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One end at a time, I start with the front. Using the center point and then put the axle stands in (I use the side scissor jack points for this)... then do the rear (if needed).
Mate I am most certainly NOT an AMSoil distributor!
M1 0w40 is not recommended by Mobil for either my SC430 or RX350. 5w30 is what is recommended. The AMSoil 5w30 is HDD which has a HTHS of 3.5 and a TBN of 12.1. It's closer to a 5W40 in reality. This is the Series 3000 I am referring to.
I have PM'd a guy on BITOG who is an authority on Mobil products re Group III/Group IV and I am awaiting his reply. This guy was involved in the development and certification of M1 products and will post his reply when received.
The M1 5W30's specs do not match the AMSoil HDD series 3000 5w30 which is why I use it. I change oil every six months and don't believe in extended OCI's regardless of what ANY oil manufacturer says.
So if the 5W-30 is what is recommended, why are you using an oil that is in reality closer to a 5W-40? Probably the same reason I am using Mobil 1 0W-40, which is considered a "light 40" in the industry (due to its kinematic viscosity at 40C and 100C). You expect a little higher level of protection when running the engine hard.
Ahhh, but we split hairs!
If you change your oil twice per year and do 10K-12K miles per year or less in mixed driving then we are in agreement. Even many of the newer hydrocracked dino oils if changed at this frequency would probably get by as long as the service wasn't severe.
The M1 0W-40 meets the most stringent European specs and just wouldn't be able to resist the tendency to shear-down if it were a group III, no matter what anyone tells you.
I use ramps when I change my oil. My driveway is slopped so that when I put the front wheels on the ramps, the car is level. The filter is a Toyota 90915-YZZD3 and the gasket for the oil plug is Toyota part number 90430-12031. There is a plastic cover under the engine bay that needs to come off. There are lots of screws holding it on and many screw back into plastic. You will need to be careful and not strip them out. Toyota sells an inexpensive tool that fits over the end of the filter to unscrew it. The torque on the oil plug is 29 foot pounds. A nice feature is you can set your navigation screen to tell you when to change your oil and to complete other maintenance tasks at schedules you set up.
Are you guys sure they didn't stop using the paper gasket in 2006? I've got my 2007 pebble beach on ramps and drained right now, and there's no gasket on the plug or around the hold on the oil pan. I'm guessing the last idiot quick lube place they took it to could have skipped it. OR maybe it was done away with during a certain model year. Does anyone know? It wasn't leaking, as it was... maybe it's not necessary and can be skipped when properly torqued. Otherwise, I can dig out my paper gaskets from my old Supra and see if they fit.
Haha, I always like the oil debate, oil, filters and even which ramps to use!
Here is my two cents...I used many different types and brands over the years and through my own experience, regular oil seemed to work just fine if you change every 3-4k miles.
My test dummy was a 1995 Honda Accord. I purchased almost new, I sold it with 217k miles. It had a valve adjustment service interval listed in the owners manual and every time I checked them they never required an adjustment.
In addition, when I took the car to Honda for the second timing belt change, I had them replace a leaking valve cover gasket. When they were finished, the tech came out and told me that was the cleanest engine he had ever worked on. His comment, you must change your oil on a regular interval.
My mechanic filled my 2002 SC430 oil to a questionable level imo.
Is it safe to just drive with the level shown? 30% over the max
Or should I go back and have it drained a little? I noticed when the motor has been turned on, the level decreases quite a bit. Makes it hard to state my case once having driven to the mechanic.
If this is with the engine cold and sitting around for a while, It's definitely overfilled. Should be at the F line when cold and time allowed to drip down into oil pan.
When recently run, the level should be below F.
Project Farm extensively tested all the oils on the market and the winner was Penzoil Platinum Plus. I see no reason to vary the change interval, 5K or 6mo, unless you drive only a few thousand miles a year, as do I. I change my oil once per year, but I'm very conscientious about always bringing the motor to operating temperature before shutting it down, which keeps crankcase condensation to a minimum.
There are many good tests on YouTube for oil filters as well. The premium filters from Purolator, Wix, Bosch, K&N, and even Fram, do well. Since each manufacturer has several lines from economy to premium, how much one spends is more critical than which brand one chooses. I tend to go with Wix XP, K&N, or OEM. The OEM filters are rarely tested online for some reason.
I prefer a floorjack and jackstands to ramps for the same reasons listed in the posts above. The jack points are shown in the owner's manual and shop manuals. There is a center point on the front, main cross-member, and you use the differential as the jackpoint for the rear.
If you want the job done right...do it yourself! Nobody cares more about your vehicle than you. Shops put their rookies on the lube rack, and these grease monkeys don't know s$#@ from Shinola! You're lucky if they don't over, or, under tighten your drain bolt and/or filter after putting your vehicle on a lift using the wrong jackpoints! And, don't get me started on double-gasketing!
30% over the max
Or should I go back and have it drained a little? I noticed when the motor has been turned on, the level decreases quite a bit. Makes it hard to state my case once having driven to the mechanic.
When you said the the level decreases when the motor has been turned on, you are not checking it with the engine running are you?
The oil expands as it gets hotter. Cold oil could be lower on the dipstick than the F line. Often the car manufacturers say that you should check your oil level when the oil is warm and after the car has set for a few minutes after turning it off. That is when the level should be at the F or full level.
If anyone needs Toyota oil filters at a reasonable price…$5ea.
this is my third set of 10…they last me about four years, but now that we retired, might be five years.
10 quarts? Or a case? (which is (6) 1 quart bottles)...Either way that is a pretty good deal...
Project Farm got around to testing Costco's offering and it scored well! For this price, I'll likely switch from Penzoil Ultra Platinum to Costco's synthetic.
10-19-12, 09:28 AM
