Oil recommendation/consumption for a 00 camry

[insomnia]

Car: 00 camry LE, 5s-FE engine(sludge monster) 4 banger engine with 130k miles
Oil/filter: PYB 5w30/pureone every 3000-4000miles since day 1,
Location: TX with 40F-100F, parked outside
Driving: mostly highway. Though lots of stop-n-go during rush hour, sometimes it will take me 30mins to inch forward a mile. ~1500miles/month

I've been lurking BITOG for a while, though I've a question about oil consumption, about half a quart every 3000 miles. Also, should I switch oil? Now PYB, Maxlife, Castro GTX are all the same price (~$15). I also opened the valve cover about 5k miles ago, there's varnish (harmless?) and very little sludge. Is there anything I should try to "clean" it, or just keep doing what I'm doing and seafoam it every other oil change?

Thanks

 

[dgee]

I'd run a high detergent oil such as PP for two or three 5k OCI's then try Maxlife to see if that helps reduce oil cunsumption.

 

[Fallguy]

High mileage oils are not hype, although this is what I originally thought.

They typically run thicker in the grade range oils can be manufactured under and still classified as a grade (cst #), have extra seal conditioners and more wear protectors as most high mileage vehicles are out of warranty.

Suggest Any of the Valvoline Maxlife products (one is a blend the other is synthetic). Must say Maxlife somewhere on the bottle, not just "synpower" as that is the regular not high mileage synthetic.

Would suggest Quaker State High mileage if you want a non synthetic. Has Moly & Boron for wear protection.

Look at the 100c Section of the chart down below the bar graphs for how much an oil can vary in grade.

Skip the seafoam if all you see is a little varnish, think it would be aggressive overkill.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/index....8&Itemid=55

 

[silvert4r]

10 year old car consuming half a quart per 3K is not much to worry about. You can try the maxlife as mentioned above or try a thicker weight. What are you running now? I wouldn't add any synthetic after a long life of conventional only, with any synthetic it'll likely accelerate the consumption.

If you want to do some cleanup you don't need seafoam or any additive, just shorten your intervals. It will clean slowly but surely.

Good luck.

 

[insomnia]

I'm currently running PYB 5w30 with a pureone filter. I know half a quart/3000miles is not a lot of oil, but the OCD part of me just want to be sure and make sure my car is taken car of. Hopefully, it will last till 250k miles.

 

[sangyup81]

5S-FE is a junior sludge monster. The real sludgemonster is the 1MZ-FE V6 found in the V6 version.

I go 7500 miles with that same car and engine on PP and have zero sludge.

 

[Fallguy]

Dont use Fram filters. The filtering media is ok or even good actually but the construction is cra-pola in all other respects (paper end caps on the pleat ends etc). Suggest Napa Gold Filters or Wix as what Napa Gold actually is (has very good micron rating without upsetting flow).

 

[dtt004]

Hi.

To answer your original question, you can stick to your original routine. You can also save some change by switching to conventional mineral oil and keeping the same oil change intervals. Your driving conditions don't seem to be extraordinary at all...much better than what a lot of cars here in Southern California see. All the stated oils are excellent.

I don't mean to digress from your original question but I have some opinions I would like to voice.

Yes, I agree with sangyup81 about the 5S-FE being a sludge monster. I personally believe that any engine that hasn't been maintained as well, will develop sludge. However, the design of that engine's ventilation system probably makes it more prone to the bad habits than others. But I think that if you put that engine next to a so-called "easy on oil/clean" engine...and clogged them both with same ventilation and lubrication design...and ran them the same...they would both develop sludge equally.

My mom has a 1996 Toyota Camry with the same engine. It passed the 216,000 mile mark yesterday. I replaced her valve cover gasket and the spark plug gaskets at 200,000 miles. It was very clean inside, slight yellow oil tinge on the metal parts and minimal varnish. I replaced the PCV valve at the same spark plug intervals (one at 100,000 and another at 200,000). I also change her oil every 5000 miles. It burns a quart every 5000 miles. I used a Walmart Supertech filter and some Chevron 5w30 that I had running around in my garage. Excellent filter and oil for the money by the way. I use Supertech filters with full confidence.

Pretty sweet! You can easily run that car for a very long time.

 

[901Memphis]

That consumption is fine. Try maxlife anyway

 

[insomnia]

Thankyou everyone, I just got a 5 quart jug of maxlife (blend) @ wal-mart for $13.50 with a pureone filter from AAP.

Though, is it bad that I only change my crush washer every other oil change?

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: insomnia
Thankyou everyone, I just got a 5 quart jug of maxlife (blend) @ wal-mart for $13.50 with a pureone filter from AAP.

Though, is it bad that I only change my crush washer every other oil change?


I have gone through the entire life of a car on the original crush waher, by which I mean from new to 200K plus.
As long as it seals without excessive tightening, a crush washer need not be replaced.

 

[tig1]

Switch to M1 5-30HM. May begine to clean up engine.

 

[electrolover]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: insomnia
Thankyou everyone, I just got a 5 quart jug of maxlife (blend) @ wal-mart for $13.50 with a pureone filter from AAP.

Though, is it bad that I only change my crush washer every other oil change?


I have gone through the entire life of a car on the original crush waher, by which I mean from new to 200K plus.
As long as it seals without excessive tightening, a crush washer need not be replaced.



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