What Motor Oil Do You Use In The 4.0L & 2.7L 2nd Gen.

Mobil 5W-30 synthetic is what I use.
Bought my truck new. Changed oil/filter first time at 1000 miles. Went with Mobil 5W30 synthetic at that time. Changed oil/filter again at 5000 miles and every 5K since. Easy oil/filter change to accomplish.

 

10k OCI with Mobil 1. Just started using the extended performance mobil 1 with Bosch distance plus filter.

 

Sticking with the 5-30 is reasonable unless your driving conditions have some peculiar variables that would move you to another weight. Your owners manual shows those variables.

Moving to syn can be done at any time, there is no reason to wait, regardless of all the stories you read on the internet. Several new cars come with syn in them already.

There are two prime reasons to move to syn. One is that the engine is worked hard. 3 examples would be many short trips where things never get to operating temperature, running hi RPMs (racing), or working heavy loads (towing).

The second is extended OCIs. If you don't have the 'hard work' of above, and you don't extend your OCIs, you're wasting money to change to syn.

A simple lab test from a place like Blackstone will tell you the health of your engine and the life left in your oil. If your engine is low mile, you will very likely get a result back that shows an OTS product like Mobil 1 will go well beyond 10k, sometimes as much as 15k.

Assuming that were true, using 10k as your target, you'd even have a bit of margin just in case you weren't able to change exactly on time.

There will be folks who pile in shortly to say I'm a fool for suggesting long OCIs, or others who say to use a boutique oil and wait longer.

The right answer is individual. Decide 'what' oil you are going to run, do the lab test, adjust from there.

BTW, modern dino oils are quite good. Some of them are approaching the quality of the syns of 20 years ago. If your heart says you must OCI at 5k, and you have neither of the conditions above, and you refuse to do a lab test, or believe it's results, at least keep using dino and save a few bucks.

 

Thanks Clearwater Bill. Great info.

 

I have a 2003 3.4l, I bought it from my dad with 120,000 and he always ran penzoil in it. After I got it i switched it to Mobil 1 and I noticed the oil would get really dark really fast. Each oil change the oil would not get dark as fast and now it's still very clean looking at 5000 mile intervals. My truck now has 193,000 and runs better than it ever has. More power, smoother running, more quiet. I'm sold!

 

I just bought a 2015 Taco a few weeks back and my understanding is, all the new ones come with synthetic oil now.

 

I appreciate all the reply's. My next oil change will be with synthetic. Thanks!!

 

Good choice.

 

our 2011 Camry SE was specified 10k OCI, it drove me nuts the second 5k of the interval, only because it didn't get changed, I knew it wasn't hurting anything, just one of those stupid OCD things that have been engrained in my automotive mindset. I have always done 5k OCI, every vehicle I've ever owned, other than motorcycles which got 3k or less depending on how hard I rode them. The Camry is gone now, we'll see how I fair with the Tacoma

 

Dealers use whatever brand of oil they get a deal on. Many have 200 gallon tanks in the shop filled with ???? Every car/truck that comes in gets whatever is in the tank. Some dealers may use the Toyota-branded product, but I'd bet most don't in order to save money. The Toyota 5W-30 is nothing more than Mobil 5000 conventional. Look at the bottles below:

 

I don't know if it technically should be enough to notice or not, but I could swear mine cranks over better with 0w-30 on very cold days.

 

I put the Toyota 5-30 in last time, I'm leaning towards switching to Mobil 1 syn from here on out thanks to Clearwater Bills post. I take a lot of short trips since I'm less than a mile from work.

 

My owners manual and oil cap say 5w-30 for my 2006 4 cyl., so this is the weight I use. I just switched from Mobile 1 to Pennzoil Platinum because I like how it quieted down the noisy boxer engine in my '14 Outback. Did the same for the 2.7L, not sure what's in it to make it do that though.

 

Toyota 0w-20 since new.
I do it myself because I don't trust the dealer. "certified" or not.

 

I also do my own and use the

$55 90915-YZZD3 Oil Filter 1 Case (QTY 10)

90915-YZZD3 Toyota Filter. The V6 calls for 5.5 qts when changing the filter. The dealer said they put 6qts in. I stick with 5.5 .

 

I'm far from an oil guru. But why are these the same? One says 5w 30 and the other says 5w20

Also I would think that the Toyota corporation would not permit a Toyota franchise too use any oil they please in order to cut cost. I don't know for sure, but your statement and common sense just don't seem to go together.

 

Takes 6qts with the D3 filter for me In my 3.4l and just under the full mark.

 

I stick with 5.5 Quarts of Mobil 1 and use a Toyota Filter in my 4.0 too.

 

Started doing my own changes after first 2 years. Switched to Mobil 1 synthetic 5w30 and use oem toyota filter, very low mileage driver but change every 6 months. After reading here on ease of oil change and where to buy oem filters at low cost regret not doing myself from the start.

 

I notice everyone misses the biggest advantage of synthetic oil. Probably because of the warm state bias on here. Synthetic will move through an engine at below zero temperatures immediately from start up. Conventional oils take up to 30 seconds to warm up enough to move completely through the engine. That's sketchy enough to me to move to synthetic if you live anywhere that below zero temperatures occur. You are basically saving you engine from running dry for a few seconds on every cold start.

I use Pennzoil Platinum 5w-30. It's the only true synthetic, as in not cracked base oil, available anymore. That being said I don't think there is anything wrong with Mobil 1. I wouldn't recommend the higher end "performance" oils like Amsoil or Redline. They aren't going to do anything Pennzoil Platinum won't and the cost is much higher.