Oops, back to dino!

[veloindy]

Last night I made the mistake of putting Mobil Clean 5000 in my 4Runner, instead of full synthetic Mobil1. The truck only has 20k miles so the brief switch probably will do nothing. But, I'm not exactly an oil expert...

What would you guys do, run until the next oil change and not worry about it?

Or

Drain the dino and go back to synthetic?

On a sidenote, a 5qt jug of Clean 5000 is REALLY cheap!!! Maybe I should just run that anyway....

 

[ProMed]

Last night I made the mistake of putting Mobil1 Clean 5000 in my 4Runner, instead of full synthetic Mobil1. The truck only has 20k miles so the brief switch probably will do nothing. But, I'm not exactly an oil expert...

I am not familar with the Clean 5000, but if it says "Mobil 1" then it should be synthetic not dino oil. Anyway if it is just "Mobil" dino oil then it would be no problem to run it for a few thousand miles and then switch back to synthetic imo.

 

[veloindy]

This is from:

http://www.mobil1.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_Clean_5000_FAQs.aspx#FAQs1

Is Mobil Clean 5000 a synthetic oil or a synthetic blend?

Mobil Clean 5000 is not a synthetic or synthetic blend. While it does offer high performance, the base stock composition is non-synthetic.

I guess I added the "1" to Mobil, and this is just "Mobil". I had never heard of it either until yesterday. I've learned my lesson. Hopefully nobody else will make the same mistake when looking for synthetic...

 

[jeober]

You're better off changing oil of half the price twice as often - as long as it's API rated SM 5W-30.

 

[Casper]

Wont make a difference...

Mobil Clean is actually a pretty good Dino oil and wont hurt a thing.

 

[Camprunner]

You should have no problem just run the C-5K out and then switch.

On a side note my dad whould run what ever is the cheepest oil you could buy what ever was on sale in all his cars over the years and he ran them all well over 100K with no problems. The key was he always changed it at 3,000mi. (oil + Filter)

(Make sure it's on sale son) ............ "Ok dad"

 

[Bill3508]

If it were me I would drain it. I hated that Mobil 1 came out with all these new levels of dino oil. I no longer trust the service places to use real Mobil 1 synthetic as I've caught one trying to use the dino while charging for the synthetic. I do my own now. I bet lots of folks are getting taken on this one.

Bill3508

 

[JungleJim]

It won't hurt a thing.

As far as Mobil 1 being "fully synthetic", there have been some recent tests indicating that Mobil 1 is no longer using Group IV base stock for Mobil 1. So it all depends on what your definition of "synthetic" is.

 

[Chicago-Spike]

Doesn't hurt a thing, you can change back&forth between full synthetic and natural oil every time. Mobil1 does make natural oils and full synthetics, that one is a natural oil.

This is from Mobiloil.com;

"Is Mobil Clean 5000 a synthetic oil or a synthetic blend?

Mobil Clean 5000 is not a synthetic or synthetic blend. While it does offer high performance, the base stock composition is non-synthetic. "

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_Clean_5000.aspx

 

[Bobbyg123]

This isn't a slam on synthetic oils, but unless you plan on keeping your 4runner for 200K miles or beyond, you'll do just fine with dino or synthetic blend.

 

[biglatka]

This isn't a slam on synthetic oils, but unless you plan on keeping your 4runner for 200K miles or beyond, you'll do just fine with dino or synthetic blend.

I have to agree, the choice is simple for me. I use 5W-30 dino oil via my local Toyota dealer. I used to religiously change the oil in all my vehicles but now I keep getting these coupons in the mail for a $25 lube/oil change from the Toyota dealer, which makes it very hard to refuse. They put in 5w-30 oil, change the oil filter, lube the driveshaft, check my fluids and even refill the windshield washer fluid, all for $25. I kept my 88

 

[Camprunner]

This isn't a slam on synthetic oils, but unless you plan on keeping your 4runner for 200K miles or beyond, you'll do just fine with dino or synthetic blend.

Im with you on this one some years ago a good friend who was a manager af a large construction co. here in my area told me after many years of testing the difference between dino oil and syn- in there fleet of many different rigs from bucket loaders to tractors to dump trucks to pick up trucks and extensive oil analysis they found no difference between running either type of oil in wear on the engine. This included complete tear down af many engines and compairing the parts when it was time to rebuild them. This by the way was a 15 year study the company did.

He did tell me the main difference in wear was between the trucks that they would switch between brands of oil (Mobil oil this oill change) (Castrol oil the next) etc. this test group had the most wear.

By the way he did say that all the oil filters were the same brand/make over the test to rule out one filter brand over the other.

I only run synthetic cuz I am on the road all the time and it's just saves me time extending my oil chang int. I run the oil and filter to 6k. Not that you could do the same on dino oil as well. But I always run the same brand of oil. Will it matter in the long run ??? "who knows"

 

[ProMed]

With hindsight it didn

 

[biglatka]

If you change your synthetic oil with the same frequency as dino oil of course it would be a waste of money. The reason I use Mobil 1 synthetic is so that I can go almost twice as long between oil changes. The better synthetic oil simply lasts longer which means I don't have to waste time changing my oil every 3-5k miles. If you ever hear of an oil related engine failure it will most likely be due from a too low oil level or a very, very long change interval.

