My plan for transitioning to synthetic

[JohnLB]

Greetings. I've spent dozens of hours here and all over the internet looking at experiences and opinions regarding synthetic vs. conventional. There are clearly two types of people: knowledgeable ones who have gone synthetic, and those who don't seem open minded about it. Therefore, I am going to try group 1. I have a family fleet of Toyota 4 cylinder engines, and the reduced OCI of a good synthetic is the main feature I am interested in giving the number of vehicles I am managing. None of them consumes any oil at all (yes, I am THAT good ;]), and all are predominantly highway driven, few trips of less than 5 miles ever.

Because the 2008 RAV4 in my fleet is the only one for which Toyota overtly recommends synthetic (0W20), I am trying it first. My plan, as it stands, is to use Mobil 1 extended, with a K&N filter, and an analysis at 7500 miles followed by another at 10-12k miles if the first one indicates OK. Why K&N? Because I am worried that one year/15000 miles may result in a difficult removal.

In all my reading, I've never found anyone whose engine failed on synthetic, except for a handful of people who pushed it beyond 20k miles.

A successful transition to 15000 miles will result in applying the Mobil EP to the whole fleet.

I'm seeking comments from the knowledgable crowd.

TIA

 

[Mark_Walk]

I dont think Mobil1 makes a 0w20 EP do they?

 

[Clevy]

We cannot make accurate suggestions without first knowing your vehicles and mileages on them.
As far as your rav4 goes I suggest using the Toyota branded 0w-20. Its called tgmo. Its made for your vehicles and is considered by most here to be one of the best 0w-20 grades available.
It has a very high viscosity index and will flow very quickly and it is also ideal fr your short tripping.
Do just as you were going to as far as getting the uoa done at 7500miles,then make decisions from there are far as extending the interval.
Your oil filter will do the 15000 mile interval with ease,so even if the oil is spent at analysis time I wouldn't change it,just run it out to your 15000 mile fci.
Fwiw I run napa golds,and fram tg out to 15000-20000 and the filters are easy to remove. Remember to oil the gasket and only tighten with one hand as to not overdo it. I've never had issue removing a filter I installed,nor have I had one leak. As soon as I feel contact I go an extra 1/4-1/2 turn more.
Just my personal experience.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Mark_Walk
I dont think Mobil1 makes a 0w20 EP do they?


I cannot say for sure however I vaguely remember a post where I think someone may have mentioned it.
If not in the EP line the AFE is a good oil and is long drain capable in the right application.

 

[Hethaerto]

The K&N filter is designed for high flow thus reduced filtration. It's a racing filter.

Go with another like M1 or Purolator.

 

[Hethaerto]

The K&N is well made. It has a bolt-head cast into it's body to enable fast removal/replacement with a pneumatic tool. Speed of replacement plus high flow = racing filter.

 

[FZ1]

2 things are true. 1. Synthetic is a better fluid. 2.The cars are more likley to leak with synthetic. I would stay with the oil you are currently running or no more than a syn blend. Jmo

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: Hethaerto
The K&N filter is designed for high flow thus reduced filtration. It's a racing filter.

Go with another like M1 or Purolator.


This is not entirely correct. There are different kinds of K&N oil filters. The automotive filters are 99% efficient. It is not "reduced filtration" filter.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Use whatever oil YOU want to use. And, if you feel the need to change your filter, change it when YOU want to. Be it at 1 OCI, or multiple OCIs.
My current vehicle has only seen synthetic oil once. Most of its life has been semi synthetic. It's spec'd for 5W20 but I am using a 5W30 conventional. And you know what? The engine is still in 1 piece.
If, in the future I can afford synthetic oil I might use it again.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: JohnLB
Greetings. I've spent dozens of hours here and all over the internet looking at experiences and opinions regarding synthetic vs. conventional. There are clearly two types of people: knowledgeable ones who have gone synthetic, and those who don't seem open minded about it. Therefore, I am going to try group 1. I have a family fleet of Toyota 4 cylinder engines, and the reduced OCI of a good synthetic is the main feature I am interested in giving the number of vehicles I am managing. None of them consumes any oil at all (yes, I am THAT good ;]), and all are predominantly highway driven, few trips of less than 5 miles ever.

Because the 2008 RAV4 in my fleet is the only one for which Toyota overtly recommends synthetic (0W20), I am trying it first. My plan, as it stands, is to use Mobil 1 extended, with a K&N filter, and an analysis at 7500 miles followed by another at 10-12k miles if the first one indicates OK. Why K&N? Because I am worried that one year/15000 miles may result in a difficult removal.

In all my reading, I've never found anyone whose engine failed on synthetic, except for a handful of people who pushed it beyond 20k miles.

A successful transition to 15000 miles will result in applying the Mobil EP to the whole fleet.

I'm seeking comments from the knowledgable crowd.

TIA


With the mostly highway driving, your fleet vehicles are great candidates for extended OCIs and synthetic.

