new 2005 v8....oil consumption

[TechWrench]

Maybe i am outdated with my knowledge...but isn't it better to use regular oil for the first 10K miles or something...and then switch to synthetic??? Doesn't the regular oil help the seals better during break-in period??

As I understand it, in the 'early' days of synthetic oils, a break in period before switching to synthetic was recommended. But now, with the better built engines, I'm not sure that applies. There are several manufacturers that provide synthetic as the OEM oil out the door. I believe the newer corvettes come with Mobil 1 from the factory.

 

[Bluto]

Maybe i am outdated with my knowledge...but isn't it better to use regular oil for the first 10K miles or something...and then switch to synthetic??? Doesn't the regular oil help the seals better during break-in period??

This is what I'm doing. Changed oil and filter at 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 7500 with dino. Next change is synthetic.


The Mobil1 Factory Fill is pure marketing BS ... just my opinion.

 

[Koz]

Chenango21,

Some manufactures are coming with M1 right from the factory. I'm sure they have tested between dino and synthetic and found that there was a advantage to synthetic in their engine. Your best bet is to break-in your engine the way the manufacture recommends. If I'm not mistaken they recommend you avoid highway driving. A big part of break-in is heat cycles. This doesn't mean that's why you are consuming oil.

If do the research you will find that depending on the brand, some oil will be consumed and some will not. I used M1 in my Taco (when new) and after 5K it used 1/2 quart. I then changed to Amsoil and no more consumption.

I know it's hard for some to admit this but if you do the research, you will see that there are several other benefits to using synthetic over dino such as; extended drain intervals, lower operating temp, faster oil circulation at start-up, better sludge control, etc. Make no dought about it, synthetic is better then dino in every way.

Koz

 

[Bluto]

Guess I just don't understand why people use synthetic oil in the Toyota V8 engine. This engine is one of the easiest engines on oil and will run longer then you want to keep it on a good dino oil. I've used Castrol GTX since new and followed Toyota breakin recommendations. Changed oil/filter at 1000 miles and then again at 3000 miles and then every 3750 miles. I now have 27K miles on my 4runner and it uses no oil between changes. I'm very happy with this engine. I will continue to change oil every 3-3750 miles versus going to synthetic and going 5K miles.

Driving 4000 miles a month is a good reason. You can go 7500 miles with synthetic. Why 5k?

 

[Kanab]

Driving 4000 miles a month is a good reason. You can go 7500 miles with synthetic. Why 5k?

I agree if you drive a lot or after warranty you can put in a good synthetic and drive 7-10K miles between changes. I only drive around 1K miles a month so it does not work for me, plus I've still under warranty.

 

[TechWrench]

Driving 4000 miles a month is a good reason. You can go 7500 miles with synthetic. Why 5k?

IMHO, I don't think the amount of miles per month is as much an issue as how it is driven. I think most would agree that 4k a month of stop-n-go driving is harder on the engine and oil than 4k of highway miles. As for the 5k vs 7.5k interval, I look at it this way. If you figure the normal 60k warranty period, changing every 5k would amount to 12 changes vs 8 at 7.5k. 4 more changes at about $30. each if you dyi. I feel it is worth the extra $120. over 60 months (I average less that 1k a month) to make sure Toyota has no argument with oil maintenance if there ever was to be a problem. The way this engine is running now, I don't expect a problem. But, thats why you have insurance, in case you have a problem, not because you expect one. If I expected a problem with the engine, I wouldn't have bought the vehicle!

 

[Thai]

There are several manufacturers that provide synthetic as the OEM oil out the door. I believe the newer corvettes come with Mobil 1 from the factory.

My old BMW M3 came with Castrol Synthetic (made in Germany). My G500 came with Mobil 1 synthetic.

 

[JungleJim]

Maybe the tendency of Amsoil to thicken out of proper viscosity has something to with less oil useage.

 

[Boaz]

Maybe the tendency of Amsoil to thicken out of proper viscosity has something to with less oil useage.

actually my guess is that is has to do with the amount of esters the base stock contains.

