The old 5k or 10k oil change debate

I think the type of oil is just as important as the frequency in which you change it. Cheap oil 5k Synthetic oil can go longer. But only Chevy Colorado and Nissan Frontier people use cheap oil. None of us Tacoma guys would ever....

 

This looks kind of bad … viscosity seems to be near or out of spec … flashpoint too low.. That oil is toast … silicone too high etc. I’d say 15k was too much for the oil.

 

It’s interesting to see this for a long interval, lower weight oil, and hot climate. Why the 0W20, for better gas mileage?

 

Considering that long an oil change interval, its pretty darn good.

 

At least it's getting plenty of Calcium

 

That oil used is better than most budget oils fresh out of the bottle.

 

You didn’t read the comments from the lab, did you?

 

The 3rd Gen. 3.5L V6 motor calls for 0W-20. It has tighter clearances than the older 4.0L V6 which calls for 5W-30.

 

Not sure why they are not calling out the actual issues from the data they provided. Multiple values are out of spec or near out of spec

 

You learn something new every day.

 

His viscosity and flashpoint specs are similar to my TGMO

$52 0w20 oil Toyota/ exxon mobil Case of 6 Quarts Full Synthetic TGMO SN 0W-20 Oil

0w20 oil changes at 5k & 10k OCIs.

 

But "Near out of spec" is still in spec.

 

No it doesn't.

Bearing clearances have been generally the same for years and years. Look up the spec from a 40 year old 22RE toyota motor and compare it to the 3.5. It's all pretty much the same.

Example, how the 4.0 out of newer the 4runner calls for 0w20. It's essentially the same motor as the 2nd gen 4.0 that used to call for 5w30.

It's all about squeezing a bit more fuel economy out of an engine. Thinner oil, less resistance.

 

Those aren’t specs, they are averages. Everything is well within normals numbers.
The extra silicon is explained in the report comments and is a non-issue.
The flash point is normal and not excessively low.
The viscosity is on the high end of the scales, meaning thicker, which is good considering it’s a low viscosity 0W-20.
I will take this OCI to 17,000 miles and perform another analysis at that time.

 

I agree and you are correct but the oiling system of a modern engine compared to a 22RE is much more complex. Also, the materials used in the modern engines are also much different and have different rates of expansion.
The 3.5L V6 was designed around

$52 0W-20 oil Toyota/ exxon mobil Case of 6 Quarts Full Synthetic TGMO SN 0W-20 Oil

0W-20 oil so no reason to use anything else when the engine is mechanically stock.

 

I am taking it as not averages they state on the top of the column values SHOULD be.
Flashpoint SHOULD be OVER 385. You're at 385
Viscosity SHOULD be under 57 you're at 57.9 that's NOT in range.
2nd measurement should be UNDER 9.7 you're at 9.63 ... pretty close to out of spec

Seems like the oil is certainly at end of life. Its no longer at or close to being no longer at the proper viscosity and has a flash point that is too low or close to being out of spec.

I say go 17 and see where it takes you. It clearly isn't egregious. I personally wouldn't though.

 

By all means, please post your analysis reports and show us what’s appropriate.

 

this is not correct, 0w-20 is US only. The engine is rated up to 15w-40 outside the US. Welcome to the world of CAFE.

 

The lab tells you what is appropriate. You just chose to interpret it in other ways.

 

excellent report, Amsoil is fantastic oil. I’m sure this plays a role.