# Synthetic oil in 4-cylinder vehicles **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** toyota, camry\ **Created:** [June 22, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705 "2010-06-22T16:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/21 "2010-06-23T00:24:12Z")
The OP’s Camary seems to an 02 model with the 2.4L I4. The Amsoil “bulletin” only refers to the 2.2L which was in the previous generation Camary. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/22 "2010-06-23T00:33:40Z")
mb, I will go look for TSB’s on the sludging. I have a question that is somewhat related to your position, I will be brief but explain, what is the logic behind the phrase “you cannot prove a negative” I asked my Phd holding writing instructor and she not even heard the phrase. The documentation provided states that Toyota does not acknowledge any defect on their part for the sludging, be it V-6 or four bangers. Conclusion, this aspect of the thread is way off topic from what the OP is asking and does not in any way add to the majority agreeded upon viewpoint that synthetic oil does not harm 4 cylinder engines be they Toyotas or VW’s. Myself, I thought that a lot more than the 3400 cars mentioned were involved. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/23 "2010-06-23T18:33:30Z")
It is directly relevant in that the ogiginal question was about the need for synthetic in a Camry four cylinder engine. Geeaea’s link only goes to a news article about a Louisiana District Court settlement. While the article clearly states that 4-cylinders were included in the Louisiana settlement, I’ve never seen an actual Toyota TSB or a .gov site that described engine sludging in a 4 cylinder engine. Geeaea’s own link states “In 2002 Toyota admitted receiving 3,400 complaints about sludged engines and the automaker extended its vehicle warranty to eight years along with unlimited mileage to owners of 1997-2002 Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter V-6 or 2.2-liter four-cylinder engines.” It does not state that Toyota extended their own warranty to 4-bangers beyond Louisiana. In summary, I contend that there was no TSB or recall by Toyota or the gov’t for sludging in four cylinder engines that I’ve ever seen or read about. I maintain that sludging was not a problem in four cylinders. If a TSB or recall can be found, I’ll gladly eat my words. As always, I’m open to new information. The comment about proving a negative is an old one. It’s akin to proving that something does not exist. It’s impossible to prove absolutely that something does not exist. ---
**Author:** ![Bladecutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bladecutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bladecutter)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/24 "2010-06-23T21:02:20Z")
It is not true that 100% synthetic engine oil is not recommended for a 4 cylinder engine. It is also not true that the 100% synthetic engine oil is causing harm to your engine. You keep on using the engine oil that you want to, and don’t let anyone (here or otherwise) tell you to stop doing what you’ve been doing. BC. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/25 "2010-06-24T00:22:14Z")
Hey, I had my valves vulcanized for less than $2000! My mechanic said it usually costs $4300! But I took the post to mean that a Camry would not really benefit from using synthetic lubricants just as you later stated. I don’t thin it’s time to throw the bum out. I think it’s more semantics as texases said. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/26 "2010-06-24T00:24:34Z")
Only politics and religion cause more arguments than semantics, but the the first two depend heavily on semantics. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/27 "2010-06-24T00:28:11Z")
“Give your mechanic a chance to clarify his statement and tell him his use of every single word will be scrutinized, and don’t you add or subtract from his statement, this is of extreme importance.” …And then we hang him! ---
**Author:** ![oldwrench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@oldwrench](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldwrench)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705/28 "2010-06-24T01:43:25Z")
From my personal experience, my customers who switched to synthetic oils on an older motor experienced oil leaks.I don’t know if the synthetic oil cleaned out the sludge around cam and crank seals. I switched to synthetic and went through a quart of oil in between oil changes. This happened two consecutive times. I switched back to regular motor oil and never lost a drop between oil changes as before. I really can’t understand why or explain it. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/synthetic-oil-in-4-cylinder-vehicles/50705.md?page=1)