Synthetic Oil

[nsmitchell]

Anyone plan to go Synthetic on their first oil change. What do y'all reccommend? I have used Mobil1 in the past, but I heard they have changed their formula, dumbing it down to Castrol Syntec style synthetic. I think I'm going to use Amsoil 0W-30 with an Amsoil filter. As for the ATF, I think Toyota is using synthetic ATF already because there is no scheduled service interval for the ATF flush and fill.

[stuffy]

i was going to switch to synthetic if it meant i wouldn't need oil changes as often, but the service tech said that they still need to change the oil every 8 months, so i figured i wouldn't bother.

[pxpaulx]

every 8 months? you must not drive very much! i was doing every 7500 in my honda element w/mobil 1 - i think i might go the amsoil route with the yaris too. my dealer gives free oil changes for life though - their stipulation is of course, that you get 15K, 30K, 45K etc. etc. service done there. they charge $160 for the 15K and $360 for the 30K. too steep for me, this is a maintenance free car for well beyond those numbers! but, they do give the first 4 oil changes for free no matter what, i'll just have to bring in my own synthetic for them to put in.

[07WYarisRS]

Anyone plan to go Synthetic on their first oil change. What do y'all reccommend? I have used Mobil1 in the past, but I heard they have changed their formula, dumbing it down to Castrol Syntec style synthetic. I think I'm going to use Amsoil 0W-30 with an Amsoil filter. As for the ATF, I think Toyota is using synthetic ATF already because there is no scheduled service interval for the ATF flush and fill.


You are correct
Mobil1 Synthetic is a group III mineral based oil just like Castrol Syntec and Motul.

Amsoil, Redline, Royal Purple are the only major brands, easy to find that I know of that are Group IV-V oils.

I have switched to Amsoil 2000 0W-30 at 8000km.
This oil is good for 1 year or 35,000miles unless you do the lab analysis testing.
Personally I have always changed it every 6 months (usually October and April) and usually use Wix or Purolator filters, just to keep the oil looking cleaner, even though i know it's good for MUCH longer.
The Toyota ATF is not a synthetic so I would recommned changing that as well before winter.

The down side to this is Toyota wants proof the oil was changed every 8000km or so.
No problem, I just go to my local automotice store buy 4 lites of oil and a filter, make a copy of the receipt, then take the oil back and get my $$$ back. I keep my receipts in a folder in the car just incase I ever have a problem I have proof oil and filters were replaced. That's good enough for ANY warranty. NO mfg can deny warranty for doing your own maintenance either at home or other shop.

[nsmitchell]

When switching over to synthetic, you are in effect, stopping your break in period because synthetics give such excellent wear protection. 8000 miles like 07WYarisRS did sounds like a good time to switch. I will be going Amsoil 2000 0W-30 with an Amsoil Ea filter. I will also be using the Amsoil engine flush. Not sure about switching the ATF though... You need to use a transmission flushing machine for that job. The mechanic might flip out when he doesn't see any throttle cable! :eek:

[tomjasz]

When switching over to synthetic, you are in effect, stopping your break in period because synthetics give such excellent wear protection. 8000 miles like 07WYarisRS did sounds like a good time to switch. I will be going Amsoil 2000 0W-30 with an Amsoil Ea filter. I will also be using the Amsoil engine flush. Not sure about switching the ATF though... You need to use a transmission flushing machine for that job. The mechanic might flip out when he doesn't see any throttle cable! :eek:


AMSOIL SAYS

AMSOIL and Break In on New and Rebuilt Engines

Q. I heard that new cars require a break in period with petroleum before you switch them to synthetic. How long should this break in period be?

A. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil can be used during break-in trouble free. In fact, vehicles such as Dodge Viper and Chevrolet Corvette come factory filled with synthetic oil.

Since most new vehicles come filled with petroleum oil, it only makes good sense to change to AMSOIL at the first scheduled oil change interval. New engine components generate high levels of wear metals and can contain contaminants from assembly. By allowing the engine to operate with the petroleum oil until the first oil/filter change interval, the wear metals and contaminants are removed prior to installing AMSOIL.

[stuffy]

8 months? not sure what i was thinking there, bit of a brain fart.
what i meant was 8000 km.

[Billstein]

Ever hurd of Royal Purple Full Syn.?
Friends of mine swear by it.
Bit pricey for me though..

[07WYarisRS]

Ever hurd of Royal Purple Full Syn.?
Friends of mine swear by it.
Bit pricey for me though..

I mentioned Royal purple in my first replay

It is a good lubricant but Royal purple in the past has show some quality control issues as I have seen personally.
I sent in a few samples to be tested and the results came back that #1 contents in bottle did notmatch grade on bottle.
#2 higher then normal amounts of water, copper were present.

Most oil companies will have some quality control issues but usually not two different oils tested at the same time.

