Synthetic oil or not in a 2007?

I am going to be super bold and nasty direct here since this is a thread where misinformation is bigger than truth and everyone thinks they know something, I am going to chime in with the truth about oils in 2017.

Synthetic vs semi syn vs non syn... is there really a difference?

NO, not a huge difference. the benefit to a full syn is: longer polymer life ( due to ENGINEERED strands for heat and sheer resistance) which in turn CAN mean longer change intervals, IT IS A GREEN lubricant as it contains NO fossil fuel elements (only in oils rated higher than tier 4) finally it CAN reduce START UP wear and PROLONG engine longevity. ( there is some skepticism on this, but, my race bike is proof that it does prolong life of rings and vital seals)

What synthetic WILL NOT ever do is cause your engine to leak UNLESS YOU WERE RUNNING NON DETERGENT OIL.....near impossible to find....
the other thing synthetic will never do is CAUSE slippage of ANY part. All this crap about my bikes clutch slipped after I change to synthetic or my diff is slipping now etc,etc, is not from the oil, but from worn out parts that ALREADY had an issue.

synthetic also WILL NOT protect better in winter months compared to summer months.

synthetic also WILL MIX with standard oil. DOES NOT MATTER WHAT WEIGHT. ALL OILS WILL MIX WITHOUT ISSUE.
the public is not told this because 90% are too dumb to understand anything like this. (also it can lead to long drawn out court cases when some idiot sues a shop claiming the 20w50 he mixed with the 10w40 caused his engine to blow up.....the claim would be that someone at the shop told him it was ok to do, even though the idiot thought is was wrong.....the shop would be right, but, not in court)

As far as what oil to use..........ANY tier 4 and above are great oils, I run Mobile 1 in both the race bike and the truck....NOT A TRUE SYNTHETIC!!!!

watch out for synthetic oil that cost less than 10 bucks a qt.....good possibility it is rebadged blended or standard with a "synthetic" additive package.

IF you are concerned about gasket and seals leaks from a switch, start with the semi syn for a couple of cycles then go to the full syn.

OIL CHANGES:
3 months 3000 miles?????? yeah IF this is 82
5 months 5000 miles..........probably about right IF you drive freeways at least half the time (freeway use EXTENDS oil life)

the new ratings of 10k or once a year........yeah, no I would not EVER subject my engine to that.

oil is CHEAP insurance, change it as often and as much as you want. if something fails it WON'T be due to the lubrication system.

As I always do, links with FACTS. I do not pretend to be an expert, however, I NEVER believe in the status quo or press releases......trial and error and research with an open mind to find the truth. research with a slanted ideal leads to myths and fake news.

OKAY, off the soap box.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3052733

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/switch-to-synthetic-oil1.htm

https://www.edmunds.com/car-care/top-7-urban-legends-about-motor-oil.html

http://www.hoonable.com/motor-oil/

 

In case anyone is broke, here’s my 2 cents...

I switched to amsoil at 315,000. Seriously. I’m at 320k now and don’t have any leaks. Truck runs great and motor seems strong as ever. I’m also about to do another shunned upon job... change my tranny fluid. Ooooo

Cheers

 

I've used synthetic since 10k miles. Mobil 1.

 

I've used probably 35 different brands/types of oil in my 39 years of driving, have gone anywhere from 3000 to 12,000 miles between changes depending on many factors, mainly accidental neglect. I've had Fords, Nissans, Dodges, Chevys, Toyotas, Mazdas....never had an engine problem related to oil.

Use whatever brand you want...you'll be fine

 

It's too hard to say if it's going to leak or not. I would do a few short intervals. You'll be suprised how much crap comes out or dark the oil gets when switching.

 

I switched to synthetic in all of my cars. My Corolla leaked more when I switched. I switched back to dino oil and after about three changes it stopped leaking as much. I change my oil frequently so sludge wasn't the problem. If you do switch, just keep an eye on the oil level for a little while.

 

What weight Mobil 1 did you use? By "regular 40w" do you mean a straight 40w? or 10-40? The synthetic you used could have caused leaks if it was thinner than the dino oil you were using before. If the weight was identical, a leak indicates some other issue.

