I drive (up until my 17 4runner) older vehicles. 30 to 50 years old. So I am used to 'more forgiving' tolerances.
In a pinch, the wrong oil is better than no oil. The right oil is better than the wrong oil.
As specific as the engineering is on the 5th gen, why not run what the engine was designed to use?
The straight six in my 68 F100 doesn't have variable valve timing mechanisms and other such systems that are probably oil specific.
Do you want to use ATF in your differentials? Gear oil in the radiator?
Where I live we have a 100° temperature swing summer to winter. I want my 4runner to last as long as possible. I'll use what the engineers recommend. They're smarter than me.
I drive (up until my 17 4runner) older vehicles. 30 to 50 years old. So I am used to 'more forgiving' tolerances.
In a pinch, the wrong oil is better than no oil. The right oil is better than the wrong oil.
As specific as the engineering is on the 5th gen, why not run what the engine was designed to use?
The straight six in my 68 F100 doesn't have variable valve timing mechanisms and other such systems that are probably oil specific.
Do you want to use ATF in your differentials? Gear oil in the radiator?
Where I live we have a 100° temperature swing summer to winter. I want my 4runner to last as long as possible. I'll use what the engineers recommend. They're smarter than me.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Designed to use?
Or mandated for mileage quotas?
Simple browsing of manuals of the *same* engine around the world dictate different viscosity.
I drive (up until my 17 4runner) older vehicles. 30 to 50 years old. So I am used to 'more forgiving' tolerances.
In a pinch, the wrong oil is better than no oil. The right oil is better than the wrong oil.
As specific as the engineering is on the 5th gen, why not run what the engine was designed to use?
The straight six in my 68 F100 doesn't have variable valve timing mechanisms and other such systems that are probably oil specific.
Do you want to use ATF in your differentials? Gear oil in the radiator?
Where I live we have a 100° temperature swing summer to winter. I want my 4runner to last as long as possible. I'll use what the engineers recommend. They're smarter than me.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
It is designed to use from 0W20 to 20W50. That is the acceptable ranges of oil viscosity, within specific ambient temperatures for the Dual VVT-i 1GR-FE.
The fact that Toyota mainly recommends 0W20 for the USA, is because of our CAFE regulations.
Another OEM oil OCD thread. Just turned 245K miles on our 2014 SR5 4Runner that's seen nothing but aftermarket synthetic 0w20 motor oil, 75w90 gear oil for the front and rear differentials and transfer case, synthetic ATF for the transmission. Never an issue.
0w-20 is CAFE, and the owner's manual is no longer written solely by the engineers. Manufacturers are required to recommend only the oil that was used in gov't mpg tests. Since 0w-20 does give a (very) small increase in mpg the corporations save a bunch of money on gov't penalties and such.
Currently using 5w-30 with no apparent change in how it runs or starts. Will be trying 5w-40 in a year or so. I've read the owner's manual and it says something to the effect that a thicker oil is required for high speed, mountains, towing etc. I'll pull an excerpt if anyone wants, but it is in your manual as well.
But don't take my word for it, here's a page out of the Australian manual for our engines:
Thanks for pulling up that Aus oil chart. But it makes no sense to me. Why would a 10W-30 cover up to 100+ F, but a 5W-30 only to 50F?
If a multi-grade oil is formulated to be 30 weight at the normal hot engine operating temperature, that 5W-30 ought to go up to 100+ like the 10W-30.
A 5w30 having more VII that enables it's wider viscosity range, means it will also typically shear more readily, potentially ending up at a lower viscosity at 100° C vs the 10w30.
Thanks for pulling up that Aus oil chart. But it makes no sense to me. Why would a 10W-30 cover up to 100+ F, but a 5W-30 only to 50F?
If a multi-grade oil is formulated to be 30 weight at the normal hot engine operating temperature, that 5W-30 ought to go up to 100+ like the 10W-30.
I agree 5w-30 should be good up to the same temp as 10w-30. I'm sure the charts are conservative, (for example 5w-30 is good up to 80F) but there's a few things I can think of:
A 10w-30 is generally robust; in fact (for example) Amsoil's SS 10w-30 was originally created as a straight 30, but due to the quality of the oil meets the requirements of a 10w.
Shear stability is included in this; with a smaller spread between the lower rating and upper, in general you get a more stable oil that will remain in grade and not shear down, or thin, as it is run it in an engine.
Then there's also volatility; a thinner oil will vaporize at a lower temperature, so the thicker 10w-30 will tend to not burn off as quickly as a 5w-30 will when oil temperatures get really high.
Back around 2000, a 5w-30 was comparatively weak compared to a 10w-30, so there may still be that perception, although the gap has narrowed in the last 20 years. Keep in mind the chart I posted was at least 8-10 years old.
A 5w30 having more VII that enables it's wider viscosity range, means it will also typically shear more readily, potentially ending up at a lower viscosity at 100° C vs the 10w30.
So that might be their reasoning.
Mostly yes.
A 5W40 is more prone to sheer than a 5W30.
Yes, because it has an even wider viscosity range than the 5w30, thus even more VII.
I agreed, but there are some other variables.
That is the main part.
Some bases are superior to others though, but not many people will spend the money, plus it is overkill for most applications.
Specifically Group V and VI (PIO) (in Europe) bases.