Your best Synthetic Oil

Mobile 1

 

Celica owner here, thinking to buy a new Tacoma. There were no incentives Memorial Day so I think I'll wait for a new model or potentially a leftover 2016.

2004TacomaSR5 said, "When I used M1 my 3.4 would burn through half a quart ever 3000 miles, with the Pennzoil it doesn't use a drop in 7500 mile intervals."

That answers the exact question I came here for. Does the same thing occur in a potential Tacoma engine that I may purchase? See I have used Mobil 1 in my Celica since new and this oil has always burned off. This is fine if you don't care about the additional cost of topping it off before the next change. The engines appear to remain absolutely spotless. However, now that I am older and wiser I am testing other oils.

My investigation shows the 3.4 is 9.6 compression (Celica is 11.5 to 1). The Celica has an advanced VTEC and the Tacoma 3.4 is a more "basic" DOHC engine. Many inline 4 owners reported this burning issue, and I was wondering if it was a 4 cylinder issue, or VTEC or compression related. But given the above user's issue with a V6 it must be something else in the design of the Japanese engine that causes the burning oil. Perhaps the cams are hotter and are flashing the oil off, or the crankcase pressure is high with a robust PCV system that is simply venting volatile compounds at a higher rate, or both.

As I am older and wiser, including with finances, I am experimenting with less expensive oils that are not only cheaper but which will not burn off. Pepe Boys recommended the Valvoline MaxLife. I'm trying that in the Celica today. A winner may just go in the forthcoming Tacoma purchase as well. Or maybe I'll stick to a higher end oil so that I can extend the oil changes. I am not sure yet.

As for my personal opinion: Somehow, despite being rated the same viscosity, the synthetics are thinner. (As an engineer and having had to comply with ASM standards I cannot figure that one out.) I noticed that in my Celica engine, in freezing weather, the idle comes up faster and runs at a noticeably higher RPM when using the synthetic oil. When is most engine damage done? At startup. So I give one big point to the synthetic 5W-30 for flowing very fast. As I am analyzing every expense in life for various reasons, is it still worth it on engines that typically go 300,000 miles? I am beginning to think not.

 

This is more of a "vote for your favorite oil" and less of a "what works best in the Tacoma" poll. Without any real data on the oils, that's about all that it is. That being said, I have used Mobil 1 for a long time, but I think I'll be switching to Pennzoil Yellow Bottle next, since my OCIs are only 5,000 miles anyways.

 

I would definitely like to see oil stats of different oils in the 3.4L. Right now I'm buying whatever synthetic/semi-synthetic is on sale. I used to run 5w-40 Shell Rotella T6 in my older Saab 900's and the valve train looked clean as a whistle but again no real data. Anyone run Rotella in the 5VZ?

 

I've been throwing around the idea of it. I run it in my diesel, lawnmower, and four wheeler, if I ran it in the Taco I'd only ever have to buy one kind of oil for everything. Just not sure how the engine will like a 40wt since they have such tight tolerances in new engines.

 

The engine was designed to run a 30 viscosity oil, but I ran it in my EJ25 engine in my '00 Outback (also designed for a 5w-30) and it was fine. That's why getting data on it would be very helpful. Actually seeing what the oil is doing to the internals is worth its weight in gold to me when buying an oil.

 

After using Mobil1 since I got my truck 8 years ago, I just recently switched to Pennzoil Platinum.

Getting .2mpg better according to my ultragauge, 18.3 vs 18.1 haha.

 

I run Royal purple

 

2.7 aint picky... whatever 30's on special. change it out every 10k.

 

It's always an enlightening experience reading oil threads. Keep it changed, 3000, 5000, 10,000, whatever gives you the warm & fuzzy. Use the specified rating your vehicle calls for and call it a day. I'm old enough to remember when 3000 was a must. Do it now & be considered a wasteful old fool. Engines & oils have changed a lot over the years. I've taken several to over 200,000. Would have been considered wore-out twice over when I was a pup. Technology is a wunnerful thing, ain't it?

 

yeah, oil threads can get heat'd fast... ford vs chevy sh!t. you wanna see some guys get their panties in a wad over motor oils, visit bobistheoilguy. dudes are way over my head...lol

 

^^^^

 

I don't know what kind of oil this engine's owner had been using, but this is one of the cleanest engines that I've seen at 70,000 miles.

