Switch to 5w20

[talnlnky]

the first 13,000 miles on my car I ran regular 5w30 oil from the dealership, the next 8 changes I ran synthetic (usually Mobil 1 5w30). I didn't really see an increase in fuel efficiency when I made the jump to synthetic... if there was an improvement... it was within 1mpg.

For kicks, I decided to put in Mobil 1 5w20, and see if there will be a measurable difference in fuel efficiency. Between friday & monday this weekend, i'll be driving over 1000 miles, 95% highway from 55-75mph. Looks like temps will vary between 35F to 50F.

I think the biggest chance of a noticeable increase in efficiency won't be on highway driving, but actually on short trips in which the engine has to warm up from a cold state.... such as my 9.3mile commute to work in the morning.

Who knows... we'll try this very unscientific venture and see what happens.

[Loren]

I wouldn't expect much of a difference.

You'd save more money by simply changing the oil less often.

Mine has had 4 oil changes. 5,000 miles at the dealer before I bought it, once by me shortly thereafter when I switched to synthetic. Once at 15k, and just a couple weeks ago at 30k.

If you're running Mobil 1, there's no reason in the world to NOT run it for 12-15k miles or more.

[talnlnky]

I wouldn't expect much of a difference.

You'd save more money by simply changing the oil less often.

Mine has had 4 oil changes. 5,000 miles at the dealer before I bought it, once by me shortly thereafter when I switched to synthetic. Once at 15k, and just a couple weeks ago at 30k.

If you're running Mobil 1, there's no reason in the world to NOT run it for 12-15k miles or more.

unfortunately there is reason for me to change every 5k.... I made the mistake of buying the warranty coverage up to 80,000 miles... As soon as I get up to 80,000, i'll be running royal purple and only changing the oil every 15k, and oil filter every 5k.

like I said, i'm not expecting much, if anything from the change to w20, but thought i'd try it out just to make sure.

i'm at 41k miles, and just did my 9th oil change.

[DerFlosser]

I wouldn't expect much of a difference.

You'd save more money by simply changing the oil less often.

Mine has had 4 oil changes. 5,000 miles at the dealer before I bought it, once by me shortly thereafter when I switched to synthetic. Once at 15k, and just a couple weeks ago at 30k.

If you're running Mobil 1, there's no reason in the world to NOT run it for 12-15k miles or more.

God,
Please don't wait that long to change your oil. At the least, the oil should be changed every 6 months for contamination.

[Bluevitz-rs]

Putting a new filter on every 5000 miles is like changing the oil when using synthetic. Also adding a powerful magnet to the oil filter helps even further by trapping any microscopic metallic particles inside the filter.

[Loren]

God,
Please don't wait that long to change your oil. At the least, the oil should be changed every 6 months for contamination.
If that's how you feel, that's fine. My opinion is that if you're going to change the oil every 5,000 miles or every 6 months, you get no benefit from using synthetic oil. If that's what you feel you need to do, buy cheaper dino oil.

/end holy war oil debate

[DerFlosser]

If that's how you feel, that's fine. My opinion is that if you're going to change the oil every 5,000 miles or every 6 months, you get no benefit from using synthetic oil. If that's what you feel you need to do, buy cheaper dino oil.

/end holy war oil debate


Ha...ha. Yeah....it's like the Middle East. :wink:

Of course using synthetic is better for other reasons aside from the mere fact that the oil is serviceable longer and the marginal cost delta should be a no brainer when compared to conventional. One should use synthetic and change it every 6 months or 5K miles, whichever occurs first. :biggrin:

[talnlnky]

Thread reopened...... ok NOW it is closed....:biggrin:

[127.0.0.1]

the first 13,000 miles on my car I ran regular 5w30 oil from the dealership, the next 8 changes I ran synthetic (usually Mobil 1 5w30). I didn't really see an increase in fuel efficiency when I made the jump to synthetic... if there was an improvement... it was within 1mpg.

For kicks, I decided to put in Mobil 1 5w20, and see if there will be a measurable difference in fuel efficiency. Between friday & monday this weekend, i'll be driving over 1000 miles, 95% highway from 55-75mph. Looks like temps will vary between 35F to 50F.

