Motor Oil (Conventional, Synthetic Blend, Full Synthetic)

[Bean Counter]

So my 2005 4WD Tundra has a 5,000 mile interval for oil changes.  I'm at 60,000 miles. The book doesn't tell me which of the three types of oil I should use. I've always used synthetic blend. I'm considering a permanet switch to full synthetic but I'd like to know if I can eek out a few more thousand miles per oil change or if the extra wear on the engine would defeat the benefit of the synthetic. I want to switch to synthetic oil so that the engine lasts longer, but it would also be nice both financially and for conveniences sake that I don't have to change so often.

Does anybody who has a 5K oil change interval use synthetic and go 7.5K with each change of the oil & filter? That way, over a 15,000 period, I could change the oil only twice and not three times.  With the price of synthetic oil over synth blend, it seems as though either option would cost about the same, but I hear that synth  brings many more years and miles to the life of an engine.

Then there's the option of going with a super long-life oil such as Amsoil for a full 15,000, and changing the filter (but not the oil) every 5K... 

[Sportfury]

Bean this might be a good question to ask over at TundraSolutions.com on their forums. For me I seriously considered moving to a full sythetic like Royal Purple or the Amsoil. I thought I would go with a full sythetic at the dealership just to see if their was a difference. The dealer told me to carefully consider this option. They said that once you go full synthetic that it does something to the seals in your engine and you cannot go back. With the synthetic blend I currently run they said I could go back to a regular oil if I was in a bind. I decided to stay with the syn blend.

[lazydrifter]

I run Mobil 1 full synthetic in my Tacoma.  I switched over at 20000 miles.  The dealer told me to go 7500 miles between changes.  I still only go 5000 but at least if I go over a a few miles  it's no big deal.   I just read an article on this and they said you can change back at any time.

[jackelope]

The dealer told me to carefully consider this option. They said that once you go full synthetic that it does something to the seals in your engine and you cannot go back. .

this is b.s. it is best to wait till 10k miles or more on a new engine IMO if you want to switch to synthetic, but there is no reason you can't switch back.
disclaimer:
if you ask 10 different people their opinions on synthetic oils or oils in general, you will likely get at least 8 different answers.

[BLKBEARKLR]

only eight???

I would have thought it would be at least 12

[Bob33]

I used to change conventional oil at 3K.  I now run Mobil 1 in my Toyota Tacoma and change it every 5K.  Full synthetic is the best.

[Bean Counter]

Bean this might be a good question to ask over at TundraSolutions.com on their forums.

A forum... just for us Tundra owners???  All I can say is  

I'm sorry life as a F-150 owner isn't as cool as an owner of a Tundra   

[Sportfury]

Figures I shouldn't listen to the dealer. It was a girl that told me that to   

A forum... just for us Tundra owners???  All I can say is  

I'm sorry life as a F-150 owner isn't as cool as an owner of a Tundra   

Same goes for owning a dodge     

[mazama]

I run full synthetic in my 94 f150, i change it at 10,000 but ichange the filter at 3000 and add a fresh quart of oil.

[elkaholic123]

Check what Amsoil recommends,I run it in my 08' Duramax and it says I can go about 15,000 between oil changes,$100.00 per change is spendy but divide by 3 and it all works out!Jerry

[Rick]

Why not just run a conventional oil at 5000?

Todays oils will easily run 5000 without issue.

Unless you live in extreme heat or cold,synthetics aren't worth the added expense.

With 5000 mile changes with conventional oil,your engine will still be running like a top 150,000 miles from now.

 

[Bean Counter]

Rick,
I'd really like to see my truck on the road at 300,000 miles. Whether its with me driving it or not.

I moved down to the Sonoran Desert five months ago and like a  -head didn't immediately switch to synthetic oil but made my poor engine endure the 110-115 degree heat with Mobil 5000 (which is either a synthetic blend or a conventional with synthetic additives). I'm finally switching as the fall months approach but for next summer it should be attuned to and get the benefit from the synthetic.

[Rick]

Rick,
I'd really like to see my truck on the road at 300,000 miles. Whether its with me driving it or not.

I moved down to the Sonoran Desert five months ago and like a  -head didn't immediately switch to synthetic oil but made my poor engine endure the 110-115 degree heat with Mobil 5000 (which is either a synthetic blend or a conventional with synthetic additives). I'm finally switching as the fall months approach but for next summer it should be attuned to and get the benefit from the synthetic.

In your situation the synthetics make sense. If you're going pay more for a synthetic,make sure you get a group IV and not a group III. Group III is basically highly refined conventional,where Group IV is a true synthetic.

I'd look at Mobil 1,Royal Purple,Redline,Amsoil,and Schaeffer. Mobil 1 being the easiest to find.

Castrol,Pennzoil,Havoline,Valvoline,Chevron and most other synthetics fall under the group III catagory.

[huntnphool]

I'd look at Mobil 1,Royal Purple,Redline,Amsoil,and Schaeffer. Mobil 1 being the easiest to find.

 I've been using Redline in a couple of my cars with pretty good results. My wifes car uses Mobil 1 and the dealership changes it every 12,000 miles, well beyond convention. Delo 400 for my Powerstrokes so for me its synthetics all the way around.

[TEX-X]

blah blah blah if you swith to synthetic you can't go back... honestly in my opinion that is straight up crap!  I run Mobil 1 synthetic in my daily driver.... and i run Castrol GTX in everything else i own....  I have a drag car I run GTX in it as well...  wait until your engine is broken in good IE 10,000 miles like previously said before swithching to a synthetic... synthetics tend to be so slick that it won't allow parts to properly break in from the git go...  be sure to put some miles on it....  Royal purple is good stuff but from an engine builders perspective i don't like it for the simple fact is that it turns everything in the motor a purplish brown color...  you can't go wrong with mobil one or castrol syntec in my opinion... another one i stay away from is quaker state....  some of their oils are  Parafin based (like candle wax)  I'm not saying it's not a good oil because i know people who have used it  and it work fine... but i'm not putting it in anything i own