Oil For Short Trips

[Shel_B]

I've been doing a lot of very short trips lately, and pretty much for the past 18-months or so. I don't see that changing much, if at all, in the near future.

I was curious to see if there's any oil more suited to such use, and I read several threads last night. I couldn't find any consensus of brand, spec, viscosity, or approvals, but it did seem that the best way to combat the deleterious effects of short tripping is to use good quality oil and change it frequently. I was hoping to find something that would inspire confidence when used for a year or so, but nothing jumped out at me.

My "official" change interval now is 5,000 miles or 6 months, and at 6 months that puts me at 3,500 miles. My next 6 month cycle will be next month, and the mileage won't even hit 3,000 miles, and I plan to change out the oil.

However, I thought I'd see if I've missed something. Most of my trips are 3-miles or less, and there are times when the water temp gauge doesn't even get up to normal operating range. I can't think of any solution other than frequent changes. For the foreseeable future, long highway drives are not in the picture.

Any thoughts?

 

[benjy]

very simple CLEAN oil!! change more often + use any decent oil thats NOT too thin.

 

[JavierH19]

Well your car isn't gdi so you're not doing that bad and how short are these short trips in time length. If they're less than 20 mins a once a week warm up to over 30 mins would be good to evaporate a bit of moisture but it isn't as much as people think.

I'd run 0w-20 instead of the 5w-30. The engine doesn't run long enough for the oil to thin out enough so might as well have that thinner oil.

 

[Gene K]

If you are running M1 EP 0W-20 in that 2011 Camry even short tripped I see no reason to think it couldn't make it 12 months and 6,0000 mi. If you are going to change every 6 months and 3,000 mi I might consider running whatever 5W-20 you can get on sale. Maybe NAPA (Valvoline) 5W-20 for $12.99 a 5 qt jug or Valvoline Maxlife for $17.47 (Walmart Online) minus $5.00 Valvoline Rebate.

 

[Malo83]

Super Tech 5w30 every 3K.

 

[Shel_B]

If you are running M1 EP 0W-20 in that 2011 Camry even short tripped I see no reason to think it couldn't make it 12 months and 6,0000 mi. If you are going to change every 6 months and 3,000 mi I might consider running whatever 5W-20 you can get on sale. Maybe NAPA (Valvoline) 5W-20 for $12.99 a 5 qt jug or Valvoline Maxlife for $17.47 (Walmart Online) minus $5.00 Valvoline Rebate.

I'm not running 0W-20, rather, I'm using 5W-30 M1 EP. I'm not one to chase sales or change my oil brand just to save a few $$$. While I appreciate your thoughtful suggestions, they're not something I'm comfortable with, although I might consider extending the drain interval a bit.

 

[Cripes]

...Maybe NAPA (Valvoline) 5W-20 for $12.99 a 5 qt jug...

Got a link for this price?

 

[Gene K]

Double

 

[Shel_B]

Well your car isn't gdi so you're not doing that bad and how short are these short trips in time length. If they're less than 20 mins a once a week warm up to over 30 mins would be good to evaporate a bit of moisture but it isn't as much as people think.

I'd run 0w-20 instead of the 5w-30. The engine doesn't run long enough for the oil to thin out enough so might as well have that thinner oil.

What will the 0W do for me that I'm not getting with 5W in my climate?

 

[Gene K]

I'm not running 0W-20, rather, I'm using 5W-30 M1 EP. I'm not one to chase sales or change my oil brand just to save a few $$$. While I appreciate your thoughtful suggestions, they're not something I'm comfortable with, although I might consider extending the drain interval a bit.

Sorry, I saw the year and model and assumed you were runing 0W-20 synthetic per current recommendation.

If I was going to stick to a name brand synthetic I would consider increasing my time limit to 12 months even if I stayed with a 5,000 mi maximum. I would also consider just running the standard M1 instead of M1 EP for those intervals.

 

[Shel_B]

Sorry, I was under the impression Toyota was currently suggesting 0W-20 for that car. I didn't see a grade listed so assumed that was what you were using.

Let's say you are uncomfortable with over 5,000 mi, trust certain name brands and have a preference for a 5W-30 Synthetic. Would standard M1 5W-30 changed at 5,000 mi (as long as it didn't exceed 12 months) be within your comfort zone.

No need to apologize ... Toyota does suggest 0W-20 for the 2011 4-cyl Camry.

I've thought about regular M1, but I just don't see the benefit. The price for it and EP are about the same (never seen more than a $2.00 difference for a 5-quart container) and I feel that the EP (rightly or wrongly) gives somewhat better protection. The last time I looked, the price for the two was the same. So, the question is, what benefit do I get from vanilla M1?

 

[airman]

Got a link for this price?

promotion is over, dunno why he's recommending something that was available in February.

 

[Gene K]

No need to apologize ... Toyota does suggest 0W-20 for the 2011 4-cyl Camry.

I've thought about regular M1, but I just don't see the benefit. The price for it and EP are about the same (never seen more than a $2.00 difference for a 5-quart container) and I feel that the EP (rightly or wrongly) gives somewhat better protection. The last time I looked, the price for the two was the same. So, the question is, what benefit do I get from vanilla M1?

View attachment 91742

No real benefit other than cost savings. If EP had a significantly more robust add pack you might make a case that on shorter intervals the standard M1 might be better but it doesnt. it's primary benefit is supposed to be ability to withstand oxidation. You could also make a case that some bases that perform better in oxidation resistance might not be as good at wear prevention. However all that ignores the fact that it's a fully formulated lubricant and the engineers likely addressed any such issues.

 

[4WD]

Sounds like 9 months gets more out of the M1 EP …

https://sds.exxonmobil.com/Download.aspx?ID=803390&docFormat=PDF

 

[UG_Passat]

Sure gas is expensive, but say once a week, on a weekend, take the car out for a longer drive.

 

[gregk24]

I'd go with M1 0w20, PP 0w20, or Valvoline 0w20. Change every 5K / 6 months or extend to 5K / 1 year if you are comfortable with that.

 

[tolian21]

Oil for short trips: buy cheapest that meets your vehicle specs and change often. Simple.

 

[Shel_B]

Sure gas is expensive, but say once a week, on a weekend, take the car out for a longer drive.

Gas prices are a small part of the issue, but right now I have other responsibilities that are taking up my time, and will for the next number of months at least.

 

[Warstud]

I'd go with M1 0w20, PP 0w20, or Valvoline 0w20. Change every 5K / 6 months or extend to 5K / 1 year if you are comfortable with that.

Use one of those oils and get a UOA after 1 year.

 

[buster]

I'm in a similar situation. I work from home and most stores I hit are within a 1-3 mile radius. I always take the car on the highway for long drives here and there to get the oil hot. Not much else you can do.