Winter Oil Suggestion

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fpny

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My daughter drives a 94 Toyota 4x4 pickup. I will be finishing up an Auto-RX clean and rinse application for her truck in less than 200 miles. The truck had 104K miles on it. I am trying to prepare her truck for the winter which will has temperature between 35 to -20 degree F in upstate New York. She will be driving the truck mainly from her apartment to the swimming pool in college daily which only about a mile each way, plus she will be going goecery shopping once a week (about 5 miles round trip), In addition to all these short trips, she will be driving home may be once a month (about 150 miles round trip). I have in my basement the following 5W30 oils: Castrol GTX dino, Castrol GTX High Mileage, SuperTech Synthetic and Quaker State synthetic (Q Advanced). Which oil you think I should use for the truck this winter and why. Thank you for your inputs.
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Either one of the synthetics since she'll be seeing -20F. With the short trips, I'd also change her out somewhere between 3-5k.
 
Based on my LIMITED knowledge, and it is LIMITED... i THINK (not know) that this might be a good place for a Synthetic 0W-20 oil. Like the Mobil 1 0W-20 I just saw at Walmart.

If it were my car/truck, and I was leaving it out in that kinda cold weather, and then running it for that short a distance, I would want the thinest oil possible.

But, feel free to correct me.
 
Well with those temps synthetic is the only way to go. Toyotas will do good with just about any oil you throw at it. I started using Amsoil Series 2000 and will be getting a UOA when spring comes around next year then after that im going to use up the rest of the Series 3000 and get another UOA and compare which one works best.
 
As far as the temperature is concerned, most of the time (from December to February), the temperature usually is around 0 to 20 degree F, but once in a while it will dip down to -10 or -20 degree F, but not all the time. In addition, for the 5 months (November through March), she will put less than 2000 miles on the truck. I plan to change the oil again in April or May when the weather is warmer.
 
Use a synthetic oil. It will stay thin in -20 F and even colder weather, allowing the engine to start easier. Consult the owners manual if she still has it, as to the proper oil weight. If not, use a 5W-30 weight (synthetic). If the battery is 4 or more years old, replace it with a battery that has at LEAST 200 more cold cranking amps than the owners manual calls for, or, if you don't have the owners manual, put in a battery with 600-650 cold cranking amps. That's COLD cranking amps, not cranking amps.

Do some Google searches for such things as "winter driving", "winter driving survival gear", and etc., and then set her up with a basic winter driving survival kit to keep in her rig in case she gets stranded in the cold with no help in sight. That could save her life.

Be sure that she has good tires on the truck. All Season radials are a MINIMUM for this in the winter. But only a minimum. In upstate NY, she really needs snow (winter) tires, preferablly with studs, if allowed in NY, during the winter.

If you can't afford, or store, separate winter (snow) and summer tires, get her a set of 4 of these (link below) tires and have her run them year around. The will have excellent traction in deep snow, and adequate, but only adequate, traction, on hard packed snow. The traction will not equal, at all, that of a good snow tire, especially if the snow tire is studded. But its better, far better, than all seasons.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Road+Venture+AT+825
 
If we have to keep it too just what you have on hand I do not think itis going to matter much. I guess I would go with one of the synthetics but none of them jump out at!
 
Use one of the 5w30 synthetics. I love dino oil, but-20 F is asking a lot from my old friend. BTW, my wife and I were in New York recently on our first trip to Niagara Falls. We met a lot of nice folks and really enjoyed your beautiful state.
 
Why not Q? Is there something wrong with Quaker State that I should know? The truck engine runs fine, the only concern that I have is it's an old pcikup and it had over 104K on it. Hopefully, it will not start any oil leaks when I start using synthetic oil. It didn't have any leak now but I heard synthetic oil can loosen up seals and made them leak.
 
I would use an excellent synthetic as she is a college student. The best winter oil in ratings is the Mobil 1 EP 5w-30. She could go 10,000 miles on this oil with no problems at all. Of the oils you listed the Quaker State Synthetic would be best. However I would not push it past 6000 miles.
 
He asked which of them in his basement basically, Sure everyone has their favorites but there is not much wrong with either synthetic with regular intervals of 5000 or less. Would be just fine and a bit better than Dino.

Lets see $30 dollars for Mobil1 or $0 more dollars for the Q or Wally Synthetic you already have HHHMMMMmmmmm. Use the stuff in the basement and since it will sit out overnight almost for sure make sure to use the Synthetic and be happy.
 
Here's a UOA of Quaker State Q Advanced Synth 5W-30 in an engine that is a known sludgemoster, used during winter in Canada.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...2979#Post252979

Seems to me that this oil should do as well or better in your application than the other choices mentioned. It's the one I would select.

I concur with those that mentioned Tires, Maintenance and Winter Survival tips, since I grew up and went to college in Upstate NY.
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Use the thinnest oil you can find. I'd suggest 5w-20 or 0w-20. Change it in the spring with 5w-20 or 5w-30.

Wayne
 
I understand the reasoning for the 5w-20 with the temp, but with an engine with 100K don't you think there would be consumption issues? The M1 0w-40 sounds good for this application.
 
Interesting eough, this Toyota truck never burns or consumes any oil as far as I know. For all the 4-5K oil changes that I had done for this truck, I never have to top the oil off during the 4 years that I own it. The oil level always at the top of the dip stick.
 
What are the chances this truck will have Fuel and/or moisture contamination? Guaranteed? 50-50? Nill? Unless the answer is nill, I would choose Supertech and change oil every 2 months.
 
Of the listed oils Q State synt. would be good for sub zero temps,,,is REALLY cold a trick a friend of mine whom lives in the coldest regions,(upper wis) puts a quart of Marvel Mystery oil in his engine along with his oil,(Phillips Trop Artic semi) 5w-30 ,says works well,MM does not thicken up much.BL
 
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