OK to switch from conventional to synthetic?

[ajoneja]

Hi:

I recently bought a 2006 Corolla CE. It has 84K kms/52K miles currently. It has been on conventional 5w30 oil so far looks like.

I'm thinking of switching over to synthetic oil starting from the next oil change. A couple of questions:

1. Is it OK to do so?
2. If yes, can I switch to a 1 year oil change interval, which is around 12K kms/8K miles of driving for me?
3. Is the Toyota dealer oil filter ok to use with the synthetic oil and for a 1 year change interval?

Thanks in advance.

[touringcamry]

What is your commute like? City? Dusty environment? If it's not dusty and your are not driving under harsh conditions like towing and such, then 7500mi should be fine. With synthetic oil, you probably can go a bit further.

You can switch between conventional and synthetic as often as you like and you can even mix them if you want.

If you use Toyota Filter, use the larger filter for the Corolla XRS or Camry 2.4L. I don't know the Toyota part number but Purolator filter will be PL14477. The smaller filter is PL14476 and is about 1" shorter. Take a look at your filter and make sure you have space for this first though.

[Bob Shiftright]

Originally Posted by ajoneja

1. Is it OK to do so?
2. If yes, can I switch to a 1 year oil change interval, which is around 12K kms/8K miles of driving for me?
3. Is the Toyota dealer oil filter ok to use with the synthetic oil and for a 1 year change interval?

Thanks in advance.

1. I switched the Corolla to Mobil-1 this year, but the car had <7000 miles. It had had two or three previous oil changes at the Toyota dealer, I'm guessing it was whatever brand of dino-juice was in the drum at the dealer.

Do you have your car's service history?

2. I've been using synthetic in our new cars since 1997. But my reason isn't to extend the oil change intervals, it's because I find it extremely annoying to own a car that consumes oil late in life. Volvo specified 5000 mile oil change but went to 7500 the year after mine was built. I change the oil at 5000 miles. Honda specifies 7500 mile oil change but 3750 for "severe" use. I change the oil at 5000 miles. BMW has it's "own" specs for synthetic oil which Castrol manufactures for them and is sold by the dealers, with a BMW PN and a BMW logo on the bottle. BMW also specifies very, very, very long condition-based oil change intervals that sometimes 15-18 k miles (or annually). I'm really an agnostic about that. I drive the car less than 5000 miles annually but when it is out of warranty/included maintenance I plan to do (there is a pattern here!) -- annual or 5000 mile oil changes, whichever comes first!

3. I used a Toyota filter on the Toyota, I use Mann or Volvo filters on the Volvo and use Honda filters on the Hondas. The Volvo and Hondas have >100,000 miles on them, the Volvo is nudging up against 200,000 and none require the addition of oil between routine oil changes. The Volvo still has it's original Mitsubishi turbocharger that was bolted into the car on the assembly line in 1997.

"For fun" after the Volvo accumulated >150,000 miles I sent an oil sample out for analysis a couple of times and the results look amazingly good. I'm "sold" on synthetic oil, but to make the engine last longer, not to extend the oil change intervals.

[olbus]

Mobil 1 extended life is supposed to be good for 15K I believe. I'm going to send out a sample on my wife's car after 10K when I change it. These cars rev a lot and generate a fair amount of power just being 1800 cc. Be sure and change the filter at 5K miles. I use Toyota filters. THere are some other good filters out there as well. Mobil 1, K&N, Wix. Don't use the cheapy filters if you are running a long change cycle. At least that's my theory. Toyota filters are only about $5.

[PhatRoyale]

1. Yes.
2. That depends. You have to get a used oil analysis done.
3. I use WIX filters myself but others here have had some good suggestions as well.

[SuperchargedMR2]

Originally Posted by Bob Shiftright

I'm "sold" on synthetic oil, but to make the engine last longer, not to extend the oil change intervals.

