Winter/Summer for California.

[Cristobal]

I drive a 1996 Toyota Avalon. I have used various oils from Mobil 1 0W-40 to Mobil 1 15w50, Valvoline 60 wt racing oil, O'Reilly 5w30 oil, Kendall, and such. I have driven in temperatures from about 15 below zero Farenheit near Ely Nevada to 122 (50 degrees Centigrade) Farenheit near Death Valley. The Death Valley trip saw temps as low as 46 Farenheit on the same day.

Mobil 1 15W-50 was used on the Death Valley trip and we only skirted the valley as the valley floor was even hotter that day. I was worried that climbing Towne Pass would bust a radiator hose so I did not go to the valley floor. The car needs at least API SH but I get SM only. I wonder what oil will cover all these temperatures real good. I think Redline's 5W-50 might, or Castrol Edge 10w30, and I would like to hear your opinions. Also my engine burns NO oil with the thicker grades but with the thinner ones it burns about 1/2 quart every 1500 miles.

By the way on the Death Valley trip, after the sun went down and it got to 107 degrees F, it felt nice.

 

[chubbs1]

I know what you mean about Cali weather, I have family all over. I am very surprised at the different oils you use. You will probably take a few for not using the recommended grade for that car. If you lose oil on the lower weights I would suggest Rotella Syn. 5w40. It will get you through every temp you mentioned. Some of the thick 10w30's are good too. Delo, Delvac and Rotella. All these are reasonable at Walmart.

 

[dparm]

I experienced similar things while going to school in Arizona. Huge temperature swings. My car at the time, an Acura Integra GS-R (not stock at all) ran Mobil 1 0w20 and it was an absolute champ. Burned NOTHING even with repeated daily 8000rpm hits and tons of fun canyon runs.

 

[Cristobal]

There is a Wal-Mart near Rosemead about 7 miles from me. My mechanic says mixing the oils will not hurt anything but I am tired of doing the math to estimate their performance if I mix them. I do a lot of severe-use driving, from the cold temperatures in Nevada to sustained freeway speeds in the summer around here. And down at the beach there is a lot of salt spray. In the summers in the desert here there can be chalky dust all over the place.

By the way when at the Wal-Mart last I noticed that Wal-Mart sells a synthetic oil of their own called Super Tech but I do not know who makes it for them. Near me are Auto Zone, O'Reilly, and the Pep Boys, and some Amsoil and Red Line agents so there is a huge choice of oils too.

 

[aquariuscsm]

How`d it feel with the VR1 60? That`s some thick stuff!

 

[Cristobal]

It worked OK in the hot summer of 2006. There was a heatwave going on. It was mixed about 50-50 with Mobil 1 15W-50. I was driving from Alhambra to Calabasas every day. Where the 405 hits the 101 Freeway that IS the City of Los Angeles hotspot and in the 2006 heatwave it was once 117 degrees on my car thermometer outside. Just five miles farther in Van Neys it dropped to about 100 degrees. The heavy mix did not hurt the mileage much in rush hour traffic at low speed, but did hurt mileage when I drove over 55. The heatwave was awful. In Alhambra I recall at 9 PM it was dark and still over 100 degrees.

 

[Chris142]

Theres no reason to run such a thick oil even when it's hot out. The engine wont be running that much hotter than it normally would. If you are worried about blowing a hose then you need new hoses.

If your that concerned about engine wear the Mobil 1 0W-40 would be a great choice year round. No reason to go more than a 40wt.

BTW it's snowing here in the desert tonight.

 

[Cristobal]

It is a small world Chris. You know that abandoned steel arch bridge over the Mojave River where D Street ends at the rocky points? My late Dad fought the Japanese in WWII. He trained at what is now George AFB and also the Santa Ana Army Air base before going to Darwin, Australia with his B-24 bomber group. He said in 1942 that bridge was the social center of the area where the servicemen would meet the local girls. Victorville had about 800 people in 1943, my Dad once told me.

 

[oilboy123]

Just run a good synthetic and let the engine run at a little higher rpm up the passes by shifting down a gear. No need to go crazy up or down on the oil weight.

I would not even go to 40wt unless the engine is drinking oil, but that's just me. Synthetic will handle the heat. I would be more concerned with the cooling system.

 

[CATERHAM]

I agree, just run a 5w30 like PP, PU or M1.
Oil temperature is more a function of power output. If you're keep the rev's down and the throttle position low, you won't be seeing high oil temps.

 

[dave1251]

I think a 30 weight oil will dissipate heat much more efficiently than a 60 weight oil.

 

[webfors]

Agree, don't go so thick. M1's 0w40 or RT6 if you want a 40 weight. Otherwise use a good 5w or 10w30 syn for excellent high temp protection and good low temp flow.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Cristobal
It is a small world Chris. You know that abandoned steel arch bridge over the Mojave River where D Street ends at the rocky points? My late Dad fought the Japanese in WWII. He trained at what is now George AFB and also the Santa Ana Army Air base before going to Darwin, Australia with his B-24 bomber group. He said in 1942 that bridge was the social center of the area where the servicemen would meet the local girls. Victorville had about 800 people in 1943, my Dad once told me.
That bridge is still there. Near it are the old hand painted adds for the local motel, painted with lead based paint. The old dirt road over the rocks is still there in a few spots.

 

[Ken2]

Originally Posted By: Cristobal
By the way when at the Wal-Mart last I noticed that Wal-Mart sells a synthetic oil of their own called Super Tech but I do not know who makes it for them.

An outfit called Warren Distribution and their Warren Performance Packaging has the contract to blend Wal*Mart's oils. They buy the raw materials and mix & bottle them. MAG1, Polar, and ACCEL are also their brands. Not all synthetics are the same; there are cheaper, lower performance ingredients and better, higher cost ingredients. I'd stick to a top name brand for oil.