I have a 1998 Camry with 80,000 miles. This is one of those prone to sludge. I did an Autorx treatment and I am now done with the rinse and it is time for an oil change. I have always used regular oil, whatever the shop put in (usually Havoline, Kendall, or Shell). Toyota specifies 5w30 for this car.
The AutoRx cleaning got out some dirt, but the engine was not as dirty as I thought. I want to keep this car a long time, so I have decided to switch to synthetic with reasonable OCI's. After a lot of reading here, I have narrowed it down to three choices and would appreciate any imput.
The car runs fine, and there have never been any leaks. I know one option is sticking with regular oil, but I am willing to spend a little more for the peace of mind, especially considering the possibility of sludging in this engine.
Here are my choices and some commments,
1. Mobil 1 5w30. The only thing that concerns me here is that their bottle says the 5w30 is for newer engines and the 10w30 is for high mileage engines.
2. German Castrol 5w30. I can find this in the store. I am aware of the debates concerning Castrol so I do not want to open up that can of worms.
3. Valvoline High Mileage 5w30 Full Synthetic. I am thinking it may be the time to switch to a high mileage oil, and like this one because it is full synthetic. I have not seen any other high mileage full synthetic.
I am not looking for perfection. I am looking at what will be best for the long run. Any comments and suggestions are appreciated.