I think the biggest chance of a noticeable increase in efficiency won't be on highway driving, but actually on short trips in which the engine has to warm up from a cold state.... such as my 9.3mile commute to work in the morning.

Who knows... we'll try this very unscientific venture and see what happens.



the 5w is the same, and that is the cold viscosity. I don't think you will
detect a bit of difference, or have any problem whatsoever either.

[1stToyota]

I wouldn't expect much of a difference.

You'd save more money by simply changing the oil less often.

Mine has had 4 oil changes. 5,000 miles at the dealer before I bought it, once by me shortly thereafter when I switched to synthetic. Once at 15k, and just a couple weeks ago at 30k.

If you're running Mobil 1, there's no reason in the world to NOT run it for 12-15k miles or more.

"Guaranteed performance and protection for up to 15,000 miles."

And that's Mobil 1's claim for their Extended Performance oil, not the regular Mobil 1, so I guess I'll just drain my 0w-30 Mobil 1 out at 5,000 and have Blackstone test the additive package when I let them do the UOA; they'll usually recommend a proper OCI based on the additive package test results.

That way I'll know what this oil is doing in this Yaris, instead of just going by how some other oil (Extended Performance, HP & SS Amsoil, etc...) tested in another test vehicle, pretending that somebody elses "UOA" pertains to me.

[why?]

oh come on, you know y'all want another oil fight, right? I know a mechanic who works at a high end dealership. He takes all those fancy cars who use expensive synthetic oils for 5000 miles and the oil is basically brand new, so new in fact he then uses it in his own vehicles.

[Loren]

oh come on, you know y'all want another oil fight, right? I know a mechanic who works at a high end dealership. He takes all those fancy cars who use expensive synthetic oils for 5000 miles and the oil is basically brand new, so new in fact he then uses it in his own vehicles.
I believe it. I used to run synthetic in my Miata for 6-8k miles without worry, occasionally even getting close to 10k. When I took the cam cover off of my Miata at 80,000 miles, it looked brand new inside.

I decided to boldly go to a 15k synthetic oil change interval after my wife bought her MINI Cooper. The Cooper comes from the factory with synthetic oil and the change interval is determined by the computer based on how it is driven. Her FIRST oil change came due at about 10k, and each one since has been right at 15k. This is a factory-specified interval for synthetic oil in a modern 4-cylinder car.

I've also seen plenty of oil analysis reports for similar cars, including the Yaris (the info is out there if you search hard enough), who run good synthetic oil for 12k, 15k, 18k... and sometimes more. I'm comfortable with 15k.

I've decided to just run high-mileage synthetic oil and change it "religiously" every 15k miles.

[jambo101]

Oils are so good these days that running 10k between changes is a piece of cake, plus at 10k its easy to remember when an oil change is due.
But a lot of people are still deriving some placebo effect by wasting money and resources on 3-5k oil change intervals.:iono: probably the same people who think the recommended regular gas is in some way inferior and so use the Top Tier Super Deluxe Supreme Gold High Test Premium gas that guarantees 20 extra hp and better gas mileage:biggrin:

[DerFlosser]

Loren,
I have no question in my mind that Mini wants their oil changed at the longest possible intervals. That's because they want to get you into the dealership for service and bend you over with no lube. I have heard nightmare after nightmare over on NAM forums regarding dealerships absurds costs/pricing along with flat out denial of warranty work. If the Mini is turbocharged....I HIGHLY recommend increasing the OCI.

[1stToyota]

Loren,
I have no question in my mind that Mini wants their oil changed at the longest possible intervals. That's because they want to get you into the dealership for service and bend you over with no lube. I have heard nightmare after nightmare over on NAM forums regarding dealerships absurds costs/pricing along with flat out denial of warranty work. If the Mini is turbocharged....I HIGHLY recommend increasing the OCI.

And with the Yaris being known for its fuel dilution problem, even prompting Amsoil to issue a warning about following Toyota's normal OCI replacement (5k miles) for their 25k mile rated oil filter, I sure wouldn't choose an OCI based on how other vehicles do.

[YarisOwnersDad]

And with the Yaris being known for its fuel dilution problem, even prompting Amsoil to issue a warning about following Toyota's normal OCI replacement (5k miles) for their 25k mile rated oil filter, I sure wouldn't choose an OCI based on how other vehicles do.