FWIW
Even the mineral based Group III oils like Mobil 1, Stntec, Qstate synthetic, Motul, etc etc are still far better then a standard converntional oil. However because they still contain mineral oil they still suffer the break down, and diposits from mineral byproducts. The Added estersand POA do a much better job of keeping the engine clean but they just don't stand up like group IV-V lubricants do. Most group III oils still need to be changed at the mfg recommended time. Some cost slightly less then the TOP group IV-V synthetics. But if you don't want to spend the $$$ on a REAL synthetic a group III like Mobil 1 is the next best thing.
However if you figure the costs of spending $$$ on Mobil 1 every 8000km And Amsoil once a year or even twice a year. It's cheaper to use AMSOIL, REDLINE or ROYAL PURPLE.

[static808]

would like to use the amsoil, but they're hard to come by in our area, so we'll have to order some in bulk online. quick question: how long can you store new bottles of oil?? can i keep quarts of new oil stored in my garage, or should i try to buy oil only when its time for a change?? thanks for any input!!

--B

[07WYarisRS]

The oil has a VERY long shelf life.
I buy mine buy the cases for my shop and it often sits on the shelf for a year or two depending on the type of oil.

Amsoil says 5 years to almost infinity depending on storage and if the contraiers are opened

http://www.sinwal.com/data/storage_and_handling.pdf#search=%22Amsoil%20shelf% 20life%22

You can buy amsoil LOTS of places, check the yellow pages first
Or
If you want I can give you the name of my Amsoil guy. He is an aerospace enginner and knows more about oils and engines then just about anyone I know.
He can even set you up with discounts if you wish. Awesome guy to deal with.

[argylesocks]

i hurd that Toyotal uses a "special" filter.
are you guys using the factory fitlers with synthetic... or are you goign aftermarket filter as well???

my old mech. recommended (in my saab) to stick with the saab filter, but still use Mobil1.

[tomjasz]

i hurd that Toyotal uses a "special" filter.
are you guys using the factory fitlers with synthetic... or are you goign aftermarket filter as well???

my old mech. recommended (in my saab) to stick with the saab filter, but still use Mobil1.

I buy my Toyota filers by the case and keep the reciepts and careful maintenance records.

(how can vegans avoid foods produced with animal products?)

[07WYarisRS]

i hurd that Toyotal uses a "special" filter.
are you guys using the factory fitlers with synthetic... or are you goign aftermarket filter as well???

my old mech. recommended (in my saab) to stick with the saab filter, but still use Mobil1.


Toyota filters are some of the worst...

A filter is a filter
Some are better then others but they all do bacically the same thing.
there is nothing special about Toyota filters.

I usually use WIX or Purolator

check out this Filter test
http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/oil_filter_test.html

[nsmitchell]

AMSOIL SAYS

AMSOIL and Break In on New and Rebuilt Engines

Q. I heard that new cars require a break in period with petroleum before you switch them to synthetic. How long should this break in period be?

A. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil can be used during break-in trouble free. In fact, vehicles such as Dodge Viper and Chevrolet Corvette come factory filled with synthetic oil.

Since most new vehicles come filled with petroleum oil, it only makes good sense to change to AMSOIL at the first scheduled oil change interval. New engine components generate high levels of wear metals and can contain contaminants from assembly. By allowing the engine to operate with the petroleum oil until the first oil/filter change interval, the wear metals and contaminants are removed prior to installing AMSOIL.

Interesting info. I might just do that. I know that the improved lubrication from synthetics should improve mileage as well as reduce wear. I have also used Amsoil Performance Improver (PI) in my gas in the past. I stopped using it for no apparent reason. My brother uses it in his Scion XB and can see a reduction in MPG when he does not use it. You only use 1oz per tankful and it cost about $8.00 for 16oz. ($.50 per tank for 16 tankfuls) I'm going to try it again. My MPGs are running around anywhere from 28MPG to 36MPG at most. I know the stuff cleans and lubricates everything touched by gas such as your valves and valve seals, etc. I will post my results later.

[tomjasz]

Toyota filters are some of the worst...


Please provide any reference you might have?:iono:

[dandj]

I haven't heard this of toyota but of other brands of cars that have a terrible (own brand ) filter and these cars are known oil burners. I also like wix and purolator. Could you give us the numbers of these please as I haven't even looked yet for an 07 Yaris.

[07WYarisRS]

Please provide any reference you might have?:iono:
http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/oil_filter_test.html

[tomjasz]

http://www.mr2.com/TEXT/oil_filter_test.html


Good land man, thats a 11 year old article from Finland! Current Toyota is almost identical to Purolator...

[dandj]

At any rate here are the #'s for purolator PL14476, WIX 51394

[07WYarisRS]

Good land man, thats a 11 year old article from Finland! Current Toyota is almost identical to Purolator...

Almost?

I could show you ten filters and they al almost look alike.

Glad yo hear you have all the inside info and specs

Lets see all the newest details you have.



FWIW Fram was crap back then and guess what, they are just as bad to date. What makes you think Toyota has improved their quality in filter suppliers?

