2012 Toyota Rav4 Oil Question

Even QSUD 5w30 is $15 at Walmart right now, don’t see any reason to not run synthetics
 
I do have a clue as I am a professional mechanic

There's a reason that mechanics are not petroleum or automotive engineer's...and visa versa. One doesn't automatically make you credible or understanding of the other. I believe the reason you're getting so much pushback here is because there's really no real world evidence or data that Supertech or any API certified oil breaks engines, shortens lifespans etc...as long as the right spec/interval are used for the application. Like...zero. Even your personal experiences are exceptionally anecdotal in their nature with no way to trace back cause of engine failures and more akin to Youtube comments where someone claims that their brother's friends uncle's hunting partner's mailman's dog sitter's engine imploded when he ran a fram filter and supertech.

Nor is Scotty Kilmer a good basis for much informational value lol. Heck, just me personally, but I grew up working on cars and if my mechanic loved Scotty or took Scotty seriously he wouldn't be allowed to touch my car. But for kicks and giggles if you want to use Scotty as your basis...then he has no problem with Supertech Oil or any API certified oil as long as used per spec and proper OCI's and in fact clearly stated it just doesn't matter as long as it's API certified and the right oil for your motor.
 
So you don't believe that standards like Dexos have any validity ?
It does have validity, but I think it is increasingly evident that being approved for Dexos is not a “difficult” task. With SN+/SP, it seems like many synthetic blends and house brand synthetic oils have no issues meeting the performance requirements.
 
It does have validity, but I think it is increasingly evident that being approved for Dexos is not a “difficult” task. With SN+/SP, it seems like many synthetic blends and house brand synthetic oils have no issues meeting the performance requirements.

So what is that validity and just exactly how many more 100's of thousands of engine life will it guarantee me?
 
So what is that validity and just exactly how many more 100's of thousands of engine life will it guarantee me?
I think this becomes a discussion of buying an adequate oil for the application vs buying one that is overbuilt. Any oil that is approved for the spec should be adequate. Buying a product that is overbuilt carries some advantages, such as: 1) having an extra margin of error when you do not change the oil on time, 2) having operating conditions are that are outside of the anticipated customer use parameters. Of course, I would expect that an oil that far exceed specs may keep an engine slightly cleaner as well, but it is difficult to confirm that this benefit can be directly correlated to improved engine life.
 
Admittedly I'm no expert....but man. Some of the info I'm reading on this thread is completely counter to much of what I've learned over the last couple of years on this site. Sounds like some antiqued nonsense someone's grandfather would say
 
Admittedly I'm no expert....but man. Some of the info I'm reading on this thread is completely counter to much of what I've learned over the last couple of years on this site. Sounds like some antiqued nonsense someone's grandfather would say
I agree and I’ve deleted most, if not all, of the completely false posts.
 
Even QSUD 5w30 is $15 at Walmart right now, don’t see any reason to not run synthetics
Solid choice esp if someone doesn’t want to deal with an online rebate. Prob in my top 3 choices. A few days ago i purchased some M1 EP HM 0w20 on rollback for 24 minus 12 rebate = good deal.
 
It does have validity, but I think it is increasingly evident that being approved for Dexos is not a “difficult” task. With SN+/SP, it seems like many synthetic blends and house brand synthetic oils have no issues meeting the performance requirements.
How about "modern oils are just really, really good" ?
 
How about "modern oils are just really, really good" ?
Sure, that is one way to look at it.
Seems like we have more oil-related issues than ever before nowadays though. Perhaps these are strictly engine design issues that are pushing the boundaries of what any lubricant handle.

On that same note, are you suggesting that premium oils such as Mobil 1 EP, Amsoil, etc are unnecessary and offer no benefit?
 
At 9 years old it probably isn't to picky. IIWM it would get Maxlife Blend or Full Syn of the correct grade. Other brands of HM oil are OK if you must :D
 
My understanding is synthetic oil is better than conventional oil in every way, especially at extreme temperatures.
Switching to synthetic is not going to hurt an engine.

define "better" and I can assure you its not "better in every way".
 
define "better" and I can assure you its not "better in every way".

I would even position that while synthetic is better in most areas than a modern "conventional"....do those parts that are actually better ever actually matter and have an impact on engine life/operation in the real world? Of course for the proper application, not suggesting one run a conventional in a modern GDI Turbo for 5k miles and so on.
 
Seems like we have more oil-related issues than ever before nowadays though
Like what ?
are you suggesting that premium oils such as Mobil 1 EP, Amsoil, etc are unnecessary and offer no benefit?
Considering the tiny number of people who actually run those 15-25k miles like Mobil or Amsoil say they can do, yeah, they have little benefit to customers. People buy/use these oils and still change them out every 3000, 5000, 7500 miles and in those cases, they are wasting their money when they pay extra. Heck, even Amsoil attempts to justify their outlandish price by pushing for longer change intervals. If people did run them 15k, 20k, 25k miles, then Amsoil makes sense from a cost perspective.
 
I was referring to more uniform molecular structure, which offers better lubrication.

It might be more correct to say it offers more "uniform" lubrication at a given viscosity and thus most likely thinner that a non synthetic.

Granted its a key player but there's a lot more that builds an oils overall lubricity and performance
 
I do have a clue as I am a professional mechanic

I don't doubt your saw an engine with damage that had ST in it. You won't get anyone that works in the industry to say the WPP was likely to have caused it. Just because an engine has damage doesn't mean the oil damaged it. It would be highly unlikely that a major blender like WPP produced a product that actually lead to damage unless the wrong product was used for the application.

Plain old conventional ST in a VW 1.8 Turbo with 10,000 mi OCI may have sludged up but that is the wrong oil for the application. ST Synthetic on the other hand has run 400,000 mi with 10,000 mi OCI in Ford 4.6L with all original timing set and ST HDEO a Million Miles plus with 30,000 mi OCI in a Class 8 so it's not what you want to make it out to be.
 
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