Help! Opponauts: lend me your motor oil expertise.

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck) 01/05/2020 at 00:00 • Filed to: if you want something done right...

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I’m doing some extreme pre-Spring cleaning and sorting through old receipts, invoices, etc. Coming across various auto stuff, I noticed something on my invoices from the dealer: in 2017 - which was the major bill with the timing belt and 90k service — the engine oil called out was:

“6 MOBIL1 5W30 SYN ”

No I’m no brain operator, but it seems to imply: 6 quarts of Mobil1 5W30 Synthetic Oil, as the oil capacity is in fact 5.7 quarts . But looking at the two invoices from 2018 and 2019, they call out a differently oil entirely:

“6 MO 5W 20 MOTOR OIL ”

Hmm, no SYN tag, implying it was in fact conventional. Notice also, even the weight of the oil has changed for some reason. The factory oil is 5W30... why the heck have they used 5W20 on my last two changes?

As a consumer , there exists no point in putting a customer in the database with all your account info and payment history and viewable electronic invoices, etc., if they can’t even bother to verify what OIL they have been putting in my car for three years. So that’s my rant.

That all aside, short version is as follows : all signs indi cate: in 2017 I had full synthetic oil. In 2018, it switched back to conventional and has been so since — AND at the “incorrect” weight.

So — what do you think I should do from here? Keep riding with 5W20 conventional? Go back to factory 5W30 conventional? Or return to 5W30 synthetic, and is there anything else I should be wary of before I just start dumping that in?

Thanks as always for your time.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:04

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Obligatory front page comment:

“You should change your own oil....LIKE A REAL MAN"

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/05/2020 at 00:07

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You jest, but that’s... kind of where I’m going with this potentially! If I can’t trust a place to not put what-the-heck ever in there...

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:08

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Go to the factory recommended full synthetic and also google any TSB’s out there for the car that might say switch to the other type of oil.  

SmugAardvark > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:10

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Yeah, I’m onboard with the DIY method. It’s really quite simple on most vehicles , and it’s the best way to know precisely what’s going into your engine.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/05/2020 at 00:13

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Thanks for the advice. It appears no TSB exists for that issue.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:13

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Has it thrown a rod with the different oil?

ClassicDatsunDebate > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:14

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It’s probably an error by the service advisor when they were filling out the invoice.....but I’d ask.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > SmugAardvark 01/05/2020 at 00:21

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You may think it sounds ridiculous, but one reason I’ve been paying someone else to do it is because I bought the car with zero service records (I do this a lot, great haggling tool as well!) . My thought was, “Hey, this is the only car I have worth a penny. And if I want to sell it someday, I can produce this stack of paperwork to prove that major tasks have been completed AND that I have been maintaining it appropriately.” If I want a different vehicle, eeeeeevery cent and potential buyer counts because said purchase would be footed by the entire value of this vehicle. But now I feel a little embarrassed for the strategy on such an old car.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:23

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Buy your own oil/filter, take it in? That's what I do in the cold/rainy months 

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:32

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If you still have later oil in the car, take a sample of it and send it to a lab. They'll tell you the weight of the oil and if its synt or not.

DipodomysDeserti > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 00:43

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I doubt any dealer even carries non synthetic oil anymore. Even so, it’s not like your oil galleries have any sort of memory as to what weight of oil has been put through them.

Everyone should be running Rotella 5w40 like a true American.

Jessica McAndrew > ClassicDatsunDebate 01/05/2020 at 00:52

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Don’t say, “Hey I noticed switch from 5w30 to 5w20, what gives? ”, just ask, “Hey, what kind of oil have you been putting in my car?” see what they say.

ranwhenparked > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/05/2020 at 01:18

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FP headline:   It’s 2020, Why Are We Still Using Fossil Lubricants?

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 01/05/2020 at 01:43

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I do it myself because I don’t trust quick lube places and unless I scrounge for coupons it’s still cheaper to do myself. 

pip bip - choose Corrour > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 01:56

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use 30-70 and be done with it

:P

wafflesnfalafel > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 02:05

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I nteresting - my brief googlization doesn’t find 5-20 in any of the Lexus recos. 5-30 seems common, (along with that 0-20 nearly water stuff...) , though dino vs. synth doesn’t seem to be specified. If it were me, it’d be using 5-30 synth.... Also interesting - Lexus seems to reco the 0-20 for their turbo 4s and 5-30 for NA motors which is the opposite of what most manufacturers do. Weird...

SmugAardvark > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 03:46

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Not ridiculous at all. Like I said, I’m on board with doing things DIY when able. But it’s your car, and I wouldn’t shame you for taking your car to be serviced somewhere. Won’t hurt me one iota, so it isn’t my place to judge.

And your reasoning definitely makes sense. I never buy a vehicle thinking about the resale process, but that’s my issue.

shop-teacher > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 04:41

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I’d switch back to 5-30 synthetic. As far as service records, if I bought a car with a detailed log of all the service they have performed themselves, I would personally consider that just as good as a stack of dealer invoices.

Askani79705 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 05:36

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Synthetic was probably never a requirement. As for the weight change when the CAFE standards came car manufacturers switched to 5w20 to improve mpg. They back spec’d many engines from 5w30 down to 5w20.

