I'm curious to discover others' thoughts on the drawbacks of constantly changing the type of oil one uses in a particular vehicle. I understand that there are a great many people, who constantly refill their crankcases with whatever oil is cheapest at the time of oil change with no ill effects, so perhaps I should rephrase the question: is anyone aware of any benefits to constantly using the same oil (manufacturer and "model," if you will) over the life of an engine? I'm aware that manufacturers constantly adjust their formulations for all their oils, but some basic analysis by someone with very little knowledge of lubricant design (that's me) could lead said individual to think that using the same oil over the life of an engine should limit the extent of the change in formulation between any given oil change.
Why am I asking this? I'm one of those people, who would prefer to stick with a specific oil over the life of an engine (simply because it gives me the warm-and-fuzzies). I started using Mobil 1 Extended Performance in my 4Runner, but in my area, for some reason at Wal-####, availability of 5 qt jugs of Mobil 1 Extended Performance and Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy alternates on a several-month cycle. One is constantly available while the other is not (this cycle predates the COVID-19 pandemic), so I'm thinking of forcing myself to adjust what gives me the warm-and-fuzzies and alternating between Extended Performance and Advanced Fuel Economy oils based on availability at Wal-####.
Thanks for your input.
Why am I asking this? I'm one of those people, who would prefer to stick with a specific oil over the life of an engine (simply because it gives me the warm-and-fuzzies). I started using Mobil 1 Extended Performance in my 4Runner, but in my area, for some reason at Wal-####, availability of 5 qt jugs of Mobil 1 Extended Performance and Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy alternates on a several-month cycle. One is constantly available while the other is not (this cycle predates the COVID-19 pandemic), so I'm thinking of forcing myself to adjust what gives me the warm-and-fuzzies and alternating between Extended Performance and Advanced Fuel Economy oils based on availability at Wal-####.
Thanks for your input.