Should i switch Oil type?

[Mighty~Mart]

I currently use Mobil 1 5w-30 full synthetic for my /03 camry and everytime i change my oil, i notice the used oil is unusually dark... brownish-black. Is the oil i'm using too thin for my 4 cyl?

I was thinking of switching to a synthetic blend. Could anyone talk me out of it? Since obtaining the car i've used fully synthetic oil when replacing the oil... except for my first oil change.. which i did at the dealer. no clue why i did.. but i did.

I've mostly used Mobil 1 except for one time when valvoline had a free deal on fully synthetic oil... could that have caused some issue? using different brand oils? same viscosity.

[kenny1773]

Using human eyes, you can not tell anything about the oil from the color of the oil. About all you can tell is if the oil is so far shot it is sludge (looks like chocolate fudge) and then it's too late

I have honestly used Mobil 1 synthetic in all my cars since 1988. It has proven to me to be the best protection out there for an engine and is cheap insurance against lubrication related problems.

HOWEVER

In more recent years, the quality of other oils has come way up and engine technology has advanced. So, IMO unless you are running extended OCI's, (or a forced induction system) synthetic is a waste.

I have recently switched my 2005 I-4 Camry to Motorcraft 5W-30 semi-synth. I am going to stick with my 5000 OCI to keep my warranty intact to 60k miles. At a 5000 mile OCI in the 2.4l 2AZ engine, this oil is plenty of protection for any driving I am going to do.

After I pass 60k miles, I might switch back to Mobil 1 and extend my OCI to 7500 miles. I haven't decided yet.

If you are running forced induction, use Mobil 1, if not, and good quality dino oil or semi-synth is more than enough for 5000 mile OCIs on the 2AZ

[Gary_602Z]

If you are running 5-6000 mile intervals I would be more worried if it looked like new! Darkness in the oil means the contaminants are in suspension in the oil which is better then sludging up in the motor! As look as the tune is in spec you should be okay.

Gary

[csaxon]

Gary_602Z is correct, darkened oil means it's doing its cleaning job.

What brand of oil filter do you use?

How often do you change oil and filter?

[Obelix]

I use Mobil 1 too and mine gets dark too.... My friend who uses regularly Mobil 1 says it gets dark quickly... so i dont know if you gonna feel better but its something common i guess.. (and i use only Mobil 1 or K&N filters... )

[Mighty~Mart]

Currently using Toyota OEM oil filters. (purchased a dozen off flea-bay for a unbelievable price)

Appreciate all the comments. my OCI is about every 4000-5000. it's never exact. whenever i get a chance between that mileage... i change.

I also notice when dumping the used oil, it never fills exactly to 4 qts. (fill to about 3.5) I use the empty oil containers to store used oil. should i be worrying about burning oil?

[keithy]

4 quarts sounds about right for a 4 cylinder.

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by Mighty~Mart

Currently using Toyota OEM oil filters. (purchased a dozen off flea-bay for a unbelievable price)

Appreciate all the comments. my OCI is about every 4000-5000. it's never exact. whenever i get a chance between that mileage... i change.

I also notice when dumping the used oil, it never fills exactly to 4 qts. (fill to about 3.5) I use the empty oil containers to store used oil. should i be worrying about burning oil?

Every engine will use a little bit of oil. Oil lines the walls of the cylinders so some of it will be burned during combustion. Exactly how much is used is based mostly on the wear of the cylinder walls and piston rings, along with the wear on the valve stem seals. If you are down 1/2 quart after 4000-5000 miles of driving, your engine is doing just fine. Your slight usage sounds normal to me. To put yourself at ease, you may want to check the oil every 500-1000 miles and note how far below the full mark the dipstick reads.

Mike

[skewe]

me?
10-30 castrol GTX

no complaints

i would use full synt mobil 1 if i had the $$ but i would change my oil at 4.5k miles

[marc780]

Mighty mart, youre using exactly the right grade of oil. Toyota says use 5-30 on my Cam and yours so thats what i use too. They designed and built the engine and spent years testing it and nobody knows it better than they do. so i go with what they say to use and not try to be my own a lubrication engineer or anything lol

[X72]

Recommend that you do an internet search for "Bob is the oil guy" and search the used oil analysis boards there. You will then likely decide whether just to relax or to do your own used oil analysis to see how your particular engine is doing. Agree with the other comments that dark engine oil really doesn't tell you all that much. If you look at the oil on the dipstick in bright sunshine, I have seen that Mobil 1 turns a dark amber color (still translucent) within 1500 to 2000 miles. When I drain it from the crankcase at 5000 miles, it looks very black. With Mobil 1 0W-40 in a Mercedes and a once a year oil change at 12,000 miles, the oil looks black, but when analyzed the oil would have been ok to go much further. But I would not run these long oil change intervals in a Toyota (different engine design and smaller sump capacity).

