What Kind Of Oil?

[mattieo96]

I just bought a new 2003 SR5, TRD, 4WD and everything else. I don't know what the best kind of oil to put in it thought is. I live where the temp. gets up to 115 but, it's getting cooler. What brand should I use. Synthetic or not?

[KLS]

Use any name brand oil, 5W-30 or 10W-30. Change the oil & filter every 5000 miles (sooner is a waste of money, but its your money, so do what you want.) Do buy good filters...Toyota, or Purolator Pure One, or Wix/Napa Gold. Don't use cheapo Frams.

Synthetic oil is perhaps worth the extra cost if you plan on keeping your truck for a long time and go to the maximum oil change interval shown in your owner's manual...or longer. I like Mobil 1 oil.
Ken

[Rice Burner]

I have my first oil change comming up and I am wondering if i should use Pennzoil (5W-30), which I have used in the past on my 1989 Ford F-150 or should I switch to Castrol GTX (5W-30).
The dealer that I purchased the truck from offers the $24.95 oil change using Mobil oil of which I don't have much backround on.
The specs for both the Castrol GTX and the Pennzoil seem to be the same but the Castrol has a foreign & Europeon car engine wear rating that the Pennzoil does not have listed on the container. I have never ran across this rating before. I don't know if a synthetic oil would be worth the extra costs because I usually change oil and filter every 3,000 -5,000 miles.
Also is their anything special on the oil changes I should know about, (new crush rings with each chage etc.).
I would greatly appreciate any feed back from any of the members that cam find the time to reply. Thanks.

[tbecker]

As KLS said below, just use any name brand oil. I believe Castrol markets itself for high revving 4 bangers, but I'm sure it would be fine. I don't think there are many real world differences between name brand oils anymore. Synthetic is another story. You probably don't need it, but if you baby your truck and like the idea of that extra little bit of protection, along with being able to go slightly longer between oil changes, go for it. 3k between oil changes is a little overboard IMHO, I decided that it was just the oil mfg./dealer trying to make more money off me and switched to every 5k.

[KLS]

Although Castrol is owned by one of the international oil giants, British Petroleum (BP), I've heard that they don't have their own plant in the U. S. Castrol is blended by someone else and not always the same plant. It's good, but I don't think that it's special.

Pennzoil 5W-30 and 10W-30 are excellent oils, as are Mobil oils. It's hard to go wrong.

Pennzoil-Quaker State Corp. is being bought out by another of the international oil giants, Royal Dutch Shell. We'll soon be down to three big US oil companies, ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and some smaller guys. (I probably left out some big company...who?)

5000 mile oil drain interval should be the norm these days. Anytime you see an oil that meets the European ACEA spec A3-02 or A5-02 (A3 is tougher), you know that it's suitable for extended oil drain intervals...10,000 miles?), even if they don't market it as such in the U. S.

"A3-- Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use in high performance gasoline engines and / or for extended drain
intervals where specified by the engine manufacturer, and / or for year-round use of low viscosity oils, and/or for severe
operating conditions as defined by the engine manufacturer.

"A5-- Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use at extended drain intervals in high performance gasoline engines
designed to be capable of using low friction, low viscosity oils with a HT/HS of 2.9 to 3.5 mPa.s. These oils may be
unsuitable for use in some engines. Consult owner manual or handbook if in doubt."
http://www.acea.be/ACEA/20020618Publ...lSequences.pdf

Ken

[Rice Burner]

Thanks Ken & Phantom for the input on Castrol & Pennzoil motor oils. I think I will stay with the Pennzoil 5W30 oil since it is the same oil that I use in my wifes 1996 Subaru Impreza Wagon, since the the weights are the same this makes things a little easier to deal with.
Thanks Ken for the import and europeon engine wear info. also.
Rice Burner

[puppychop3]

To: Mattie096 and Rice Burner

I know you guys are concerned about brands of oil but I just wanted to make sure you read the thread on OIL FILTERS (also very important). If not this is what I last said:


I didnt know there was so much controversy over an oil filter. I just got my new Tundra last month and looked at the oil filter on the brand new engine. It is the 90915-20004, yet when I called 6 different Toyota dealers in and around Los Angeles they tell me that the replacement filter is the 90915-YZZB9. I had to call several more dealers before I could find the 90915-20004 (Longo Toyota in S. Calif.) I am sticking with the 90915-20004 which is what originally came with the vehicle and is also the oil filter part no. for the Lexus LX470 (same engine). When I compared the YZZB9 to the 20004 I could see that the 20004 is a slightly taller filter and it has an orange seal, and you guys seem to be right about the bypass valve issue as well. I believe what somebody else said about Toyota dealers wanting to cut costs on the oil changes by using a cheaper filter and to stay competitive with Fram and others (how else can they change oil for $19.95). The 20004 is clearly NOT the same filter as the YZZB9, and its not just for Lexus dealers so they can charge $9.62 for a filter, the 20004 is the original equipment part and its a better filter.

[Rice Burner]

Pup, Thanks for the additional info. on the replacement filters. I'll have to see what my local dealer stocks. I deffinitely think it pays to use the original numbered factory filter. I know they advertise two filters for $7.99 but I never checked the numbers.
Rice

[KLS]

Originally posted by Rice Burner
Pup, Thanks for the additional info. on the replacement filters. I'll have to see what my local dealer stocks. I deffinitely think it pays to use the original numbered factory filter. I know they advertise two filters for $7.99 but I never checked the numbers.
Rice

Gotta be the -YZZB5 at that price. The -YZZB5 has less filtering area and no internal bypass valve. Otherwise they seem very similar.

Ken

[BT-22]

I'm a little oil ignorant. Which is the thicker oil: Mobil Syn 5w30 or 10w30????

Thanks
BT-22

[tbecker]

10W30 is thicker. The higher the number, the thicker the oil. Gear oil is usually 90W for instance.

[Stooge]

Black Tundra 22:

The major synthetic oil suppliers actually use the exact same oil base-stock for 0W30, 5W30 and 10W30. Most of these oil are well within the viscosity specifications for all three grades, and use the weight difference as a "Marketing Tool." An exception is Amsoil, as their 0W30 has a more refined additive package with the 0W30, enabling Amsoil to claim the 30K mile change interval while using this grade.

I use the 5W30 year-round (Amsoil), and have done so with a multiple of vehicles and engines with nary a problem. I don't accept the extended drain interval claims, and typically change oil on the seasons (4 times a year at about 5000 miles).

[DevinSixtySeven]

difference between 0-5-10 etc. w30 on the mobil-1 is the cold weather rating...10 is "really bloody cold", 5 is "ice age", 0 is "the void of deep space", rated to i think -65F. if youre in alaska, minnesota, wyoming, or other godforsaken chilly places, 0w30 is a good bet since its the same price and pretty much the same stuff as 5w30 but will continue to flow at temperatures colder than you'd want to bother going outside. i remember being "chosen" to go start the family cars at -20F in anchorage during christmas cold snaps, my family always used dino oil, which doesn't flow too well at 20 below regardless of weight. the synth ought to cure that. if it doesn't get that cold where you live, youre probably fine with whatever you feel like dumping down the fill tube .

-sean

[KLS]

Originally posted by tbecker
10W30 is thicker. The higher the number, the thicker the oil. Gear oil is usually 90W for instance.

Not exactly. The "W" part of the oil viscosity is a cold viscosity test. The "30" (or whatever) part of the oil viscosit is a 100°C viscosity test. 5W-30 and 10W-30 are the same viscosity when hot.
http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/NewO...y_motoroil.htm

Gear oil is rated on a different scale. 90 wt. gear oil is about the same viscosity as 40 wt. engine oil. There is no 90W gear oil. With the "W" it's a cold rating, so you only have 70W, 75W, 80W, & 85W. If you see 90 wt, it's a hot rating. 75W-90, for example, meets the 75W cold rating, and the 90 hot rating.
http://www.exxon.com/exxon_productda...ase_class.html

Ken

[BT-22]

Thanks folks. I appreciate all your input. I'm a little less ignorant now. Ha, ha!

BT-22