CalzoneGolem > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 07:59

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Just keep the receipts for the oil and filter each time you change it and bam service records

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 09:08

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It’s extremely likely they just got it wrong on the paperwork. Especially if they use bulk oil instead of individual bottles. Service advisors don’t have a clue and most systems just have op-codes that auto-fill lines in the repair order. It’s up to the tech to use the correct stuff. Sounds the advisor still get it right? Yes, of course, but I’ve found that expecting service advisors to do their jobs correctly to be about as futile as arguing with some rando on the front page.  

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 09:17

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I’m late to the party here, but this is my interpretation:

On the older receipt, they labeled it with the full name: Mobile1 Syn. On the newer receipts, it’s coded MO, as in...MobileOne. So you’re still getting synth oil, they just changed the naming convention.

As for weight...many, many, many manufacturers changed their spec to 5w20 around 2016ish and often TSB’ed or just reverse-spec’d older engines to take it. Fuel economy and lowered shop costs, blah blah blah. Plus the dealer might be (probably is)  feeding bulk oil and not cracking bottles.

FWIW, most 5w-30 will shear down to 20 fairly quickly in the oil’s life, so this is part of their justification. Doubly true since you don’t live in a super hot climate. Likely they’ve been giving you 5w-20 and likely that doesn’t matter. That being said, just ask for the thick stuff next time and hopefully they’ll still have some on hand.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 09:26

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Yeah, the only reason it’s difficult for me is that my car is too low to get a jack under it without getting creative with wood and potholes.

I say DIY for a few changes and then just leave enormous notes on the windshield for the techs to read and not mess it up. If you still don't trust them, write it on the oil cap.

MM54 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 09:32

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I wouldn’t worry about it, but definitely suggest going with the correct weight synthetic going forward.

THINK WITH YOUR DIPSTICK, ZOIDBERG

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 09:46

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5w20 maybe what they’re using in all the new models and may be the default oil that they’ve switched to get .2 mpg more. I think in most modern applications  folks say you can switch but I would ask, and use the thicker as originally recommended. 

f86sabre > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 09:57

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This is what drove me to stop taking the Evo to the dealership fairly early on.  The had no ability to maintain it properly over a consistent basis.

Thisismydisplayname > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 10:44

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I believe 20w oil is all synthetic anyway, so might be a non issue.  

MultiplaOrgasms > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 10:52

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I always use Bitumen on mine, works like a charm. 

Robert > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 11:02

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Use what the manufacturer recommends.  If its 5w20 then use it. Use full synthetic if  like. Been told it's better, but does cost more. Make sure u tell the place that changes oil what u want to use in the future. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 11:11

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I have been using Mobile 1 synthetic in all my cars at the recommended weight with no issues other than the Datsun, it gets NAPA branded 10w-30. Mobile 1 is good stuff and the walmart price makes it feasible for price. I still take my Subaru to the dealer because it’s had issues and is still under warranty. I don’t want to give them any ammo if the engine takes a shit again.

Renescent > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 11:38

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Isn’t the MO in “6 MO 5W 20 MOTOR OIL ” Mobil 1?  That’s how I’d read it.  

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 13:01

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“The factory oil is 5W30... why the heck have they used 5W20 on my last two changes?”

Because they are cutting corners and are careless. Not the first time I observed something like that with oil changes. And I bet they’re charging you the same fee for the oil change as well.

The last time I had an oil change done for me, the wrong filter was used. And I didn’t have much confidence that the correct oil was used either.

As for what you should do, it depends on your car. If your car has a turbocharged engine (or has an engine prone to sludge) , I would immediately change the oil myself to the recommended oil.

If it’s a car with a relatively low-stressed, non-turbo engine and/or not prone to sludge , then I would leave it until you’ve passed the “5000km/3 months, whichever comes first” point and then have it changed with the correct oil. Also, put a mark of some sort on the oil filter so you can be SURE they are changing the oil filter. And verify that the oil filter they are using is the correct one.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 01/05/2020 at 13:03

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Same reason why I do it myself. And even if I have a coupon that gives me a free oil change, I still do it myself.

My last free oil change resulted in the wrong oil filter getting installed and oil that appeared to be the cheapest crap bulk oil. 

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 01/05/2020 at 14:52

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This too, I don’t really care about oil quality as long as it is the correct type and weight (as long as it meets API standards) but I KNOW whatever filter is going on there from the lube place is cheap AF and that’s what really matters. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Renescent 01/05/2020 at 15:25

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That thought occured to me later...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/05/2020 at 16:45

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Interestingly enough, I did find a forum thread where several techs claimed that my engine was recently back-spec'd from 5W-30 to 5W-20. 

His Stigness > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/05/2020 at 23:02

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So I’m just going to deal with the change of oil.

Put very simply, the first number in the oil grade is the cold start viscosity . The second is the viscosity at operating temp. Personally, I would not change the weight of the operating viscosity unless the manufacturer recommended it.

Now, having said that, I would recommend changing the cold start viscosity . But, I don’t think a 0W30 is available. I changed the weight of the oil going into my Mercedes from 5W40 to 0W40. And I run used oil analysis tests to back up everything up with data, and switching oils reduced the wear in the engines.

I highly recommend sending away for free oil same kits from Blackstone labs and doing a UOA with each oil change on your cars. You can track the wear of your engine, and catch issues before they cause problems.

And for what’s it worth, Toyota has not changed the spec of your oil, they still say to put in 5W30.