Switching Synthetic Oil?

Floyd · 07-31-2006, 12:02 PM

I switched to Mobile 1 synthetic oil at 10,000 miles on my 05 Prius and have been changing the oil and filter every 5,000 miles. I believe I still have to change the oil every 5,000 miles to stay within the warranty. I have 27,000 miles showing now and plan to purchase the extended warranty (6yr-100,000mi.) within the next few weeks. I know that the Mobile 1 is good for a lot more than 5,000 miles and it seems a waste of money to use the Mobile 1.
I was thinking of switching to Super Tech (Walmart) full synthetic oil. I can't find any test results on this oil and the only other info I have is that the oil is probably made by Castrol.
The questions I have are 1. Will it hurt my engine to switch synthetics? 2. With the extended warranty, will I still have to change oil every 5,000 miles.
I have been using Super Tech full synthetic in one of my older cars (Mercury Tracer) for some time now and haven't had any problems. Thanks in advance

tnthub · 07-31-2006, 04:50 PM

Stay with a name brand. If you care enough about the vehicle to use synthetic in the first place it does not make sense to go with an off brand unless you know whose oil they are using and know that they will stay with that brand.

I use NAPA brand in my cars as they nameplate Valvoline have done so for many years to save a buck but I would never use any unknown brand of oil.

tochatihu · 07-31-2006, 07:58 PM

Synthetic oil in Prius is a common discussion topic. I have been using Mobil 1 in 2001 Prius since 43k odometer miles. I just did the change (again) at 92.5 k miles. I cannot claim any chnge in fuel economy. It seems pretty certain that sythetics will prevent the deposit of "varnish" on non-contact engine surfaces, but it is certainly debatable whether this aspect will contribute to longer engine life. There are other potential advantages to synthetic engine oil (start-up lube, shearing, oil film lubricity, etc) "Bob is the Oil Guy" is a good resource for those questions.

Some of us (especially post-warranty) use synthetics for longer than Toyota's recommended interval. Via engine oil analysis, I have become convinced that a 10k mile oil change interval (OCI) is not excessive. This moderates the added expense of synthetic oil and analyses somewhat. Importantly, it also provides info on what is going on inside your engine in terms of metal wear and dirt ingestion, which you simply cannot obtain in any other way. Plus the chemical analysis results (which have been posted at PriusChat before) provide a useful basis of comparison among Prius, and potentially a diagnostic tool.

If you choose to use synthetics on Toyota's OCI I seriously doubt that there would be any adverse implications to the warranty. Even with extended OCI, if you keep complete records of the oil changes and chemical analyses, and there *is* an engine problems, I reckon that it would be quite difficult for Toyota to argue that something you had done had actually caused the problem. This is what they must demonstrate (under Magnuson-Moss) in order to void the warranty.

ekpolk · 07-31-2006, 11:37 PM

I agree with the recommendation to check out BITOG (Bobistheoilguy.com). I'm a 2.5 year member over there and I've learned more than I could have imagined from the sight.

I'm new to the Prius myself, having taken delivery of one last weekend. I hadn't really planned to buy one, but I stumbled on a very nice, heavily loaded 04 model with only 15k miles, and a clean looking oil filler. Anyway, I came here in search of as much info as I could find about the car, but especially engine and lube stuff.

While I'd readily defer to the Prius experts (note, this is my 1st post here. . .), I don't think you can go wrong using M1. I've used it in I-4 and V-6 Camrys, a Highlander, and a Sequoia (which my wife still drives). I've done used oil analysis on all of them, and I firmly believe that M1 and Toyota engines (of any stripe) is a match made in heaven. I ran a fill of M1 5w-30 in the Sequoia for 13 months and 10k miles, and it showed barely any wear at all. Nearly as good in the others.

Supertech is fine stuff, just be aware that it's a Group III oil (hydrocracked from mineral oils), whereas Mobil is a Group IV (polyalphaolephin or PAO). After two years at BITOG and reviewing the hundreds of UOAs posted there, I'm far less concerned about an oil's genetics than I used to be (many basic dino SM oils perform as well as the syns, at least for the first few thousand miles). Anyway, it is probably a viable alternative, if the n-th degree of cost reduction of is your goal. Personally, I'd just stay with the M1.

Blackfang · 08-02-2006, 11:08 AM

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

I run Mobil 1 with EDI on both cars. Castated. Both cars run Mobil 1 10w30. You can't go wrong with Mobil 1.

