New Guy Oil Recommendation Request !!

[White_Monster]

Hello all, I’m a new guy to the forum. I just spent quite a bit of time with “Searches”, to see what oil recommendation had already been made for my vehicle, but did not have much success. Therefore, I am starting my first thread, asking for an oil recommendation for my particular situation. I have a 2001 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner two-wheel drive, with an Inline Four 2.7L engine and 102,023 miles on the odometer with no known problems of any kind. I average between 6,000 to 8,000 miles per year. The owner’s manual requires API SJ “Energy Conserving” or ILSAC multigrade engine oil with a recommended viscosity of SAE 5W-30. The Scheduled Maintenance Guide suggested a service interval of 7,500 miles for my driving conditions. I live in Daytona Beach, Florida (28F to 95F temperature range), with some trips to North Carolina throughout the year. I usually drive slow and easy, with mostly short trips in city traffic, but 3/4 of my annual mileage is the six trips a year to North Carolina and back (1,200 miles & 7 hours on interstates). I prefer synthetic oil and don’t care if it is store-bought or ordered online. I would like to manage a minimum of at least 7,500 to a maximum of 15,000 miles between oil changes. Since I am using synthetic oil, do I really need to change the oil annually, regardless of actual mileage traveled ?

 

[PT1]

Any of the regular brand synthetic oils will do fine for 7500 miles but you should change oil at least once per year. I recommend: 1. Pennzoil Platinum 2. Mobil1 3. Valvoline Synpower 4. Q Horsepower Let price dictate your choice and watch the rebate section for factory rebates.

 

[coffee]

Originally Posted By: PT1

Any of the regular brand synthetic oils will do fine for 7500 miles but you should change oil at least once per year. I recommend: 1. Pennzoil Platinum 2. Mobil1 3. Valvoline Synpower 4. Q Horsepower Let price dictate your choice and watch the rebate section for factory rebates.

+1 and Welcome!!!

 

[Hermann]

Valvoline Maxlife Full Synthetic if you could find it. Just about as scarce as Pennzoil Platinum Euro Formula.

 

[coffee]

Originally Posted By: Hermann

Valvoline Maxlife Full Synthetic if you could find it. Just about as scarce as Pennzoil Platinum Euro Formula.

Not quite that scarce :)

 

[defektes]

I agree any of the top synthetics, Pennzoil, Valvoline Synpower, Mobil, etc... Will get you to that 7500 OCI. Welcome!

 

[White_Monster]

Originally Posted By: PT1

Any of the regular brand synthetic oils will do fine for 7500 miles but you should change oil at least once per year.

First, thanks for the explosive welcome. Will the Mobile 1 "Extended 15,000" really allow me to go 15,000 miles ? .. and why should I change oil once per year ? I understood that the old petroleum based oils would collect moisture and would degradate over time, regardless of miliage. That I understand. But I have heard that synthetics do not absorb moisture (just trying to understand).

 

[DieselTech]

Lets first ask how short are the trips usually for this vehicle? 6-8k a year is very little and Sways me away from reccomending a 15000 mile oil due to time and condensation contamination from the oil not reaching max temp and allowing burn off. You maybe better off with a less expensive semi syn product such as motorcraft (2.77 a qt) and changing it 2 times a year. My sig show my preffered products. PP is my favorite off the shelf product. while Redline is my highend choice. The trips will help, but frequent short trips are really hard on cars and oil. Change anually no matter what!!

 

[Pablo]

Indeed - WELCOME!! Amsoil ATM 10W-30 for 15K (other options as well HDD, SSO, ACD) OR Amsoil XL 10W-30 for 8-10K Either will keep your engine very clean. Take a look at Amsoil ACD SAE 30/10W-30 for true synthetic choice at a reasonable price.

 

[HyperJinx]

Here is a list of oil that I use and like (syn) Pennzoil Plat MObil 1 Valvoline Synpower Castrol Edge (dino) Pennzoil yellow bottle Havoline DS Rotella

 

[EagleFTE]

I'm in agreement with DieselTech. In fact that is what I do with lightly driven vehicles. If you are only driving 6-8k per year do one year OCIs. Motorcraft semi-syn seems like a good choice, very affordable and highly regarded. Not sure if it is a good 8k OCI oil but some searching in the UOAs will provide some info there. If saving a few cents is not the issue use whatever you think is best. The difference in cost spread out over a year is not significant. You didn't say why you want to extend. Time? Money? Tiger Wood's girl friends are now available? Even with syn I change after 12 months if I have not driven the miles to call for change prior.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: EagleFTE

Tiger Wood's girl friends are now available?

I just blew designer water all over my monitor!!

 

[White_Monster]

Originally Posted By: DieselTech

Lets first ask how short are the trips usually for this vehicle? 6-8k a year is very little and Sways me away from reccomending a 15000 mile oil due to time and condensation contamination from the oil not reaching max temp and allowing burn off.

The trips to town and back are no longer than 10-15 minutes to the parking lot, with an hour or two interval and then another 10-15 minutes back home. Your suggestion of using a less expensive product and an OCI of twice a year is interesting. So from what I think I am hearing, is that even synthetic oil suffers from condensation contamination ? Not that the difference in oil cost is that major of a factor, I was just trying to save my time and help the environment some. I figured using a decent synthetic with an OCI of 10,000 or so evened out the cost of regular oil. And there is the filter cost to figure into the equation as well. Also worth a mention, is that I use a K&N air filter and from what I read on BITOG, that may not be a good thing for my truck ...