All I know is the previous owner had it serviced at Central Toyota in Orlando Florida. Would they have been using Toyota oil?

 

Not exaggerating when I say I've seen multiple corolla and Camry engines opened up with 200k 300k miles and I'm floored in disbelief with how clean and unworn everything looks and measured at. Even the 350k mile corolla engine still had all the factory cross hatching finish in the cylinders. I've also had the oil I've run in multiple Toyota engines analyzed at anywhere from 5k to 10k OCI and the wear metals and numbers are so low its ridiculous(I did the testing and analyzing, friend owns an oil testing lab). I even double checked and recalibrated stupid spectrometers, etc. because it seemed to good to be true.
All the testing I've done and seen, the Toyota engines are so easy on the oil, it doesn't surprise me at how clean their engines are when opened up. Even more so if it's seen regular maintenance.

 

so fresh and so clean!
betcha $5 yota oil is made by exxon mobil or castrol rebranded. had a bmw that spec'd bmw motor oil ($10 qt), it was just plan castrol euro formula rebranded. wally use to carry 5 qt jugs for $22. dem oil & gas co. are sly.

 

Different enough to matter on oil brand? Nope.

Myth. You can switch every other change and it won't make a hoot of difference, as long as you use the correct OCI and weight for conditions

Truth, as long as you use the correct OCI and weight for conditions

Is this anecdotal or via lab testing? Hint. See below.

Truth.

And the results will be more in the area of recommended OCIs. IE, some will last longer than others.

Boutique oils are pretty much a waste of money, as even if they last a bit longer it's not enough to get an ROI over a more budget friendly oil

 

are you still using the Pennzoil stuff?
from my teen days as a quickie lubeTech (~30yrs ago) and seeing engines coming in using Pennzoil and the nastiest foamy yellow gunk on the dipsticks i will never EVER try it.
my Dad was big into Quaker State (not sure they still make that lol) i used Castrol or Valvoline on my '78 celica (had an oil leak so went with 20w/50 for some odd reason not sure why) until it died (body not engine)
...
had first oil change in my Tacoma at 1k miles in Alton IL Toyota dealer and have ranged in intervals every 3k ~ 5k (mostly highway miles) ever since
have had all oil changes done at Toyota dealer with coupin (loved the $19.99 coupins long time ago )
i trusted Toyota dealer to use the best for the engine but now not sure what the fck they been doing past 2 decades, last change I asked and they said Mobil 1 conventional

my newly found indie Toyota/Lexus only mechanic wants to get my engine onto Mobil 1 synthetic but keeping with the 3k~5k change intervals and not some crazy 10k interval (since it is not one of them 'newer' engines.)

since my truck has had a steady diet of conventional since new will I be wise to stick with conventional to avoid any ill adverse effects switching to synthetic or is this notion just nonsense (or am i nonsense)

since I have also recently found a DIY garage to rent a lift I am going to finally be able to make an attempt at changing my own oil again for the first time since probably 2oo3! (old corolla) before neck problems and the sorts started making stuff a bit challenging underneath.
I don't have a clue how much 'work' is involved with removing the skid plate to get at it, I guess I will get to it when I get to it...

 

Plenty of people on here have run T6 and other variations of 40 weights in and there is alot to be said about them.

Personally, My truck was subjectively noisier (V6) when run on T6. I have no idea why this is - the oil filter was from a pack of 12 Toyota OEM so I dont think there was any disparity there.

I purchased some 0w-40 on clearance from Wallyworld and used this before and the truck was smooth.

I'm using a 10w-30 now and its smooth again.

These trucks are low reving, have no timing chain and have oil coolers... The V6 are about as easy on oil as they come. I think a 40wt is overkill unless you have some consumption issues.

 

Incorrect advice in the above.

 

Yep TGMO is made by Exxon and previously was made by Idemsu. Its completely different from Mobil 1 and traditionally carries much more Molybdenum. People like it because it is a very different blend from other oils and seems to work well in Japanese vehicles which like Moly. I'd argue that Genuine TGMO or the Iditemsu variant is some of the best value options for performance there is.