Changed to 5w30 no timing chain rattle

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My wife's Toyota Rav4 has always had a slight timing chain rattle on start-up. It's not a real chain clatter but just a noticeable chain noise. It has always been serviced with dino 10w30, most of the time genuine Toyota 10w30 from the dealer. I decided to change the oil myself this time and used Mobil Super 5w30 semi synthetic and to my amasement it has totally cured the start-up noise. This is the only time I've noticed an oil having any noticeable effect on an engine at all.
 
What year and engine in the Rav4? Toyota are well known for a "startup tick". Similar sound as a dry start or bad oil filter adbv from the old days. Its usually the VVT controller/cam gear not getting enough oil pressure fast enough at startup to unlock and it rattles for a second or 2. Thinner startup oil weight will help but its a symptom of deposit buildup throughout the engine, especially the tiny vvt-i oil gallies. Timing chain tensioner can rattle too but that would be more constant, especially at idle. Timing chain tensioner is also reliant on oil pressure, deposits can cause issues there also. Think that engine needs a few full synthetic oil changes or some MMO or both to clean up deposits. Late model vvt-i Toyotas are VERY sensitive to any deposits.
 
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It's a 2000 Rav4 with 2L 1AZ-FE engine (vvt-i) The engine inside is spotless, it's never missed an oil change.

Old filter was a Bosch, new filter is a Ryco.
 
Come on! This can't be. Everyone knows Mobil oils make engines noisey and wear out faster than even hog lard.
 
Usually, IME its the oil filter that makes the biggest difference, specifically the ADBV, as noted above. But as long as the noise is better, that's the important thing!
 
Originally Posted By: supercity
My wife's Toyota Rav4 has always had a slight timing chain rattle on start-up. It's not a real chain clatter but just a noticeable chain noise. It has always been serviced with dino 10w30, most of the time genuine Toyota 10w30 from the dealer. I decided to change the oil myself this time and used Mobil Super 5w30 semi synthetic and to my amasement it has totally cured the start-up noise. This is the only time I've noticed an oil having any noticeable effect on an engine at all.


Did you use the high mileage mobil super? If not and you used the normal Mobil Super 5000, its a conventional not a blend.
 
Originally Posted By: StevieBoy
I can easily see why a 5W semisyn would lubricate quicker and eliminate most of that startup noise.


Whys that? Most specs of the blends are identical to regular conventional. You'd realistically see very little difference there. The main thing would be the different chemistry with the titanium additive.
 
Originally Posted By: volk06
Originally Posted By: StevieBoy
I can easily see why a 5W semisyn would lubricate quicker and eliminate most of that startup noise.


Whys that? Most specs of the blends are identical to regular conventional. You'd realistically see very little difference there. The main thing would be the different chemistry with the titanium additive.


He was previously using 10w30.
 
Originally Posted By: supercity
It's a 2000 Rav4 with 2L 1AZ-FE engine (vvt-i) The engine inside is spotless, it's never missed an oil change.

Old filter was a Bosch, new filter is a Ryco.


Spotless meaning it must be because of your maint., or you have pulled the valve cover and looked?.
 
Originally Posted By: cp3
Originally Posted By: volk06
Originally Posted By: StevieBoy
I can easily see why a 5W semisyn would lubricate quicker and eliminate most of that startup noise.


Whys that? Most specs of the blends are identical to regular conventional. You'd realistically see very little difference there. The main thing would be the different chemistry with the titanium additive.


He was previously using 10w30.


My question was in regards to the semisyn part, not the 10w part. In his location the 10w wouldn't make much of a difference.
 
In Europe Mobil Super seems to be in two product lines 3000 seems to be mainly full synth, 2000 is semi synth.

Mobil don't appear to do any dino/conventional any more.

Just bought 15 litres of the Mobil Super 3000 X1 FE 5w30, some name, for £24 for 5 litres which is £6 off.

Had low saps 0.8 and is A5/B5 so will go in the Volvo and the Pathfinder, have bought a workshop manual for the Pathy and it can take B1, B3, B4 and B5 so going to see if this improves economy in anyway.

Will be changing the oil on the Pathy next month.
 
Originally Posted By: volk06

Did you use the high mileage mobil super? If not and you used the normal Mobil Super 5000, its a conventional not a blend.


We get a slightly different range here. There is no Mobil high mileage. MS1k is conventional, MS2k is semi synthetic, MS3k is full synthetic. I used MS2k 5w30 which is actually quite hard to get. Most retailers don't bother with anything that is energy saving.
 
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Originally Posted By: REDDOG
Usually, IME its the oil filter that makes the biggest difference, specifically the ADBV, as noted above. But as long as the noise is better, that's the important thing!


Could be but I'll never know either way. You would assume Bosch to be better than Ryco if anything but who knows. FWIW I've only encountered 2 problem oil filters in my lifetime. One was a UFI fitted to a Fiat, it had no oil pressure. The other was a WIX fitted to a Porsche 911, it made a loud gurgling sound.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald


Spotless meaning it must be because of your maint., or you have pulled the valve cover and looked?.


I've never had the cam cover off but I can easily see under the cover through the oil filler, it's clean.
 
VVT system has a separate oil supply you can't see. Nothing can be gained from oil filler/valve cover/head cleanliness inspection. Clean the VVT screen in front of the OCV, use a full synthetic and the deposit issues will melt away after a couple of oil changes. Will clean up the timing chain tensioner also. Its just the nature of the beast. Easily resolved.
 
Originally Posted By: supercity
My wife's Toyota Rav4 has always had a slight timing chain rattle on start-up. It's not a real chain clatter but just a noticeable chain noise. It has always been serviced with dino 10w30, most of the time genuine Toyota 10w30 from the dealer. I decided to change the oil myself this time and used Mobil Super 5w30 semi synthetic and to my amasement it has totally cured the start-up noise. This is the only time I've noticed an oil having any noticeable effect on an engine at all.


Ok, I would like to follow up on this. As the last fill clocked up the mileage I was sure it was getting noisy again. I changed the oil yesterday, this time with Penrite Synthetic 5w30 and the startup noise has, again, gone away. The engine is in fact much quieter overall on this oil. What is happening to the oil over the OCI? I have sent in a sample for analysis
smile.gif
 
OP...are you certain Toyo used 10w-30...? All Toyo dealers here use 5w-30 bulk for conventional OCs, whether PYB, Castrol, or Mobil....even Nissan has been using 5w for 15 years now...
 
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