FishHawk · 08-05-2006, 02:59 PM

I was told that synthetic oils are good for engines that generate a lot of heat. Since the Prius ICE is not generating the kind of heat that a really high performance engine would it seems to me that using a synthetic oil is a waste of money. However, if it makes you feel better use it. Just my .02 on the subject. What is most importance is frequently changing your oil. My old International Scout got 300K miles on the engine with no problems at all using dino oil.
FishHawk

c4 · 08-07-2006, 09:15 AM

Synthetics are also good for engines that *don't* generate a lot of heat because they have a higher total base number- in a nutshell, this is an index of the amount of additives and other good stuff in there that counteracts the acids and things that are formed in *cold* engines such as that on the Prius..

jayman · 08-07-2006, 09:40 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(c4 @ Aug 7 2006, 08:15 AM) [snapback]298967[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Synthetics are also good for engines that *don't* generate a lot of heat because they have a higher total base number- in a nutshell, this is an index of the amount of additives and other good stuff in there that counteracts the acids and things that are formed in *cold* engines such as that on the Prius..
[/b]

Good point. I first started using synthetic gear oil, engine oil, and transmission fluid due to extreme winter cold of -40. At -40 most oils are solid as a brick.

Kind of makes me wonder if Toyota got burned on some of their sludged-up motors due to longer oil change intervals and crappy North American oil. The much higher detergent levels in a good synthetic oil would have prevented that.

I posted a virgin oil analysis of my dealer 5W-30 Mystery Oil awhile back, and that stuff really was Bargain Basement crap. If I had to continue using that garbage, I'd probably change the oil every 3,000 miles. Truly awful, especially the high Na levels that had the testing lab worried about a slow coolant leak.

randreed · 08-07-2006, 09:50 PM

Does anyone have experience with using 5W20 "Royal Purple" Synthetic Oil? I can get what looks like a really good deal on a couple of cases, but I never heard of it before.

theorist · 08-08-2006, 04:27 AM

Study bobistheoilguy and you will find that Walmart's Supertech 'full synthetic' is not comparable with Mobil1 in quality or price. It is a group III oil made by Warren (MAG1) with a high quality hydrocracked base stock, but a relatively weak additive package. It's good for short oil change intervals like called for by Toyota and could be compared with high quality dino oils or some synthetic blends. It's not comparable with Mobil 1.

It shouldn't hurt your engine to switch oils. (Years ago this was a factor with synthetics.) You shouldn't expect the same protection from this oil as you can from Mobil1, but many, including Toyota, will say that it will provide adequate protection.

In the US, Toyota calls for oil changes every 5000 miles regardless of the oil quality above basic API specs. (In Europe, Toyota recommends longer oil change intervals using ACEA spec oils.) If you don't follow this oil change interval, you risk Toyota not covering any warranty repairs that could possibly be attributed to the oil.

07-31-2006, 07:58 PM	#3
tochatihu Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kunming Yunnan China Posts: 2,411 My Car: 2001 Prius Model: Package: Pioneer #1 Thanks: 1 Thanked 38 Times in 38 Posts Friends: 14	Synthetic oil in Prius is a common discussion topic. I have been using Mobil 1 in 2001 Prius since 43k odometer miles. I just did the change (again) at 92.5 k miles. I cannot claim any chnge in fuel economy. It seems pretty certain that sythetics will prevent the deposit of "varnish" on non-contact engine surfaces, but it is certainly debatable whether this aspect will contribute to longer engine life. There are other potential advantages to synthetic engine oil (start-up lube, shearing, oil film lubricity, etc) "Bob is the Oil Guy" is a good resource for those questions. Some of us (especially post-warranty) use synthetics for longer than Toyota's recommended interval. Via engine oil analysis, I have become convinced that a 10k mile oil change interval (OCI) is not excessive. This moderates the added expense of synthetic oil and analyses somewhat. Importantly, it also provides info on what is going on inside your engine in terms of metal wear and dirt ingestion, which you simply cannot obtain in any other way. Plus the chemical analysis results (which have been posted at PriusChat before) provide a useful basis of comparison among Prius, and potentially a diagnostic tool. If you choose to use synthetics on Toyota's OCI I seriously doubt that there would be any adverse implications to the warranty. Even with extended OCI, if you keep complete records of the oil changes and chemical analyses, and there is an engine problems, I reckon that it would be quite difficult for Toyota to argue that something you had done had actually caused the problem. This is what they must demonstrate (under Magnuson-Moss) in order to void the warranty. __________________ DAS Tochatihu, the Hopi hummingbird kachina

07-31-2006, 11:37 PM	#4
ekpolk The Regenerator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pensacola FL Posts: 363 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I agree with the recommendation to check out BITOG (Bobistheoilguy.com). I'm a 2.5 year member over there and I've learned more than I could have imagined from the sight. I'm new to the Prius myself, having taken delivery of one last weekend. I hadn't really planned to buy one, but I stumbled on a very nice, heavily loaded 04 model with only 15k miles, and a clean looking oil filler. Anyway, I came here in search of as much info as I could find about the car, but especially engine and lube stuff. While I'd readily defer to the Prius experts (note, this is my 1st post here. . .), I don't think you can go wrong using M1. I've used it in I-4 and V-6 Camrys, a Highlander, and a Sequoia (which my wife still drives). I've done used oil analysis on all of them, and I firmly believe that M1 and Toyota engines (of any stripe) is a match made in heaven. I ran a fill of M1 5w-30 in the Sequoia for 13 months and 10k miles, and it showed barely any wear at all. Nearly as good in the others. Supertech is fine stuff, just be aware that it's a Group III oil (hydrocracked from mineral oils), whereas Mobil is a Group IV (polyalphaolephin or PAO). After two years at BITOG and reviewing the hundreds of UOAs posted there, I'm far less concerned about an oil's genetics than I used to be (many basic dino SM oils perform as well as the syns, at least for the first few thousand miles). Anyway, it is probably a viable alternative, if the n-th degree of cost reduction of is your goal. Personally, I'd just stay with the M1. __________________ ScanGauge-IIx for the TCH CAN View V3 (for when I care about maximizing Prius benefits). Valentine V1 (for when I *don't* care. . . ). Now in the TCH -- with Remote Display. Black 09 Camry Hybrid Cassis Pearl 07 Avalon XLS Black 04 Prius

