Can I run 5w-30 in my 2016 Tacoma?

A million exclusions: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lifetime+powertrain+warranty+scam

 

^^^This. Finally someone posted facts.

 

Interestingly, the oil filler cap on my 2014 V6 shows 5w30, and the manual says 5w20 or 0w20 synthetic. I always found this curious. The filler cap appears to be stock. That said: I put in Valvoline 5w30 conventional in the summer and Valvoline 5w30 full synthetic for the fall and winter months. There's no logical reason for me in picking the brand: if Valvoline isn't there in the viscosity I want, I'd pick Castrol, Pennzoil or Mobil 1 in either flavor: Conventional or Synthetic. Castrol GTX was my go-to for years on my turbo-charged Volvos.

 

Yep, and I have read the fine print.

 

Weird, my 2014 TRD OR V6 has 5W-30 on the cap & in the manual. I think you may be looking at the spec section for the 2TR on page 535



https://assets.sia.toyota.com/publications/en/om-s/OM35A38U/pdf/OM35A38U.pdf

 

Well I'll be dipped in shit, something useful from an oil thread. What is the world coming to? I'm going to 5w-30 on my 2016 and not looking back. Same oil as my wifes rav4, nice to have it the the same.

 

Does someone want to be extra useful? It would be great to have a part number for a 5w-30 filler cap that fits.

 

121800H012, try this one its off a 2gr-fe, I'm guessing they have the same threads.

 

Ordered! Now its official.

 

DOH! My error: You are correct sir: Thank you! I'll blame old(er) eyes and dura-matter.

 

So I dropped that text into google translate and got this. It doesn't even say 15w-40 is bad, just not good in low temps. I always thought oil viscosity was important in these tight tolarance vvti engines with oil actuated timing stuff, I guess not. If your thinking the thicker oils are just intended to be temporary I don't think thats what its saying (unless something is lost in translation), in the US manual it says "SAE 0W-20 is the best choice for good fuel economy and good starting in cold weather. If SAE 0W-20 is not available, SAE 5W-20 oil may be used. However, it must be replaced with SAE 0W-20 at the next oil change." It clearly states to swap to 0w-20 at the next change. The Mexico manual doesn't say anything like that, just the temp recommendation.


Manual from Mexico
"Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” has been used in your Toyota vehicle.
original Toyota engine. Use a “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil”
Toyota certified "Genuine Toyota Motor Oil" or another that is
equivalent that conforms to the following grade and viscosity values.
Oil Grade:
0W-20, 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30:
Multigrade motor oil SL “Energy-Conserving”, SM “EnergyConserving”, SN “Resource-Conserving” of the API grade or engine oil
ILSAC multigrade.
15W-40:
API grade SL, SM or SN multigrade engine oil
Recommended viscosity (SAE):
If you use SAE 10W30 motor oil or a higher viscosity oil
In very low temperatures, it can
be difficult to start the engine, so
SAE 0W-20, 5W-20 recommended
or 5W-30 or one less
goo.

Heres a link to Toyota Mexico so you can look up the manual for yourself if you want.

https://www.toyota.mx/propietarios-vin

 

The first number is the cold operating temp winter viscosity and the second number is the warm operating temp viscosity. What's the benefit of running thicker oil in hotter weather? Seems like the engine would work harder and be more sluggish switching from 0w-20 to 5w-30. Summers in AZ are easily 110+, sometimes 115+, and the engine is running a heck of a lot hotter than that. 0w-20 works just fine.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DWqgNlfzOs

 

If it were working harder and would be sluggish on 5W-30, then that would also have been a problem on every engine in history that called for 10W-30, 10W-40, 15W-40, 20W-50, etc. Higher viscosity oil can provide higher film strength on bearings and shear surfaces. Whether or not anyone brings their engine to that point depending on ambient conditions and the way they work their engine, no one really knows. All we can say is in the US they recommend 0W-20 for CAFE reasons and in other countries you get to choose. The wording from Toyota in the manual hints that you can go thicker if you’re working the engine hard although it doesn’t explicitly state you should because of CAFE.

Nobody is arguing that 0W-20 isn’t “fine”, but the argument is more about whether or not it’s really the “best”. There is so far 0 proof that it is the best or that the engine was “designed around” 0W-20. In reality they designed an engine like any other and then threw 0W-20 in it for best mpg results and CAFE compliance. And in the US that matters, so they have to recommend what they used, in other countries they give you a sliding scale based on ambient temp for choosing winter ratings and let you run whatever hot rating you want (which promotes higher film strength).

 

The other thing to keep in mind with oil choices is with the discovery of LSPI and carbon deposit issues, predominantly on direct injection only engines, and DPFs on the diesels a lot of oils have altered the additive packages which affects noack and wear protection.

 

you paying?

 

My truck doesn’t need 0w-20 because I live south of the Arctic Circle and I care more about engine wear than +0.5mpg. The EPA doesn’t know what is good for me or my truck. There is zero proof humans affect Earth’s climate and that hypothesis is impossible to test. Enjoy the weather and longer engine life.