Hi gang, i've been using synthetic oil for a while now. I don't really have much oil loss between oil changes (5000km), i do hear a bit more of valve chatter, mostly at startup and more as it's getting cold outside. My 2009 rx350 has around 266 000km on the clock. Should i consider using the High-Milage oil at this point?
if you are using it, does it help with valve chatter?
fab

 

I was told that the high mileage oils have additives that are supposed to help “swell” seals if there are any leaks. If you don’t have any leaks it’s unnecessary. The claim to swell seals is highly suspect in my opinion. Others may disagree.

 

It helps if your valve covers or other seals are leaking. It won't stop a big leak, but it'll stop a small one in about 2 weeks time. If you have leaks, use it. But if you ever go to regular oil or one of those "brown and slick" jiffy lube places it'll wash it all away and it'll leak again.

 

Hi guys, I don't really have leaks, none that i can see, or oil consumption. As i mentioned, i usually go up to 5-6000k km between oil changes.
i think it's the slight valve tick, mostly at startup, then quiets down. Till now, the one oil that i find made the engine run quietly was Mobil 1 super 1000 (redish label), but I can't really find it anymore.
the last 2 oil changes i put synthetic super tech (walmart brand). So far, it's okay.

 

fabchef - Here are some points to take home:

- First, the sound you hear may be the known valve gear rattle common on that engine. You can google 2gr-fe rattle/vvt etc. to learn more about it.

- There is nothing in HM oil that is not in regular oil - just generally a bit more of it. You can use HM oil in new cars (and many “in the know” do this).

- The seal swell/can’t go back/etc. myths are just that - myths. I’ll link an informed discussion with actual petroleum chemists on that below. Again, nothing in HM oils that are not in regular oils - just a bit more. A good thing all-around.

- Try the Mobil 1 5w-30 HM if you are routinely in extreme cold, 10w-30 if not. You’ve had success with Mobil before, these are widely available, and many of us have had great success with them.

Informed discussion on the topic:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/th...ellers.331495/

Since pictures speak a 1,000 words, I’ll use this to drive it home. This ES has 340k miles on it. I have run it on Mobil 1 HM 10w-30 *almost* exclusively since 2012, and it runs as perfectly now as it ever has. It has used about 16ozs of oil in 7,500 mile oil change intervals since new - and still does.

 

Oro, thanks for thr info, will check out link after. Your car is very nice. Always liked the ES's. Does yours have the 3.5 or is it the 330?

 

That’s a three liter, the 1mz-fe (I thought you had one in the past? Maybe I mis-remember). The 3.3l looked the same, and same engine except a little more displacement, ES330. My mom’s RX has one of those. The 3.5 in your RX is a wholly different engine. The early years of the 3.5 - up to ~2009 or 2010, are known for the VVT cam gear to rattle when cold.

 

Oro... no, I previously had a 2002 camry with the 2.4 engine. Unfortunately, it was my fault, as I didn't check maintenance done on the car, had a bit of sludge and tiny metal fragments in oil.

 

So here is my experience. I got a 2008 Acura TSX with 47k miles in 2015. It now has 198k miles before I gave it to my parents and got a 2006 RX 330 as a beater car but it’s a damn nice beater.

so the TSX seemed to burn a little bit of oil when I got it but the high mileage synthetic oil has sealant additives and after a few cycles of it…. No more burning oil until this day. It’s not much more so if you are burning oil, I’d try it.

 

I've never used any oil w/ a HM package. Your rattle on start up is the cam phazers that have bleed down. You can just crank the engine over a couple times ( of a couple secounds, turning the engine w/ a quick crank the engine before it starts) to pump the oil to the cam phazers. One look at the oil flow from the oil pump to the cam phazers will show you.You could possbily clean the vvt solenoilds.

 

My 1999 Acura Integra went 300K miles running Castrol 20W-50 dino oil I even towed a catamaran fairly often sometimes over steep mountains with it before I gave it to a friend... in the end anecdotal examples do little to prove any points. If your car is burning oil "high mleage" marketing won't help it but some are stong with the placebo effect just like putting in premium gas into cars desinged to run on lower grade. You may also want to run a pint of Seafoam in your engine oil @100 miles before changing your oil the next couple times that may help remove some sludge, open all oil valleys, maybe even free up your cam phazers/VVT