Toyota Synthetic Oil Change

Synthetic Oil Changes at Atlantic Toyota of Long Island

Using Synthetic Motor Oils in Toyotas

Should I put conventional or synthetic motor oil in my Toyota?  The answer to this isn’t definitive because, well, “it depends.” In this article, we will look at the issue in more depth and learn more about motors oils in general.  

What are standard motor oils?  

Standard motor oils are oils created from raw petroleum (crude oil) via complex distillation procedures. These procedures yield gasoline, tars, oils and many other products.  Standard oils are excellent oils and have been used for over 100 years, however, they are not as “pure” as synthetic oils. Some seem to think that this is a problem.

What are synthetic motor oils?

Synthetic oils are “designer oils”. They are formulated from specific pure hydrocarbon compounds, many of which started as oil distillates themselves. The advantage of being able to mix your own oil formulas is that they can be tailored for specific applications, like lubricating internal combustion engines. According to industry experts, the synthetic oils designed for cars today are superior to conventional oils for many reasons.

Some advantages of synthetic oils:

1. Keeps your engine cleaner - Synthetic motor oils contain fewer impurities compared to conventional motor oils so they better resist the formation of internal engine sludge.
2. Offers greater engine wear protection - Conventional oils break down over time and when this happens, their ability to prevent engine wear diminishes. Synthetic motor oils, on the other hand, retain their wear protection properties for much longer times.
3. Flow better in low temperatures - During the cold, winter months, or if you live in an extremely cold environment, synthetic oils are less sluggish than conventional oils when cold. Synthetic oils are specifically engineered to flow easily even at low temperatures.

Recommendations for your Toyota

Both types of oil are fine oils but Toyota has specific regulations for its cars. You can go online and see what these recommendations are or look in your driver’s manual. When in doubt, ask your local Toyota dealer.  Of course, if you opt to have your local Toyota dealer do your periodic maintenance and oil changes, you can be assured that the right type of oil will be used.