Synthetic oil change every 10k?

Motor oil is getting thinner along with the tolerances within more modern engines. I seen an engine use

$52 0W20 oil Toyota/ exxon mobil Case of 6 Quarts Full Synthetic TGMO SN 0W-20 Oil

0W20 oil. That is closing in on sewing machine oil if you ask me. Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s the oil molecule was bigger and could shear, this and the dirt would reduce viscosity. This is why you changed your "mineral" engine oil every three thousand miles. The oil that you changed was returned to a recycling center and once they removed the dirt the oil's viscosity returned. I remember buying recycled oil much cheaper and was just as good or better.
Enter the year 2021 and the oil withstands temperature much better, stays cleaner much longer and the viscosity remains within the oil much longer.

 

0W16 recommended for our RAV4. When I change the oil it gushes out of the sump in about two seconds.

 

I also enjoy wrenching, however I don't like to do things which don't really need to be done, just for the sake of doing them. To keep my wrenching hands busy, 20 years ago I bought a project car, which has spawned other project cars and MC's over the years. Now with two VW's, a couple of ATV's, a house and a GF with a project car of her own and a house well I'm rarely at a loss for things which need fixin'

 

No trolling, no sarcasm, no bullshit. All serious. On more than just one vehicle.
Been using synthetic since 1978. Since that time I have learned it qualities, properties, abilities, and I have full confidence in it.
I have been inside the engines, I have done the compression checks, I have seen the evidence.
It truly does what it is designed to do and I'm fortunate to have discovered it so early in my life. I let it perform just as it was intended to do.

 

A post earlier joked about throwing out the cereal, tossing half the paint, etc. jokingly.
But he was exactly right. If nothing is wrong with the oil, why toss it? It's doing the same quality job at 15,000 miles it did at 3,000 miles.

Yes, I have been inside the engines. I have done compression tests. I don't ignore maintenance, don't ignore signs of trouble or wear. I replaced or repair when needed. Changing the oil early just isn't needed, so I don't.

 

The 5k vs 10k numbers are out there if you care to educate yourself.

 

Do you have any oil analysis results after 30-50? Curious how you know the oil has nothing wrong with it. That being said, I guess the proof is in the pudding with 297k miles.

Side note, what type of vehicle and motor is this vehicle?

 

For me it’s s not about 5k vs 10k. It’s every 6 months vs 12 months. I’ll barely have 3300 miles when I take it in for the 12 month oil change in a couple of weeks.

 

Whats does an oil change cost $20; Spend an "extra" 20 bucks if it makes you feel good, or split the difference and change it a 7500.

 

It would be very interesting to see the results of a Blackstone oil test for your oil. Synthetic oils are wonderful, and what your doing without any engine problems is pretty neat.

 

After realizing 0W16 was fetching a premium and was difficult to find in my local stores my mechanic told me to just run 0W20 in my Rav4 which I have been doing for the past 35k miles with no issues. He explained that a four point viscosity difference is negligible and will not harm my vehicle in any way. I believe him

 

Consensus … I’m having dealer change mine at 5000 intervals … Decided. I think it’s good to give everything a once over while having this service. Yes … for me, always have used local dealer.

 

This is blasphemy bro!

 

0W16 is scarce here also but same price as 0W20 so I will stick with it for the 0.000001% increase in fuel economy.

 

I see 0w16 readily available in Mobil1 and Valvoline at Meijer at no additional cost. That said...0w20 won't hurt a thing. All 0w20s are all synthetic. It's 5w20s where you have to pay attention. They are available in conventional, blends and synthetics.

That's why in Toyota vehicles that recommend 0w20 the owner's manual cautions against using 5w20. 5w20 will not hurt the engine. It's just that Toyota realizes that most people haven't a clue about oil or what may be in their engine. So to avoid the possibility of of someone puttering around in stop and go traffic or short tripping for 10k miles on a conventional oil they just basically discourage it. I run 5w20 in my wife's Corolla....but it's synthetic.

 

And before the "modern engines have tight tolerances" crowd rolls in stating you can't run a heavier oil....a 0w16 at cold startup is considerably more viscous than a 0w20 is at operating temperature. So if running a heavier oil leads to damage then you would also be doing damage to your engine the first few miles using 0w16.

And just for a little peace of mind...look up viscosity recommendations for the same engine in other countries.

 

So let me understand your statement. The 0w16 behaves like a 20 weight oil when cold?

That claim is against the viscosity test as defined in ASTM documents. (Sorry, I forget the document number). The "winter" viscosity is tested at 0*F. The "summer" viscosity can be tested at either 100*F or 212*F.

I think there is some fundamental comparison problems....

 

The bottom line is that everyone has their own opinion, and everyone thinks their opinion is right. Nothing any of us say to anyone else is going to change their minds, and all that happens is people get frustrated, throw insults around, etc. If we could have a civil exchange of ideas and just agree to disagree that would be one thing, but these threads never seem to go that way.

 

I should visit you, so you can be entertained with my truck.

I'm pretty on top of maintenance, though living in an RV it is often a struggle to do DIY maintenance.