Anyone using other than 0W-20 oil?

FWIW Thicker oil will not effect you VVT. Engine oil is roughly 212F at operating temp. It takes about 30 minutes of driving for achieve this...much longer than your coolant for example. Many people don't have 30 minutes comments and their VVT works just fine.

Cold 0w20 is FAR thicker than even 20w50 at operating temp...think about that.

 

To be fair, engineers these days have accountants and lawyers hovering over their shoulders, and they also have to make decisions based on common use scenarios, rather than specific instances.

That said... The oil weight chosen WAS chosen for a reason, and the engine was designed to work with it, so variations on the recommended oil shouldn't be too different.

OP: The first weight (0W in this case) is the viscosity at around 0 degrees F. The second (20 in this case) is the comparable viscosity when heated to around 210 degrees F. So at 0 degrees, a 0W-20 will flow roughly the same as a pure 0W oil at the same temp. And at 210 degrees, your 0W-20 will flow roughly the same as a pure 20W heated to the same temp.

Another thing to keep in mind is that oil when cold, no matter how light, will always be MUCH thicker than any weight oil at operating temp. So a 0W is a VERY good thing to have as it means your oil pump will be able to pump the cold oil through your engine easier than a 5W or higher. But no matter how thin the oil is, it's still too thick, so take it easy on your engine until the oil (not just the coolant) is up to temp or you could force the pump into bypass mode and effectively starve parts of your engine.

I don't see any reason to go to anything thicker than a 0W oil. It's just asking for increased wear; it's a lose-lose to go to a 5W-anything or higher.

For the operating temp weight, I can see situations to go with a 0W-30 or 0W-40. But only if your engine routinely sees high temps. If you use your truck as a daily driver and occasionally throw things in the back, I'd stick with the 0W-20. If you routinely tow or haul heavy loads, or run turbos, a 0W-30 might be a good idea. If you're turbocharged and regularly race your truck, then a 0W-40 might be a good idea.

How to be sure? There are companies like Blackstone labs that will analyze your used oil and report to you, in plain english, what they've found and any recommendations. Just run the recommended oil out to the recommended oil change interval (10k miles light use, 5k miles harsh use) driving as you normally do, and send in a sample when you get it changed. You'll know for sure if your oil is right for your use.

But, again, unless your usage is a statistical outlier, the recommended oil will probably be just fine.

 

Also a lot of misinformation at bitog. Come to think of it, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet.

 

I gave up trying to overthink the engineers, and just use the recommend weight oil.

 

A funny thing about those who say "that's what Toyota engineers recommend so that's what you do." Then some of those same people install 4.88/5.29 gears and an OVTune, or modify exhaust and/or intake, or add any number of suspension mods, which is directly in opposition to what Toyota engineers have "recommended," otherwise the truck would have come like that to begin with.

In those instances, these people are trusting "engineers" from a wide array of companies to have done their research so that they don't have to think too much about it when they install any of those components to their truck.
Obviously there are caveats and exceptions to any aftermarket mod or to using anything Toyota has not "recommended."


In all things - do your own research. When in doubt with no concrete information on safe modification, absolutely trust the Toyota engineers.

Do you live where it's hotter than hell for most of the year? Then 5w20 isn't a problem. I live where daily temps are above 90f from May through October. I have used 5w20 multiple times with no problem. I definitely prefer to use 0w20 during winter months.

 

Is there really any reason to not trust factory engineers? Just guessing, but I'd bet that they have way more college degrees than most any of us here...

 

This is what I use, don't see any reason to change:

 

Hm. Never seen that "truck and suv" 0w20 over here. Only seen that "fuel saving" one.

 

There may be a difference between the two, but I suspect it’s just marketing.

 

Not all, I’m a 61 year old retired aircraft mechanic. We had recurrent training and had to stay on top of technology.

 

This has been answered plenty.

 

Toyota publishes oil info for the 3.5L & they say even 10w40 will work in a hot climate.

 

Let's see this oil publication.

 

Says someone who doesn't live in Alaska or Canada and drives in -50 temps.

Good post. /thread

 

Hang on. You guys change your oil? Mine came stock with perfectly good oil.

 

Might be referencing this...

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil...5Ot0Md8Ce2AkpMfit-ISu4Q8Y4pm7rYhoCUdkQAvD_BwE

 

Maybe Australian law will not permit Toyota to require a certain type of oil. i don't believe Toyota would recommend a 20/50 oil in any modern engine.

Can't believe everything you read, at some point common sense is needed.

 

I did say operating oil temp, not cold temp.

 

Don't know about you, or others, but i usually read the owners manual when it comes to oil changes what they recommend...or any maintenance the owner can do. I admit being guilty of not reading all the other stuff, but after years of owning toyota's i've learned enough to leave them stock for best longevity, and reliability.