+1

I've used Mobil 1 for decades now with great success. I've always changed it every 5k miles. I had over 300k miles on it & the engine ran perfect with no oil usage at all. I use it in in all of my cars for long engine life.

[extreme one]

I have a diffrent answer and its based on 40 years of car ownership. Penzoil yellow bottle oil. Not the synthec just the regular oil. Its gotten me to 80K on my 05 corolla and no oil usage in 5K mile oil change. 89 Cadilliac Seville with 280K uses a quart every 5 K miles. And a Dodge Mini van with 240K uses a quart every 5K. My advice is to change every 5K and use Penzoil conventinal oil. It sure has done right by me. I use Wix for the caddy and fram for the dodge. Use toyota denso for the corolla.

[George59]

My No. 1 reason for using synthetic oil is the same as Bob's: To extend the life of the engine. How and why?

1. By doing the oil change at every 5000 miles (7500 kms) AND BY NOT following the manufacturer's advice: at every 10000 miles. They increased the recommended mileage interval for you not to save some bucks on oil changes but to make sure that your engine won't last for you for ever, so that they can either repair it for you or sell you a new one. So, you are doing a great favor to your engine by changing the oil with the same frequency as you did on older cars but using synthetic oil.

2. First time, in 1995 I used synthetic oil on my 88' Nissan Maxima (from 80000 miles) and sold the car 16 years later with 275000 miles (remember, it has a 3.0 V6 engine) and the engine was still not eating oil PLUS and this is important: the front and rear seal rings were still not leaking oil! (I had to sell my Maxima because I moved to Europe a year ago.)

3. I tell you what made me decide to use synthetic oil in my cars in 1995. (btw., I have been using Castrol Syntec since 1995, but since I moved to Europe, (Hungary) I have been using Castrol Edge 5W-30 since Syntec is sold only in the US.

in 1994 I noticed, that right after an oil change the oil pressure in my 78' Datsun 810 (2.4 liter straight 6 engine with 150000 miles in it) was about 60 psi (if I remember it well) but 4000 miles later right before oil change it was only 30 psi even though I had to put a quart oil (Castrol GTX 20W-50) in the engine 2 weeks before.
At that time I decided to try the Castrol Syntec 20W-50 in that 78 Datsun 810.
Right after the oil change the oil pressure was 60 psi, but to my greatest surprise, 4000 miles later the oil pressure was still 60 psi.

4. Since I used to be an auto technician before those years I had remembered that if I picked up some sample of the dirty oil from the stream of oil while I was draining it and sampled it between my thumb and pointing finger I could always feel how dirty the oil was, the tiny dirt grains between my fingers and that how dark and not slippery the tired oil was 4000 miles later.

But at this time, when I was draining synthetic oil first time in my life, I was really surprised on how slippery the oil still was between my fingers, how I couldn't feel grains and how much lighter the tired oil was compared to the tired regular oil.

Basically at that time I concluded for myself, that after 4000 miles the synthetic oil retains a lot more of the original viscosity than a traditional oil, which is good for the bearings, the cylinder walls and the piston, the valve guides and all the seal rings. And I was just hoping at that time that my conclusion was correct, and decided to use only synthetic oil from that day on.

I haven't been disappointed at all, last year when I sold my Maxima with 275000 miles in it, the mechanic, who checked out the car for the buyer could not believe how good condition the engine was, how peppy it was at acceleration and how clean the engine was all over, not because I steam cleaned the engine before because I did not, but because from the even thin dust layer all over the engine compartment showed no sign of any oil leak.

4. I forgot to mention right at the begining, that there is one reason or occasion when you should not waste money on synthetic oil: if you're in the habit of buying a new car every 3-5 years. In that case, you will never have a chance to enjoy the benefit of the synthetic oil in normal driving conditions.

[GREENPUS]

Originally Posted by George59

My No. 1 reason for using synthetic oil is the same as Bob's: To extend the life of the engine. How and why?

