I have a new 2012 Toyota Tacoma. When I looked at the oil specification it requires 0-20W. I thought this was an error, but then I did a search on this weight synthetic oil and found that a lot of new vehicles specify this oil. Is this really OK to use or is it designed to limit the life of my new trucks engine.
rennagade
That 0w-20 Oil, Does The Manufacturer Specify Full Synthetic 0w-20 Only ?
In The Owner’s Manual Is There Any Mention Of Conventional Oil Or An Ambient Temperature Chart ?
If that’s what they specify then that’s what I’d use. You wouldn’t want to void the engine warranty by trying to second guess the engineers, right ?
CSA
In theory, the oil was not designed to shorten the life of the engine. It was designed for increasing fuel economy. Use the oil specified in your owners manual.
“Is this really OK to use or is it designed to limit the life of my new trucks engine.”
So, you believe that this 0W-20 oil specification is a conspiracy to “limit the life” of your engine?
Hmmm…You might want to buy some aluminum foil in order to make a hat for yourself if you really believe that.
;-))
As CSA stated, it is a good idea of use exactly the same viscosity and type of oil that a car mfr specifies.
To do otherwise might actually limit the life of your engine, as the bearing tolerances in this engine call for the type of oil that Toyota has specified. Don’t second-guess the folks who designed and built the engine.
i would only use the full synthetic they specify. i just never heard of this low of a number
You need to understand what 0-20 viscosity means…At zero degrees F. it flows like a zero weight straight mineral oil would. At 200 degrees F. it flows like a 20 weight oil would. Many cars on the road now specify 20 weight as the high number. If 0-20 is hard to find I’m sure 5w-20, much more common, would be fine…At normal operating temperature they are both still 20 weight…In a cold climate, 0-20 makes sense.But in a more moderate climate or hot climate, 5w-20 or 10w-30 also make sense…Thick oil does not necessarily lubricate better…Todays high-precision engines are designed to use lighter weight oil and benefit from improved fuel mileage…Transmission failure is more likely to send your Toyota to the shredder 15 years or so from now…
Oils and engines have both changed a great deal. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual. Using an oil that is too heavy can be just as bad on the engine as using an oil that is too heavy.
“Using an oil that is too heavy can be just as bad on the engine as using an oil that is too heavy.”
Ummm…okay…
Joe–Is it possible that you meant to tell us that using an oil that is too heavy is just as bad on an engine as using an oil that is too light? (Note: “Heavy”=high viscosity, and “Light”=low viscosity)
If it says 0W20 only, then that oil has to be fully synthetic. Most Toyota vehicles, including mine have a choice of 5W20 regular mineral or 0W20 synthetic. The oil weight is mainly driven by the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) figures the companies have to meet. Each miniscule increase multiplied by several million vehicles really adds up.
Toyota has to make the specs suitable for the whole USA, and 5W20 or 0W20 synthetic is OK for most driving at moderate speed. This will result in the fewest warranty claims for the 60,000 miles or 5 years of driving.
However, if you plan to haul a trailer across Arizona and Death valley in July, the 5W20 will cause excessive engine wear or worse as well as increase oil consumption. I use 0W30 synthetic which has good cold start ability, and provides that extra film strength during fast driving in very hot weather.
European cars with turbo chargers would simply burn up with 5W20 mineral oil during hot weather fast trips. That’s why they often have 5W40 synthetic as the minimum spec.
It won’t be long before the Motor Oil aisle at Wally-World will be 600’ long…A shelf-space nightmare…Half the store full of motor oil, oil filters and air filters…Where are we going to put the tires?
VDC Driver: Ummm…okay….
Joe–Is it possible that you meant to tell us that using an oil that is too heavy is just as bad on an engine as using an oil that is too light? (Note: “Heavy”=high viscosity, and “Light”=low viscosity)
Docknick
" I use 0W30 synthetic which has good cold start ability, and provides that extra film strength during fast driving in very hot weather.
I have no doubts that you sir, are correct. I just can’t muster the intestinal fortitude to put “ZERO w anything” in my cars. I want to do it and I live where it gets very cold and I already use synthetic (Mobil-1 Extended Performance 5w-30). I understand that the oil I use has better flow at cold temperatures than conventional oil . . .
What’s the matter with me ?
CSA
Caddyman
"It won’t be long before the Motor Oil aisle at Wally-World will be 600’ long…A shelf-space nightmare…Half the store full of motor oil, oil filters and air filters…Where are we going to put the tires? "
I don’t think so. I think we’re going to see less and less “old fashioned” oils as the situation continues to evolve. Synthetics are being specified by more and more manufactures.
Old fashioned conventional oil is slowly being phased out .
It’s the never ending oil evolution as technology and demands change and I’m already onboard. I have switched over to synthetic in each new car added to our family fleet.
Remember how you could find large selections of “straight weight” oils ? Your 10w40s and 10w30s will become harder to find and then blends and so on . . . old school oil for old school vehicles.
Maybe engines will evolve into “oil-free” designs like those cheapo air compressors that I avoid.
CSA
It might help if people realized the ’ weights ’ used for lube oils are LABELS and not measurements . The scale was set up far before low viscosity oils were ever thought of . When I first started driving the thinnest oil available was a twenty weight .
It could go that way CSA…A universal synthetic lubricant labeled “Motor Oil” , good for 10,000 miles, and that’s that…
Well…I’m sorta Old School…should I take a bath in 10/40W and40W or 20/50W before they go the way of the Dodo? I will you know…
As much as I lament the passing of the old school weights, if thats happening and I have little doubt it will… I too have jumped on board ever since I started driving a Turbo’d vehicle. I use a thinner weight Full Synth in that vehicle for Turbo Health…and I wont go beyond 6000…I think thats my moral upper limit…and I’m OK with that… PLEASE dont go 15K on one oil change…or further for Gods sake
Blackbird.
Hey CSA…I am sitting here pondering what you said.
“Maybe engines will evolve into “oil-free” designs like those cheapo air compressors that I avoid.”
DO you think that those compressors are that way because of the lack of combustion soot? I imagine that they are… Would we be able to leave one load of oil in an engine indefinitely…IF we didnt have the “soot issue”
Methinks that probably we could… If not what would be the other limiting factor? The oil molecules getting too beat up or something? lol
Oil molecules getting too beat up (changing the viscosity), using up all the base buffering (which is what deals with a lot of the combustion byproduct), and holding too much of the worn metal in suspension are the major limits on oil. In some cases too much water or gas can dilute the oil, but running the oil hot enough to boil that out limits the effect.
I expect soon we’ll see 00W-10 oil.
I would assume that the thinner oil is due to tighter bearing tolerances in the bottom end main bearings…and then also everywhere else…such as the cam…con rods, wrist pins…etc? Makes some sense when you consider that almost all of the machining is done by computer and is perfectly repeated each time…
Back in the day you would need to have a Black Magic process performed by a Speed Shop machinist to get everything balanced and blueprinted…now…with computer mills…this can be replicated to perfection over and over each time… from the factory.
Where else do you think we have gotten 330+ HP from a N/A 3.7L V6? It used to take A LOT Of Detroit Iron with 8 cylinders to get there previously…
Blackbird