[07WYarisRS]

Nobody said they were bad for the car.

filter is a filter as long as they are all within' specs (bypass PSI, flow rates etc)
Some just have better quality then others.
if Toyota filters were top notch they would not offer a performance filter upgrade.

[Violin]

AMSOIL might be good for 35,000 miles but doesn't the filter still need to be changed more often?

[argylesocks]

(how can vegans avoid foods produced with animal products?)

easy. read the ingrediants. read online to find out which companys dont test on animals.

now if you mean, can a person be 100% vegan? no.
but that doesnt mean i just give up. for me, i do my best to reduce any form of animal cruelty wherever i can - and i can feel good about that :)

[ketel0ne]

The dealer is changing mine over to synthetic today at the 5k mile service. They had no issue with doing so.

[argylesocks]

The dealer is changing mine over to synthetic today at the 5k mile service. They had no issue with doing so.

how often u plan on changing?

[nsmitchell]

I'm think I'm might flip flop back to Mobil-1 and use NAPA Gold Oil filters. They use a synthetic filter media, kinda like Mobil-1 Oil filters.

[07WYarisRS]

AMSOIL might be good for 35,000 miles but doesn't the filter still need to be changed more often?

Depends on the filters

Yes cheaper ones should be changed more often, but the amsoil filters are good for 35,000 miles
I use wix filters (NAPA / UAP) and change mine every 6 months.

[ketel0ne]

how often u plan on changing?

My next scheduled is 15k maint, I am sure that damn little light will come on again :)

[tomjasz]

easy. read the ingrediants. read online to find out which companys dont test on animals.

now if you mean, can a person be 100% vegan? no.
but that doesnt mean i just give up. for me, i do my best to reduce any form of animal cruelty wherever i can - and i can feel good about that :)



I was just curious since the primary fertilizers used in organic foods are bone meal blod meal and chicken feathers. Pretty much makes me nut. The idea with organic was to create healthier foods and then growers turn around and use fertilzers comprised of dead diseased and road kill....go figure...congratulations on your committment...:thumbup:

[tomjasz]

Depends on the filters

Yes cheaper ones should be changed more often, but the amsoil filters are good for 35,000 miles
I use wix filters (NAPA / UAP) and change mine every 6 months.



Amsoil and thier filters are good to 35,000 miles WITH TESTING!!!

[07WYarisRS]

Amsoil and thier filters are good to 35,000 miles WITH TESTING!!!

Service Life
AMSOIL Ea Oil Filters are guaranteed for 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, when used in conjunction with AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil. AMSOIL recommends changing the oil filter at the time of oil change.

If used in conjunction with AMSOIL Motor Oil that is being changed at intervals less than 25,000 miles, the EaO Filter should be changed at the same time. AMSOIL EaO Filters are not guaranteed for 25,000 miles when used with any oil other than AMSOIL Motor Oil and should be changed according to vehicle OEM recommendations.

Amsoil is good FAR beyond 35,000 miles with testing.

I change my Wix/purolator filters every 6 months and that works out to about 12-15,000km
I've cut open my filters and inspected them and they were no way even close to being plugged up at that time.

[ketel0ne]

Instanteous improvement in FE just by switching to Mobil 1 from the factory oil at 5k miles.

[argylesocks]

Instanteous improvement in FE just by switching to Mobil 1 from the factory oil at 5k miles.

really? how much???

[ketel0ne]

The tank overall is going to be fairly average (still over 40) because of traffic issues and rain in the morning translating into 2 hour commutes, but last night we recorded the first 1 way trip over 45mpg for the 60 mile commute. We are starting to believe with some more mods 50mpg is doable even in the automatic.

[argylesocks]

The tank overall is going to be fairly average (still over 40) because of traffic issues and rain in the morning translating into 2 hour commutes, but last night we recorded the first 1 way trip over 45mpg for the 60 mile commute. We are starting to believe with some more mods 50mpg is doable even in the automatic.

wow. thats really cool.
u are running both the M1 oil AND filter??

u think im safe changing every 10k miles with that setup?

[ketel0ne]

Looks to be a toyota filter.

I am thinking 7500 but may see if I can go to 15k mile service. Also had tires rotated and filled to 44psi again.

The dealer sticker only says 5k miles which is crap.

[nsmitchell]

Sounds pretty nice. I onaly have 1700 miles so far. I got only 31MPG on my last fillup. What kind of filter are you using? I want to try Amsoil PI - Performance Improver. My brother swears by it in his XB. He gets about 10% better MPGs when using it. It might put you over the 50MPG mark. It is about $8.00 per 16 oz bottle, but you only use 1 oz per 10 gallons of gas. http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/api.aspx

[07WYarisRS]

Sounds pretty nice. I onaly have 1700 miles so far. I got only 31MPG on my last fillup. What kind of filter are you using? I want to try Amsoil PI - Performance Improver. My brother swears by it in his XB. He gets about 10% better MPGs when using it. It might put you over the 50MPG mark. It is about $8.00 per 16 oz bottle, but you only use 1 oz per 10 gallons of gas. http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/api.aspx

I've used it (Amsoil PI) is a great fuel injector cleaner, no complaints here.
I switch to Amsoil 2000 0w-30 and my hwy mileage is 43-45mpg depending on speed.
Be fore the switch it was 39
Once I switch the ATF over I expect and extra 3~4mpg

[Yaris Dick]

You are correct
Mobil1 Synthetic is a group III mineral based oil just like Castrol Syntec and Motul.

