Engine Oil

[todd332]

I have been using Valvoline high milage 10w30 oil for the last 100,000 miles . I was planning on switching to Exxon mobil 1 . I was wondering with the car having 214, 000 miles on it , would exxon mobile 1 be a better brand to be using? or stay with the Valvoline?

[SW03ES]

I wouldn't switch to Synthetic at that high mileage. Sometimes when you switch to synthetic at mileage that high you can develop oil leaks and blow-by.

[todd332]

I wouldn't switch to Synthetic at that high mileage. Sometimes when you switch to synthetic at mileage that high you can develop oil leaks and blow-by.

I mean the brand name oil ..should i use mobil 1 instead of valv.

[Toysrme]

bobistheoilguy.com

walmart + $18 = 5 quarts of Mobil1 synthetic.

[mburnickas]

I have been using Valvoline high milage 10w30 oil for the last 100,000 miles . I was planning on switching to Exxon mobil 1 . I was wondering with the car having 214, 000 miles on it , would exxon mobile 1 be a better brand to be using? or stay with the Valvoline?

It is a catch 22 I feel. If you know the complete history of the car or oil testings (for oxd, nox etc) you could switch and be fine. The problem is you might have leaks (as SW03ES stated). It is NOT the synthetic oil making the leaks, it is the synthetic oil cleaning out the sludge etc (that is covering the leaks).

Mobil 1 is a good oil if you are doing normal drains. Since you are using Valvoline high milage already I would stick to a high milage oil (dino); Valvoline or not. Really does not matter on the brand. I would just worry 9(due to high miles) that ANY synthetic oil might couse seal leaks (due to reasons above). Unless you know more about the cars history.

The highest I have switched to synthetic oils was around 120,000 miles and was fine.

[monarch]

No it would not be a good idea switch for two reasons:

1. At least three people on the forum have reported serious engine oil leaks (serious in the sense they'd cost over $1,000 to fix) after switching to Mobil 1.

2. Hundreds of members of the Toyota 400,000 mile club have used a wide variety of brands and types of oil. Most used conventional oil. So what practical benefit does Mobil 1 really offer? Especially compared to the risk of $1,000+ oil leak repair bills.

[mburnickas]

No it would not be a good idea switch for two reasons:

1. At least three people on the forum have reported serious engine oil leaks (serious in the sense they'd cost over $1,000 to fix) after switching to Mobil 1.

As I stated above, if you get leaks with a synthetic oil, the leaks WERE always there. The dino is acting like a band-aid or sludge (that you have) is acting like a false seal. The synthetic is cleaning out the leak sooner then later. So the engine will leak, it is a matter of time. No matter the oil. Just depends on your the owner do you want to get using the band aid to give a false-seal and hope that it does not leak?

But only 3 memebrs on this forum: that is 0.012% of reg. users. Or comparing it to the Lexus/Toyota sludge prone engine; the engines are 250% MORE apt to get sludge then leaks from Mobil 1 oi.

2. Hundreds of members of the Toyota 400,000 mile club have used a wide variety of brands and types of oil. Most used conventional oil. So what practical benefit does Mobil 1 really offer? Especially compared to the risk of $1,000+ oil leak repair bills.

Please do a search since the beenfits have been discussed more times then posts like, "where to buy parts".

[monarch]

Here is what can happen:

alsalih wrote the following yesturday in regards to his 1998 LS400: "I went from a perfectly dry car to massive leaks 4K miles after switching to Mobile 1 and I switched right back to regular oil and I'm pleased to say that 2K miles since the switch back my seals have swelled back and the car is no longer leaking."

rtd111 wrote the following yesterday in regards to his 1991 LS400: "I changed oil about 1500 mi ago, changing from regular to Mobil Synthetic. That was the first time I switched to synthetic in this car. Perhaps by coincidence, perhaps due to thinner synthetic I have had a small engine oil leak for about the last 600+ miles. It may have started sooner given the drip has gotten increasingly noticeable to a small puddle every 2 out of 3 times I drive the car."

[steviej]

todd332

I have been using synthetic in my last three cars with no problems.

All the cars had oil change intervals of 3000 to 5000 miles from the get go. My last car, since I didn't pick it up until it had 90,000 miles never spilt a drop of oil even when switching over to synthetic at that time. I know the maint. history/oil change interval because all the records came with the car.

Anyway,

Try mobil 1 synthetic if you wish and watch it. Don't judge by the first week or so, because some oil will inevitably spill out from the removal and replacement of the filter. Give that time to dry up before you make actual assessment of true leakage if you are basing it on oil spots on the driveway.

If in fact you do develop a leak, just drain out the synthetic and go back to a conventional formulation.

steviej

[rosecityrain]

I have been using Valvoline high milage 10w30 oil for the last 100,000 miles . I was planning on switching to Exxon mobil 1 . I was wondering with the car having 214, 000 miles on it , would exxon mobile 1 be a better brand to be using? or stay with the Valvoline?

My brother in law gave me his 92 300ES at 225,000 miles because he thought the tranny was kaput. Turns out, it was the radiator ($134.00) The car now has around 240,000 miles on it.

I switched to synthetic and had no problems at all. No leaks, nothing. Now, my brother in law is a lawyer and meticulously had the dealer maintain this car. I have all service records.

So, I don't know what to tell ya, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it :whistles:

rosie