Engine Oil

[raywong]

hi all

just wondering which engine oil are u using, and how often do u change it? i've done aroung 8000 miles since i change it last time, and i'm about to change it.

also i have in mind Mobil 1 and Shell Helix, i've heard good comments on both brands, just wondering which would you go for. In terms of price, Mobil 1 costs £37 for 5 litres, whereas Shell Helix only cost £21.

thx for your comments

Ray :)

[Demonic Angel]

I dont know - it depends what engine oil they put in the car when you buy them..... I havent checked mine, but I doubt it'll need changing at 3000 miles - or will it?

[b1nda]

Ive used Comma engine oil, in my avensis and Castrol GTX in my carina e & GTX Diesel version in my Sprinter van ......id say the comma engine oil is the better out of the two.....what i found with Castrol GTX & GTX for Turbo Diesel engines is that it makes the engine sound a bit noiser..... another good one is dukhams(think thats how you spell it)

[reece]

Mobil 1 every 5000 miles.

[Viper_7]

Aye, oil is the life of the engine..and the coolant... not the water!

change as often as you can, and your motor will love you for it. They say 10K...so make it 6k..after your motor is a few years old.

Do it yourself for less than £20.

30 min job.

Vipes

[KARacing]

I use TRD Engine Oil

[Lenry]

Is there a "How To – Step by Step Guide" on changing the engine Oil, as I've never done it!!!

Am I right in thinking you have to change the Filter?

uuuurrmmm.... Cheers

[earpl]

i use magnatex 0-40 (really thin) every 5k.

lenry it aint hard mate, get some oil, get a filter from toyota. run the engine for a while (so the oil is hot, therefore more runny).

put a bucket under the sump drain (not your best bucket :P)

take out the sump plug (on the very bottom of the engine, also remove the oil filler cap) and let the oil drain into the bucket. (leave for about 10 mins so all the oil inside has a chance to run down and out).

for the filter you will need a filter strap (for undoing the filter) and a wratchet (to fit the filter strap). locate your oil filter (prolly the same as the new one you have)put the bucket under neath it, crack it off (loosen it) with the strap and wratchet and then undo by had (becarefull cause the oil will proberly run town your arm (messy :P) and do not drop the filter in the bucket, cause it will splash up the oil and again you'll get very messy.) right the filter.

on the top of the filter where it screws in there is a rubber seal, firstly check that the rubber seal is still on the old filter and not on the engine (if its still on the engine pull it off). now for the seal on the new filter, get a bit of new oil on your finger and wipe it on the new seal (make sure it covers it all). screw the filter on as hard as you can by hand, then give it about another 1/4 turn with the strap. screw the sump plug back in (with the new seal washer that toyota supply) tight but not stupidly tight.

then look in your manual to see how much oil the car takes, roughly fill it to that ammount then check it on the dipstick. then run the car for about 5 mins to let the oil flow round, check the oil again and top up. (you have to do this so the oil goes into the lines and fills the oil filter, doing this will make the oil go down at first, hence the topping up) then put your filler cap back on, and responsibly dispose of the oil. but remember that when your working under a car, dont rely on the jack. jack the car up and rest it on axel stands or idealy use ramps.

sorted

[TS Flea]

I'm using Mobil1 5W-40 in my YTS.

Idle is smoother than with the previous oil I had and I definately feel a performance increase. (Less friction I guess)

BUT, the valvetrain?/lifter?/injector? noise I'm getting is extremely annoying... My car sounds like a diesel, I kid you not. Chatter chatter chatter...

The oil seems to be too thin for the engine.

Mind you, I've read many posts about Mobil1 causing such problems in other engines as well...

I'm going with Castrol next time round... Maybe...

Hope this helps.

[gerard]

synthetic oils have low viscosity and changing brands will probably not resolve the valve noises. I use Castrol syntron and the valves sound like an old singer.

but whats important is that synthetics are very stable thermally, have vastly superior sheer strength and have a good additives package to neutralise acids etc.

[Rayburn]

[Diesel Lite 10w40

Semi Synthetic - Enhanced Protection - Supreme Performance

Suitable for high performance diesel engines including turbo charged.

Ultimate protection in all conditions - extremes of heat and cold.

Provides supreme performance.

Synthetic blend to help keep engine clean and prolong engine life.

Helps reduce emissions.

Service Classification: ACEA B3 B4 API CF

[Petrol;

Eurolite 10w-40

Semi Synthetic - Enhanced Protection - Supreme Performance

Suitable for high performance engines including fuel injected and multivalved.

Ultimate protection in all conditions - extremes of heat and cold.

Provides supreme performance.

Synthetic blend to prolong engine life.

Helps reduce emissions and protects catalytic converters.

Service Classification: ACEA A3 B3 API SL CF

For more info on oils go to;

http://www.commaoil.co.uk/

You really dont need to buy expensive oils.

These are fine and readily available from Good Motor Factors.

Toyota say every 10,000 miles.

My experience with this is a little too long.

Try 5,000 on the Diesel and 6,000 on the petrol.

This will keep the engine oil looking good.

Ray

[Ian 12b]

If you use a “Good quality full synthetic” oil the modern engines and modern oils are a lot cleaner than they used to be 10k is fine, anymore often than 10k is a waste of good oil but at the end of the day it is total your personal preference.

