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At 51,000 miles and 2 years old I'm not sure how much is left on the warranty so in the past I've just done the Valvoline thing. I could go to my mechanic but you have to make an appointment, not quite as convenient.
So take aways synthetic oil isn't better? but somehow doesn't need to be changed as frequently. Change my oil every year even if I don't make it to 10,000. Change at 10,000 IF I am using synthetic.
I bought this used at a super max sort of Toyota dealer on the highway. It was owned by one of dealers apparently. It has whatever oil in it the dealer put in it, I have no idea what.
At 51,000 miles and 2 years old I'm not sure how much is left on the warranty so in the past I've just done the Valvoline thing. I could go to my mechanic but you have to make an appointment, not quite as convenient.
So take aways synthetic oil isn't better? but somehow doesn't need to be changed as frequently. Change my oil every year even if I don't make it to 10,000. Change at 10,000 IF I am using synthetic.
I bought this used at a super max sort of Toyota dealer on the highway. It was owned by one of dealers apparently. It has whatever oil in it the dealer put in it, I have no idea what.
Your vehicle calls for 0W20 oil with a 10K/annual change interval. In the case of my Avalon, there was a service bulletin sent out to the dealers instructing them to ONLY use 0W20 synthetic (no blend). I would not be surprised if the situation is similar regarding your 4Runner. Since you purchased it from a Toyota dealer, that's probably what is in the crankcase.
Regarding the warranty, did you buy it as a certified-used? If so the warranty is 6yr/100K.
I use the dealer for everything. They always have coupons/discounts for service and I can make an appointment online. It's actually more expensive for me to go to a Jiffy Lube type place and get the proper oil than it is to just go to the dealer.
I was just there Friday, had a 10:00 appointment, arrived at 9:40, and I pulled out of there at 10:20. They even washed it.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't put 10K on mine in a year and never will. So, I just get it changed every year at this time.
“Oil protects critical engine components from damage and AAA found that synthetic engine oils performed an average of 47 percent better than conventional oils in a variety of industry-standard tests,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “With its superior resistance to deterioration, AAA’s findings indicate that synthetic oil is particularly beneficial to newer vehicles with turbo-charged engines and for vehicles that frequently drive in stop-and-go traffic, tow heavy loads or operate in extreme hot or cold conditions.”
I read an article many years ago comparing synthetic oil to conventional. What it said, more or less, was that synthetic oil was better than conventional oil. That is, the oil itself will last longer. But, (there's always a but) any oil that is in the engine, no matter what kind, gets contaminated with tiny bits of metal et.al. as the engine wears. These particles are so small that they pass right through the filter. So now, these tiny bits of metal are being pumped through your engine along with the oil. To remove the particles you must change the oil, even if the oil still has life left in it. Conventional oil will last a minimum of 10,000 miles which is why some manufacturers recommend 10,000 mile oil changes for some cars, and don't specify synthetic. Will the synthetic last 50,000 miles? Probably. Do you want those little particles being pumped through your engine for that many miles? Not me.
Another reason I don't use synthetic is that I don't trust people in general (some have outright lied in this thread, or maybe they're ignorant). I could pay the extra for synthetic and the mechanic may just put in conventional oil. I would have no way of knowing what oil is actually in the engine.
My manufacturer recommends conventional oil, so that's what I use. I have doubled the recommended interval however and the used oil analysis confirms that the additive package in the oil is still effective and the oil itself still has plenty of life left in it at 10,000 miles. This is for my car, YMMV.
Places like Jiffy-Lube, Valvoline (oil change place), Grease Monkey, SpeeDee Lube, etc. are getting killed by the manufacturers that are recommending longer oil change intervals like 10,000 or even 15,000 miles. Going from what they (the oil change guys) want you to do, change oil every 3,000 mile, to the manufacturer's recommended interval of 10,000, reduces their customers by more than 60%. They likely won't survive unless they are the only game in town.
If you want to help out your local businesses, by all means have your oil changed every 3,000 miles. It won't hurt a thing, and it will help out the local economy. I would, but I just don't feel that I can afford it. Sorry Mr. Mechanic.
Last edited by Neosec; 10-30-2017 at 07:32 AM..
Reason: Clarification
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