Simply The Best

[93ls400walt]

Amsoil is 'simply the best' synthetic.  :whistles:    B) 

http://www.amsoil.com/performancetests/amsoil_vs_mobil1.aspx 

 

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Well, I thought I would add my input for what it is worth.

#1) lets see some oil test here since all I see are oil names with nothing to back it up. Not saying you guys are wrong but lets see the numbers here.

#2) So far a lot of the oils named are lacking n several areas.

I could go on and on, but when someone does post some oils UOA, or an oil that is higher the 3.5 in HTHS, over 3,000 ppm of Ca, and over 1100 to 1200 of ZDDP, lets talk here.

Oh, I also wanta VI over 180 please and no ash either. Also I high TBN over 11.5 to.

I have some oil tests on my auto online. Also just did another longer drain and sending the test out tomorrow. So far, I spend a WHOPPING $50 for my group 4/5 oil changed and that INCLUDES the OIL TEST. I change my oil from 11, to 12K+ miles; anything less would be flat out crazy in my eyes. These longer drains only happen with a group 4/5 oil too so do not try it with your walfart oils.

To date, I have YET to find a better oil for the dollar then Amsoil. Show me a better oil that performs better, with all integral performace, and I will switch. Not saying Amsoil is the best hands down, but for the longevity, performance, protection, benefits etc, it wins.

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Thanks for the oil brand info. I would like to know what viscosity is best. I live in central Kentucky. Summer is 85-95 and winter is mostly 10 to 30 degrees F. Also, how about gear oil? Some say to increase vis. with synthtics. Is this true? Thanks, Walt.93LS400, 92,000 miles

[monarch]

Thanks for the oil brand info. I would like to know what viscosity is best. I live in central Kentucky. Summer is 85-95 and winter is mostly 10 to 30 degrees F. Also, how about gear oil? Some say to increase vis. with synthtics. Is this true? Thanks, Walt.93LS400, 92,000 miles

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5W-30 conventional oil is what the manual and oil filler cap specifies for use in both the summer and winter. Of the thousands of owners on this forum, NONE have ever reported a case of heavy engine wear or engine failure when they followed the owners manual instructions to use 5W-30 conventional oil and to change it at the prescribed intervals.

Ditto in regard to differential oil. The manual specifies 80W-90 conventional in climates where winter temps may get below zero degrees F. If you want to use synthetic anyway, use of 80W-90 synthetic sometimes results in higher noise levels. Using 75W-140 synthetic solves the noise problem.

[93ls400walt]

Thanks for the oil brand info. I would like to know what viscosity is best. I live in central Kentucky. Summer is 85-95 and winter is mostly 10 to 30 degrees F. Also, how about gear oil? Some say to increase vis. with synthtics. Is this true? Thanks, Walt.93LS400, 92,000 miles

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5W-30 conventional oil is what the manual and oil filler cap specifies for use in both the summer and winter. Of the thousands of owners on this forum, NONE have ever reported a case of heavy engine wear or engine failure when they followed the owners manual instructions to use 5W-30 conventional oil and to change it at the prescribed intervals.

Ditto in regard to differential oil. The manual specifies 80W-90 conventional in climates where winter temps may get below zero degrees F. If you want to use synthetic anyway, use of 80W-90 synthetic sometimes results in higher noise levels. Using 75W-140 synthetic solves the noise problem.

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Thank you Monarch for that oil info. Walt

[mburnickas]

so you want to use a 75-140 gear fluid in a car diff! LOL There goes some MPG...

You can use 5w30, 10w-40 or 0w30 and be fine. Most time the CAFE standards drive the oil, not the manufacture of the car.

And monarch is right, "NONE have ever reported a case of heavy engine wear or engine failure when they followed the owners manual instructions to use 5W-30 conventional oil and to change it at the prescribed intervals."

But then again I have better things then change oil every 5K too. Last time I compared oils, another owner with 5K miles and mine (12+K) compared oils. Lets say mine was WAY ahead of the game. Not bad for benefits all around.

If monarch would spend the few dollars and test his oil, 100 to 1 the oil I use with 2x the miles will out perform is Lexus/Toyota/Mobil oil. You get what you pay for.

Then again I will not even talk about the new 25K or 1 year oil filters manufactured from Donaldson. To much to handle. :D

[Lexusfreak]

The front & rear diff's on my wife's 2003 Forester call for 75w 90 (front) & 80w 90 (rear). I think I will use Amsoil Long life synthetic 75w 90 for both to keep things simple.....any opinions? B)

[mburnickas]

The front & rear diff's on my wife's 2003 Forester call for 75w 90 (front) & 80w 90 (rear).  I think I will use Amsoil Long life synthetic 75w 90 for both to keep things simple.....any opinions?  B)

 

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sure......you get the best gear fluid out there! :D

[sha4000]

how often do you have to change the dif. fluid?i have some of that mobile1 synthetic laying around so if i used it would i have to change it again real soon?

