I personally use Toyota oil filter (does not mean it is better than M1) since I replace it every oil change I make, but I definetely will use 100% fully synthetic Mobil 1 0W-20 oil.

First of all, we are not certain the Toyota labeled oil is Mobil 1. Second, if your dealer wants $7/qt for Toyotas' 0W-20, I would check another dealer or contact one the toyota dealers that sells on the web. Try www.toyota-parts.com/. You may have to send them an e-mail to get a quote.










t

Just a question,

Is there something especially delicate about this Toyota hybrid gas engine that requires all the concern about using special oil? I assume that the low viscosity during the winter will probably reduce gas consumption but I'm wondering if there's any other reasons to use more expensive oil than a normal engine would require.

Toyota says to use 0W-20 or 5W-20. If you use regular oil, I believe it would be wise to change your oil every 3,000 miles. If you use full synthetic, you can go 5,000 to 6,500 miles before you change your oil (my opinion). It is going to cost about the same either way, depending who changes the oil; you, oil change stores or the dealer. So why not use the best oil. When you consider the cost of the car, gas and insurance, the cost of an oil change is just a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of owning and operating the car. Also consider the fact that your TCH (as all '07 Camrys) come from the factory with 0W-20 full synthetic in the crankcase. I plan to use Toyota 0W-20 oil and a Toyota oil filter and change them every 5,000 miles.

I've always wondered about synthetics, but have never used them. Can you state a source for the info that indicates all 2007 Camrys come from factory with synthetics? If that is truly what Toyota puts in, I may re-think my strategy for oil changes. Thanks.

Thanks for your input and explanation, on all the cars I have owned over the last 40 years I have always changed the oil at 10,000 km (approximately 6,000 mile) intervals and never had any engine problems using regular oil. I would have thought synthetic oil would give much longer intervals between oil changes especially as the gas engine is only running for part of the time in a hybrid vehicle. I have read however that you should not change back to regular oil once you have used synthetic so will stay with what's recommended by Toyota.

I talked to the parts manager today and was informed that toyota is using full synthetic 0W-20 as a factory fill for all Camrys. I will ask him for a copy of his source document and let you know what I find out.

I saw the oil at my local toyota dealership and it is the Mobil 1 brand. In anyways, I have never bought oil from dealer (just mentioted for general info), and I have put a request to Wall-Mart to bring more of the 0W-20 to buy it for lower price...

Your are correct that full synthetic oil will provide much longer drain intervals. New Mercedes Benz comes with Mobil 1 0W-40 and uses an on-board computer to notify the owner when an oil change is needed. The local MB dealer tells me that the average change interval for a newer MB is about 12,000 miles depending on driving habits, etc. He also told me that some owners have their oil changed every 3000 to 5000 miles no matter what the on-board says. As I noted on an earlier post, oil changes cost very little when compared to the total cost of ownership. Use a good oil (I like full synthetic) and follow the Toyota requirements for your driving habits.

I currently own a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville which also has a computerised oil change monitoring system. The calculation is based on engine revolutions & temperature such that city driving (more often in low gear) and a short trips (engine running cold) require an oil change sooner. I have always found for my mixed city and highway driving the system indicates an oil change at around 10,000 km. I have often been told by service departments to ignore this and change the oil more frequently. GM promotes the system as environmentally friendly as it avoids unnecessary oil changes. Service departments of course have a vested interest in recommending frequent oil changes, I have however always gone with the manufacturer's recommendations.

I'm not sure from the discussion whether Toyota specify synthetic or semisynthetic oil or whether they specify longer oil change intervals if you use Synthetic oil. Note I do not have a Camry manual yet as my vehicle is still on order. Would you bring me up to speed on this please?
Regards, Paul