Garage put in 15w-40w mineral oil is it ok

[cranswick]

Hi l have a 20 year old camry done 300,000 kms, my old garage always put in 5w- 30w synethic engine oil but l went to a new garage and they put in 15w - 40w mineral oil they said that the best for an old car like mine. l had been having a probelm with oil leakage and oil use. Do you think they are correct that the 15w - 40w oil is better , could this oil do any harm to the engine

[ozieagle]

Hi John,

The 15W 40 or similar rating just has to do with the thickness of the oil. Translated the 15W means that in winter (cold) the oil has a thickness like straight 15 grade oil. The 40 is for hot conditions, and the oil behaves like a 40 grade oil. AN early name for these types of oil was viscostatic, meaning its thickness was constant over a wide temperature range.

I agree with your mechanic that an older engine can happily do with a slightly thicker oil, since the various clearances in the engine would have increased, due to wear. The heavier oil will improve your oil pressure as well.

Herb

Edited June 20, 2023 by ozieagle

[cranswick]

thanks so 15w 40w wont hurt my camry . they said its mineral oil, would sythetic be better or no real difference, if l top up my oil does it matter if l use sythetic 

[CONROD]

If its using oil, wonder they didn't put in a 50 weight oil

[KAA]

No John wont hurt it, the heavier weight will still protect your engine and also on the subject of topping it up, well I would stick to what is in it myself rather than blending a different synthetic oil. Keep an eye on oil consumption always, if it is burning a lot of oil you have other issues that would need attention.

KAA

[cranswick]

THnaks, the 15/40 oil he put in was Mineral oil, l was wondering why he put in mineral oil and not synthetic oil? is mineral oil better for an old camry with high Km's or is sythetic oil better or no difference?

[KAA]

John these days no real difference, he may have been using up stock oil he had, if it was me next time you visit him ask him. I prefer fully synthetic oils used in mine but we all have our own preferences and with the cost of a basic service these days I am fussy what is used in my Presara. Just keep an eye on how much oil your using up mate as if it is a lot get it sorted as soon as you can before any issues arise.

KAA

[cranswick]

thanks , what would normal oil usage for an old camry like mine be, whats normal and when should l worry. l do 1,000 km a month, How many months from full top notch on the oil dipstick to bottom notch on the dipstick would be normal

[KAA]

Sorry John I have no idea how much oil could be normal usage. I am sure if any have an idea they will comment. I would just keep an eye on the dipstick and if your worried talk to the mechanic I would call the mechanical workshop that i=did the service ask them what they consider normal oil usage.

Good Luck Mate

KAA

[ozieagle]

Hi,

Oil usage doesn't have a norm, as it depends on mileage driven, long or short trips. Short trips, with lots of cold starts are what wear an engine. long continuous runs are good.

I have two classic British cars that have done about 50,000 miles (not km), each, and they hardly use any oil, between changes.

As KAA said, keep an eye on your dip stick, over the period of a couple of oil changes, to learn what your engine uses, if any. 

Thicker oil, like the 15W 40, help reduce oil usage. In my cars, it is recommended to use 20W 50 oil. Thicker oil tends to fill the wear gaps better.

 

Herb

[Tony Prodigy]

On 6/20/2023 at 9:54 AM, cranswick said:

Hi l have a 20 year old camry done 300,000 kms, my old garage always put in 5w- 30w synethic engine oil but l went to a new garage and they put in 15w - 40w mineral oil they said that the best for an old car like mine. l had been having a probelm with oil leakage and oil use. Do you think they are correct that the 15w - 40w oil is better , could this oil do any harm to the engine

Does your car blow any blue smoke ? If it's just leakage related, then why don't you address the leaky gaskets ?

The reason why the factory specifies 5W-30 for the 2AZ-FE is so on cold start the oil is thin enough to circulate quickly and easily to through the fine tolerances built into these engines. If the oil is like molasses, it will struggle to move around as quick and can increase cold start engine wear. I think 15w is too thick for this engine.

I'd be more inclined to use a 5W-50 or 10w- 50 fully synthetic if you have oil consumption issues. It's thin enough for those cold starts and thick enough not to burn as much.

 

[cranswick]

7 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Does your car blow any blue smoke ? If it's just leakage related, then why don't you address the leaky gaskets ?

The reason why the factory specifies 5W-30 for the 2AZ-FE is so on cold start the oil is thin enough to circulate quickly and easily to through the fine tolerances built into these engines. If the oil is like molasses, it will struggle to move around as quick and can increase cold start engine wear. I think 15w is too thick for this engine.

I'd be more inclined to use a 5W-50 or 10w- 50 fully synthetic if you have oil consumption issues. It's thin enough for those cold starts and thick enough not to burn as much.

 

thanks yes they fixed the oil leak on the gaskets ,but they said because its old it will use more oil then normal,  theres no blue smoke but l have been geting some white smoke but only on start up, then it goes away, it might be condensation

[Tony Prodigy]

9 hours ago, cranswick said:

they fixed the oil leak on the gaskets ,but they said because its old it will use more oil then normal,  theres no blue smoke

Sounds like the mechanic is trying to justify himself using his bulk purchase of a cheaper oil and not wanting to stock various grades to accommodate the various requirements of other engines. I would bet money he is using the same 15w-40 for ALL cars regardless.  One size fits all approach. This is one mechanic I would avoid. He only cares about his bottom line and not his customers needs.