[mburnickas]

how often do you have to change the dif. fluid?i have some of that mobile1 synthetic laying around so if i used it would i have to change it again real soon?

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my Es has ATF or uses the same ATF as tranny. If using a synthetic diff it would go a long time. All the apps I use Amsoil diff in are "fill and forget"!

[Lexusfreak]

The front & rear diff's on my wife's 2003 Forester call for 75w 90 (front) & 80w 90 (rear).  I think I will use Amsoil Long life synthetic 75w 90 for both to keep things simple.....any opinions?   B)

 

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sure......you get the best gear fluid out there! :D

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Thanks mburn!

And yes, I agree if you use the Amsoil F & R diff fluid, it's pretty much put it in & forget it, it's will last that long. More expensive to be sure, but in the long run, I feel your actually saving. B)

[mburnickas]

Thanks mburn! 

And yes, I agree if you use the Amsoil F & R diff fluid, it's pretty much put it in & forget it, it's will last that long.  More expensive to be sure, but in the long run, I feel your actually saving.  B)

 

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no big deal. There gear and ATF are really good. I but there gear fluid in my tractor (4x4) over 3 years ago. Works,smells and looks like new.

Now the next one is there new oil filters. It is not the price I am worried about. it is the oil. In my year lexus the oil will "die" sooner then the new oil filters based on the oil tests. So I would be buying a filter that can go 25K but the oil is around 17K (based on the few tests I have done). The heat is the killer with this car.

[cardona6569]

just a thought.......

tomarrow i'm going to change my oil and already have oil but i was just wondering which brand is the best?

common sense would say toyota/lexus but if that's the case i don't have common sense because i use the quaker state advanced engine full syn.  on the back of the bottle it says "10 yr/ 250,000mi warranty even if you change your own oil" but i know that is a marketing scheme to get people to keep using the product, but i was just wondering if anyone uses different oil and how good it protects the engine. does it burn easy or cause blue smoke, is the acceleration brisk and smooth, how long until you add more or change the oil and what type of driving is performed with the car: heavy freeway, light freeway, heavy street, light street, or a mix?

me, i use the Q full syn advanced engine, with a mix of heavy freeway and light street and needs about two months before adding oil(1qt) and 3 before a oil change.  but with the new oil the acc is super smooth and the tach seems like it will never stop, w/o ect pwr.  the engine also seems more stable at high speeds(less vibration) and the oil may burn but it resists turning black

just wanted to know what fellow LS owners use because i realize that there is vast knowledge and expirence shared between members

any feedback is appreciated 

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Hello:

Quite a nice and informative discussion about oils and additives! I have been convinced that the Lucas additive is not the greatest thing. Tha Amsoil is great and that Mobil is pretty good. Valvoline is a great oil to clean your engine, but it may also wear it out faster; it seems not made to be put on for long periods unlike in the racetrack when you would change it faster than in our everyday cars.

Your oil leak can come from many places, mine had the valve gaskets loose, I went and torqued them and the oil leak is gone. Second, you may want to check the O-rings and gaskets of the timing belt area they are known to break down over time and leak oil. Also your valve spring gaskets could be worn also. But check the easiest first.

C. PR

[sha4000]

how often do you have to change the dif. fluid?i have some of that mobile1 synthetic laying around so if i used it would i have to change it again real soon?

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my Es has ATF or uses the same ATF as tranny. If using a synthetic diff it would go a long time. All the apps I use Amsoil diff in are "fill and forget"!

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thanks for the reply

[monarch]

how often do you have to change the dif. fluid?i have some of that mobile1 synthetic laying around so if i used it would i have to change it again real soon?

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Are you talking about the rear differential of your LS400? If so, the frequency of oil changes depends on your ownership plans and durability expections for the car. If you plan on selling or trading your LS400 before the 200,000 mile mark then you really don't need to change the oil because nothing in the differential mechanism is likely to badly wear or fail before then. If you plan on selling or trading your LS400 at between 200,000 - 300,000 miles then it would be desirable to change the diff. oil about every 100,000 miles. If you plan on keeping your LS400 for over 300,000 miles, then diff. oil changes every 75,000 miles would keep wear down to such low levels that you would likely be able to drive 500,000 miles or more without any rear end trouble. I've been changing the differential oil in my troublefree 467,000 mile Toyota pickup about every 75,000 miles.

[mburnickas]

how often do you have to change the dif. fluid?i have some of that mobile1 synthetic laying around so if i used it would i have to change it again real soon?

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Are you talking about the rear differential of your LS400? If so, the frequency of oil changes depends on your ownership plans and durability expections for the car. If you plan on selling or trading your LS400 before the 200,000 mile mark then you really don't need to change the oil because nothing in the differential mechanism is likely to badly wear or fail before then. If you plan on selling or trading your LS400 at between 200,000 - 300,000 miles then it would be desirable to change the diff. oil about every 100,000 miles. If you plan on keeping your LS400 for over 300,000 miles, then diff. oil changes every 75,000 miles would keep wear down to such low levels that you would likely be able to drive 500,000 miles or more without any rear end trouble. I've been changing the differential oil in my troublefree 467,000 mile Toyota pickup about every 75,000 miles.

