2012 4L TRD synthetic oil type?

Yeah cause all those issues are common with Tacomas .

 

Because motors dont spend much time at cold (non operating) temps, so running thinner oil (0w-20) is more harm than good for typical operating temps. Back when the 1GR was developed there was NO such thing at a consumer level as 0w-30.

The whole lets run 0w-20 in a single vvti 1GR is rather absurd. Motors and tolerances of said motors are designed around operating temperatures of the motor, a 30 weight oil being spec'd for operating temps of a single vvti 1gr, including the VVTI itself.

Note: I make the distinction of single vs dual vvti, as we all know there is the dual vvti 1gr that specs 0w-20, which is done in part for 2 reasons, 1, the re-design of the motor using different components and slightly different tolerances, but MAINLY EPA. 0w-20 nets you a few % better mpg (like 1-2% at most) but in the day and age of making every little bit count as far as MPG, manufactures switched from the typical 5w-30 to 0w-20. This is why in that chart above you see the change to allow 0w-20 across the board for 1GR motors, but in actuality they messed up with their literature and forgot that the tacoma didnt get the dual vvti....


Here is a good read on oil for anyone who is interested in the science behind it.

Needless to say ill still be using 0w-30 wherever Xw-30 is required.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-102/

 

There is an infinitesimal difference between 0w and 5w at cold start. Unless you live in a climate where your outside starting temp is below -50 ( even then 5w will work just as well), then there really isnt any benefit to running 0w. But with that being said, it also wont hurt anything.

 

I would suggest looking at the following web site. I use M1 5w-30 at 5k intervals with the d3 toy filter, I used the same setup on 97 4runner for 150k miles.

Bob Is The Oil Guy

 

The frames actually are very good. Its the company they outsource the manufacturing to that is bad. Want to see a bad frame? Look at GM.

Front diff bearings? Where problem with that? Is this something that mainly impacts people with "lifts"?

Drive shaft? What's the problem with the driveshaft?

Leaf springs.... blame that on *american consumers* who prefer a weak cushy ride over payload capability.

U-joints.... What?

Composite bed: I know you're trying to use this list as a list of what's wrong with the truck, but the composite bed is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. Hell of a lot more durable than a rustbucket corrugated tinfoil bed, and.... impervious to rust.

 

You are making an assumption here with absolutely nothing to support it.
In fact, if you look through the service manuals of what you are claiming to be essentially 2 different engines, what you will notice is that the components and tolerances are, for the most part, IDENTICAL. Yes, they added an extra VVT controller on each head, but that's it.

The reality is that 20 and 30 are very close, and in fact, overlap to some extent. Oil viscosity is not a point-precise value. They specify a range within which the oil is acceptable, and that range overlaps in the middle. A "thicker" 20 can be a higher viscosity than a "thinner" 30.

Now take into account also the fact that the 1GR engine originally spec'd CONVENTIONAL oil, which will break down much more rapidly than a synthetic, and that the 20 requirement is that it MUST BE a synthetic, which will not break down as quickly or as far, and what you get is that the 20, over the course of its use within the engine, will have an average viscosity that is HIGHER than the conventional 30 the engine was originally spec'd for.

 

Ok it was a playful list of things I’ve had issues with, seen issues with or had a gripe about. Alls good, I still own my truck and drive it so it’s not a POS.

 

I may be off on this one, but didn't Toyota change the oil recommendation from 5W-30 to 0W-20 at some point? If so, question what they did to change the internals of the engine that would demand that change or was it the EPA that made the demand?

 

It's my understanding Toyota did this for the Dual VVT-I 4.0L engine used in 5th Gen 4Runners. Those use 0W-20. 2nd Gen Tacoma's with the 4.0L use 5W-30. Their engines utilize Single VVT-i.

 

They made the change ACROSS THE BOARD, and RETROACTIVELY. Partly EPA, partly for longer OCI, and partly to simplify oil changes at dealerships (not having to stock barrels of 30).