The way I understand it, is all the fluid oils are synthetic. Even the tranny according to my manual doesn't need service till 120k miles. And first oil changes not due till 10k. I'll be doing my first oil change at 5k then after that may go the full 10k.
90% of the posters in this thread need to read this
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/109588-oil-change-0w20-wtf.html thread. There are some good arguments and information in there. Read it then get back here with any questions. I would re-write it but after countless arguments from those ill prepared to debate and relying on their local service station hearsay I apparently don't know anything about this subject. I mean, how do you fight the argument "Piece of Mind" and "It's Cheap Insurance?" Never mind that every time you break into a closed system such as engine lubrication, braking system, fuel system and transmission you quite possibly introduce more abrasive contaminants yourself. And for those of you that "see" metal shavings and are concerned you know absolutely nothing about contaminants. Here is an excerpt from a technical article written by someone who actually knows something:
"TECHNICAL DISCUSSION:
Some Contaminants Cause More Damage
The level of damage particles cause to an engine
is directly related to the size of the particles. The
oil stream within the en
gine flows between wear-
sensitive surfaces that usually have clearances
between 2 and 22 microns. It is contaminants in
this size range that pose the greatest threat as they
can slip between moving components, causing a
great deal of wear.
To appreciate how small these particles are, one
must first understand th
e measurements involved
in their classification.
A micron, or micrometer (μ), is a very small unit
of linear measurement. One micron is equal to
one millionth of a meter, and 25 microns is equal
to 0.001 inch. To better put
this in perspective,
consider that the diameter
of a human hair is 50 -
70 microns.
Large particles
are particles measuring 1/2” or
larger. They pose little threat to engines because
they are easily removed by the air filter.
Medium particles
are particles measuring 25μ to
1/2”. While they are of greater concern than large
particles because they are more difficult to re-
move, the threat they pos
e is diminished since
they are still larger than
many of the clearances
within an engine. Their size will not allow them
to enter the contact areas between many compo-
nents to promote accelerated wear.
Small particles
are particles measuring between
5 and 25μ. Small particles
are of greatest concern
because they can penetrate the clearances between
wear-sensitive components and promote acceler-
ated wear. And, because they are so small, they
are difficult to remove from the oil stream.
SAE Testing
In the 1988 Correlating Lube
Oil Filtration Effi-
ciencies With Engine Wear technical paper pub-
lished by the Society of
Automotive Engineers
(SAE), the relationship between filtration levels
and abrasive engine wear was established. Testing
determined that wear was reduced by as much as
70 percent by switching from
a 40μ filter to a 15μ
filter.
The SAE conducted tests on a heavy-duty diesel
engine and an automotive gasoline engine, and
both provided consis
tent results. "
Let me know if you see any particles around 5-10 microns in size. These are the particles that will do the most damage to engine. Unfortunately 50 micron is the width of a human hair so you really have to look closely. The metal shavings you see are completely harmless because they are not going to be circulated because of their mass.
Now, how small is the particles that do damage? You are breathing them right now. Changing your oil on a windy day in your driveway? You probably put more particles IN your system than you removed because you opened the system in a terrible environment with all the dust blowing around that you can't see.
If you guys REALLY care about your engine you would research oil FILTERS and particle size filtration and get the best one possible. Not all filters are equal! BTW some bacteria are around 3 microns in size, just for prospective.
I don't mean to single the quoted poster out. I have no argument with you or anyone here. It just really gets on my last nerve when someone posts nonsense with absolutely no science to back up his/her claim. Please, do a little research before you speak. If you have a technical question ask away! I will try to help and if I can't, I will consult some of my colleagues, some of whom actually develop synthetic oil blends.
For what it's worth I know a little something about this subject as I have been designing systems for the past 25 years. With that little tidbit of knowledge I have my oil changed every 10K miles, just as the Toyota Engineers suggest, in a shop with closed doors. Rant over. Read the link above.