Yeah, that's probably all true, but I don't even do my own changes anymore, unless my dealer stops these oil change specials. I guess I could bring my own oil and although I think my dealer is pretty honest as far as dealers go I would always be wondering if he used his own oil and kept mine . You have a good point there, but there is also that school of thought that says it is better, more important, to change the oil frequently (3-5k) rather than what type of oil you use and extending oil changes to 10-15k (within reason of course).

I've also heard what a previous poster said about how detrimental it is to switch and/or mix different brands and grades of oil. This was from an aircraft mechanic who also saw evidence by tearing down aircraft engines. He compared the engines of those who stayed local and thus used the same brand/grade of oil vs. those who were continually flying into different airports and using the services there and hence mixing different type and brand oils.

 

[ProMed]

Yeah, that's probably all true, but I don't even do my own changes anymore, unless my dealer stops these oil change specials. I guess I could bring my own oil and although I think my dealer is pretty honest as far as dealers go I would always be wondering if he used his own oil and kept mine . You have a good point there, but there is also that school of thought that says it is better, more important, to change the oil frequently (3-5k) rather than what type of oil you use and extending oil changes to 10-15k (within reason of course).

The T4R manual recommends every 7.5k, in my previous Tundra with synthetic I usually went every 10k+ or 1 to 2 times per year. I don't do my own oil changes either. My Mobil 1 comes from Wal-Mart and for $10 I take it to a trusted local independent mechanic that was a former Lexus master tech who does the change along with air/oil filters and other fluids.

Have you ever been to http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ ?

 

[biglatka]

The T4R manual recommends every 7.5k, in my previous Tundra with synthetic I usually went every 10k+ or 1 to 2 times per year. I don't do my own oil changes either. My Mobil 1 comes from Wal-Mart and for $10 I take it to a trusted local independent mechanic that was a former Lexus master tech who does the change along with air/oil filters and other fluids.

Have you ever been to http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ ?

I believe it's 5k miles between oil changes, at least for the 4th generation 4Runner. I've seen that link, thanks for it anyway.

 

[Camprunner]

I believe it's 5k miles between oil changes, at least for the 4th generation 4Runner. I've seen that link, thanks for it anyway.

I change mine every 6k and it only takes me about 2 months to do the miles but I sometimes wonder if I did have a major engine problem if Toyota would give me a hard time for not changing it at 5k like the manual recomends??

 

[ProMed]

I believe it's 5k miles between oil changes, at least for the 4th generation 4Runner. I've seen that link, thanks for it anyway.

The 7.5k Toyota recommendation comes from this very good oil thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=674

(Quotes from Thai and others)

The oil forum:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php

Read some here on Mobil 1:
Not the be all, end all but informative. Take it as you will:
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html
from the site:

*Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it.

* Topping up the crankcase is a critical component of extended oil change intervals, and frequent filter changes are most likely the key to extreme-length intervals. The cumulative effect of even minor top-ups, let alone a filter change, substantially increases the longevity of the oil.

*One thing we're pretty sure about though: 3,000-mile intervals is a huge waste of resources.

*To date we have completed our test of Mobil 1. It held on for 18,000 miles, and didn't need its first oil filter until 12,000 miles
---------------------
I ran ~7500 miles on my last oil change with Valvoline Synthetic and sent the oil off for analysis. It came back showing that I had almost no particles or contaminants in the oil. The oil was still protecting the engine even after 10% of towing at least 5,000lbs during that oil change at high speeds (80mph)...
---------------------
This was posted by me a while back:

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

Their conclusion is similar to what I recommend:

"Based on the results we've got here, we'd recommend 8,000 miles between oil changes on an engine that uses no oil at all, perhaps 10,000 miles on an engine that uses some oil, and 15,000 miles or beyond with a filter change every 5,000 miles. This, of course, isn't any kind of guarantee, and you must evaluate for yourself what your engine requires. One thing we're pretty sure about though: 3,000-mile intervals is a huge waste of resources."


Basically, if your engine burns oil, then you have to TOP IT OFF, but do not have to change the oil. Topping off will keep fresh oil additives coming into the engine. You have to change the oil filter often to keep the oil clean (get rid of the crud and metal shavings in the oil).
------------------------------------------------

 

[biglatka]

The 7.5k Toyota recommendation comes from this very good oil thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=674

(Quotes from Thai and others)

Thanks for all the great info in your post, very interesting. This is what I gleaned from the Toyota website for the 2005 4Runner as to the recommended service interval at 5000 miles:

"And by following the recommended maintenance schedule for your Toyota, you can enjoy many years of reliable performance while ensuring that your warranty remains intact."

2005 4Runner
5,000 Miles - 6 Months

INTERVALS - NEXT >>
Maintenance definitions



Clean cabin air filter
Replace engine oil and oil filter 1
Rotate tires
Visually inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs

Additional Maintenance Items for Special Operating Conditions:

Driving on Salt-Covered Roads
Lubricate propeller shaft (4WD)
Re-torque propeller shaft bolt
Driving While Towing
Lubricate propeller shaft (4WD)
Re-torque propeller shaft bolt
Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis
Driving in Desert or On Dirt Roads
Inspect ball joints and dust covers
Inspect drive shaft boots (4WD)
Inspect engine air filter
Inspect steering linkage and boots
Lubricate propeller shaft (4WD)
Re-torque propeller shaft bolt
Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis

Applicable Footnotes:
1) Reset the oil replacement reminder (