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
EV mode not switching on or off	JimboK	Gen II Prius Technical Discussion	30	05-22-2009 08:15 AM
studdering when switching to gas engine	mswalters	Gen II Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting	6	10-24-2007 04:29 AM
Switching to Synthetic Oil	ghopper01	Gen II Prius Main Forum	5	07-17-2007 11:09 PM
Stop Mode Switching	05PriusDriver	Gen II Prius Audio and Electronics	9	03-22-2006 02:27 PM
manually switching gears	Raenstoirm	Gen II Prius Main Forum	9	04-03-2004 05:05 PM

07-31-2006, 12:02 PM	#1
Floyd Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gulf Coast, Grand Bay, Alabama Posts: 21 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 0	I switched to Mobile 1 synthetic oil at 10,000 miles on my 05 Prius and have been changing the oil and filter every 5,000 miles. I believe I still have to change the oil every 5,000 miles to stay within the warranty. I have 27,000 miles showing now and plan to purchase the extended warranty (6yr-100,000mi.) within the next few weeks. I know that the Mobile 1 is good for a lot more than 5,000 miles and it seems a waste of money to use the Mobile 1. I was thinking of switching to Super Tech (Walmart) full synthetic oil. I can't find any test results on this oil and the only other info I have is that the oil is probably made by Castrol. The questions I have are 1. Will it hurt my engine to switch synthetics? 2. With the extended warranty, will I still have to change oil every 5,000 miles. I have been using Super Tech full synthetic in one of my older cars (Mercury Tracer) for some time now and haven't had any problems. Thanks in advance

07-31-2006, 04:50 PM	#2
tnthub Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 463 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Stay with a name brand. If you care enough about the vehicle to use synthetic in the first place it does not make sense to go with an off brand unless you know whose oil they are using and know that they will stay with that brand. I use NAPA brand in my cars as they nameplate Valvoline have done so for many years to save a buck but I would never use any unknown brand of oil.

08-02-2006, 11:08 AM	#5
Blackfang Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Richmond, Va Posts: 50 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ I run Mobil 1 with EDI on both cars. Castated. Both cars run Mobil 1 10w30. You can't go wrong with Mobil 1.

08-05-2006, 02:59 PM	#6
FishHawk Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 132 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I was told that synthetic oils are good for engines that generate a lot of heat. Since the Prius ICE is not generating the kind of heat that a really high performance engine would it seems to me that using a synthetic oil is a waste of money. However, if it makes you feel better use it. Just my .02 on the subject. What is most importance is frequently changing your oil. My old International Scout got 300K miles on the engine with no problems at all using dino oil. FishHawk

08-07-2006, 09:15 AM	#7
c4 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 524 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Synthetics are also good for engines that don't generate a lot of heat because they have a higher total base number- in a nutshell, this is an index of the amount of additives and other good stuff in there that counteracts the acids and things that are formed in cold engines such as that on the Prius..

08-07-2006, 09:50 PM	#9
randreed Same as it ever was . . . Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: West Milford, NJ Posts: 594 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 3	Does anyone have experience with using 5W20 "Royal Purple" Synthetic Oil? I can get what looks like a really good deal on a couple of cases, but I never heard of it before.

08-08-2006, 04:27 AM	#10
theorist Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lexington, MA Posts: 330 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Study bobistheoilguy and you will find that Walmart's Supertech 'full synthetic' is not comparable with Mobil1 in quality or price. It is a group III oil made by Warren (MAG1) with a high quality hydrocracked base stock, but a relatively weak additive package. It's good for short oil change intervals like called for by Toyota and could be compared with high quality dino oils or some synthetic blends. It's not comparable with Mobil 1. It shouldn't hurt your engine to switch oils. (Years ago this was a factor with synthetics.) You shouldn't expect the same protection from this oil as you can from Mobil1, but many, including Toyota, will say that it will provide adequate protection. In the US, Toyota calls for oil changes every 5000 miles regardless of the oil quality above basic API specs. (In Europe, Toyota recommends longer oil change intervals using ACEA spec oils.) If you don't follow this oil change interval, you risk Toyota not covering any warranty repairs that could possibly be attributed to the oil.