CdeFabio

My dealer uses Castrol Synthetic Blend as their standard oil and I am considering switching to Mobil 1 Synthetic. I have 9000 miles on my GX. What is the advantage, if any, to doing this? The dealer does not give me any information, they just say I am wasting my money by using a full synthetic oil, but they would be happy to use it if I want to. So what do you guys think?

mburnickas

I personally would not use a blend oil. I bet 100 to 1 you are paying for a full synthetic and getting a blend.

I would just find out the the values of the oil you use now and compare with a full synthetic.

Personaly Castrol Synthetic Blend is not even in the same ballpark as M1. Castrol is way low on Ca, Ph, and Zn. I do not know TBn but since their values are low I would have to say there TBN is also low.

Lexusfreak

Mobil 1 5W 30 synthetic all the way!

CdeFabio

Thanks for the info, I will be switching to Mobil 1 at the next oil change! I probably should have done it at 5000 miles, oh well.

PitBull

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CdeFabio
Thanks for the info, I will be switching to Mobil 1 at the next oil change! I probably should have done it at 5000 miles, oh well. [/QUOTE

Change it every 5K miles using Mobil 1 5w30 and the OEM filter and let me know when your ready to trade that baby in so I can buy it. With the 4.7 V-8 unless you live in death valley or Alaska using Castrol GTX 5w30 and the OEM filter every 5K miles will make your engine last several hundred thousand miles (longer than you will own it) the Lexus/Toyota V-8 is very easy on oil based on used oil analysis. If it makes you feel good use the Mobil 1. But your dealer is right.

CdeFabio

Boy, now the plot thickens! With all the information out there it is hard to say which oil is better. Everyone has their own opinion. I agree with you, I had a car for 14 years and changed the oil every 3000 miles with Pennzoil and it never burned a drop of oil and the engine ran perfect when I sold it, now it did only have 80,000 miles on it so it had an easy life. I already bought the Mobil 1 so I will try it. I like to stick with only one brand of oil and not switch around so I will probably stick with it for the life of the car, I'm sure it can't hurt using Mobile 1.

PitBull

You can't go wrong with sticking with Mobil 1 every 5K miles with a new Toyota filter. You should be able to drive that Lexus for as long as you want with no lube problems. Should also be a good selling point when you want to trade, keep the records so you can show the future buyer. It would make me want a car more if the previous owner cared enough to use Mobil 1.

saber

For decades, countless Toyota / Lexus owners have been getting 500,000 - 692,000 miles of engine life using ordinary conventional oil. http://www.saber.net/~monarch/leowarfield.JPG
No one on this forum or any other forum has been able to provide any scientific data demonstrating synthetic oil extends engine life of a Toyota / Lexus engine above and beyond 500,000 - 692,000 miles. Or data demonstrating any power or fuel economy gain. At Lexus.com, the Lexus engineers also advise AGAINST extending oil changes if using synthetic oil:

Use of Synthetic Engine Oil

Question: Can I use synthetic engine oil in my Lexus vehicle during its break-in period?

Lexus's answer:

Synthetic oil can be used at the first scheduled oil change. Please note that the use of synthetic oil does not extend the recommended oil change intervals. Please refer to the Lexus Owner's Manual Supplement for further information regarding the proper maintenance schedule for your specific vehicle. If synthetic oil is used after that time, it should be the same SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) weight specification and meet or exceed the API (American Petroleum Institute) grade specifications listed in the Owner's Manual. Even if synthetic oil is used, we do not recommend longer oil change intervals. Once synthetic oil is used, it is best not to switch back to petroleum-based oil.

CdeFabio

I did not think of that but you are right, I guess another good point for using Mobil 1! The recommended service interval is 5000 miles and I am very picky on doing all the recommended maintenance items at the times they specify in the manual ( or even sooner on some items). I do not plan on extending the time between changes. I am still finding it hard not to change it every 3000 miles, sometimes old habits are hard to break!

mburnickas

Here we go with the "only use toyota dino oil"!

Lexus stated the above comment posted by saber years ago. Nothing new and there are just covering THEIR behind.

Lexus is not an oil company and all they do is recommend what they think. My manual never says , “I must…..only recommended …...

It never says anything else, period. So lets stop posting pictures of some person, a car, or someones dash board with some writing on the bottom stating this and that. Lets show proof here, let me see the oil tests, inside of the engine pixs, picture of the car that coralates to that specific engine etc.

This is again, the lovely never-ending oil war debate. Do what makes you happy but so far my oil tests are fine for what intervals I am doing and the oil, synthetic, I am using.

To comment on the post,,,,,,,


I love their use of “…it should be the same SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)…Either yes or no here. I spend xxx dollars and they say should. So based on that, I do not have to and be perfectly acceptable.

Then for there last statement, “Once synthetic oil is used, it is best not to switch back to petroleum-based oil.” Little behind the times here Lexus.

To close this has been up from time-and-time again, do a search and see what people have done and used. I would not buy Toyota oil nor would I use it EVEN if they gave it to me. I have better things to do then change my oil every 3 to 5K. Plus there is no proof that it helps, prevents etc. Plus no oil tests from anyone that says it is even better to use Toyota oil or even change sooner.

Off the soap box.

PitBull

Mike B I like your gun are you on the S&W site? What's the barrel length? I just got a 340PD.

mburnickas

It is only a 8 3/4" barrel not the PC Model500. I collect some S&W since I live about 19 minutes from the factory!

You might like on my homepage:http://home.comcast.net/~burnickas_guns/model500.html


Oh, I like YOUR logon. I have to pits myself! Love the dogs. Wish they had better reps but the, "drug dealers" and inner city morons (fill in the blank) makes them out to be bad dogs. It is the people.

saber

No proof? The Toyota & Lexus engineers think that oil changes at least every 5,000 miles are so important that they have gone to the trouble and expense of equipping all the 2004 and 2005 models with a "MAINTENANCE REQUIRED" warning light on the dashboard. This light comes on and stays on when 5,000 miles has elapsed since the prior oil change. I was driving a rented 2004 Camry the other day
and this light came on so I let Hertz know about it.

mburnickas

First off, just because some “engineer” designs it, does not mean it is be right. I see a lot of stupid designs and most are approved for budget reasons, not correct designs. Next is just because Toyota does it, does not show any proof. Third, my manual states every 7,500 miles, not 3 or 5 nor is it PROVEN that I must do it. Again, this is the old war on oils. All I will say on this board and the other Lexus board is POST THE OIL ANALYSIS results, period.

Next on the list is the, as you call it “MAINTENANCE REQUIRED”. That is, well junk. It is just a mini odometer that reads mileage from the last time the thing was reset. It does not correlate anything to the oil. My wife’s old car had the stupid light and it took about 1.5 seconds to reset it, to make it disappear. The light also came out at 5K miles and I was going over 20K on the oil…to bad the oil tested slightly better at 19K then my car at 12,500.

saber

Oil analysis has been around for decades. Synthetic motor oils have been around for decades. The Toyota / Lexus engineers have decades of experience with synthetic oils and oil analysis. But even after all that experience they still warn against extending oil changes - beyond 5,000 miles - even when using synthetic oils.