Oil Strategy To Prevent Carbon Piston / Ring Deposits ?

Pennzoil motor oil
Just drained the Castrol Edge Black 5w-40 from our K20C4 (Honda Turbo GDI) after only 4k km and about 5 months. Hoping to clean it up after it went 95k km with OCI according to the MM with 0w-20 with my FIL. Oil reeked of fuel and looked pretty dark on the indicator right from the get go with the CEB (like a diesel). Put in some conventional Valvoline 5w-30 (SN) for the upcoming fall/winter months from my stash, and already looking cleaner than the previous OCI on the indicator. Will monitor and probably do an early change again in another 4k km. That's my plan with this engine in my wife's new to her daily driver. @Hohn @tolian21
 
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Bwalker said:
The couple of you are an oddity. If the general public really wanted them the mfgs would sell them.
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They do, just not in the USA. I had a Nissan X-Trail (Nissan Rogue under a different name) rental in Eastern Europe a few years ago that had a manual (and auto start/stop, which was... interesting, but easily disabled and not as intolerable as I imagined it would be). Apparently they run around $20,000 USD new over there. And I can't recall the sedan I had in Turkey, but it was a diesel and had a 5-speed IIRC, I believe it was one of the French brands and I looked them up at the time and they ran the equivalent of about $17,000 USD new at the time there.

Notably they also don't "idiot proof" the cars over there; no clutch interlock switch so you can bump the starter in 1st gear to get off the road if your engine is dead. They're very practical cars.

I'd honestly be quite happy to have either here in the US, or even our standard TGDI engines with those manual transmissions. They already did the engineering work, at least let us custom order them here in the US from dealers.

GI_GRIFF said:
My 2025 Toyota Rav4 XLE gas only (not a hybrid) came with an 8 speed real automatic transmission, not CVT. I think all they have now is CVT transmissions.
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Plenty of cars still come with real automatics, and the ZF 8HP and newer transmissions aren't as intolerable as the old slush boxes.

You can actually still get a Toyota Tacoma with a manual for ~$40k new, but I'm not aware of any sedans they offer them in.
 
Cvts are fine. I’m 53 and remember when EFI was introduced and the carb guys like my dad went kicking and screaming. Cvt tech has come a long ways since Nissan turned everyone off from it, and ford sure didn’t help the cause. I wouldn’t want one in my work truck but, when you can pull mid 30s in a relatively heavy midsize suv and loaded for bear, I’ll take it.
 
GI_GRIFF said:
This is probably the best solution for now. Before I add some of my thoughts here, I am only sharing my opinion here, definitely doesn't mean what I say here is correct. Many of the vehicle/engine builders have gone to low tension piston rings and on top of that gone to 08-16 or 20 weight engine oils. The engines are designed to produce blow-by (already worn out) the minute they leave the assembly line on purpose. They are being built for our government to run a gasoline/diesel internal combustion engine without using fuel, but yet still make heat/fire/explosions to operate the engine and move the vehicles. Engine durability is not their main concern anymore.
Anyhow, trying to keep a brand-new worn-out blow by engine alive as long as possible? Well, a couple suggestions are what @Bryanccfshr made here. A couple more thoughts, which would not be recommended by the owner's manual, would be run a 0W or 5W-30 engine oil instead of the 08/16 or 20 weight oil it calls for. The thicker grade may help increase the ring seal and decrease the blowby a little in your brand-new worn-out engine. You don't want to get too carried away since VVT/engine timing components are run by the engine oil as hydraulic fluid along with engine oil being used as an engine coolant. Anyhow, personally I wouldn't go higher than a 5W-30. On my 2025 Rav4, it calls for 0W-16. I run 5W-30 in it though I could run 15W-40 in it which would allow for less blow-by and ultimately longer engine life. I got verbal ok to use up to 5W-30 year-round from the Toyota District Service manager and my local dealership service manager saying the 5W-30 is fine. I have nothing on paper, and I have no doubt they would deny saying it if asked.
I would run a quality, low NOACK, high HTHS, high Flashpoint 5W-30. Basically, the Valvoline Restore and Protect would work fine. Now if you are worried about losing a warranty, just stick to the 0W-08 or whatever your book says. The same people that might deny your warranty for using the higher viscosity oil are obviously smart enough to get out of bed and go to work so probably also smart enough to know the 5W-30 you are using, causing your warranty denial, will actually cause your engine to last longer. If their point is to deny a warranty, it does give them an excuse. I ran both the 0W-16 and my current 5W-30 in my Toyota so far. Running I80 to Omaha and back, a little over 300 miles occasionally about 80 mph. There was a miniscule higher gas mileage difference once in a while, not always though. If the higher milage did show, it might be 1/10 of 1 percent higher mpg over using the 5W-30. It was occasional, not constant. I did some rough figuring on it and figure I might be able to save $5.00 in a year in fuel savings using the 0W-16. I chose to sacrifice the $5.00 a year for the stronger oil film strength. Whatever oil you use, wether it is $20.00 a quart or $5.00 a quart, do an oil and filter change every 6 months or 5000 miles. So, IMO, Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30, Top Teir gasoline with the oil and filter changes every 6 months/5000 miles would be the best recipe to help reduce and prevent piston ring deposits and extend the life of your brand new worn-out blowby engine. Used oil analysis is good too, you can find out a lot, stay away from Blackstone though if you want to see an accurate fuel dilution reading.
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Low tension rings do not beget blow by. Total Seal can explain this to you.
 
ZeeOSix said:
The Toyota GR Corola is a sedan, and the only one with a manual transmission option. Toyota has a "manual transmission vehicles" page.

https://www.toyota.com/manual-transmission-vehicles/
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I got real excited, then I realized what the GR Corolla looks like... :sick:

I mean, I shouldn't judge, my current :poop:📦 daily driver is a 2013 Volvo C30, but that's only 'cause I got it for less than most folks spend on a set of tires these days. If I'm going to pay new car prices, I'm a lot pickier. The only car I've ever bought new was a 2011 Subaru STI, which I held onto for 10 years (and 2 engines). Before I sold it, I was seriously considering removing the rear wing.

If they could slap that drivetrain in a standard looking Camry, then I'd be at the dealership tomorrow saying "take my money."
 
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