First Oil Change

[Airtraffic]

I did my first oil change on my '95 SC400 since bringing it home from the selling dealer. I bought it from a VW dealer who did an oil change on it when they got it.

I assumed that the car dealer, wanting to keep their costs low, serviced it with whatever bulk oil they use for every car they service. I asked the salesman, who didn't know what it was serviced with..

So anyway.. I bought 5.5 quarts of Castrol Syntech synthetic 5W30 oil, and changed the oil and filter. I noticed when I started the car the other day after it sat for a day or two that I heard the valves tapping until the car warmed up. Something I had not heard before. I wondered if this was due to the change in oil that was used.. Does everyone here use 5W30 as specified in the manual? Has anyone found that 10W30 is better or that certain oils cause noisy valvetrains more than others? The car has only 75,000 miles on it and purrs like a kitten.. so there are no issues with the engine mechanically.. Only this noise until the oil warms up a bit.

Thanks!

[TXSC3]

Tapping is normal in any car if it has been sitting for a day or more and all of the oil drained from the top end into the bottom end. However, oil filters are vital in any car. Stick to the OEM part cause Toyota filters usually have a valve in them that prevents all of the oil being sucked out for a dry start.

I have gone a step further and stick with the V8 Lexus filter in my SC300 just because it looks much better built. Someone did an excellent write up on it over at the Supra forum.

http://www.mkiv.com/techarticles/parts/toy...lter/index.html

[eatingupblacktop]

The reason to use thinner viscosity oil in the winter is to provide quicker flow in cold weather. If the tapping continues after warm up, you would likely need to adjust the valves. Also, as TX suggests, I'd stay with oem filters.