I think you're giving some bad poop on Mobil 1. Unless they've changed within the last few months, Mobil 1 is still a PAO based group IV.

If they have changed, I'd like to see the proof.

[ketel0ne]

Mobil 1 is GF-4

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil1_5W-30.asp

[Yaris Dick]

Mobil 1 is GF-4

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil1_5W-30.asp

GF-4 is a specification. I'm wondering if it's a group IV based synthetic (true synthetic and not mineral oil based).

[nsmitchell]

Mobil-1, when it was a real PAO, took Castrol Syntec to court for claiming that Syntec was a "synthetic" oil. Castrol Syntec won the case, so Mobil-1 said, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Syntec, and now Mobil-1, use a cheaper method for producing their "synthetic" oils. Amsoil and a few others are the only ones making PAO synthetics. Mobil-1 and Syntec are still far better than dino oil though. Amsoil is popular for use in 18 wheelers because when used with a bypass oil filter, the oil can be used for 100,000+ miles without an oil change, whick saves truckers lots of $$$. If you are going to change it every 3000-7500 miles, you can just use Mobil-1 with a nice Napa filter, or blow the wad, and use the Mobil-1 filter which is an excellent filter. Do this, and your engine will last a long, long time, with great MPG.

[07WYarisRS]

Mobil 1 is GF-4

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil1_5W-30.asp

GF-4 is a specifcation and does not mean it's a POA based Synthetic,
Yes Mobil 1 still contains POA based synthetics in it formula but the higher percentage of base is synthetic petrolium oil (hydrocracked or highly refined mineral oil/crude stock)
the newest line of synthetic from Mobil 1 contain more Synthetic stock (POA) and Mobil guaranties performance and protection for up to 15,000 miles.

Read the MSDS sheets.

It's main base os hydrocracked mineral oil with synthetic additives just like syntec, Qstate, havoline synthetic and 99% of the rest of the synthetic out there.

http://www.imperialoil.ca/Canada-English/Files/Products_Lubes/IOCAENPVLMOMobil_1_5W-30.pdf#search=%22Mobil%201%205W-30%20MSDS%20sheet%22

Don't listen to everything in Mobil's billion dollar advertizing.
I still agree it's a great oil and should be used instead of a group I or group II because it has much better cleaning and lubrication abilities then a strait conventional oil.
but there are better lubricants out there and like Amsoil and Redline they contain no mineral oil or mineral byproducts. They are the TRUE 100% synthetic. But they also cost more in most cases.
Then again with Mobil 1 over $7 a bottle it's not such a difference anymore

[ketel0ne]

For an enjoyable call, 1-800-ASK-MOBIL.

Is Mobil 1 a group 3 or group 4?

Answer: Blah Blah Blah, propreitary, blah synthetic, blah, high levels blah, blah blah blah. We are not going to tell you.

[Yaris Dick]

For an enjoyable call, 1-800-ASK-MOBIL.

Is Mobil 1 a group 3 or group 4?

Answer: Blah Blah Blah, propreitary, blah synthetic, blah, high levels blah, blah blah blah. We are not going to tell you.

Yeah, that's pretty much the same thing I got from their email response to my question... here's the text:

Thank you for your inquiry,

Mobil1 is still 100% synthetic just like it has always been!! Mobil1
motor oils are only formulated utilizing high performance synthetic
baseoils along with the most shear stable additives on the market and it
is tailored specifically for each viscosity that we engineer.

You can have 100% synthetic baseoils with a mediocre additive
package vs. an motor oil that utilizes a good group3 baseoil with a
chemically balanced and shear stable additive package. The number 2
motor oil will definitely out perform oil number 1.

Long story short, as a consumer you should not worry too much about
what basestock the product may utilize, but howwell the motor oil
actually performs and protects your engine in the real world during use.

This is where Mobil1 motor oils excels when compared to the
competition!!

--
Thank you for choosing ExxonMobil products.
If you need further assistance, please contact ExxonMobil at 1-800-ASK-MOBIL


Translation: "Yepper buddy, Mobil 1 uses group 3 stock... but LOOK at our additives!... dems some damn good additives ain't they?"

Looks like 07Yaris is right!

