Oil

Hello all,

First 5K oil change coming up. What kind of oil OEM oil was used, regular 5 20w, blended synthetic, or synthetic?

 

I think it would vary in different areas. In Tucson, they Toyota rep was telling me they use 'semi-synthetic'. I run Mobil 1 5w-30 w/ OEM filter. IMO our engines run good on synthetic, people use different types of oil. You just got to pick one and see how your engine runs on it.

 

Doesn't matter, you can mix and match synthetic, regular, and semi-synth all you want. It's the numbers that count, don't put 5-20 in with 10-40.

 

Your 2.7 can run 0w20 or 5w20, but I think 0w20 is only available as a synthetic. I run Mobil 1 5w20.

 

my dealer used regular 5w20 but i put castrol syntec...helped alot...made the engine run much smoother

 

youre in vermont so it gets pretty damn cold up there, i woud run mobil 1 0w-20 synthetic. its a better oil for colder climates and easier on start-up.

 

I use AMSOIL Signature Series 0W-30 and EaO-57 oil filter.

I drain the crankcase annually. The filter is changed at 5,000 mile intervals.

Son #1 lives at Grand Forks, North Dakota (Also known as Lower ManiSkatchiwan.) and does the same with his 4cyl/5spd Tacoma.

 

Not sure what your crankcase was filled with at the factory, but with this oil change at 5k I suggest you run a round of regular (dino) 5w20. Dino oils work fine but they don't protect *quite* as well as synthetics, so this will allow the rings and cylinders to wear in a bit better. Then switch to a synthetic after 10-12k. Just my opinion.

 

The crankcase was filled at the factory with whatever Service J 5w-20 was cheapest that day.

I feel better doing what I have done. At 1063 miles there was a metallic shimmer to the transmission oil, probably due to synchronizer wear-in. The differential lube had some micrometal in it -- and a nice metal chip on the drain magnet.

I didn't cut open the engine oil filter like I do for my airplane but if I had, a few sparkles of micrometal would not have been a shock.

No worries! I've done this before -- six times.

 

You don't have any issues with using 30 weight oil on an engine that calls out 20 weight?
The reason I am asking is that I have the same truck and was thinking about putting exactly the same oil and filter in there, but everybody been telling me you can't put 30 grade oil in it because it would adversely affect the VVT engine operation....(some thing like that).

How does the car run on this combination? Does it run any smooter than 20 weight oil?

 

I don't know if anybody on this forum knows for sure if running a 30 wt oil instead of a 20 wt oil will hurt the vvt-i. My question is, why would you take the chance? I will continue to run what the owner's manual and oil cap tell me to. JMO.

 

I was getting some top end knock/rattle after startup a while back and since have been running Lucas Oil Treatment (1qt) with the balance being standard 5-20 wt. oil. No startup knocks and my oil seems to remain cleaner after my regular 5000 mile changes. Anyone with good or bad experience with the Lucas?

 

lucas is some good stuff!

 

I've ran mobil 5-30 for 27000 kilometers and no issues (why would there be any, your 20 wt oil is at the same viscosity than a 30 wt when it's not at it's hottest!). Now I'm trying the mobil 5-20 that the book is calling for.

 

No problems!

My VVT works just fine!! An 0W-30 has a "base number" of about 15 versus 10 of an 0W-20. They both flow through things with ease -- especially a fully-engineered synthetic like the AMSOIL Signature Series product. I pull a 2,000-lb cargo trailer now and then -- plus cargo. I like the extra bit of protection offered by the 0W-30.

I've only had my Taco for a few weeks but my children have been running up tens of thousands of miles on their (same driveline) '08s and '09 over the past two years. They all use Signature Series 0W-30 and change out the miniscule EaO-57 filter at 6,000-mile intervals. We also use AMSOIL Severe Gear

$30 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75W-90 lubricant in our differentials and transmissions.

Smoothness is a very subjective thing. All of the Toyotas I've ever had were smoother than any of the domestic products we were forced to operate by circumstance. I'd have to say that MY engine does operate with less noise after installing the 0W-30. I don't detect as much whining from the thing as before.

Our trucks operate trouble-free in Arizona, Texas, Ohio and North Dakota (Lower Maniskatchiwan, eh! ).

 

It's kind of long, but here's a great thread somebody posted on TW awhile back from Ferrarichat that has a lot of great info about oil weights.

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=haas_articles#faq_motor_oil_basics

 

this was an EXCELLENT READ! thank you.

 

I would use the weight recomended although I doubt 30W will hurt anything. As far as brand, any major brand should be fine. Regular changes are more important than brand names.