If the engine isn't actually consuming oil, ie, it's not leaking or blowing blue smoke, then I would continue to use the 5W-30 as the manufacturer recommends. Why would you put a thicker oil in when it doesn't need it ? 

It's up to you to check the oil on a weekly basis and figure out if in fact it is using oil. Higher mileage cars don't necessarily use more oil if it's been serviced regularly and well cared for. 300K mileage isn't a great deal for a Toyota engine if it's been looked after. 

[cranswick]

thanks, my next service is in november , do you think it will be ok to continue using the 15w 40w until then or should l take it in and get them to put in 5w 30w oil now. Also should l ask for sythetic and not mineral oil

[Tony Prodigy]

I suspect that if you take it back to the same mechanic now, he'll advise against changing the oil more than likely. 

Do you hear any top end valve train rattles or unusual sounds on cold start up ?

If you do, then that's the engine protesting the thicker cold grade oil. Remember that most of the engine wear occurs at cold start up and if the oil cannot reach the vital areas quickly enough, then you will risk premature wear.
If not, then it should be ok until then, but to be on the safe side, I would go back to the correct specification oil of 5W-30. Use a full synthetic, not mineral oil.

You also need to regularly check your oil level to determine if it is using oil. The mechanic's adage of "they tend to use more oil as they get older" doesn't always ring true if it has NOT been confirmed.

No disrespect to you John, but some mechanics prefer a gullible customer, especially if they're not mechanically inclined. Don't be that guy.
I'm guessing you're not a DIY type of guy. If you were or know someone who is, you could have them do the oil change for you, or perform a compression test etc. It's pretty easy actually.

 

 

[cranswick]

THanks  , no theres no rattles or strange sounds on start up but theres some white smoke or steam from the exhaust only on first start up for the day , but l think that just because its cold and wet , the garage l  go to is RACV accredited and they do RACV road assistance also does that mean it should have a good repuatation with good mechanics ,  l used to get it serviced at a TOyota dealership garage , do you think a toyota dealership garage would be better . 

Edited July 3, 2023 by cranswick

[Tony Prodigy]

Choice of workshop is entirely up to you. If serviced at Toyota, it would be dearer than your local but in saying that, they would service your vehicle in accordance with the factory recommendations.

1 hour ago, cranswick said:

If my oil level starts to get a bit lower could l top it up with some 5w 30w oil or shouldl not mix 15w 40w with 5w 30w

I wouldn't mix them unless they are both compatible. I don't know enough about this to give you a more comprehensive opinion. Some oils don't play nice together and your 5w-30 synthetic and your 15w-40 mineral are worlds apart and I wouldn't risk it.

If you do start noticing oil consumption, you can simply purchase a spare 1LT bottle of the same oil and use this to get you through, then on the next oil service, have them use either 5w-40, 5w-50 or 10w-50 in a fully synthetic.

[cranswick]

Thanks in terms of oil use the last 500kms , its gone from full to 3/4 full, so it has used a quarter. If you look at the dipstick between the top full notch and the bottom notch its gone from full top notch to 3/4 way down , so it has used about a quarter. In terms of ML of oil how much is that. HOw bad is that for 500 kms

Edited July 3, 2023 by cranswick

[ozieagle]

Hi John,

 

Using that much oil, in 500km, then the engine (mainly the rings) is pretty worn. You can keep driving it, but keep topping up the oil.

Personally, I would go to 20W 50 or heavier oil, to see if that reduces usage.  Next I would consider a refresh, which is new rings and possibly big end bearings, much cheaper than a full rebuild.

 

Herb

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, cranswick said:

in terms of oil use the last 500kms , its gone from full to 3/4 full, so it has used a quarter.

That's too much. Are you sure it's not blowing blue smoke and can you confirm no oil leaks ? Is the rear main seal ok ?

[cranswick]

58 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

That's too much. Are you sure it's not blowing blue smoke and can you confirm no oil leaks ? Is the rear main seal ok ?

theres some white smoke on start up , l tohught it was just condensation l think l will take it back to the garage to get it checked , there was an oil leak but they said they fixed it, there might be another leak

[KAA]

John yes do take it back to have them double check for further leaks, that does sound too much for 5K, so if it is not leaking it sounds like it may have worn out rings or valve stem seals sadly, but then I am no mechanic. Either way get the experts to look at it's consumption.

KAA

[cranswick]

If its using too much oil and theres no leak they can find or theres worn out rings or valve stem seals  does that mean the engine will soon die and  apart from spending thousands its time to replace the car as its 20 years 

Edited July 4, 2023 by cranswick

[ozieagle]

Hi John,

 

No, the engine won't suddenly die. With 1 litre oil every 2000 km you just need to keep an eye on the dipstick, and top up, when the level gets to the LOW point.

Obviously you are not mechanically mind, and thus at the mercy of mechanics.

I estimate that a refresh, done by a mechanic, would cost around $2k. Your trade in value would be small, like maybe $2k tops. 

If you are going the way of a new car, check out the MGs, good value for money. We recently purchased an MG ZS, with a couple of accessories, for $24500. Look up their website   https://mgmotor.com.au/

 

Herb

[KAA]

Hi John, no the engine wont suddenly stop working. It just is using oil so as long as you keep it topped up it will keep going. When it comes down to what the issue is will determine what way you go trade it in while working and worth something or do a repair and keep the car.

It all comes down to how good the rest of the car is, what it is worth as a trade in on a new car etc or what it will cost to get it right mate. Money at these tough times is tight for all of us so think hard about which way to go until then just keep an eye on the oil level

KAA