toyotas recommended oil change is 6 months or 8,000 Km whichever comes first.. I usually do mine earlier.. However I would like peoples opinion on 2 cases...
A.) $35 - 5w30 Toyota Oil and Filter replaced every 3 Months or 3,000-4,000KM
B.) $70 - 5w30 Synthetic Oil and Filter replaced every 6 months or 8,000Km
toyotas recommended oil change is 6 months or 8,000 Km whichever comes first.. I usually do mine earlier.. However I would like peoples opinion on 2 cases...
A.) $35 - 5w30 Toyota Oil and Filter replaced every 3 Months or 3,000-4,000KM
B.) $70 - 5w30 Synthetic Oil and Filter replaced every 6 months or 8,000Km
Which one do you prefer?
I go with 0w-30 synthetic amsiol series 2000. its last fro 25,000 miles, but i just change it once a year. i drive 18,000 miles this past year, and i didnt lose a single drop of oil. it retails at my family's shop for 125.00 not sure what is is anywhere else. but i am sure its cheaper if you do it urself. there is a special filter that you have to get for it. Ask any amsoil retailer for info on it. its the best on the market
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On all my previous vehicles (non Toyota), I've gone with option A. My '07 Matrix is getting option B, which I started at the first oil change at 5 months. Regular oil/3 month service worked for me in the past without any problems - I had some of those vehicles for 10 or more years. I chose to go synthetic for its benefits over conventional oil.
I would chose "B". In the past, I have also used regular Dino oil, (Castrol GTX) and never had a problem...but I have read a number of articles regarding the build up of engine oil sludge and now I prefer to use Mobil 1. I have used Castrol Syntec also, I believe both are good choices.
ok,, had the oil change done at the stealership. I told service advisor to use synthetic oil and I'll pay the difference from my freebie regular oil change.. He asked me if I was racing the car.. and I said "no i drive 90% city thats why Id like to use synthetic"..cut the story short,, he did not recommended it and he suggested to do frequent regular oil change than use synthetic.
anyway at 30,500Km.. They need to replace a faulty waterpump (leaking).. which I am surprised.. Tech also found a leaking transmission on right axle.. and of course they reaplced the belts that are wet due to leaky wpump...all done under warranty.. car is 2 years old..
I had a 92 mazda MPV with 230Km,, and only replaced the original pump bec i changed the timing belt.. . and here I have a car with 30,000KM with already major service done..
This doesn’t apply to cars that have been modified for much higher than factory designed HP. I also didn’t do this when I drove a 2.4L air cooled six making 200+hp. And I also didn’t do it when my Mazda had those tiny tiny holes in the hydraulic lifters. BUT for my stock 94 corolla it gets an oil change every 7k-10k miles if I remember to do it. I use the cheapest oil available at NAPA, PepBoys etc. Time wise I try to change it one a year and no more. As of today with 274K miles on the odo, it uses less than 1qt/3k, no smoke, no ticking, and good compression. IMHO if you have stock engine that’s not making high Hp/Liter have turbos and doesn’t have special design problems, then if your not keeping the car for more than 100k miles, it matters little. 3k changes are just a waste of money. Of course folks will cruse me and call me crazy, but I’ve pulled down motors that had my kind of treatment and the mains, rods, cam bearings were all within new spec after 100k. Naturally those POS they built back in the 70s and early 80s would hardly last past 80k without a major rebuild. Your mileage may vary, just something to think about.
Since you live in Ontario you should consider 0W30 synthetic. 0W provides immense improvement in cold weather pumpability and crankability over 5W. It will not affect your warranty, or challenge your dealer if they say so. The most important # is the upper, the "30" as this is indirectly representative of the lubricant's viscosity at operating temperatures.
Check in your area for a lab that will do a used oil analysis (UOA). Usually it is about $20 for a basic test that will indicate your wear metals, oil properties, presence of water, glycol, fuel dilution, etc. It will give you a good feel for how quickly your oil degrades. Doing it is easy - just get the lab-supplied (a.k.a. fairly clean) sample bottle filled when doing an oil change. Let the oil drain for a minute since you don't want sludge, fill the bottle, and off to the lab. It is the best read you will ever get on your engine and oil life.
If you only do short driving in the city then you should look at more frequent changes since you will have condensation buildup in the cold weather. Alternatively, go for a good 30 minute hot drive on the highways once a week to cook out some of the water.
Note all filters are not the same and I am researching Toyota OEM compared to Wix, K&N, etc.
I personally like Mobil 1. I heard Mobil 1 is removing ZDDP since it may shorten catalytic converter life. Anyone hear about that? It is interesting since ZDDP is used as an anti-wear additive in nearly all passenger engine lubricants.
By the way, change the oil in your new engine sooner than the 8000 km recommended, perhaps 2000 km and again at 6000 km, using bulk mineral oil from your dealer. Do a UOA and you will see what I mean. The oil additives have not been deleted but the wear metal particles are extremely concentrated, as expected of any engine, and do no good in there regardless what any marketing guy will tell you.
1.) the 3000 mile oil change is just waste of money? We do it around 5000 to 8000 now?
2.) it is better to buy the oil from pepboys...etc. and give to the shop you go and have them change it? would they just take it and pretending to put it, but they swap it with some cheap ones?
3.) what's the different between syn oil and the regular? I am so noob on this.
