I live in Alexandria, VA and I was wondering which is best, I plan on keeping my truck until the wheels fall off (then I go and buy bigger ones)

What is best for my truck, which grade of oil as well?

 

A search will yield a wealth of information. For my 2 cents: synthetic in the same viscosity recommended in the owner's manual. I use Toyota filters.

 

I've had numerous vehicles that I owned with over 200,000 miles on them in which I used dino oil and with oil/filter changes every 3-4,000 miles. I'm now using Mobil-1 in my (newer) 4Runner with expectations of equal or better engine life. My only reason for changing from dino to synthetic is because I'm getting too old to change my oil every 2 months. I run my synthetic about 10-12,000 miles with a filter change in between.

 

Running dino every 3000miles is better than running Synth every 6000miles, and cheaper.
End of story!

 

If your engine is pretty much stock, just use dino oil in the service grade and viscosity recommended by the owner's manual. (You can use a higher service grade, but don't use a lower one.) The Toyota engineers knew what they were doing when they designed your engine, so you should be fine using what the manual says to use.

 

Here we go again.... :pat:

Dino is good and cheap. Synthetic is great and expensive. I change my Mobil 1 at about 5K miles. It seems that sometime around there the 3.slow turns into a 3.reallyslow. 4Runnr may have something to his "3K + Dino" philosophy. Every oil has the capacity to hold a certain amount of contaminants in solution. And I'm sure that when this threshhold is approached, the oil may not perform as well as when it was fresh.

But fresh Mobil 1 "feels" like it makes my Corolla and 4Runner run better...and I get about 1mpg more on synthetic.

 

Oil is a scam, every wonder why Mobil1 has a fruity smell and taste just like Olive Oil

 

Here's what I've learned (whether it's true or false ?)

1. If you change oil regularly- every 3K-4K- than stick with dino oil
2. Synthetics are good for twice + as long drain intervals
3. Syn are better if you drive in extreme conditions because they don't break down like dino and don't sludge or thicken as dino does
4. oil actually gets better lubrication properties after it's been in your engine for a while- so people that change oil too frequently are just adding undue wear to the engine.
5. Syn is better for the environment because less changes means less waste

*edit
Now I think dino oil changes at 3K is a waste because the factory suggests 7500mile changes, I think. I gotta check the glove box next time on that one

 

The best oil is clean oil! Dino or synthetic your choice, either will serve you well.

 

I change my synthetic (amsoil 10w-30) every 3000 miles or so.

I like to change it before it has a chance to get dirty, which is the reason my oil comes out looking the same way it looked when it went in. Even after 150,000 miles.

 

Are those Canuck miles or American miles?

 

I do conversions for you yankee doodles.

 

I would use the synthetics. If you run the synthetics you can do 6 month 7500 miles easily or once a year. I would use either Mobil 1 or Amsoil both are very good synths. No need to change synth at 3000 miles, 3 months its a huge waste of money. UOA's prove that synths are good to at least 7500 miles. 10w30 should be good.

 

How often is too often to change my oil? I have an 88 pickup 4x4 and have been changing the oil every 1000 miles cause the previous owner abused the truck a bit so im trying to clean it out. Am i changing it too often?

 

Don't loose a lot of sleep over this. Stick with dino and 3-4k oil/filter changes if you're not a high mileage driver. The body will probably fall off the chassis before you'd see engine problems using dino vs. synthetic. Everyone has their opinion. You'll need to decide.

HEY FIRSTOY!!!
I NEVER, EVER heard that dirty oil lubricates better than fresh. HAHAHAHA!!! Wanna' buy a bridge!!!

 

He never said a dirty oil lubricates better, "he said it has better lubrication properties after it has been in the engine awhile" and since synthetic usually comes out as clean as it went in at low change intervals it's just being wasted

Im switching to M1 and leaving it for 7500-10,000 which ever is the next time I can change it

 

Premium synthetic is a much better product. Living in a cold enviroment- synthetic performs even better. Less oil changes. I change every 10K miles with oil filters changes at 5K. Someone said they use amsoil and change their oil every 3K miles? That is a waste of money.