I am currently running Pennzoil Platinum in one car and it is darkening more slowly than Mobil 1, but that doesn't really mean much and I am still planning on doing an oil analysis to see how it is doing.
A used oil analysis provides me with data that helps reassure me (and it is a lot like a hobby). If you really don't care about this and want a simple answer, just stick with oil changes every 5,000 miles or less and/or 6 months or less with any name brand 5W-30 oil with that gets the current API SM rating. And I mean less. Not 7 months. Not 6000 miles.
I maintain several cars and I am using a Castrol blend oil, the Wal-Mart brand synthetic, Pennzoil Platinum, Mobil 1 0W-40 in a Mercedes and Mobil 1 EP. I am going to test my oil to see how it is doing. I am going to be trying a conventional oil at the next oil change in one Lexus that is daily driven but just short distances. I already have gotten good results with Mobil 1 in two Lexi (an inline 6 and the V6 1MZ-FE engine). But realistically, if you stick with a conservative oil change interval, check the oil level at least every 1000 miles (or more depending on the engine's consumption pattern) and keep the oil level well within the acceptable range, it hardly matters. The main problem, I feel, is that many people are forgetful and some of these Toyota engines are not very tolerant of extending the oil change interval. Also, many people don't add oil to the crankcase even if the engine consumes a measurable amount of oil. If you are reading this post, then you are way more careful than most of the population and are likely never to have a motor oil related failure. You are more likely to scrap the car because the automatic transmission fails well before the engine dies.




I would use 5W-30 since that is what Toyota is recommending and you are covered by a powertrain warranty. I don't think you would have any trouble with 10W-30 as long as you live in a mild climate (above 20 F).

[rayprog]

Originally Posted by Mighty~Mart

Currently using Toyota OEM oil filters. (purchased a dozen off flea-bay for a unbelievable price)

Appreciate all the comments. my OCI is about every 4000-5000. it's never exact. whenever i get a chance between that mileage... i change.

I also notice when dumping the used oil, it never fills exactly to 4 qts. (fill to about 3.5) I use the empty oil containers to store used oil. should i be worrying about burning oil?

You could try Mobile 1 oil filter. I’m using M102 from AutoZone. It looks to me a little better that Toyota OEM

[Davee]

Originally Posted by X72

Recommend that you do an internet search for "Bob is the oil guy" and search the used oil analysis boards there. You will then likely decide whether just to relax or to do your own used oil analysis to see how your particular engine is doing. Agree with the other comments that dark engine oil really doesn't tell you all that much. If you look at the oil on the dipstick in bright sunshine, I have seen that Mobil 1 turns a dark amber color (still translucent) within 1500 to 2000 miles. When I drain it from the crankcase at 5000 miles, it looks very black. With Mobil 1 0W-40 in a Mercedes and a once a year oil change at 12,000 miles, the oil looks black, but when analyzed the oil would have been ok to go much further. But I would not run these long oil change intervals in a Toyota (different engine design and smaller sump capacity).

I am currently running Pennzoil Platinum in one car and it is darkening more slowly than Mobil 1, but that doesn't really mean much and I am still planning on doing an oil analysis to see how it is doing.
A used oil analysis provides me with data that helps reassure me (and it is a lot like a hobby). If you really don't care about this and want a simple answer, just stick with oil changes every 5,000 miles or less and/or 6 months or less with any name brand 5W-30 oil with that gets the current API SM rating. And I mean less. Not 7 months. Not 6000 miles.
I maintain several cars and I am using a Castrol blend oil, the Wal-Mart brand synthetic, Pennzoil Platinum, Mobil 1 0W-40 in a Mercedes and Mobil 1 EP. I am going to test my oil to see how it is doing. I am going to be trying a conventional oil at the next oil change in one Lexus that is daily driven but just short distances. I already have gotten good results with Mobil 1 in two Lexi (an inline 6 and the V6 1MZ-FE engine). But realistically, if you stick with a conservative oil change interval, check the oil level at least every 1000 miles (or more depending on the engine's consumption pattern) and keep the oil level well within the acceptable range, it hardly matters. The main problem, I feel, is that many people are forgetful and some of these Toyota engines are not very tolerant of extending the oil change interval. Also, many people don't add oil to the crankcase even if the engine consumes a measurable amount of oil. If you are reading this post, then you are way more careful than most of the population and are likely never to have a motor oil related failure. You are more likely to scrap the car because the automatic transmission fails well before the engine dies.

I can provide link for Bob the oil guy -http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi- great board but beware who you listen to! I found a real expert who says synthetic is a total waste except extereme cold start performance. So I use synthetic only in winter & change to dono oil the rest of the year I am at 194,000 km and only slight puff on warm intial start of the day. Many oil changes are done far too often IMHO

[X72]

Davee, technically, you are right. If all drivers changed their oil as recommended by the manufacturer, then there is no significant advantage to synthetic oil (especially over these newer SL and SM formulation conventional oils) other than the better cold start performance at very low temperatures. However, I bet you know people who are so "busy" in their life that the last oil change was over 9 months ago. For these people, I would recommend synthetic in case they "forget" to take the car in as I believe the synthetic oil will hold up better after the 6 month mark (especially something like Mobil 1 EP).
Even though some people stick with the 3 month 3k mile OCI interval out of habit and it is likely excessive, it won't lead to engine problems unlike a 10k mile 1 year oil change interval may. However, many of these drivers are in leased cars and really don't care at all about the next owner leading to poor maintenance habits. By the way Davee, congratulations on finding a motor oil schedule that works for you and saves you money. I sometimes go a bit over on my desired oil change schedule in some of the cars I maintain and I prefer synthetic in the engines that have been reported to have a higher incidence of oil breakdown than in other engines (5S-FE and the 1MZ-FE engines).