Recent content by BrianApp

I use conventional. 2.2 about 1,000/month driving mostly split between a 30 mi distance and 5 mi distance minimal traffic avg speed 50mph with about 5 stop signs/lights each route.

I am surprised I have not found a FAQ on what I am about to ask. If it is a common question with a post addressing it feel free to point me to it. On a general search I did not find anything except an OCI chart. I have a 1992 toyota camry. The book OCI is 3000. I see many sites saying with new...

If stuff does settle out will it help if I turn the jugs over and store them upside down for a month or two and then alternate turning them over every month or so or is the only way to get everything back in suspension to shake it?

If new oil in a sealed jug sits on my shelf for a year or so will anything settle to the bottom or separate out if it sits undisturbed? What about after 5, 10 or more years?

I just wanted it known that this is one rebate that works and for 20 seconds of submitting you get your money back in 2 days. I put the most recent one in on sat and paypal now has it, Monday, two days later.

I usually don't fall for rebates because of the hassle and wait. I tried the current valvoline $5 rebate and was quite surprised. All you need to do is upload a copy of an online purchase or a picture of your in store receipt. I had that done in about 20 seconds. The best part is after uploading...

With modern oils is there any reason not to always use the lowest cold rating with the same operating temperature rating oil? I have read that in the past 5 W30 oil had more additive and was less shear stable than 10 W30 but does that still apply today? Also even if my manual doesn't mention it...

My next question about ethanol is why is the ethanol free gas typically %30 more expensive than the standard %10 ethanol, $4 vs $3 a gallon? I get ethanol may be cheaper but even if it was free Adding %10 of it should only lower the price %10. I assume ethanol cost something and that the extra...

I was thinking ethanol was the gummy junk that separates out from gas, after 30 days or so, and is left to gum up injectors and other engine parts. If it acts more like grain alcohol I guess it goes away even faster than gas. Why is it that I keep hearing that ethanol can gum up an engine if...

I just though oil dilution was commonly accepted on engines that are cold.

On one of the videos of cold starting an engine it was shown how, when cold, unburned gas can get past the piston rings and mix with the oil. The video also showed two oil samples, one clean and one mixed with gas from cold engine starts with short runs, engine never fully warmed up. Even with a...

If the oil maker says 20,000 or 1 year on the oil and the car says 7,500 or two years I would go with 7,500 miles or one year. My standby house generator sees about 10 hours, 200 recommended, a year but the generator make recommends changing the oil every year no matter what the time. I don't...

I don't know about that. I have seen several people say that the entity that holds your warranty wants it to last that long. Years or hundreds of miles longer is not their goal. I would take the advice of the more conservative one. Are yearly oil changes no matter the use really considered...

The answer seems to be most people think running near the ADD line is a bad idea but some have gotten away with that and lower. When I first drained the oil for a change I looked at the stick first. It was just a bit below the add line which would put it at 3 QT on a 4 QT sump. I thought that...

I am not talking about 1 qt below the ADD line. I am talking about 1 QT below the FULL line. Basically is anything bad happening at the ADD line (1 quart below full) for the last 500 mi before an oil change. The stick only goes about 1/4 quart below the add line anyway. I take this to mean the...