What fuel dilution problem? I'm fairly new to the Yaris, and I don't know what you are talking about. The Yaris is known to allow unburnt fuel to get into the crank case and dilute the oil?

For everyone offering suggestions for oil change intervals, please qualify your recommendations by stating the driving conditions that you are assuming.

Driving conditions would be a MAJOR factor in determining the optimum OCI, other things being equal. A car always driven on the highway is not going to need to have the oil changed as often as would be the case for a car that sees a lot of cold starts, short trips, and idling in traffic.

Tom

[1stToyota]

That's about the first time I've mentioned the fuel dilution problem here, I've read what other YW members (iirc, R2D2, Lazerdot... ) have stated over the last several months; use the search function. Concerning the problem, you'll discover Amsoil's statements about our engine and their Ea oil filter, etc... Thanks.

And, yes, like I stated before, I'm doing an UOA for my oil, driving conditions and my Yaris, instead of basing OCIs on results of how a different vehicle(s) using different oils, with different driving conditions did with their UOA.

[Hershey]

a few days after doing an oil change I decided to look under the car to make sure there were no leaks and discovered that outside of the oil pan was drenched with beads of water :eek: . This was from driving the car the evening before and the hot oil / metal meeting the very cold temps overnight . So I'd think there'd be moisture collecting inside the pan . This could lead to fuel dilution too . Thus , I'm sticking to the 5,000 mile oil change . Even though I use a synthetic . Got to think about warranty as well . Last , we a have a very steep hill of 2 miles to climb not long after leaving our home . Everyone has their reasons for using a synthetic . Plus I get synthetic for less than $3 a quart when on sale . Live and let live :wink: .

[talnlnky]

the 5w is the same, and that is the cold viscosity. I don't think you will
detect a bit of difference, or have any problem whatsoever either.

oh... i thought it was counter-intuitive ... and the other way around. I'll have to research that again.

[127.0.0.1]

oh... i thought it was counter-intuitive ... and the other way around. I'll have to research that again.

well,

cold engine, you will see no different.

when hot, hot 20w will be thinner than 30w, and that may affect
mileage somewhat. But I doubt you'll be able to see a difference
on this little car.

[DerFlosser]

a few days after doing an oil change I decided to look under the car to make sure there were no leaks and discovered that outside of the oil pan was drenched with beads of water :eek: . This was from driving the car the evening before and the hot oil / metal meeting the very cold temps overnight . So I'd think there'd be moisture collecting inside the pan . This could lead to fuel dilution too . Thus , I'm sticking to the 5,000 mile oil change . Even though I use a synthetic . Got to think about warranty as well . Last , we a have a very steep hill of 2 miles to climb not long after leaving our home . Everyone has their reasons for using a synthetic . Plus I get synthetic for less than $3 a quart when on sale . Live and let live :wink: .


Fuel dilution is talking about gas and/or gas bi-products breaking down your oil. This could be determined if you ever do an IOA by Blackstone labs or some other. Then, depending on the findings you could formulate your own OCI's as needed. Problem being, as the engine ages, it needs to be re-evaluated as does the OCI. Other determining factors include how your driving habits or style may also change.

Oil changes are the cheapest insurance money can buy for your car....I say that sticking to every 6 months and/or 3-5K miles and you sould be good.

[Hershey]

am aware of fuel dilution . Long idling on cold mornings won't help that any . Thanks tho . Know of people that leave their cars idling for 1/2 an hour or more . That's nuts . Seen TOYO dealer(s) that do the same when getting car(s) ready for test drives or when removing snow from lot . Wouldn't think that be a good thing for a new motor :iono: .

[YarisOwnersDad]

Even at the same rated viscosity, synthetic oil has better cold flow characteristics when compared with conventional oil.

My very first experience with synthetic oil was on my 1994 Z28 Camaro. It had some lifter noise on cold starts, but when I switched to Mobil 1, the noise was MUCH less, and it stopped much sooner than when I was using conventional oil.

I also went from 20 MPG to 21 MPG, and that is based on LOTS of data. I was in the habit of checking mileage on every fill up and recording the results.

No, I have not switched my Yaris to Mobil 1 and probably won't. I don't want to spend the extra money.

