Castrol Magnetic Oil 10W40...Anyone use it in their 100seriesT/D???

What's the story on getting your oil tested?

Half decent article in current Overlander mag about oil testing.

If you take a sample of your engine oil to a oil test centre (Caterpillar, Castrol and many more), they can test your oil for metal, coolant, contaminant's, and anything else and give you a report with what the engine should be, what it is and recommend what needs to be looked at or changed.

They can also recommend the oil change intervals.

I think it costs about $100.00, we are going to do ours at the next service.

They can also tell you if your oil is good for that engine...taking the "my mate next door" theory away.

Regards Richard

Ocoolone
If you were going to get your oil analysed, wouldn't it make sense to give them two samples, one at 5k and a second at 10k, so that they could draw conclusions about the best interval for oil changes. It could be that, despite all the hype, the degredation over trhe additional 5000kms was not significant, esp if you used a low ash oil to start with.
You said that 'changing the oil at 5k means nothing'. It can only be good for the engine but surely you mean that its possibly unnecessary.
With the oil alone costing $40 per change, the difference in cost is about $400 per 100kms.(between doing it at 5 or 10k)
If the oil coys are doing the tests, surely they have a vested interest in promoting more frequent changes. Wouldn't an independent tester be safer?

You can give them a oil sample at 1000k if you wanted because it is still going to show the same information if anything is wearing.

They can estimate 100% accuracy what the oil is doing and what the long term use will be and when to change it.

As for independent testers, remember these companys are selling there products to people who use alot of oil and by being able to give the customer the correct advice they might keep them as a customer....An example " a transport company has been able to extend it's oil change intervals from 40000K to 100000k may of saved them $50k a year or more.

It is in the best interests of the oil company to give the right advice to there customers.

There are so many other things an oil test can show up.

So why change your oil if it doesn't need to be changed?

Tks for info. Shouldn't be so sceptical of oil coys. Should have made myself clearer. What I meant was run one lot of oil for 5000, then run another lot for 10000, and give them two samples.Wear may be relatively easy to make predictions about, but I would have thought that shear and soot contamination would increase exponentially and another sample of longer use oil would be required to detect this degredation (but hey I'm no expert and welcome other peoples views). Anyway, I'll get a test done at the next 5000.

Wigger That would be the best thing to do...at least you would have a better understanding of how your engine is going.

You should be able use Dot 4 instead of Dot 3 in your Toyota, Dot 4 is compatable to Dot 3 system but you cannot use Dot 3 in a brake system designed for Dot 4.

Or goto Dot 5....then you can only use Dot 5 as Dot 3 and 4 don't mix with it.

Dot 4 is alot more stable then Dot 3.

Rerards Richard

Gday Richard,

If your Toyota says DOT 3, as most of them do, you cannot use DOT4. It swells the seals and causes a sticky brake pedal.

Toyota put out a warning a few years ago, which I could dig up and email to you if you like.

As a result, Toyota only sell DOT 3 fluid; Repco released a DOT 3 fluid just for Toyotas. Interesting too is that a few of the Nissans we own are also DOT 3 only.

Cheers
Phil

Thats odd, Dot 4 is ment to be 100% compatable with any braking system that uses Dot 3...I know you can't use Dot 3 in systems that have natural rubbers seals.

Ill have to ask that question tomorrow.

Regards Richard