Toyota Synthetic Oil...

For the members that go to a dealership & let them change your oil, I check the oil on the dipstick when home.

If others have done this, which color has your synthetic oil?

All input welcome.

 

After the dealership does the oil change, I check the oil level before starting up and driving off the lot. Dealership uses synthetic and it has a gold-ish color. In sunlight, it's actually hard to see the oil level on the dipstick.

 

I buy the the oil from the stealership and change it myself at home. It's the same color as every other synthetic oil..........

 

Even clean conventional oil is pretty dang clear. The goldish color that many see is the hydrocarbons breaking down from the heat, but it starts out very faint almost clear. After a while , it gets darker and darker to the brown/black color that we all know is old used oil. Another reason I still dont trust the book saying to change the oil every 10k miles... Oil causes staining because metal is a porous material. If you have ever looked inside a well taken care of engine/ head, you will see the yellow/orange/brown staining. Its normal and not a big concern. Its if you start to see blackened parts and chunks of oil ( sludge) then you should be concerned. If the chunks are metallic, then you should really worry

 

send a sample to blackstone. It is amazing just how far oil has come. Most vehicles recommend a 10k oil change with synthetic. Blackstone would help reassure you, or help you adjust if possible/necessary

 

Same here.

 

Are you concerned they did not change the oil?

 

Check level. Ya.

 

Well, this is my point and you are correct; each time changing oil, the new oil color was goldish/amber. In this case, I checked, and the oil had no color, looked like water. I find out that Toyota 0W-20 is never goldish/amber, It's a clear oil almost transparent no color at all. Btw. Only their non synthetic oil's are goldish/amber!

 

No, I'm not concerned that they didn't change the oil, I'm concerned that in previous oil changes, the color was goldish/amber and now it is clear/transparent, no color.

 

I have a number of concerns about taking my 4Runner in for an oil change. Did the dealer use bottled or bulk oil? Maybe you're not getting what you think. Lots of dealers buy bulk oil to save $ it might not even be genuine Toyota oil. Did they overtighten the oil filter housing resulting in a failed plastic housing down the road? Usually kids doing it unless the mechanic did it as part and parcel of other work being done. How about skid plate removal? Can guarantee they did that as fast as possible. My son's 2020 Tundra TRD PRO comes back every time from the dealer with oil dripping from the skid plate where it was spilt and the famous skid plate creak while turning because of under or over torqueing the skid plate. Using impact guns crushes the spacers and can strip the bolt threads. Seen it many times and will do my own thanks.

 

My only problem is, that I think some dealerships put non synthetic oil and charge for synthetic, because the regular oil has an amber/goldish hue. The full synthetic Toyota 0W-20 is clear almost transparent, no color when new.

 

This is quite possible. You can request bottled oil but they may charge you more which is the first clue. After working in dealerships for 20 yrs I'll take bottled oil any day. Why less chance of contamination. I've seen the crud in the bottom of the collective oil jug that is used by every shop tech to dispense bulk oil. Been there and saw that.

 

Curiosity got the best of me so I cracked open a brand new quart of oil that I had bought from the dealership. Definitely an amber-ish/gold tint to the oil, much like any other synthetic oil.....

Do what you will with this info.





Casualty of the above pic

 

You would know very quickly if they used water.

 

Appreciate you effort for posting. Amazingly, different explanations are find about this topic.

 

Wouldn't we all

 

Lot's of conflicting info,

In some of my other vehicles I use Mobil 1 extended performance full synthetic which has a amber/honey color. Nevertheless, down below some info you can find all over the internet about synthetic engine oil.

New conventional oil is a light caramel color. It has some natural organics, which give it this hue. On the other hand, the pure synthetic oil base is clear. Thus, while a motor oil manufacturer can create any color combinations, adding dyes, pure synthetics are more likely to be clear.

You took the guess out of the equation, you opened a new bottle.