I am not bashing Mobil 1, but I have had 4 vehicles that consumed M1 but not other synthetics (Castrol, Amsoil). THe consumption is why I researched other syn brands to begin with. I have used M1 in the 4 Runner. It ran great and I got a beautiful UOA from the oil. HOwever, I consumed almost a whole quart during the 5200 mile run on the oil. I get amsoil for 4 bucks a quart and I can get mobil 1 for the same price. SO far the runner has not consumed any amsoil.

Each oil has pros and cons. I would rather use an oil that does not get consumed by the engine and has a higher TBN out of the bottle.

Not everyone is as anal about oil as me.

 

[Koz]

Not everyone is as anal about oil as me.

I resemble that remark!:bouncy2:

Koz

 

[Boaz]

I resemble that remark!:bouncy2:

Koz

Yeah you got me beat! I have not put the bypass kit on yet. I won't install it untill its out of warranty. I don't want to fight toyota.

 

[Chenango21]

Here is an update on oil consumption:

I got the vehicle back from the most recent oil change (at 26k). I immediately checked the oil level and found it was at the half way mark.

I just returned from a 3000 mile trip.....zero reduction in oil level.

So, that means my presumed oil consumption was really just the fact the dealer doesn't fill it to the top mark on the dip stick!

So, to all you fellow obsessive compulsives, my apologies for starting this thread in the first place.

 

[Casper]

BMW high performance oil is nothing more than rebottled and slightly different formulated Castrol Syntec. The Syntec stuff is actually slightly better but BMW has them blend it somehow differently (there have been some very very very indepth discussions on exactly what on some of the more advanced and mature BMW ///M boards out there).

I can see why a toyota dealer that is also a BMW dealer would tell you to do it but first of all the BMW oil is more expensive than normal off the shelf syntec.

As for your oil consumption, if you did not follow the break in procedures to the fullest this will have an effect on the overall break in time of the engine and its seals. In addition by not waiting till after 3000 miles for the first oil change and swapping over to syn, you will have only made the situation worse.

As Thai stated, and we can both attest to being previous BMW owners, its a night and day difference between a properly broken in engines oil consumption versus one that was not.

Your oil consumption does sound odd as I have yet to add any amount of oil in 11K miles on my rig including trailering a 4500lb 14' setup 2000 miles across the country. Never added a drop.

Remember that all engines while seemingly built 100% alike can be almost 100% different in how they act through out the course of their lives.

Sorry that i dont have anything fairly constructive to say per your situation and how to resolve it but once out of break in, you really just have to deal with it from there..

 

[Chenango21]

Oil Consumption

Let me be clear:

It turns out that I have no oil consumption.

What is happening is that when changing the oil the dealer fills to 1/2 quart less than full......I assumed he filled to top line....so after driving a bit I would check level and find it 1/2 quart down from max. All a false alarm.

I switched to BMW synthetic at the 5000 point. The dealer charges less for BMW synthetic than the Mobil 1 alternative they carry....so I am using that.

 

[Casper]

i gotcha brother...i just kinda got off on an oil tangent there in general

 

[Chenango21]

oil levels

I have always found that shops "top off" oil up to the top most mark when doing an oil change. I find my dealer puts it between the marks....leaving it 1/2 qt shy of full.

Does this matter at all?

 

[rossmon1]

oil

there are as many oil theorys as there are are mechanic's so here's mine. I always lived by em and by god i'll go out that way too

I don't change to synthetic until close to10k. Why, well dino oil is cheap! I subscribe to the urban oil myth that motors for some reason need a long run in with dino oil, even though I know that the oil rings breakin fast.
I run the motor real hard cause i think that you have a few hundred miles at best to wear out the cross hatches in the cylinder walls and get a good ring to cylinder fit. I stick to the manufacturer rev limits but i wipe those cylinder walls hard and change the oil often. For the 4 runner that meant manually shifting the auto as much as possible and frankly i don't think u have enough control of the revs with this auto shifter to do as good a job as possibe.
I have had about 90% close to zero oil consumption that way.
I went thru a 5 year apprentice program with BMW taught high school auto shop , have blueprinted many motors, managed major sized fleets for outfits like MA Bell and managed smaller fleets of race cars/ exotics, and pickup trucks, so i've got to build and supervise the break in of hundreds of motors.
My T4R has about 7k on it and zero oil consumption so far.