The last time I took my 95 SC300 in for an oil change, the dealership charged me $78 for it becuase they used full synthetic oil. I only have just under 100K on the engine and dont really feel like spending that much every 3-4K for an oil change.

I'm just wondering if there'll be any damage or downside to switching back to conventional motor oil or maybe even a synthetic blend?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

I would stick with full synthetic. You might want to change it yourself, it only costs about $30.00 and it's not that hard to do. I leave my synthetic in for 5K and that's being pretty conservative, I wouldn't change it every 3or4K.

 

Stay Synthetic

Here's some advice, stop going to the dealer. If you need an oil change, you can learn to do it yourself OR at the very least take it to a lube shop where you can get an oil change with full synthetic for $40-50, some places less. Most lube shops will do it right, changing oil is not difficult.

 

Well if you DO take it to a quick lube shop, do not take it to a mobile one 'express lube'... I worked at one for about 3 days, and you would not believe what goes on in these places. Not only do they intentionally short you on your oil by as much as a whole quart(and lie by holding your dipstick upside down so the oil moves up on the stick), but they have even damaged cars by leaving the hooks on the bottom of the car and trying to drive them out of the garage with them still attached, and not told owners about it. I was taught by them to work this way, and that is why I quit (could not take the guilt). I was also told by co-workers that had worked at other lube shops that most are even worse than mobile one. I could almost write a book (or at least a long article) on my experiences of the 2.5 days i was an employee (I am not kidding either)

 

DIY oil change for the win!!

I just bought a box (6 qt) of Pennzoil synthetic oil with oil filter for $6.50..yes..$6.50. This was after a bunch of rebates. lol.

Oil change only takes 30 minutes or so. Please dont say you dont have 30 minutes to spare on the weekend.

 

I actually enjoy changing my oil!

 

I go 5k between changes with only full synthetic, sometimes do it myself but it is a pain on the RX. If you take your own synth. to the dealer as I have to do at least tell them you want a credit for the oil they'd normally use.

 

Contrarian point of view here, but the forum is a good place for exchange of ideas. I would not be so gung hoo to jump on the syn band wagon. I believe that you'd be hard pressed to find that the expense of syn to be worth a measurable difference at this point in the engine's life. It's ~11 to 12 years old now, the beni's of full syn would have been more evident if used from its earliest years to present. Also, case in point, it is in the great condition 11+ years later running non-syn.

Regular oil changes at 3k intervals of high quality, brand name (non-syn) oil and purchasing a high quality filter (TRD, Mobil One, K&N ) would make as much a useful contribution to the life of the engine. Also, I think that there are huge differences in oil filters that people never consider. Putting a poor quality filter on your car is probably a much bigger deal.

The 2jz is such strong and well built engine it is hardly pressed in a stock capacity running 225 hp. As many of you know, the stock internals of this engine easily handle tubo applications pushing 600-800 hp. It's on a vacation in the oem form of the SC300 handling the duties asked of it.

Worth a read: http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml and http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oil...y.html#pl30001

IMHO, don't waste your money on syn, your engine doesn't need it now, spend a little more on quality filters. (I'm going into my bunker and putting my helmet on, lol !!)

 

if you want to go synthetic blend, blend the oil yourself so you'll get 50/50 mix. most synthetic blend oil on the shelf only contains 25% or less synthetic oil.

 

Stick with synthetics

 

Say in the case of an emergency, on the road and your idiot light comes on....the only oil available is conventional but you always run synthetic. Would it be a BAD BAD idea to add a quart of conventional to avoid driving on the idiot light until you can buy more synthetic and do a full oil change?

 

OK Scoupe how deep is that bunker and where is it! From your post you cite 3k intervals - ok, fwiw I feel much more confident going with the warranty interval, right, and I believe cost is a nonissue especially comparing 3-5k changes at 5k with full synthetic - oil just gets a nice rich reddish-brown colour then. I can get 5qt Mobil1 for 20.50 or so U.S.D. On a $30-40k car why not use the best oil, allegedly synthetic?

 

NYL, i would do it and then change it all out with synthetic, just me, for my baby.

 

without sounding rude, but what do you think the commercially available "synthetic blend" oils are?

to answer your question, NO, it would NOT hurt it a bit.
As a matter or fact, If you had been running 5W-30 and the only oil you could get is 10w-30 (or vise versa) that won't hurt it a bit either.

steviej

 

Thanks I figured it wouldn't be a bad thing to do as a temp fix, but I have read and experienced leaks after seeing people switch completely from fully synthetic back to fully conventional, so I was just making sure