Systematically choosing the "best" oil?

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Ed_Flecko

Ed_Flecko

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Since joining the forum, I've come to the conclusion that some of the members really understand the idiosyncrasies of motor oil, engine design, etc. I know many of these same folks also routinely have their oils tested by independent labs, such as Blackstone, etc., and they understand those lab results in precise detail.

Having said that, I'm wondering if any of our members might initially select an oil for use in their vehicle and then have it tested. After receiving the results, do they then move on to oil after oil after oil in search of lab results that show they have arrived at the "best" oil for that particular vehicle?

Are some people this determined to find their perfect oil? Is this even a smart methodology to use to find the best oil for your vehicle or is this just plain nutty?

smile.gif


P.S. If it matters at all, I have a 2004 Toyota Tacoma with the 2.4 liter, 2RZFE engine. I have approximately 156,000 miles on the truck and it runs perfectly.

Ed
 
I think that does happen a little bit but I would say most people look for UOA's particular to their vehicle and go from there..
 
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(Quote)P.S. If it matters at all, I have a 2004 Toyota Tacoma with the 2.4 liter, 2RZFE engine. I have approximately 156,000 miles on the truck and it runs perfectly.

Ed (Quote)

So........What oil do you use? (Cymbal crash!)
 
jdavis -

I guess that's what I'm really asking.

For example, my vehicle should use 5W-30, according to my manual. I wonder if some people pick, what they think is, a good quality 5W-30 and run that for a while, have it tested, and then (based on the test results), try another 5W-30, and so on until they find the one that seems to yield the bast lab results, etc.

Ed
 
Originally Posted By: 4wheeldog
(Quote)P.S. If it matters at all, I have a 2004 Toyota Tacoma with the 2.4 liter, 2RZFE engine. I have approximately 156,000 miles on the truck and it runs perfectly.

Ed (Quote)

So........What oil do you use? (Cymbal crash!)


I have no idea. The truck was recently given to me, but it's been maintained my my local Toyota dealership. I'm going to change it to Mobile 1.

Ed
 
I guess I can only say what I do......Which is choose an oil for an application, according to requirements, oil reputation and makeup. Then I run that, pretty much until there is a reason to change my thinking.

For instance.......I used to live in CA, where it seldom got below 30F much at all. I used 5W/30 Mobil 1 in all my 4 wheeled vehicles. Then I move to New Messico, where it drops to 0F overnight many times a winter......And occasionally as low as -20F. So I now uses 0W/30 Mobil 1 AFE.

I still use 15W/50 Mobil 1 in my BMW motorcycle, since I never ride below 20F. And I use 5W/40 (Rotella or Delo, whichever is cheaper) in my other motorcycles, and most of my other equipment. I do use 0W/30 German Castrol in my snowblower......Though I am pretty sure the AFE would work fine there, as well.
 
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I'm in the camp to where engine technology has come so far that if you treat your engine right(no redlining it, going a sensible OCI, etc.) you're engine will last unless a major manufacturing defect. That being said I like Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy because it's reasonable and it performs well. I also don't like going more than 5k miles on a change so it works for me and my driving habits.
 
Use a premium oil in your Tacoma and change it regularly with a high quality filter.

You can't go wrong.

Which oil?

It would be easier to tell which church or which political party is best.

I use Pennzoil in my Toyotas, Castrol in my BMWs, Valvoline (NAPA) in my Mazda, Redline in my Harley, and Chevron Delo in my RAM.

My recommendation for your Toyota Tacoma would be PP (Pennzoil Platinum) and a NAPA Gold filter.
 
Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko

Are some people this determined to find their perfect oil? Is this even a smart methodology to use to find the best oil for your vehicle or is this just plain nutty?
Ed

A lot of them are a bit more than just plain nutty. lol
 
Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko
jdavis -

I guess that's what I'm really asking.

For example, my vehicle should use 5W-30, according to my manual. I wonder if some people pick, what they think is, a good quality 5W-30 and run that for a while, have it tested, and then (based on the test results), try another 5W-30, and so on until they find the one that seems to yield the bast lab results, etc.

Ed

I think you are misunderstanding the usefulness of a $20 UOA.
 
I think there are many factors that can extend your engine's life...some of them more important than oil. If you have an engine that is designed well, you'll be so far ahead of the game that it's ridiculous. Some are just designed much better than others. The way you drive is important and the type of commute you have, plus the weather conditions you live in. And most importantly, do you change the oil regularly? Do you maintain the cooling system as well? Does the engine run properly? Misfires, etc, can really hurt an engine and ignoring these things for an extended period of time will damage it. People drive with a check engine light on for a year, but worry about the viscocity of their oil at certain temperatures that they will never drive their vehicle in to begin with.

Just change your oil...make sure it's full...don't beat on your car and make sure you take car of problems right away. Believe me your engine will be the last thing you will need to worry about ten years from now - your engine's cradle will be rotted out well before that engine fails - and then you'll need to worry about it falling out the bottom of the car.
 
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Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko
I'm wondering if any of our members might initially select an oil for use in their vehicle and then have it tested. After receiving the results, do they then move on to oil after oil after oil in search of lab results that show they have arrived at the "best" oil for that particular vehicle?


Certain BITOGers might think that they're doing what you describe, but it would require millions of miles of driving and thousands of UOAs to make any real conclusions about which oils might be peculiarly suited to any particular engine. You would need multiple vehicles, you would have to control every variable to whatever extent possible (you can give every car the same air filter, but you can't make traffic the same on every trip)...
 
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
This is why there are OEM oil specs. They do this testing for you.


And use actual tear downs, not UOA's
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
This is why there are OEM oil specs. They do this testing for you.


And use actual tear downs, not UOA's
wink.gif



I have said this and many others also. Folks here put WAY too much emphasis on a UOA.

IMO. YMMV...
 
Yes, teardown inspections are the way that engine manufacturers assess how their engines wear, but not many consumers are going to want to tear down an engine that's running fine to find out how it's wearing.
 
Originally Posted By: 4wheeldog
I guess I can only say what I do......Which is choose an oil for an application, according to requirements, oil reputation and makeup. Then I run that, pretty much until there is a reason to change my thinking.

For instance.......I used to live in CA, where it seldom got below 30F much at all. I used 5W/30 Mobil 1 in all my 4 wheeled vehicles. Then I move to New Messico, where it drops to 0F overnight many times a winter......And occasionally as low as -20F. So I now uses 0W/30 Mobil 1 AFE.

I still use 15W/50 Mobil 1 in my BMW motorcycle, since I never ride below 20F. And I use 5W/40 (Rotella or Delo, whichever is cheaper) in my other motorcycles, and most of my other equipment. I do use 0W/30 German Castrol in my snowblower......Though I am pretty sure the AFE would work fine there, as well.
Sandias or Monzanos?
 
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