Tom

[why?]

Loren's car can be a great test bed. If he can go 15k with all his autocrossing, I think we can all safely do so.

What type of oil are you using, Loren?

[Loren]

I was running either 0w20 or 5w20 Mobil 1 for the last 15k. I just changed it with 5w30 Mobil 1 Extended Mileage because it seemed like a good idea to go with the extended mileage mix, and WalMart didn't have it in anything lighter.

The oil that I drained out at 15k was very clean. Sort of an light orangish brown, still very translucent, not the icky black mess you'd expect if you ran dino oil for 15k.

[bankrobber]

When I switched to synthetic Mobil 1 I didn't notice any gain in MPG but, I did notice engine was even quitier. I can hardly hear it on an idle

[talnlnky]

well... car did well... hard to tell if the milage was any better... i forgot I'm rolling on new tires... and my milage seemed to have dropped slightly since I got the new tires (same size).

i've decided to say fuck it to the warranty and do changes every 9k, with filter changes every 4.5k.

[bzinn 1]

I use the Mobil 1 Synthitic in my cars and in normal driving,stop and go and highway driving the oil stays clean like new in color even at 6000 miles,my tC usually gets done every 6-7000 miles and the oil is always very clean,not burnt........

the yaris I change it every 5000-6000 as the oil seems to discolor sooner maybe smaller motor,heat,not sure why but I like to change them out once they get to looking like used oil.....

3-5000 miles on synthetic is a waste of money,high end oils like Royal purple can easily go 15000miles and still look and smell new.....but man it is spendy.

[docB]

Synthetic oil is the real deal. I worked on a circle track pit crew for a while. Some fellows running in a higher performance class ran Mobil 1 all the time, except break in. One race they were out front and lost oil pressure while leading with but a mile or so to go to the checkers. They ran a dry sumped small block chevy to 7500-8000 rpm.
After the win, they tore down the engine and everything look normal. The HP gains and protection are real.

My wife's vehicle has a GM 3400 V-6. It has a ECU drive maintence feature like the Yaris. I change the synthetic oil at its recommendation. I'm willing to bet it goes further than the standard oil. Nearly a year and 10k miles usually. It that light is OK for the general for warranty purposes, this will work.

I had a family member working on BMW and Mini. They have pretty long OCI because of the synthetic oil. All gasoline engines contaminat their own oil. Avoid short trips. Or else switch to CNG or LPG. They can go way longer between oil changes.
doc

I had my maintence light come on before 5k with the factory oil. I put a synth 5W-20 in. I can't wait to see when the car says to change it again.

[1stToyota]

Synthetic oil is the real deal. I worked on a circle track pit crew for a while. Some fellows running in a higher performance class ran Mobil 1 all the time, except break in. One race they were out front and lost oil pressure while leading with but a mile or so to go to the checkers. They ran a dry sumped small block chevy to 7500-8000 rpm.
After the win, they tore down the engine and everything look normal. The HP gains and protection are real.

My wife's vehicle has a GM 3400 V-6. It has a ECU drive maintence feature like the Yaris. I change the synthetic oil at its recommendation. I'm willing to bet it goes further than the standard oil. Nearly a year and 10k miles usually. It that light is OK for the general for warranty purposes, this will work.

I had a family member working on BMW and Mini. They have pretty long OCI because of the synthetic oil. All gasoline engines contaminat their own oil. Avoid short trips. Or else switch to CNG or LPG. They can go way longer between oil changes.
doc

I had my maintence light come on before 5k with the factory oil. I put a synth 5W-20 in. I can't wait to see when the car says to change it again.

Pretty sure it'll come on [flash] in 4,500 miles, then stay on at 5k...it's not smart enough to adjust to driving habits, it just comes on at a preset interval.

[silver_vios]

The oil that I drained out at 15k was very clean. Sort of an light orangish brown, still very translucent, not the icky black mess you'd expect if you ran dino oil for 15k.

I've changed out both mobil 1 and PP at 5-6k that is as black as sin.

Driving habits, weather, road conditions are all way too different for anyone to give any absolute oil change rule. Lots of jackrabbit driving in hilly areas will dirty up your oil much faster than a hypermiler in florida.