[Red Yaris 54]

I use castrol syntron and the valves sound like an old singer.

←

Frank Sinatra?? :D ;)

Toyota Fully Synthetic

[earpl]

bloddy hell steve! did'nt know frank made his own clothes?

[jaxx]

magnitec is tripe!

used it in the mr2 and it was noisy as hell, i actual thought something was about to break

then chucked mobil1 in and it purrrrrrs like a kitten!

[oilman]

I thought this would be of interest here as It's probably the question I get asked the most. Shame the answer isn't simple though!

The basic benefits are as follows:

Extended oil drain periods

Better wear protection and therefore extended engine life

Most synthetics give better MPG

They flow better when cold and are more thermally stable when hot

Esters are surface-active meaning a thin layer of oil on the surfaces at all times

If you want to know the reasons why then please read on but, warning - Long Post!

Stable Basestocks

Synthetic oils are designed from pure, uniform synthetic basestocks, they contain no contaminants or unstable molecules which are prone to thermal and oxidative break down.

Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic lubricants operate with less internal and external friction than petroleum oils which have a non-uniform molecular structure.

The result is better heat control, and less heat means less stress to the lubricant.

Higher Percentage of Basestock

Synthetic oils contain a higher percentage of lubricant basestock than petroleum oils do.

This is because multi-viscosity oils need a great deal of pour point depressant and viscosity improvers to operate as a multigrade.

The basestocks actually do most of the lubricating. More basestocks mean a longer oil life.

Additives Used Up More Slowly

Petroleum basestocks are much more prone to oxidation than synthetic oils. Oxidation inhibitors are needed in greater quantities in petroleum oils as they are used up more quickly.

Synthetic oils do oxidize, but at a much slower rate therefore, oxidation inhibiting additives are used up more slowly.

Synthetic oils provide for better ring seal than petroleum oils do. This minimizes blow-by and reduces contamination by combustion by-products. As a result, corrosion inhibiting additives have less work to do and will last much longer in a synthetic oil.

Excellent Heat Tolerance

Synthetics are simply more tolerant to extreme heat than petroleum oils are. When heat builds up within an engine, petroleum oils quickly begin to burn off. They are more volatile. The lighter molecules within petroleum oils turn to gas and what's left are the large molecules that are harder to pump.

Synthetics have far more resistance as they are more thermally stable to begin with and can take higher temperatures for longer periods without losing viscosity.

Heat Reduction

One of the major factors affecting engine life is component wear and/or failure, which is often the result of high temperature operation. The uniformly smooth molecular structure of synthetic oils gives them a much lower coefficient friction (they slip more easily over one another causing less friction) than petroleum oils.

Less friction means less heat and heat is a major contributor to engine component wear and failure, synthetic oils significantly reduce these two detrimental effects.

Since each molecule in a synthetic oil is of uniform size, each is equally likely to touch a component surface at any given time, thus moving a certain amount of heat into the oil stream and away from the component. This makes synthetic oils far superior heat transfer agents than conventional petroleum oils.

Greater Film Strength

Petroleum motor oils have very low film strength in comparison to synthetics. The film strength of a lubricant refers to it's ability to maintain a film of lubricant between two objects when extreme pressure and heat are applied.

Synthetic oils will typically have a film strength of 5 to 10 times higher than petroleum oils of comparable viscosity.

Even though heavier weight oils typically have higher film strength than lighter weight oils, an sae 30 or 40 synthetic will typically have a higher film strength than an sae 50 or sae 60 petroleum oil.

A lighter grade synthetic can still maintain proper lubricity and reduce the chance of metal to metal contact. This means that you can use oils that provide far better fuel efficiency and cold weather protection without sacrificing engine protection under high temperature, high load conditions. Obviously, this is a big plus, because you can greatly reduce both cold temperature start-up wear and high temperature/high load engine wear using a low viscosity oil.

Engine Deposit Reduction

Petroleum oils tend to leave sludge, varnish and deposits behind after thermal and oxidative break down. They're better than they used to be, but it still occurs.

Deposit build-up leads to a significant reduction in engine performance and engine life as well as increasing the chance of costly repairs.

Synthetic oils have far superior thermal and oxidative stability and they leave engines virtually varnish, deposit and sludge-free.

Better Cold Temperature Fluidity

Synthetic oils do not contain the paraffins or other waxes which dramatically thicken petroleum oils during cold weather. As a result, they tend to flow much better during cold temperature starts and begin lubricating an engine almost immediately. This leads to significant engine wear reduction, and, therefore, longer engine life.

Improved Fuel Economy

Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic oils are tremendous friction reducers. Less friction leads to increased fuel economy and improved engine performance.

This means that more energy released from the combustion process can be transferred directly to the wheels due to the lower friction. Acceleration is more responsive and more powerful, using less fuel in the process.

In a petroleum oil, lighter molecules tend to boil off easily, leaving behind much heavier molecules which are difficult to pump. The engine loses more energy pumping these heavy molecules than if it were pumping lighter ones.

Since synthetic oils have more uniform molecules, fewer of these molecules tend to boil off and when they do, the molecules which are left are of the same size and pumpability is not affected.

Synthetics are better and in many ways, they are basically better by design as they are created by chemists in laboratories for a specific purpose.

Cheers

Simon

[knightrider]

i use millers 10-40 (i think)

seems top notch to me