying....
There has been a lot of discussion on bitog about these oils, certifications, UOA's, oil change intervals, oil and air filter efficiency and their effect on engine wear. With a lot of current and retired lubrication chemists and technicians on that forum, they can talk for days about the differences but when you get down to it, given a 5,000 mile OCI, using any GOOD quality dino or synthetic oil and a good oil filter will work equally well.
Once you are out of the warranty period, synthetic oil can be used for extended oil change intervals to the tune of 10,000 to 20,000 miles. The guys running these long periods are mostly using Amsoil and Mobil 1 EP oils and do a UOA every 5,000 miles or so and change the oil when the TBN (which indicates how much of the additive package is left) drops down to a low number. I do not run extended intervals once the warranty is out (I guess I’m still old school) and run standard Mobil 1 instead of EP.
In case you are wondering, I currently have over 120 quarts of 5w-20 Mobil 1 and roughly 40 Mobil 1 oil filters. It sounds like a lot but it will not last long with the cars our family keeps on the road. When the oil filters are gone, I will be switching back to Wix filters for the price point difference. I am still up in the air about the oil and will probably stick with Mobil 1 but Pennzoil Platinum has some impressive numbers and a nice price in the store.
Hope this helps...
Last edited by GeorgiaHybrid; 11-05-2008 at 04:15 AM.
This will open a can of worms.... Mobil 1 has had slightly higher wear indicators than Amsoil (but I do mean slight) and about the same as Royal Purple and is well within statistical range of both of them on most of the UOA’s that I have seen or had done. Amsoil is WAY too high priced for me as is Royal Purple when I can buy 5 gallon jugs of Mobil 1 at Wally World for $23 to $24 dollars (when I bought them a few months ago). I like the higher temp ranges without viscosity shearing that I can get from synthetic oils and tend to prefer them but the other synthetics such as Pennzoil Platinum, German Castrol, and several others work just as well.
The main drawback (to me) with Royal Purple and Amsoil is the lack of API approval and that pesky little seal on the bottle. I know that the burden of proof on a warranty claim lies with Toyota but I don't feel like giving them a freebie by not using API certified oil. They might have them certified by now but I have not heard or seen anything to that effect. Edit: It appears that Royal Purple is API certified. Amsoil still has just one of it's lines certified with the remainder not certified. Make sure you know what you are buying....
There has been a lot of discussion on bitog about these oils, certifications, UOA's, oil change intervals, oil and air filter efficiency and their effect on engine wear. With a lot of current and retired lubrication chemists and technicians on that forum, they can talk for days about the differences but when you get down to it, given a 5,000 mile OCI, using any GOOD quality dino or synthetic oil and a good oil filter will work equally well.
Once you are out of the warranty period, synthetic oil can be used for extended oil change intervals to the tune of 10,000 to 20,000 miles. The guys running these long periods are mostly using Amsoil and Mobil 1 EP oils and do a UOA every 5,000 miles or so and change the oil when the TBN (which indicates how much of the additive package is left) drops down to a low number. I do not run extended intervals once the warranty is out (I guess I’m still old school) and run standard Mobil 1 instead of EP.
In case you are wondering, I currently have over 120 quarts of 5w-20 Mobil 1 and roughly 40 Mobil 1 oil filters. It sounds like a lot but it will not last long with the cars our family keeps on the road. When the oil filters are gone, I will be switching back to Wix filters for the price point difference. I am still up in the air about the oil and will probably stick with Mobil 1 but Pennzoil Platinum has some impressive numbers and a nice price in the store.
Hope this helps...
Thank you so much for a nice write up. You explained clearly in plain English for me and others.
__________________
Back on stock height and love it!
If you use a good quality oil and change it out on a regular basis there is no need to even consider other additives. If with high mileage you find excess sludging, use whatever you can find to clear the gunk. There are a number of products you can use to clean without mechanical disassembly--products for unsticking valves, kerosene flushes, automatic transmission fluid, and others. Just make sure that the engine is vented and not clogged and all will be fine.
__________________
2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
personal preference honestly....i use some 3M additives in my camry's oil and gasoline
i use mobil 1 fully synthetic 5w-30 oil and toyota oil filters as well
Hey Corey, I use 5w-20 instead of 5w-30. I remember there was a TSB or something similar that said the 2AZ-FE is not recommended to use 5w-20. Do you remember this or have I been using the wrong oil for a while? lol
Sinds 2002 I use oil additives for my Old timer: Opel Monza, Toyota Corolla, Camry, honda blackbird.
The only one who works perfect and absolute not damige your motor is Interflon fin 25. It has a lot of advantages for motor, gearbox and so.
I understand that no one of you ever heard of this product. Its made in Holland. If you want, you can look on www.interflon.com
there you can see where the products can be delivered. Its now in 42 country's available, and it wil come soon to amerika.
On there site you can see what kind of product it is.
Good luck,
Alorock
Thanks very good write up I think Ima even stop adding lucas to my honda accord. So Mobil1 and oem filter it is every 4000 miles. Or do you guys think its worth it to buy the mobil 1 oil filter as well they probally cost the same amount
Hey Corey, I use 5w-20 instead of 5w-30. I remember there was a TSB or something similar that said the 2AZ-FE is not recommended to use 5w-20. Do you remember this or have I been using the wrong oil for a while? lol
Use a good filter and you will have no problems. Mobil 1, Amsoil and K&N are all good but expensive. Wix, Napa Gold (rebranded Wix) and Puralator PureOne are just as good IMO and half the price. The PureOne has the best filtering capability but that can be a drawback if you extend your oil changes.
The better filters will have silicone anti-drain back valves (not nitrile), quality construction, a good seal on the end caps to inner tube ends and a strong inner tube (I prefer metal ones instead of cardboard). Some of us have been known to cut them apart and see how they are built. Have you ever noticed how anal some car people are?
A big surprise was the WalMart Tech filter. It looks very nice on the inside and would rank in the second tier of filters as would most OEM filters (including Toyota). The low end filters would appear to be most Fram filters, STP, Pennzoil and similar filters. That is one reason that I will be switching from Mobil 1 back to Wix when my current stock runs out. They make a great filter for half the money.
One thing to remember is that almost all of the filters on the market are produced by just a few companies. They make them from whatever components are spec'd by the purchaser. This is one of those you (mostly) get what you pay for items.....
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
What do you think of oil Additives?
Mobil 1 has had slightly higher wear indicators than Amsoil (but I do mean slight) and about the same as Royal Purple and is well within statistical range of both of them on most of the UOA’s that I have seen or had done. Amsoil is WAY too high priced for me as is Royal Purple when I can buy 5 gallon jugs of Mobil 1 at Wally World for $23 to $24 dollars (when I bought them a few months ago). I like the higher temp ranges without viscosity shearing that I can get from synthetic oils and tend to prefer them but the other synthetics such as Pennzoil Platinum, German Castrol, and several others work just as well.
Linear Mode
