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Need advice on oil change

8K views 13 replies 13 participants last post by  Thinlizzyfan 
#1 ·
I just bought a '02 tundra a week ago with 220,000 miles on it and its time for me to change it's oil for the FIRST TIME!! The previous owner always put Castrol Hm 5w-30. Considering the intense mileage on it I was thinking about switching to synthetic and using that for the rest of the engine life.

Im just looking for advice on if that would be a good idea or not, and if so, what brand would you recommend? What oil filter? Thanks for any input
 
#2 ·
You are going to get a lot of different answers on this but I am going to advise with sticking with dino if that is what has been run. Sometimes at high mileage switching to syn will cause the start or worsening of oil leaks. Consumption is another thing but unless you want to roll the dice on having to do a bunch of gasket r&r's stick with what has been working and keep a short oil change interval
 
#4 ·
Im gonna go with meyers on this one.. If you were sub 50k, you might get a 50/50 argument from everyone on this.. Being that high mileage (Dont worry, its a Toyota, 220K = broken in haha) I would stick to what has been used..
 
#5 ·
If the previous owner was the original owner (you do not mention) and has used Castrol for 220k miles, then I would also stay with that brand. If however, the previous owner did not put the majority of the miles on, it does not matter to switch. In other words, if there is another owner(or three) in there, you do not know what was used by them.

I like to use the Toyota oil filter. I buy it by the case so it winds up being like $5 ea. When not using a Toyota filter, I go with Purolator.
 
#6 ·
Synthetic wont hurt your engine, but with that many miles your seals will be worn out. Synthetic is not near as thick as conventional oils and will likely seep through places the previous oil wouldnt. Plus these engines are durable, just give it oil every 3 - 5k miles and itll run like new. Thats all ive done to my truck and it runs like it just rolled off the assembly line with 206k on the odometer! Save the $$ you'd spend on that synthetic and spend it on something nice.

I always say if it isnt broke dont fix it.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Synthetic is not near as thick as conventional oils and will likely seep through places the previous oil wouldnt.
Inaccurate. Leaks that develop after the institution of synthetic oil are not the result of "thinner" oil. They are the result of the detergents found in synthetic oil that clean away deposits that may have formed on the seals. When seals are covered in deposits they are not kept pliable by the oil - they dry out and shrink. Once the deposits are cleaned away the oil makes its ways past the shrunken seals. The same thing can occur if an crankcase cleaner is used.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Intense Mileage? Lmao. You're just getting started. Run a quality brand of your choice and change it every 5k and you'll be fine. I have my favorite as I'm sure most do...but I'm amused by the argument over what type of oil to use. When is the last time you've heard of an oil related failure other than lack of oil? I can't recall and I doubt you can either.

And +1 for Lizard King....synthetic oil is not "thinner". 5W/30 is 5W/30.
 
#10 ·
A lot of people have theories about switch from conventional to synthetic. Basically all are BS.
Like previously stated, the same viscosity syn. or not is going to be the same. The synthetic is just going to hold up better and longer.
The only issue that I've seen is a truck that ran old Pennzoil that left a waxy build up for 200k, then switch to a different conventional oil. The new oil washed all waxy build up down into the oil pan and stopped up the sump.

Go ahead and run whatever synthetic you choose. I personally use amsoil or mobile 1. Usually mobile 1 because I can grab at the store instead of ordering it.
 
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#12 ·
I say go to Mcdonalds and pick up a chicken club sandwich with fries and a drink, then ask for the oil out of their fryer. It lasts forever, get their filter too.

I think you'll be fine with synthetic if you want to stretch oil change intervals, not much else to gain by doing so.
 
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