1. By doing the oil change at every 5000 miles (7500 kms) AND BY NOT following the manufacturer's advice: at every 10000 miles. They increased the recommended mileage interval for you not to save some bucks on oil changes but to make sure that your engine won't last for you for ever, so that they can either repair it for you or sell you a new one. So, you are doing a great favor to your engine by changing the oil with the same frequency as you did on older cars but using synthetic oil.

.

so untrue.
car engines of today have clearance so tight and clean that engine blow-by is almost none existant. Engines are much cleaner now than from past. No need for 3000-5000 oil changes any longer.
I do believe changing oil yearly is a wrong decision. Water from condensation enters oil and causes oil to become very acidic which wears metals and soft bearings and the water breaks down the oil. 6 month oil changes is the limit for me...

[olbus]

My thought is that even though the oil viscosity may still be good after 5K, there is still junk in the oil.
Filters don't get it all. The consensus is that just about any oil will work if you change at 5K. I'm not a believer in long oil change cycles, but all they had in Mobil 1 was extended life so I figured I'd try it and see by using an oil analysis. The oil in the Corolla is much darker and has a red color at 5K compared to my 4 cyl. Tacoma. I'll be curious to see the UOA results but it will be a while.
If you are under warranty do not exceed the 5K oil change interval.

[ajoneja]

Thanks for your detailed replies Everyone!

[hardtopte72]

If it makes a difference I use only Mobil 1 0W30 Advance Fuel Economy Synthetic in my 05 Corolla. 0 Oil consumption at 100K miles. Toyota published a TSB saying 0W20 was good for 1ZZFE engines and 0W30 provides the nice start up protection and is still good when driving in Florida heat. During the winter 0W20 is perfect for the 1ZZFE in my opinion. BTW I am doing 10000 mile oil changes as well.

[ajoneja]

Originally Posted by hardtopte72

If it makes a difference I use only Mobil 1 0W30 Advance Fuel Economy Synthetic in my 05 Corolla. 0 Oil consumption at 100K miles. Toyota published a TSB saying 0W20 was good for 1ZZFE engines and 0W30 provides the nice start up protection and is still good when driving in Florida heat. During the winter 0W20 is perfect for the 1ZZFE in my opinion. BTW I am doing 10000 mile oil changes as well.

Do you change the oil filter at 5K miles or continue with one filter through till the 10K mile oil change?

[hardtopte72]

I personally do keep the same filter. I used to recommend only Toyota filters until I saw a cutup comparison. While not horrible like fram the filter was not the best by a stretch. I only use use Purolator pure one filters for the 2AZFE. You could also replace the filter at 5k but synthetic oil doesn't break down like Dino oil so the filter doesn't get as dirty. For the first couple of oil changes after the switch I did change at 5k miles
just to be sure all the Dino oil was out and didn't stay and burn up during an extended OCI. For oil filters stick to good filters like Purolator Pureone Mobil one or the better Wix(better napa) as they have more pleats and are constructed better. The KnN filter while nearly the same as a Mobil or P1 are not worth the premium.

Hope that helps.

[57_Belle]

I'm thinking of switching over to synthetic oil starting from the next oil change. A couple of questions:

1. Is it OK to do so?
2. If yes, can I switch to a 1 year oil change interval, which is around 12K kms/8K miles of driving for me?
3. Is the Toyota dealer oil filter ok to use with the synthetic oil and for a 1 year change interval?


I bought my car new and used the dealer blend until about 20k (free vouchers), then I went to Royal Purple full syn 5w-30. Change at every 5-7k with mobil1 or wix filter. I noticed a huge difference in pep. (but I used RP in my bike and the difference is incredible for engine life)

1. yes
2. No way... even on my stored vehicles, I change oil at least 2x a year. Separation, water,crud build up...etc
3. dealer filter is ok, but not for 1yr changes...spend a few bucks more and get a good filter like the mobil1 or wix gold.