[nsmitchell]

This was taken from this website: http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/
CASTROL AND MOBIL GO TO COURT TO BATTLE IT OUT:

Recently, Mobil accused Castrol of reformulating its synthetic by substituting other basestocks in place of its synthetic polyaphaolefins (PAO's). Castrol Syntec is a hydrocracked oil. That's right, Castrol has replaced the PAO synthetic base stock with hydroisomerized petroleum base stock. Hydrocracking, as it's called, is the highest level of petroleum refining. Castrol isn't even a Group 4 synthetic yet Castrol ended up winning the battle when the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus ruled that Castrol could still market its oil as "synthetic" despite their new formulation. Basically, they expanded the definition of synthetics to include Group 3 hydroprocessed petroleum oil. This high profile case took place because synthetics are recognized as the market's best hope for growth. Synthetic oil sales have outpaced petroleum oil sales by a wide margin and the gap continues to widen every year. Consumers are getting smarter and demand the best for their vehicles. Read the full story on the Castrol issue in our informative articles section. Additionally, just as soon as Castrol won this battle, several other major oil companies jumped in and came up with hydroprocessed motor oils of their own and labeled these products to be "100% synthetic", when they still are Group 3 hydro processed petroleum oils.

Incidentally, the Castrol Syntec 5W-50 allows for a 2.284 mm wear scar (ASTM D4172 4-Ball Wear Test), compared to the AMSOIL Series 2000 20W-50 Racing Oil which allows for a 0.454 mm wear scar. That's 5 times greater wear with Castrol!

This site goes on to show that Amsoil is better than all the non-PAO oils. I might stick with Amsoil after all... I have a dealer close to me thank God! He keeps a complete Amsoil shop in his garage! Very nice!

[07WYarisRS]

And it's that great protection that allows the engine to run much cooler and increases you MPG as well.

I do not sell amsoil, but I do use it in my shop. I pay for it from Royal distributing, crappy tires and private amsoil dealers just like everyone else. So I gain nothing by preachin' about it. I do so only because I like to help people and want people to get the most out of their machines, be it a car. bike, outboard you name it. A happy customer is a return customer.

I'm a motorcycle/ATV mechanic, worked for Yamaha, Arctic cat, Stihl etc.
I've built and rebuilt engines from Cars to sleds, outbards to 500cc Hotsaws and everything in between and I've never found an oil that works as well as Amsoil. I've used , tested 9including lab testing) and seen the real results first hand of just about every oil out there and I'm most impressed with this one.
I have a huge cabinet of used parts, cams, valave buckets, valves and pistons etc and i use these to show people and compare them to new parts. Then they can clearly see the difference between a regular oil, mineral based oil and a true group IV-V lubricant.
.

Redline is also an awesome oil but lack the versitility and selections available.

Royal Purple is another fine oil but they have proven to have quality control issues

Here is just a small example
This is a Honda XR piston (RIGHT) I replaced last year from a 1995 XR motorcycle. The piston on the left is a new wiseco high comp piston.
This engine had 10 years of hard riding and ran Amsoil 20W-50 from new
This piston has less then 2% carbon, no build up in the lands or oil ports, ZERO wear, no burnt oil, no scuffing sings on visable wear ANYWHERE. This piston was replaced ONLY because a higher compression unit was being installed along with a race cam.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/hardlydangerous/Pistons/Amsoilworks2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/hardlydangerous/Pistons/AmsoilXR.jpg

In this pick the same piston is on the right to show any carbon build up on the top. The piston on the left is a two stroke piston from Kawasaki KX

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/hardlydangerous/Pistons/Amsoilclean.jpg


In this pic the bottom piston had been cleaned to look for any indexing or sizeing markings but you can see it had a much heavier carbon build up. This bike Yamaha Seca ran for only 20,000km on Castrol GTX. This engine was rebuild due to a camshaft/ camshaft bearing failure. The other two pistons in the pics are Yamaha snowmobile pistons. One ran CAstrol 927 (middle one) and the one at the top ran Klotz.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/hardlydangerous/Pistons/24.jpg

The under side of the seca piston.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/hardlydangerous/Pistons/CastrolGTX.jpg

Not to bad you say ! well think about this. That black build up you see is also built up in the ring lands, and in the oil ports. This does a couple things. The deposits in the ring lands and behind the rings forces the rings out or causes then to become sticky and this greatly increases the amount of cylinder and ring wear. The biuld up in the oil ports block oil flow by up to 50%. Less oil to the cyclinder increase wear and engine temps.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/hardlydangerous/Pistons/casterII.jpg

Not to mention these black deposits you see on the underside of the pistons is whats floating around in your oil and turns you oil black quickly. With any mineral based product you will have these deposits.

Using a true synthetic it will vertually eliminate these deposits and build up and switching to synthetic will help to clean away these depostis to help prolong the engine life.

[nsmitchell]

I think dino oil should be outlawed. I looked at my friend's girlfriend's Saturn once. She had been using Jiffy Lube religiously every 3000 miles. I stuck my finger in the oil fill hole and scraped the underside of the valve cover. I got a finger full of some crusty, black, waxy buildup. It was disgusting. Now multiply that by all the uninformed people driving cars, relying on Jiffy Lube and others like it. "Ignorance is Bliss" i suppose.

