Do I have to use Full Synthetic or can I use Conventional?

Hey everyone, so this will be my first oil change since getting my new to me 2012 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8. My question is do I need to use the shop recommended Full Synthetic oil, which I don’t want to do because it’s like $80 for and oil change. Do I have to use Full Synthetic or can I use a Conventional? Thanks for the feedback.

 

As long as you get the weight right, it really doesn't matter synthetic vs dino. On the other hand, if you require 0W-20, you won't find it in conventional. You really aren't paying "extra" for synthetic if you think about it because you can easily put 10,000 miles on it before changing it.

 

Call around for pricing. As mentioned, you might not find 0-W20 in Dino

Synthetic will be better long term. Any sythetic will do. Walmart's Supertech gets great ratings.

 

Synthetic actually cheaper. Goes twice as long, one less oil filter to replace plus your time.

 

I personally use Mobil 1 0W20 full synthetic and change oil and Toyota genuine filter ever 5k miles.

To answer your question, (I'd verify in my owners manual first) but I don't believe you have to use full synthetic. If you use non synthetic I'd change the oil and filter every 3k miles.

 

Synthetic is superior to Dino oil. If you want your truck to actually last and run just as good at 100k miles as it did at 1k miles, run synthetic. With the amount of moving valvetrain parts in a dohc motor, dino oil will tarnish and gum up on the inside of the motor and simply shorten its life.

 

I agree with everyone so far; that's gotta be a first

I will ask what kind of mileage you expect. If you only do 3000 or 4000 miles a year and believe in annual oil changes, no matter what, then conventional should be fine. But seriously, how much do you expect to save? For eight and a half quarts of oil and a filter, is $80 that bad? I haven't yet, but I'll do my own oil changes, and even with my free labor it's going to run about $65 just for oil and filter.

 

Thanks everyone so far for the answers, just have never used Synthetic, so I guess it’s sticker or price shock, but I’m for whatever makes the truck last, cause god knows I’m gonna run’er til the wheels fall off.

 

Let me come at this from a different angle: Toyota 0w20 is one of the cheaper full synthetic engine oils out there.

If you had to use conventional mineral based oil you could get away with it but you'd be changing oil on a much more frequent basis.

When it is 95+ degrees and you are working the truck hard, you'll be glad you have a full synthetic in the crankcase.

 

I’ve used Walmart full synthetic in all my vehicles. You can buy it in 5 at jugs or bigger boxes. Jug is like $18. They also sell the Toyota OEM filters. DIY oil change is easy. Tundras are high enough you don’t need life or ramps to reach. Just be sure your catch pan holds at least 8.5 qts. Also recommend Motiv filter wrench

 

Motiv also has a neat tool for draining the filter. I don't have one, but it does look like it'd make the job a tad less messy.

 

Get on YouTube and look up Project Farm. This guy is thorough and probably has close to a dozen oil testings and even a head-to-head competition. You’ll know in short order what fits your circumstances.

 

It is alot cleaner, especially if you have a skid plate.

 

Get yourself

$42 EZ-103(12mm-1.25) EZ Oil Drain Valve with removable Hose End Combo

one of these for a drain plug replacement and the oil change will go even quicker

 

Non-synthetic is for the mechanically uneducated. The benefits go WAY beyond the cost, starting with more time between oil changes.

 

Big Dave75,
I got a 2015 Tundra about 2 years ago and decided to use Mobil 1. First oil change was $105 at a dealer. Yowser! A couple of changes later I switched to the GM Dexos. The (GM/Chrysler/Ford) Dealer shop foreman said it's comparable to the Mobil 1. Last oil change there was $64.07; filter/labor/8 qts. of 0-20W on 12/7/21. Not so bad!