Okay perhaps my forum username SHOULD have been Mr. Ignorance but be that as it may, here is my question:
When trying to determine my exact vehicle model I used a VIN lookup on Toyota Parts East and discovered that my vehicle is supposedly a 1994 Toyota 4-Runner but when I look up that year make and model on the AZ website to look for part prices for comparison the only 94 4-Runner engine type is a 6-cyl and mine is a 4-cyl. When adjusting my search on AZ.com the T-100 had the 4-cyl engine I was looking for. So quite frankly I am not sure. Other info that I took from the door panel is:
Truck RN80L TRMREAB 10/93
When using the above info it once again seemed that the truck is considered a 4-Runner rather than a T-100.
For specific use it is driven about 60 miles round trip daily as a commute to work (mostly highway speeds) and then a normal around time work load. It has some mechanical issues that I have not been able to afford getting fixed, such as a sticky EGR valve. It also needs to have the exhaust system replaced, pretty much from the header back.
After reading through the awesome information in the Oil University portion of this website I do have a better understanding of what is important in lubricating my vehicles but I have a couple of specific questions. With a high mileage vehicle (mine has over 150k on it) is it possible or advisable to switch from mineral to synthetic oil? When synthetics first hit the scene I thought I had heard that you could only use them if the vehicle had never had mineral based oils used in it.
Also if it is possible to switch, is there a way to make sure that all the old, dirty dino oil is flushed from the system or does that matter?
Lastly I saw in the university that after market additives lick Slick 50 are no nos. I assume that also has Marvel Mystery Oil, SeaFoam and all the rest on the forbidden list, correct? I ran some SeaFoam through another vehicle for about 100 miles before doing the oil change on it, was that okay? I would like to do whatever I can to extend the engine life on my older vehicles and from what I read earlier it seems the most important aspect is viscosity at start-up (75 degrees F) and so I would like to run a 5w-30 synthetic if possible.
Did I learn anything or should I stick to electricity?
When trying to determine my exact vehicle model I used a VIN lookup on Toyota Parts East and discovered that my vehicle is supposedly a 1994 Toyota 4-Runner but when I look up that year make and model on the AZ website to look for part prices for comparison the only 94 4-Runner engine type is a 6-cyl and mine is a 4-cyl. When adjusting my search on AZ.com the T-100 had the 4-cyl engine I was looking for. So quite frankly I am not sure. Other info that I took from the door panel is:
Truck RN80L TRMREAB 10/93
When using the above info it once again seemed that the truck is considered a 4-Runner rather than a T-100.
For specific use it is driven about 60 miles round trip daily as a commute to work (mostly highway speeds) and then a normal around time work load. It has some mechanical issues that I have not been able to afford getting fixed, such as a sticky EGR valve. It also needs to have the exhaust system replaced, pretty much from the header back.
After reading through the awesome information in the Oil University portion of this website I do have a better understanding of what is important in lubricating my vehicles but I have a couple of specific questions. With a high mileage vehicle (mine has over 150k on it) is it possible or advisable to switch from mineral to synthetic oil? When synthetics first hit the scene I thought I had heard that you could only use them if the vehicle had never had mineral based oils used in it.
Also if it is possible to switch, is there a way to make sure that all the old, dirty dino oil is flushed from the system or does that matter?
Lastly I saw in the university that after market additives lick Slick 50 are no nos. I assume that also has Marvel Mystery Oil, SeaFoam and all the rest on the forbidden list, correct? I ran some SeaFoam through another vehicle for about 100 miles before doing the oil change on it, was that okay? I would like to do whatever I can to extend the engine life on my older vehicles and from what I read earlier it seems the most important aspect is viscosity at start-up (75 degrees F) and so I would like to run a 5w-30 synthetic if possible.
Did I learn anything or should I stick to electricity?