[Violin]

Then again with Mobil 1 over $7 a bottle it's not such a difference anymore


Yikes!

I buy a 5-quart bottle for $20. I got several for $17 on sale.

[static808]

greetings everyone!

quick question about amsoil: which type are most people using?? i'm torn between the ASL 5w-30 and the series 2000 0w-30. i'm not sure if im the kind of person that can change their oil just once a year (for peace of mind purposes), so i'm leaning more torwards the ASL 5w-30 with amsoil ea filter and changing my oil twice a year. will i see much of a difference if i plunk down the cash and get the series 2000, or will this setup provide superior engine protection already?? once again, thank you for any assistance you can AND have already provided.

--B

[pxpaulx]

Yikes!

I buy a 5-quart bottle for $20. I got several for $17 on sale.

yeah, 5 quarts at wally world for $20 is the best price around here.

[Yaris Dick]

greetings everyone!

quick question about amsoil: which type are most people using?? i'm torn between the ASL 5w-30 and the series 2000 0w-30. i'm not sure if im the kind of person that can change their oil just once a year (for peace of mind purposes), so i'm leaning more torwards the ASL 5w-30 with amsoil ea filter and changing my oil twice a year. will i see much of a difference if i plunk down the cash and get the series 2000, or will this setup provide superior engine protection already?? once again, thank you for any assistance you can AND have already provided.

--B The ASL 5W has a 4 ball wear scar rating that is better than the 2000 0W... and it's A LOT cheaper. I use the ASL.

[static808]

thank you YD. i'll be looking for a dealer around my area very soon. just placed an order for our yaris liftback, and just purchased a sienna, so we have a few months to do some research. thanks again everyone for the invaluable information. hopefully our new cars will be running smoothly for many years to come...

--B

[07WYarisRS]

I use Amsoil 2000 0w-30
It may not perform the VEY best in every single test but over all its apperently a better lubricant.

[daq421]

I just wanted to say thank you to all the posters in this thread. This is a most informative and useful thread .. Based on what I've read here I'm going switch to synthetic at my 5k change.

-Peter

[dandj]

Ok now I plan on switching over to amsoil but will need to know how to reset the change oil light. Anyone? My saturn vue is as simple as turning the key switch to the on position and flooring the gas pedal for 5 seconds. (engine not running of course)

[foober]

thanks for all the input on oils. I've been using mobil 1 for 10 years but will now switch to amsoil oils. I just want the best for my babys.:smile:

[Billstein]

[QUOTE=nsmitchell]Anyone plan to go Synthetic on their first oil change.

Yes. Mobil 1
Car feels and runs smoother. :thumbsup:

[ketel0ne]

Which Amsoil filter do I use, specifically the one for the yaris?

[nsmitchell]

Which Amsoil filter do I use, specifically the one for the yaris?

I was just on the Amsoil site... You can use the Scion Xb or Xa oil filter which is EaO09/51394.

[nsmitchell]

After switching to Amsoil Series 2000 0W-30 with an Amsoil Ea Oil filter a few months ago on my 2002 Odyssey with 60K miles I noticed my oil is looking dirtier than with Mobil-1. I had been using Mobil-1 0W-20 and Mobil-1 filters in the past. I did not use the Amsoil motor flush before switching from Mobil-1 to Amsoil. I wonder if the Amsoil is cleaning/suspending the small particles that the Mobil-1 wasn't catching. With my next Amsoil oil change, I will be using the Amsoil Motor Flush. Any comments or ideas would be helpful, because I'm baffled!

[foober]

I was just on the Amsoil site... You can use the Scion Xb or Xa oil filter which is EaO09/51394.

I just talked with toyota and they said get an oil filter thats compatible to an 05 echo. Then I phoned amsoil and they said if you want an amsoil oil filter that oil filter number is #EaO09. That the EaO09/51394 is an oil filter made by Wix. To get a true Amsoil oil filter the number is just EaO09.

[nsmitchell]

Amsoil or Royal Purple? Any thoughts or knowledge we should know about?

[Racer X-8]

Ok, Amsoil is supposed to be right up there and maybe it is the best, i dunno. But, here's a linky to the oil blog going on at the Mazda RX-8 club forum. I'll bet pretty much every car forum has something like this going on for that matter. Bon apetite...
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=69805&page=1&pp=15
Oh yeah, one thing about this being the RX-8 forum - Mazda doesn't want the RX-8 to use synthetic oil. The reason is that a minute amount of engine oil is injected directly into the rotary chambers for lubrication of parts in there that have no other way of getting lubricated. It's a rotary thing. So, they're worried about the different kinds of residues left behind in there .vs. the known residues of conventional dino oil. It's basically taken as a CYA maneuver that Mazda is doing, since Mazda can't / won't thoroughly test every synthetic that is out there. Now that you know about that little issue, dive in!

