The old 5k or 10k oil change debate

That’s my point, I would rather break it in with quality oil and it’s making an obvious difference. Why is 20 weight becoming dark with carbon and smells of fuel but the 40 is not…

 

The Brand of oil doesn't matter either.

 

It can get up to 100 degrees and down to -10 or lower. Seems the stock 0w20 has been working well in the past. I never used any oil additives in my tundra, just seafoam in the fuel now, and then. I figure from what I've been told by several auto techs, as long as you change your oil at least once a year, or 5k, if short trips...10k if mostly highway in these engines, that you shouldn't have any oil issues. There's guys with 250k or more using 0w20 out there running fine.

 

I can't imagine a "screech" sound that has anything due to with oil going away.

 

Unless its some non name brand cheap synthetic that doesn't have the additive packages the name brand more expensive ones have.

 

totally disagree, the level of additives vary greatly between oil formulations. The reason why Amsoil UOA’s usually look very good is because of the additives. They load the oil up with a lot of zinc and phosphorus.

 

I was thinking when I heard it on that very cold morning, it was a viscosity issue. I never heard it again for the rest of the winter, just that one super cold morning when the truck first fired up. Maybe it was something else I just don't know.

 

Wont make a bit of difference

 

Nope, I've never seen any oil for sale that doesn't meet the recommended guidelines.

 

I get it, and it makes sense about the cold start clatter you probably heard. Cold start clatter can also be caused by varnish and gunk building up in the motor inhibiting oil flow.

Liqui Moly Engine Flush Plus 300ml

$20 Liqui Moly Engine Flush Plus 300ml

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096Y6VBS

Their Cera Tec friction modifier is awesome stuff too. I use it in all my vehicles for the past 10 years. Fantastic at minimizing cold start valve clatter and producing a smoother running motor. I generally start it around 1500 miles. Up to 90% of engine wear happens at cold starts.

 

Most oils will meet the manufactures guide lines to a point till their additive packages no longer become that useful. No way would I trust doing 10k mile oil changes with these less expensive secondary brand name oils like travelers, or Kirkland. Supertech might be the only one, and even thats a crap shoot.

 

Because you're still in the break in period. Piston rings are still seating, other oils in the engine are burning off from the factory, etc. My 20 weight oil comes out clean after 5k still and I'm at 110k miles. There are other threads about dark and funky smelling oil after the first few miles. Your engine isn't junk and neither is the weight of your oil. You just need to break it in more.

 

We got the same results 20 years ago with energy release, if you're really looking for every last hp., but imo, its really unnecessary in today engines if you use a good synthetic.

 

Nah I disagree

 

I’m going to make a before and after cold start video to compare when I get to the mileage I want.

 

I do 5000-6000. It’s fairly dirty at 5000. I do it myself and feel it is relatively cheap insurance against engine wear. I have a neighbor with 450,000 miles on his tacoma, original engine. He has always done 5000 mile changes.

 

Conventional even when hydro cracked to remove more of the impurities from it which is dirt and waxes still have different size molecules.

True synthetic oil like a group IV PAO and group V Ester are created in a lab environment and every molecule is the same size.

Let's go back to how all this mess about synthetic oils started, it was Castrol who started putting full synthetic on their bottles of group III conventional oil. Mobil challenged Castrol by filing a complaint through the BBB's National Advertising Devision (NAD) Mobil explained that group III hydro cracked oil was not the same thing as group IV PAO or group V Ester synthetic oil because both group IV and V oils were manufactured in a controlled lab environment so that every molecule was the same size. Mobil explained how it was more expensive and the process was different to make a group IV PAO and group V Ester based synthetic oil vs just hydro cracking conventional oil.

It is a fact that group III oil labeled as synthetic has different size molecules which is understandable because group III is just hydro cracked oil that uses a higher pressure to remove more of the impurities from the crude stock but it in no way changes the size of the molecules.

NAD for some reason decided to side with Castrol and consumers were defrauded ever since thinking they are buying true synthetic oil when most companies are labeling conventional hydro cracked oil as synthetic.

Many people think this case was settled in a court of law which is not true. The SAE also did not help things when they decided to just go along to get along.

Mobil after losing their complaint started using conventional group III hydro cracked oil labeling it as synthetic as well because they could not compete price wise using true group IV PAO and group V Ester synthetic oils when Castrol and other companies were using cheaper to manufacture group III hydro cracked oil labeling it as synthetic.

Here is an example of the difference between group IV PAO and group V Ester synthetic oil and group III conventional oil labeled as synthetic.



Now tell me which would you rather have protecting your engine, true group IV PAO group V Ester synthetic oils or the bottom group III conventional oil labeled as synthetic oil.

 

I go by the oils like what we had analyzed years ago. The less expensive oils just have lower amounts of additive packages, and are not as highly refined as mobil1, or synthetics like amsoil, castrol, etc. Not that the lesser expensive no name brands are bad, I just wouldn't leave them in the engine the same amount of time. When it comes to motor oils, you get what you pay for.

 

I think you are missing the point. It’s the end result that matters. If UOA’s show that base III combined with advanced anti wear additives perform excellent then the base does not truly matter. It’s not the base oil that is really preventing wear, it’s the additives. I suggest you search this subject on Bobs the Oil Guy forums and you will find extensive post regarding base oil vs end result. UOA’s are king. Redline makes great oil but its purpose was for extreme engine environments. Not the typical consumer engine. It’s a boutique oil meant for hardcore racing applications. It’s also debatable if all of Mobil 1, synthetic lines are base III. Many claim the higher end oils they are base IV or at least blended with it. UOA’s show they last so they are doing something right. Again, full synthetic is a marketing term and not technical.

 

Not true