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Based on your numbers if you plain I keeping the car forever and driving it to a million miles I would be changing the diff fluid every 250 miles.... :D LOL Hence, your “formula” is lucky at best.

Then again, you do not even talk about oil quality nor the oil type used. Then again you have not data to support you claim. But I will ask a loaded question since you talk about “ownership plans and durability expections” and “keep wear down to such low levels”.

What do these mean. Then you state “keep wear down to such low levels. What levels are high and what am I looking for? What good levels am I looking for? ow about TAN, etc. You do not even touch on these.

[Lexusfreak]

Now the next one is there new oil filters. It is not the price I am worried about. it is the oil. In my year lexus the oil will "die" sooner then the new oil filters based on the oil tests. So I would be buying a filter that can go 25K but the oil is around 17K (based on the few tests I have done). The heat is the killer with this car.

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Are you saying the new Amsoil oil filters are inferior mburn? I hear ya based on what I have read in regards to the engine gelling that heat is the killer....sounds like if you change the oil twice a year then one should be fine? Please do explain. B)

[mburnickas]

Now the next one is there new oil filters. It is not the price I am worried about. it is the oil. In my year lexus the oil will "die" sooner then the new oil filters based on the oil tests. So I would be buying a filter that can go 25K but the oil is around 17K (based on the few tests I have done). The heat is the killer with this car.

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Are you saying the new Amsoil oil filters are inferior mburn? I hear ya based on what I have read in regards to the engine gelling that heat is the killer....sounds like if you change the oil twice a year then one should be fine? Please do explain. B)

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No, I am saying in my Lexus (sludge engine) the oil will turn bad (oxidize, low TBN etc) long before the nano filters even go bad. There filters are really good & blow most filters out of the water. If I could drive 17K miles per year, the new filters still have 8K miles left on it. The price is pretty cheap; around $12 each. The problem is after one year I still have miles on the oil filter left.

I am going to run only 7.5K miles on this SDF and amsoil asl. Then going to run amsoil and toyota filter just for monarch.

After that I am going to try there new filters.

The old-school SDF filters were nice for two reasons; 1) new filter and 2) add more top off to the add pkg.

[Lexusfreak]

No, I am saying in my Lexus (sludge engine) the oil will turn bad (oxidize, low TBN etc) long before the nano filters even go bad. There filters are really good & blow most filters out of the water.  If I could  drive 17K miles per year, the new filters still have 8K miles left on it. The price is pretty cheap; around $12 each. The problem is after one year I still have miles on the oil filter left.

I am going to run only 7.5K miles on this SDF and amsoil asl. Then going to run amsoil and toyota filter just for monarch.

After that I am going to try there new filters.

The old-school SDF filters were nice for two reasons; 1) new filter and 2) add more top off to the add pkg.

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Looking forward to your results mburn! ;) Thanks for clairifying. B)

I just wonder how 'more significant' this new filter is all things considered, I mean geez the SDF filter is excellent to begin with.

[mburnickas]

Looking forward to your results mburn!  ;)  Thanks for clairifying.  B)

I just wonder how 'more significant' this new filter is all things considered, I mean geez the SDF filter is excellent to begin with. 

 

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I agree. The SDF I feel could go up to 15K miles. I think the extended drains are pushing the filters to last as long as the oil. Watch, in 3 to 5 years, you will see other manufactures doing the same thing (pushing longer intervals on filters). The days of short drains (even with turbo's) are coming to an end.

But there new filters are not made by baldwin (like the SDF's). Also the filters are better in eff. and cap.

It is like GM is even having oil (OEM) that last 20K and 30K miles.

For the $12 for the new filter....not a bad deal. Fill and that is about it. Maybe re-check oil level in 7 to 8K intervals :D :D :D :D

[Lexusfreak]

I agree. The SDF I feel could go up to 15K miles. I think the extended drains are pushing the filters to last as long as the oil. Watch, in 3 to 5 years, you will see other manufactures doing the same thing (pushing longer intervals on filters). The days of short drains (even with turbo's) are coming to an end.

But there new filters are not made by baldwin (like the SDF's). Also the filters are better in eff. and cap.

It is like GM is even having oil (OEM) that last 20K and 30K miles.

For the $12 for the new filter....not a bad deal. Fill and that is about it. Maybe re-check oil level in 7 to 8K intervals  :D  :D  :D  :D

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Cool! B) I have 2 SDF filters left & by then, I guess I won't have a choice but to switch to the new Ea filters. B)

[mburnickas]

yes, but then Amsoil will not even sell the sdf's anymore. I bet in 6 months they are out.

[Lexusfreak]

yes, but then Amsoil will not even sell the sdf's anymore. I bet in 6 months they are out.

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Agreed.....sooner is my guess, but I hear ya! B)