[nsmitchell]

Since rotary engines use some oil while operating by design, and since synthetics dont burn up as easily (vaporize) as conventional oils do, they might start to build up over time in the rotary engine.

BTW - I was getting a laugh from a BobTheOilGuy.com member complaining about their oil getting black after switching from dino to synthetic. :biggrin: No one there mentioned that the synthetic was suspending all the crap that dino didn't clean in the oil, and that all he needed to do was use an engine flush before going to synthetic. Amsoil makes a flush just for that purpose, as do plenty of other companies. I think most of the engine flushes are just kerosene in a quart can.

[07WYarisRS]

Don't worry about the color of the oil.
Most color is caused by particles in the oil too fine for the regular style filters to trap. If you were to use an Amsoil by pass filter and the 2 micron oil filter set up you oil would still look good even after 100,000 miles.
Synthetic will tend to get dirty faster on enegine that were run on dino oils as they clean away deposits that have built up over time and prevent new deposit build ups.
That's why the sooner you can switch the better.

As for the royal purple VS amsoil question
Both are decent oils, However I have personally seen the lab results from a couple of royal purple tests and they showed serious issues with their quality control. In one case the oil grade on the bottle was higher then the actual oil in the bottle. I've also seen high levels of copper and water.
Amsoil and Redline IMO are two of the best lubricants out there.

Asfor the roatary engines, That does hold some truth
But I would not worry about running Amsoil in An RX7 or -8.
Poorly refined caster oils (bean oils) do form heavy gummy deposits when exposed to flame and severe heat and this will build up over time.
Amsoil or redline oils do not form any such depostis.
I have seen some of my engines with hundreds of hours on them and ZERO carbon, ZERO build up anywhere on the combustion chambers or pistons.

[w1ngzer0]

Not sure this will help, but one of our admin's is a chemist. He analysed a lot of the oils. there is the link to the thread. Talks about reducing lifter noise and other things.

http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/6610

[Yaris Dick]

Not sure this will help, but one of our admin's is a chemist. He analysed a lot of the oils. there is the link to the thread. Talks about reducing lifter noise and other things.

http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/6610

02 data. 06 updated debate with no facts. Won't help.

[w1ngzer0]

02 data. 06 updated debate with no facts. Won't help.

meh, oh well.

[dandj]

I did the change to amsoil 5-30 this weekend. My auterra showed about a 8% increase in gas mileage but will have to fill up a couple of times before I'll know for sure. (getting just under 39 mpg now)

[Violin]

I got 187,000 miles on my 1987 turbo RX-7 using Mobil One.

[ItsMyDaily]

I did the change to amsoil 5-30 this weekend. My auterra showed about a 8% increase in gas mileage but will have to fill up a couple of times before I'll know for sure. (getting just under 39 mpg now)

auterra?

[foober]

I got 187,000 miles on my 1987 turbo RX-7 using Mobil One.

I've got 170,00 already on my 93 nissan truck. And its still running perfect. And I only used mobil 1 in it.

I switched to amsoil with my yaris. Even got the amsoil oil filter. And guess what. I am getting better gas milage. Its got to be about 5 more miles a gallon so far. I was pretty suprised.

[Racer X-8]

I got 187,000 miles on my 1987 turbo RX-7 using Mobil One. Wow, I know you're doing real good if you get 100k miles on a twin turbo FD, isn't it about the same for yours?

[nsmitchell]

I used Mobil-1 for years on my Odyssey and my old 1993 Del Sol Si. Both engines are/were in perfect running condition. My Del sol had 60K miles when I sold it about 2 years ago and it ran just as smooth as can be, and I beat that thing like a redheaded stepchild everywhere I went. My Odyssey now has Amsoil Series 2000 0W-30. I switched it over from Mobil-1 0W-20 about 5 months ago, and it still runs perfectly and has 60K miles on it.
BTW- The Odyssey's tranny blew up at about 30K miles. Honda replaced it and it is running like a new car. That thing is fast too. Beats many a "sports car" easily. Beats the crap out of Ford trucks with V8s. hehe

[gonzo452001]

I use mobil 1 extended service in my 04 tacoma change it everly 5000miles used to use regular mobil 1 and change it everly 3000 miles i drive 70 miles a day so i change it pretty offen haven't got my yaris yet it looks pretty easy to change a lot easyer than my v6 taco and it holds almost 6qts i think the yaris holds almost 4qts so i will save oil and gas

[Racer X-8]

It really IS easy to change the oil, I did it once so far. I use one of those big round black plastic oil collection pans with a side spout to pour it out at the recycling tank. A lot of words there, I hope you can figure out what I'm talking about. So anyway, I had to jack it up some to get that thing under there. If I'd have used a flatter pan, I might could have done it without jacking it up at all. The nasty part was all the oil that came out once the seal was broken at the filter. Man, it gushed badly. Luckily, that big ole thingie I described earlier was big enuf to still be catching the drip-drip-dripping at the drain plug hole AND be slid over far enuf to catch that massive discharge of oil in the filter removal zone. hehe nasty, but I caught every friggin drip and it was easy to wipe-off everything spotless spic'n'span with a paper towel.

