oil recommendations?

[fondoo]

i usually take my 2003 camry LE to the dealership to change oil. i bought myself a new home with a car garage and i would like to start doing my own oil changes. what oil do you guys recommend for the winter in atlanta, ga?

tools and filter recommendations? thanks in advance.

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

The same oil you have been using for summers in Atlanta, doesn't get that cold down there. Any oil brand will do, it is whatever you prefer. If you want to do conventional or synthetic.

I use 5w30 Royal Purple full synthetic with a synthetic filter...brand changes from oil change to oil change for me.

As for tools, jack, jack stands (for safety), oil filter wrench or something to brake it loose, oil catch basin, i forget the size the drain plug is, but a socket will work, just test til you find the right size. Funnel to put the oil back in. check the washer around the oil drain plug it may need to be replaced every or everyother oil change.

Have shop towels around, and put cardboard under to catch any drips.

Once you put the new oil in start the car let it idle for a min, then check the plug and oil filter for leaks, check the dip stick to make sure it is fill.

Then you're good to go. Check the oil level after you drive it for a few hundred miles, just to be sure.

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

Oh yea... add your favourite alcohol beverage and hot women to that list.

[leakyseals]

If I didnt have bad valve seals I'd run Mobil 1 0w-40. Its the swiss army knife of motor oils. Thin when its cold, thick when its hot.

[fondoo]

thanks guys. anyone else recommend royal purple? looks like my local advance auto parts carry them. how many bottles do i need to fill my camry?

[Surfslinger]

Since 6k miles on my 03 SE I4/2AZ-FE, its been Mobil 1 5w-30, changed every 8-10k miles. Engine runs great, quiet, and looking inside the oil fill hole is nothing but clean, like new metal w/o a hint of sludge. Engine continues to not use a drop between changes with 110k on the odo... Works for me.

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

Originally Posted by fondoo

thanks guys. anyone else recommend royal purple? looks like my local advance auto parts carry them. how many bottles do i need to fill my camry?

I use RP in my Camry and Legacy.

You need 5liters. It is pricey but you can go 10kmiles before changing. I actually go longer, and it looks almost as new when it comes out as it did when it went in. My car has 135k miles on it.

[deadrx7conv]

Any full synthetic name brand oil will work great. 5w30 year round is an easy choice. You can also use 10w30 or 0w30. Unless you're consuming excess oil, there is no need for 0w40 or 5w40.

Nothing wrong with the OE Toyota filter. But, I do prefer using the 4.7L filter on my 2.4L. Gives me some more media for when I don't follow the recommended intervals. My previous filter the was a Pureone and my current is a NapaGold. I do prefer name brand 'better' or 'best' filters.

And, don't forget the coolant, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid.... typically forgotten and neglected by most.

[Surfslinger]

Originally Posted by fondoo

how many bottles do i need to fill my camry?

My 4 cyl takes 4 qts/3.78L total with new filter.

[leakyseals]

Was just thinking if your new to changing your oil you may be unaware the Walmart is the place to go for oil. Most of the good stuff at prices WAY below the parts store.

[BlackG5]

Originally Posted by leakyseals

If I didnt have bad valve seals I'd run Mobil 1 0w-40. Its the swiss army knife of motor oils. Thin when its cold, thick when its hot.

would you recommend 0w-40 in my case? It's just beginning to use M1 5w-30, went through around 1.5qts in 3500 miles on the last change, but it seems to be using less this time..

Originally Posted by leakyseals

Was just thinking if your new to changing your oil you may be unaware the Walmart is the place to go for oil. Most of the good stuff at prices WAY below the parts store.

x2, Walmart is so much cheaper-- $21-26 per gallon of synthetic depending on the brand.

I'll probably be switching to dino since mine started using a bit of oil, we'll see.. the last check was at 1k miles on new oil, it was down 1/4 qt

[leakyseals]

Originally Posted by BlackG5

would you recommend 0w-40 in my case? It's just beginning to use M1 5w-30, went through around 1.5qts in 3500 miles on the last change, but it seems to be using less this time..

Its not unusual to see a spike in consumption initially changing from dino, should get better over the course of the OCI. If it doesn't I would recommend you switch to M1 High Mileage 5w-30. Its slightly thicker than the regular M1, with additives to help with oil consumption. If things get better after that, then you can try 0w-40. Better would be 1/2 qt every 3k. A quart every 3k is the average.

[BlackG5]

sounds good, yea I've actually been using the M1 high mileage for about 40k(since 150k)..

it only started using some after I ran the hell out of it with seafoam in the crankcase. it ran better/smoother for a while, but i woulda rather it not started using oil.

and after the first 1k miles on this change, it wasn't on track to use as much as last interval, so i guess that's good

[Cougs57]

Amsoil... Read up. RP and Mobil are great alternates for me though as I have heard good things about them as well. Amsoil is what my entire family uses in all applications (autos, 4-wheeler's, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, semi trucks, etc). I highly recommend to everyone I encounter. You can take it or leave it. By far the best product and experience I have ever encountered.

[BlackG5]

^amsoil is good sheit, just a bit more $$ than M1 -- around $28-30 a gallon..

Motul is also great oil, my bro ran it in his Stg2 07 STI-- they are notorious for eating oil and his would only use 1/2 qt per 3k, thank goodness, the shop charged like $75 for an oil change lol