Hello All,
I really like the advice I have received from this forum and would like to ask another question.
Some of you made refeerence to the fact that I shouldn’t use high mileage oil for my 2000 Prizm (Toyota engine). I was wondering why and so is my friend who has a 2002 Honda Civic. Would someone be so kind as to inform me why not high mileage and what weight oil you might suggest. I live in central Kentucky.
Thanks so much!!!
Suzie S
I would be interested in why you shouldn’t also. High mileage oil is supposed to be formulated to help swell old seals. Don’t know if it does much else.
On the other hand, I have used high mileage oil in several of my cars and saw no difference in oil consumption or anything else, so I tend to use regular oil.
Check your owner’s manual, but a 5W30 should work well in your Prizm.
High mileage oil helps older engines keep from burning and leaking oil. This is done with additives in the oil that make the seals swell slightly.
If you have no problems with burning or leaking oil, there is very little reason to use high mileage oil. However, using it certainly won’t hurt anything in either of your engines.
I use it in my 1998 Civic.
Keep in mind “high mileage” doesn’t mean what it used to. Yesterday’s cars were “high mileage” at 75,000 miles. Today’s cars last a lot longer. I would probably not be inclined to use high mileage oil on a car with less than 125,000 miles, and even then, only if it is leaking or burning oil.
Swell and softening seals maybe a good thing for older cars, but maybe not. Things that are swollen and softened may not be as strong. My hunch is these oils are more about marketing than anything that is significantly different in the can.
I’ve got one SUV at 100K miles, a Civic at 86K miles, and a convertible at 56K miles. All get the 5W-20 or 5W-30 weights oil recommended for them. I don’t bother with high mileage oil and don’t plan to anytime soon. Past 200K miles if a car starts burning some oil perhaps I try it then.
Note: “High Mileage” could mean an oil for an engine that has a lot of miles on it or it could mean the oil helps the car get better fuel mileage.
High mileage oil is a last hope for a failing engine. Uusally does NOTHING and costs more.
Use any conventional oil that meets spec. In reality it would be very difficult to find one that does not.
I’m not inclined to say you shouldn’t…but I really don’t think it’s needed. I’ve NEVER used it…eve on cars well past 250k miles…NEVER EVER burned one drop of oil…never had an issue NOT using it. I’m of the belief that if you change your oil regularly there should be no need for it.
I read on this forum that the use of high mileage oils which attempt to swell old seals actually softens some seals to the point of slowly dissolving them . . rendering the seals useless.I cannot document that, just remember reading it here. My old '89 Accord will turn 500k this Summer, and I change the oil regularly every 3k. It now “uses” about a half a quart very oil change. At 250k or so I went to 20W50 to stop drippage and slight puffs of oilsmoke on overnight start-up, works well for me. (I use 10W40 in the cold months and it drips a bit more) As for me, I’m going to stay away from the high mileage oil and other additives, the regular oil change and weight change works for me. Rocketman