Mobil Super Synthetic- how long to run Toyota 2.5

[TmanP]

Just wondering, for a 2012 Camry 2.5 (2AR-FE), how long you all would run Mobil Super Synthetic 0w20. (The car has just 36,000 miles on it.)
Toyota says 10k miles on 'any' 0w20 but the "Maintenance Required" light comes on every 5k miles for an "inspection" and tire rotation.
Since I'm away at school, I have to get it changed someplace and the best-reviewed place I found uses Mobil Super 0w20 and Toyota filters (crush washers too), but recommends changing at 5k miles, "could stretch to 7500 at the most". I feel like that's pretty early, though Mobil Super's warranty is just 7500 miles, I believe. This place will do it for $48, most other reputable shops/dealers charge $60-90.
The car is driven in midwest weather, so extremes on both ends of the temperature spectrum. It gets a mix of city driving (but not many very short trips of less than 5-10 minutes), urban freeway driving trips of 15-25 minutes or so, and some interstate driving. I'd say it gets driven pretty normally, not overly gently or very aggressively either, though it does see some faster driving and higher engine speeds when merging. Basically, it spends most of its time at 2-2.5k rpm, but I'm not afraid to accelerate either. Probably 1000 miles a month or so, and about as variable trip-wise as possible.

So, would you run the Mobil Super Synthetic for 7500-8k miles? Or push it to the full 10k miles?

 

[dave1251]

10K is far from pushing it. Mobil Super 0W20 is very close to TGMO. I have used $2 Formula Shell at 10K and the engine is still clean.

 

[Blueskies123]

I do mostly highway driving with cruise control on so I do not mind pushing mine to 10,000. If you have a lot of short runs with stop and go you could go 7500

 

[oil_film_movies]

Since Mobil Super Syn 0w20 is a dexos1 Gen2 oil, 10,000 miles is OK, that is IF your trips allow the oil to warm up (80% or more trips must be warmed up oil ones), like 10 miles minimum.
If you short-trip it a lot, where the oil doesn't get hot, then change at 6 months or 6, 000 miles. Go 1 year or 10k miles where at least 80% of your trips are 10 miles or more.
Actually dexos1 Gen2 is a tougher spec than Toyota's minimum SN GF-5 spec they recommend.

 

[StevieC]

UOA to be sure but you should be fine.

 

[supton]

I have a 2011 and the maintenance light comes on every 5k. It's not an OLM. Rather Toyota likes having tire rotations every 5k, and that works well with oil changes on every other dealer visit.

Same engine, seems fine with 0W20, but I decided to use 5k OCI's in winter due to "many" short trips. Makes me feel better. I doubt it matters much.

In your case maybe an oil change spring/fall would work, just do on a convenient weekend. Or if it's getting 12k/year then bump up to uber-good Mobil whatever and do a change every spring.

 

[Gene K]

I used to have a truck I put 9,500 mi a year on with a 6,000 mi service interval (OCI went to 8,000 mi the next year) and I changed around Nov 15 and April 15. That was 7 months in the warmer months and 5 months in the cooler months. I ran PYB 10W30 in the summer and 5W30 in the winter. Nobody said the intervals have to be even.

 

[bbhero]

Originally Posted by dave1251
10K is far from pushing it. Mobil Super 0W20 is very close to TGMO. I have used $2 Formula Shell at 10K and the engine is still clean.



^^^^^^^

Dave 1251 has it right in my opinion.

 

[wdn]

I have the 1AR-FE which is the 2.7L version of the same engine. Mine takes 0W-20.or 5W-20 oil. You are fine with the Mobil Super synthetic. Mobil says "Mobil Super Synthetic 0W-20 is suitable for use in Honda and Toyota vehicles where a 0W-20 viscosity is required. "

https://www.mobil.com/english-us/passenger-vehicle-lube/pds/glxxmobil-super-synthetic

Their warranty says "The Mobil Superâ„¢ Synthetic limited warranty is valid for 7,500 miles or your vehicle's OEM recommended oil change interval, whichever is longer." So it would be covered for a full 10,000 miles but Mobil's warranty also requires you to change the oil every 6 months. Based on the miles you drive you will reach the 6 months long before the 10,000 miles so would still need to change it twice a year.

The stuff about it being dexos1 Gen2 licensed or not might be of interest to a General Motors vehicle owner but GM builder approval has no bearing on your Toyota engine, which does not need it.

 

[wdn]

I agree with supton, you might also consider switching to Mobil 1 EP which guarantees 15,000 miles or once a year for the oil change interval. With an extended use oil filter and you could change the oil at the one year mark: 12,000 miles. Castrol Edge EP would do the same but you seem happy with the Mobil product line.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted by dave1251
10K is far from pushing it. Mobil Super 0W20 is very close to TGMO. I have used $2 Formula Shell at 10K and the engine is still clean.


That's not saying much. How about telling us the lifetime of your engine. For one OCI of 10K on conventional will not dirty-up an otherwise clean engine.

BTW..... if there were only two different oils on the entire earth, I would choose Formula Shell conventional over Mobil SuperSyn. I was shocked by how much my Colorado consumed Mobil SuperSyn and by how loud the engine seemed at idle.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by dave1251
10K is far from pushing it. Mobil Super 0W20 is very close to TGMO. I have used $2 Formula Shell at 10K and the engine is still clean.


That's not saying much. How about telling us the lifetime of your engine. For one OCI of 10K on conventional will not dirty-up an otherwise clean engine.

BTW..... if there were only two different oils on the entire earth, I would choose Formula Shell conventional over Mobil SuperSyn. I was shocked by how much my Colorado consumed Mobil SuperSyn and by how loud the engine seemed at idle.



This engine nearly 9 years and 100K miles. The majority of its life it has been serviced with a stash of SM GF-4 oils.