The link you provided identifies only a possible sludge problem if you switch to synthetic oil on a high mileage engine - there is no mention of oil leaks because it is presumed you are replacing with like weight oils.

 

After reading those posts,really don t know if i will switch to synthetic.
I will ask also my dealer what he thinks.We have been going me and my wife for over 20 years,at the same Toyota Dealer in town.
Thanks everyone.
Charly

 

The synthetic oil DID NOT cause anything to leak,

Oil causes nothing, it only amplified what was already happening.

Yes thicker oil can slow a leak and thinner can make a leak worse, OIL DOES NOT CAUSE LEAKS!!!!

Myths and bs like this is why no one trusts mechanics or dealers,

Same goes for gun control and income redistribution........

As they said in the X-files......the truth is out there...

Right in the beginning of the links it states that synthetic and oils of any kind do not cause leaks.

Think you best read again and don’t skip sections.

Not to sound like a know it all, but, I quite possibly know more about oil than anyone on this forum......unless there is a petroleum engineer present?

 

If an engine leaks worse with synthetic as opposed to conventional, then you can say switching to synthetic caused a leak to appear. You're just getting to semantics at that point.

 

In my opinion a Tacoma shouldn't being going down the road without synthetic! But yes you'll be fine!

 

You just proved the point.

If an engine leaks WORSE with synthetic.......

The leak was already present.....
Synthetic amplified the already present leak.
Truth with machine mechanics is one of those do not violate things.

 

Obviously the oil itself isn't causing the leak. From what I've learned from this thread, the sludge is creating a gasket, but the synthetic cleans that out exposing the leak.

Conventional oil = no leak
Synthetic oil = leak

Regardless of the underlying reason, it seems like a good reason to not run syn.

 

Not true, there is almost no difference in standard vs synthetic.

The only way oil could cause a leak to appear is a switch from non detergent oil to detergent oil.

A 69 Camaro that has run straight 30w non detergent oil WILL start leaking once a detergent oil is used due to the detergents cleaning the varnish off the gasket areas.

Since 1990 every oil on the market has been detergent oil.
Standard single weight oil is still available, just not widely used.

The real question is; is synthetic any better than conventional?

Answer: maybe? Generally not,
I like using it due to cooler engine temps and if I miss a change I’m still good.

If synthetic oil was the shit, they would certify it for aircraft use.
Only royal purple is from all the research I have done, and only on certain aircraft engines.

Just like e85 and the ethanol debate, can not be used in planes, what are cars any different?

After 20 yrs and 500,000 hrs of engine building and racing..... just change the oil as often as you can, things will last longer....oh, stay away from pour in treatments, that stuff is a gimmick.

 

I misread your quote below. Disregard!

 

All good, as long as one person drops the myths I have done my job

 

I had never even known this was a thing until I read this thread. I switched from conventional to syn at 168k miles when I bought my truck, and that thing wasn't exactly well maintained. It still had original spark plugs! No leaks yet though.

 

That’s all I use on my cars. 2001 Camry had 255k and switched to amsoil OE from regular oil same with the transmission ..no problems 35k later. Celica 2zz engine from the very beginning had it rebuilt to boost at 120k from a lot of abuse and the builder was amazed how clean the engine and the transmission was. 1998 Corolla switched at 100k to amsoil oe and it’s at 175k no problems. Been using it on the taco and I expect the same results using amsoil.

Back to the subject for OP. Go for it! I’m not gonna push amsoil on you but try out a good synthetic oil 0-30 for the winter .

 

This is exactly the case--synthetic oil molecules are smaller and more uniform than those of dino oil. Because of this this seals one higher mileage engines that are OK, and would continue to be OK for some 10s of thousands of miles, may weep or even leak when synthetic oil is loaded. I have personally had this happen on two vehicles: a 1985 Corolla (last of the RWD models) with over 300k miles, and my wife's old '96 RAV4 with 285k. Switching back to dino dried things up...

 

I run Mobile1 for years, no problems.