What does this have to do with synthetic oil? Shucks, dunno. ummmm......

[Black Yaris]

good thing I work at a shop, only cost me 10 bux to change my oil..... well I have one of my guys do it... they pay me too much to get dirty... but I do plan on switching to synthetic oil, probibly moblile one, because that is what we stock at work, and I will still change my oil every 5,000 miles.... why do you say? because synthetic is better for your engine, plain and simple

[static808]

thanks for all of the great information everyone. because of this thread, im getting some amsoil next week to put in our 1 month old sienna (cracked 1k just this week). however, i was wondering how exactly does the amsoil engine flush work?? i read the how-to on the amsoil website, and it looks like you have to use two new oil filters in order to complete the process. if anyone has a "dummy's" guide on how to perform this operation, i'd greatly appreciate it!

--B

[Black Yaris]

You are basicly doing 2 oil changes back to back

[nsmitchell]

thanks for all of the great information everyone. because of this thread, im getting some amsoil next week to put in our 1 month old sienna (cracked 1k just this week). however, i was wondering how exactly does the amsoil engine flush work?? i read the how-to on the amsoil website, and it looks like you have to use two new oil filters in order to complete the process. if anyone has a "dummy's" guide on how to perform this operation, i'd greatly appreciate it!

--B
That is strange... I guess Amsoil wants maximum flow from your fresh oil filter to trap the avalanche of dirt that will be headed its way, since a dirty filter would be already saturated with filth. :biggrin: Then you drain and put on a good oil filter, like theirs, and filler up with luscious synthetic oil! :thumbsup:
I will be doing an Amsoil flush to my Odyssey on my next oil change. I changed from Mobil-1 to Amsoil about 6 months ago and the oil is already pretty dark. I think Amsoil is suspending alot more dirt that Mobil-1 wasn't picking up. I must say my 02 Odyssey with 60K drives like a new car still. I mean just as smooth as silk... you barely know it's running. And it's fast. Just spanked a Jeep 4.0L HO last night and we had my family and about 100lbs of pumpkins in the back. Didn't get over 50 MPH though for those of you concerned about drag racing with my family in the car. :thumbup: That kid was pissed because he had his 2 friends in his Jeep! What a blast!

[dandj]

I have been slightly dissapointed as I LOST SOME GAS MILEAGE WITH AMSOIL. It could be slightly colder weather but I doubt it. I dropped from 39 mpg to 38 to 36 mpg and the harmonic vibration seems worse. I do believe in synthetics but I was hoping for a slight improvment.

[07WYarisRS]

I have been slightly dissapointed as I LOST SOME GAS MILEAGE WITH AMSOIL. It could be slightly colder weather but I doubt it. I dropped from 39 mpg to 38 to 36 mpg and the harmonic vibration seems worse. I do believe in synthetics but I was hoping for a slight improvment.

Colder weather will make the mileage a lot worse.

[Racer X-8]

Colder weather will make the mileage a lot worse.Well, maybe up where you guys are. Down here in SC - no. I just now did some averaging to try to quantify this.

I own an Infiniti G20T. I've been keeping meticulous mpg logging ever since we bought it 6-28-00. So far, that's 283 fill-ups. My excel file calculates mpg for every fill-up. I just now averaged those mpg's for the winter period - the beginning of December thru the end of March. Then, I averaged those 6 averages. That averaged average for winter periods (december - march) was 0.1 mpg different from the overall average.

I guess, at least down here, it balances-out. The bad efficiency during warm-up is offset by the improved efficiency (when the engine has warmed-up) that you get with the cold, more dense air.

[Teruyume]

As for the ATF, I think Toyota is using synthetic ATF already because there is no scheduled service interval for the ATF flush and fill.

the new yaris AT is using special toyota ATF, u must use the toyota ATF for it, or it break down and no warranty.

u will be able to do a ATF drain n fill at a Toyota dealership but it won't be recommanded.

[nsmitchell]

the new yaris AT is using special toyota ATF, u must use the toyota ATF for it, or it break down and no warranty.

u will be able to do a ATF drain n fill at a Toyota dealership but it won't be recommanded.

Yep, thats what I'm saying. The Automatics don't ever need ATF flush and fill... at least not a scheduled one, ever.

[pxpaulx]

just put mobil one in on tuesday this week. tank had about 100 miles on it and first bar dropped at about the average time. 2nd and 3rd dropped up a few miles early after the oil change, but now i'm still sitting at 4 bars on the gas guage w/248 miles on the tank...i think thats the best ever! we'll just have to wait and see for a few tanks to see if the synthetic helps out in the mileage dept. - i think the engine is just about broken in now too at 4400 miles. i'm excited!