Your plan to sample the oil at 7500 miles sounds like a good one. However IMO if you plan to go to 15k for your OCI, then you may want to look into a filter designed to go that distance, either the Amsoil or Mobil 1 Extended Performance filters.

Toyota's 0w20 is unarguably one of the best around, so you could use that with confidence, and extend based on sample results. If for some reason it doesn't make it to 15k, then Amsoil is a good bet for extended drains. There is also likely a M1 oil that is recommended for extended drains and I'm sure the M1 crowd will be here shortly.

No one has said it yet, so

to BITOG.

 

[KitaCam]

Re: plan for transitioning

Consider a syn with the same weight range (5w-30?) as the recommended conventional...

I've been transitioning with kitacamry too...by going from PYB to PP 5w-30 in Kitacamry @ 100k miles. Engine is smooth as silk....and quiet as silk in a breeze...burn is about 1/2qt per 3k miles, when previously was 1/3qt per 3k miles with PYB...

I've read that the 1st OCI with syn may burn a bit more as part of the cleaning process, and that burn may be less between 1/2 down and "L" than between "F" and 1/2 down...

This is my 1st run with syn (and I only had the camry for the 3k miles when I changed from PYB to PP) so we'll see about both over the remainder of this OCI (3k mi) and 2nd OCI with PP 5w-30 over 7k miles/9mos...

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Kuato

With the mostly highway driving, your fleet vehicles are great candidates for extended OCIs and synthetic...

There is also likely a M1 oil that is recommended for extended drains and I'm sure the M1 crowd will be here shortly.

...


Yeah sorry I missed that you mentioned M1 EP already!

 

[JohnLB]

OP here. Thanks to all for the input. You're right, Mobil doesn't seem to
make EP in 0W20. They do make AFE in that flavor. I was hesitant to consider
Toyota 0W20 because of limited sources from which to procure it (seems
to be pretty much just dealer or eBay). Any other good options for buying it?

 

[CATERHAM]

TGMO 0W-20 is made by Mobil but being an OEM oil it is as you say generally only available from Toyota/Lexus dealers.
The Mazda High Moly 0W-20 is another OEM oil that's highly praised if a Mazda dealer is closer to you.

The OEM 0W-20 oils are unique from the aftermarket 0W-20 oils, the later being heavier primarily when the oil is cold but they are lighter than the 5W-20 grade.

So if you can pick-up an OEM 0W-20 for a reasonable price that's your first choice, but if that's not convenient an aftermarket 0W-20 like Mobil Super 0W-20 or any other is fine.

 

[fdcg27]

Just put M1 AFE 0W-20 in each car as you change its oil, assuming that a twenty is within the recommendations for all of them.
XOM recommends AFE in the thirty and twenty flavors for any car speced for a 5W- of either respectively.
TGMO would also be a good choice and you can probably get a deal if you buy in quantity from a Toyota store.
I don't know that I'd run 15K from the first.
Maybe try 12K with a UOA for each car.
You can get a deal on a ten pack of Polaris UOA kits.
Since your fleet is mainly highway driven, I'd say that 15K is probably reasonable.
I'm going to assume that these engines are reasonably clean, since I'm guessing that you gave them regular changes on conventional oil.

 

[JohnLB]

My engines are very clean. I've always used a synthetic blend of my own making (25% PP/75% Castrol Dino) by and large, changing every 4 months/4000 miles. No sign of any consumption.

I take it I can safely go 0W30 in any engine spec'd for 5W30 also? I live in New England where it is sometimes below 0, and sometimes the cars get parked outside.

Thank you for your time and patience, everyone.

 

[fdcg27]

Check out the M1 site.
I don't know of any applications speced for 5W-30 where XOM doesn't recommend 0W-30 AFE.
It really shouldn't matter, since either oil will fall within the thirty grade range at operating temperatures.
As long as you're confident that you have clean engines, and with 4/4 changes with any oil, you should, you can confidently double that with either M1 or TGMO.
You might also be able to double that interval with conventional oil, particularly based upon how you use your cars, but that's another discussion.

 

[teddyboy]

Last time I checked, M1 AFE 0W20 is still less than $25 for a 5 qt jug at Wal Mart and almost certainly easier to get than TGMO 0W20. A UOA on my wife's 07 4 cylinder Camry at just under 10K miles suggested there was life left in the oil so your plan to change at 10K seems sound. I wouldn't do 10K ocis on any engine that is sludge prone; 5K with synthetic has kept my 97 Camry with the infamous 5SFE absolutely spotless in the words of the mechanic who changed the valve cover gasket.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

Perhaps you'd like to hear my plan to go to synthetics:

1) Dump old oil
2) Install new oil
3) Done

As for oil filters, just don't crank them down as hard as they can go and use a cap rather than a strap wrench.

The Go X Miles and Analize the Oil is a standard plan for any plan of action around here.

My fleet is seven deep, along with the two that the kids living away from home bring over. All use 5k mile intervals regardless of oil type. It's just so much easier to keep track of miles when you change on the 5's and 0's. But, of course, none of them are really all highway miles.