4.) Live in California, only doing local and some freeway driving, which oil would you recommand?
also, like i mention in the other topic, but no answer yet. If I redline (or very close to redline) my new '07 matrix (about 1200 mil only) just for couple sec (while over drive is on). would that hurt the engine in any way? would the pistal now have scretch on the inside surface and cause the car to lose its pressure, hence, no power?
1.) the 3000 mile oil change is just waste of money? We do it around 5000 to 8000 now?
If on warranty, stick with the rules. If off of warranty, then you likely could go longer but I prefer to do the UOA to get an idea of how quickly the additives deplete / wear particle concentration increases. Keep in mind synthetics are not generally designed for extended intervals between oil changes. Mobil does have some for extended intervals, and it is not the base stock itself but the additives that are modifed to do this. You can try out their claims if you so desire.
2.) it is better to buy the oil from pepboys...etc. and give to the shop you go and have them change it? would they just take it and pretending to put it, but they swap it with some cheap ones?
Witness the oil change and ensure they put in what you give them. I never expect some pimply teen to do it right. While there, you can also ensure they effectively drain the crankcase fully, ensure they take the sample correctly, complete the multipoint inspection they say they are going to do, add the right coolant, reset the tire pressure monitor, reset the oil life indicator, etc. If so inclined, then do it yourself since you will likely do a better job.
3.) what's the different between syn oil and the regular? I am so noob on this.
Synthetics
1 - usually have a higher viscosity index, meaning it does not have as much of a viscosity change over low to high temperatures (particularly at high temps since you are in California),
2 - (most) have better wettability and lubricity over dino oil base stocks, meaning it will cling to surfaces better and be more "slippery"
3 - has less to no waxes, meaning you will have less varnishing, etc.
4 - usually have a higher temperature in which it vapourizes, meaning it will not burn as much (by sucking crankcase fumes back into the engine via emission controls) and not build up as much sludge on hot surfaces or varnish, etc.,
5 - typically have more detergents and dispersants to keep the engine cleaner...by suspending soot etc. in the oil (making it look dirty) and taking the gunk out when you drain,
Try a google and you will find plenty of independent stuff on synthetics.
4.) Live in California, only doing local and some freeway driving, which oil would you recommand?
I like plain jane Mobil 1, HOWEVER that is only because about 2 years ago I reviewed a number of datasheets and they had the best easily available synthetic at the time (in my opinion). That being said, it is worth looking at the sheets again and I should do so. You are okay with a 5W30 (likely recommended for your vehicle) since cold weather is irrelevant.
If you have a high mile engine, you may find your seals leak. It is not a problem with "common" synthetics per se, but rather a matter of the detergents cleaning deposits on those seals. Often those deposits were abrasive, wearing the shaft and seal, and when you clean them off you get a poor fit, with leaks.
Keep in mind most off the shelf synthetics are Polyalphaolefin (PAO) based or blended with dino oil. These are reasonably inexpensive, proven, and compatible with residual dino oil in your engine if you switch over.
There are other synthetics like Amsoil. I have not tested it, but if I recal correctly it is either a Polyol Ester (POE) or silicone-based high performance lubricant. It may work as claimed, I don't know. As far as I know, nobody sells PAG synthetics for automotive, which is good, because adding it to dino oil or PAO will gell you engine!
Hey sirmaenum
See my last statement about oil, again IMHO synthetic oil is a waste of money on non-turbo,non-supercharged, non-high hp/ci, non-raced engines. Of course I mean for temperate environments and like anneis said if it’s still under warranty stick to the 5k change. And do the oil change yourself! Just remember those guys at the oil changes places are not the sharpest tacks in the box. So if they do your change you can expect they will not replace the oil plug aluminum washer, clean the oil filter matting surface, tighten the filter or torque the plug. Oh or even necessarily get the right amount of oil in the car.
As for the nearing red line, I wouldn’t worry. If it were a Yugo worry, but Toyota knows how to build a motor. Cars now days interrupt ignition or fuel before you can hit the point where valves float and start trying to occupy the same space as the pistons at the same time. I've floated a few in a Chevy BB 396ci and a Datsun 1600cc L4. In the BB all that was required was replacing the valves in question and a cracked rocker. But just to be safe I also replaced springs and shims and magna-fluxed the rockers. Needless to say I also checked all the valves, rods, etc. But the only damage directly associated to the way over redline was a couple valves and a rocker. On the Datsun same thing plus I had a hand full of bent push rods. In both cases I was at least 1k over redline, probably more. Missed shifts in both cases while racing.
A problem can occur if you have a high mileage car that's not normally run up near redline. Carbon can build up at the top on the cylinder over the years and then when you hit redline the top compression ring can get broken when you get a little stretch. But in new computer controlled FI motors, even that isn't much of an issue anymore as far as I can tell.
I see. thanks guys. Sorry been a noob. My first new car (the first I have to end up fully pay for it).
It is in the body repire shop (due to that accident), I should have it back in about 1 week.
so base on what you saying, it would be wise to try to hit up high rev once in awhile? It sort like daily walk, but sometimes running is a good exercise too.
since I am so noobs, there are so many tech terms I am still trying to catch up.
now, since the dealer i brought from offer free life time oil change (4 times a year or every 5k), should i still do oil change myself? or just drive back to the dealer and let them do it, since they know the best?
ofcourse, i have to tell them ahead of time don't change anything else, or i (heard) might end up with other bunch of stuff and a good amount bill............hehe
thanks guys for the help.
i am sure i will have tons of modify questions after the warranty ends.
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