I have a 1998 Camry with 80,000 miles. This is one of those prone to sludge. I did an Autorx treatment and I am now done with the rinse and it is time for an oil change. I have always used regular oil, whatever the shop put in (usually Havoline, Kendall, or Shell). Toyota specifies 5W-30 for this car.
The AutoRx cleaning got out some dirt, but the engine was not as dirty as I thought. I want to keep this car a long time, so I have decided to switch to synthetic with reasonable OCI's. After a lot of reading here, I have narrowed it down to three choices and would appreciate any imput.
The car runs fine, and there have never been any leaks. I know one option is sticking with regular oil, but I am willing to spend a little more for the peace of mind, especially considering the possibility of sludging in this engine.
Here are my choices and some commments,
1. Mobil 1 5W-30. The only thing that concerns me here is that their bottle says the 5W-30 is for newer engines and the 10W-30 is for high mileage engines.
2. German Castrol 5W-30. I can find this in the store. I am aware of the debates concerning Castrol so I do not want to open up that can of worms.
3. Valvoline High Mileage 5W-30 Full Synthetic. I am thinking it may be the time to switch to a high mileage oil, and like this one because it is full synthetic. I have not seen any other high mileage full synthetic.
I am not looking for perfection. I am looking at what will be best for the long run. Any comments and suggestions are appreciated.