 

[[RT] ProjUltraZ]

Originally Posted By: White_Monster

Your suggestion of using a less expensive product and an OCI of twice a year is interesting. ...I was just trying to save my time and help the environment some. Also worth a mention, is that I use a K&N air filter and from what I read on BITOG, that may not be a good thing for my truck ...

all the oil suggestions here are good. me, i'd use something like $14/5qts dino at walmart or pennzoil platinum and change it every 6 months. UOA would be a good thing to do to verify the oil is holding up. Amsoil or Redline if you want high end oil and technically can go a whole year, even the PP could, but the short trips without fully hot oil is what hurts it also to do good searches here use the Advanced search and set the time to 1 year or more. and yeah, if you drive normally, paper filters are good enough

 

[DieselTech]

Originally Posted By: White_Monster

Originally Posted By: DieselTech

Lets first ask how short are the trips usually for this vehicle? 6-8k a year is very little and Sways me away from reccomending a 15000 mile oil due to time and condensation contamination from the oil not reaching max temp and allowing burn off.

The trips to town and back are no longer than 10-15 minutes to the parking lot, with an hour or two interval and then another 10-15 minutes back home. Your suggestion of using a less expensive product and an OCI of twice a year is interesting. So from what I think I am hearing, is that even synthetic oil suffers from condensation contamination ? Not that the difference in oil cost is that major of a factor, I was just trying to save my time and help the environment some. I figured using a decent synthetic with an OCI of 10,000 or so evened out the cost of regular oil. And there is the filter cost to figure into the equation as well. Also worth a mention, is that I use a K&N air filter and from what I read on BITOG, that may not be a good thing for my truck ...

Short trips into town and allowing the oil to nearly completly cool then the short trip back will cause your engine to become a sludge monster, and it is horrible on ANY oil. Honestly I'd shoot for 6 month oil changes, and use a decent filter such as Wix or Pureone. Use a semi syn as I posted above and you'll be good to go.

 

[White_Monster]

Originally Posted By: RT ProjUltraZ

UOA would be a good thing to do to verify the oil is holding up. also to do good searches here use the Advanced search and set the time to 1 year or more. and yeah, if you drive normally, paper filters are good enough

Originally Posted By: DieselTech

... and use a decent filter such as Wix or Pureone.

Thanks everyone for your great advise. I have ordered a free UOA kit from Blackstone which advertises testing for $22.95, but was wondering what lab most people here use and who has the best price ? I've been using a Purolator PureOne filter for the last several years, but was thinking of trying the Mobile 1 Extended Capacity filter for my next change. Any problems with that one?

 

[rclint]

I like the Pureone myself, and use it on my Accord. I noticed above you mention the cost of changing the oil filter when doing shorter oil changes, most people do I have in the past myself, however if your comfortable leaving a filter on for an longer time using synthetic, there is no reason why you can't do the same by changing the oil, and not changing the filter when using conventional. If I'm running conventional out to 7500 mile OCI I will run the filter for two OCI's...my 02 Accord calls for 7500 mile OCI on conventional with a filter change every other oil change. The short trips will, or could cause some fuel dilution, and remnants of such. Your situation is iffy, I'm on the fence as well, you would probably have zero problems running a one year oil change with a decent synthetic like Mobil, PP, Castrol Edge, but I would play it safe as well. I would run a 6 month OCI (based on time)with a conventional oil, and keep using the pureone filter. Run the filter for two oil changes if that's what your manual recommends, and/or your comfortable with that (I think the pureone can stand up to your one year mileage maybe others can chime in.) This give you some room to change the oil when you want to, you can still use a synthetic if you like, and the Motorcraft semi synthetic is a outstanding oil, other than that one oil I would choose either a synthetic, or conventional as I don't think most of the blends are a good value for the money.

 

[White_Monster]

I'm going to drop the oil as soon as I receive the kit from Blackstone and will post the UAO once I get the results back from them. It will be a very interesting excersise, since the M1 "Extended 15,000" has been in the truck since August 11, 2008 and has gone 14,000 miles. Oops !!!

 

[ronrackley]

My 2001 Tacoma has the 2.4L I4 engine and I don't know if your 2.7L would be harder or easier on oil, but I have run Rotella T synthetic 5w40 since about 21,000 miles and it is a great oil in that engine. The truck has over 100,000 miles on it now and it runs like new. It sounds just like new, too. There is no oil consumption, near as I can tell, and the dipstick is coated with transparent golden oil every time I check it. The longest OCI has been about 7,500 miles, but most have been closer to 5,000 miles. I would try running it to 10,000 miles myself with a UOA, but I haven't yet bothered to do that.

 

[White_Monster]

Originally Posted By: ronrackley

My 2001 Tacoma has ... over 100,000 miles on it now and it runs like new. It sounds just like new, too. There is no oil consumption, near as I can tell, and the dipstick is coated with transparent golden oil every time I check it.

Hey Ron, that is cool to have the dipstick coated with transparent golden oil every time you check it. Mine looks and drives like new too, but I have only owned it since 68,000 miles. What area of Florida do you live in ?