2010 Tacoma oil selection help

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I just bought a cherry Tacoma w/ 2.7L 4cyl, manual 5 speed, as a casual driver. We have three cars and only two drivers, so each vehicle gets less than 7k miles per year. More stop & go driving, since I'm now retired. OM calls for 0w20 or 5w20. I'm trying to decide on an OCI strategy.
Which would you choose,
Two changes a year w/ PYB 5W20 or 5w30?
Yearly oil change w/ PPPP 0W20 or 5w30?

Do you think PYB can go a full year at less than 7k miles?
Just trying to make some sensible choices. I'm not really too locked into the Xw20 thing, I believe xw30 would do fine and, who knows, maybe even give a bit better protection. 30w is what the 2TR-FE calls for in the rest of the world, so no biggie either way there.
 
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No one will like it but just go with a 0w20 FS as all of the hype is that 0w20 replaces 5w20.......... Me I'd go FS 5w20 myself

That said I have run PYB 5w20 for 8K miles and on other cars a long duration with a Fram Ultra- no issues.
5w20 is easier to obtain and often cheaper than 0w-20 as well.
 
If it were my Tacoma, I would follow the owner's manual's recommendation for severe duty. If there isn't one specified, then I would pick the cheapest one that meets the grade recommended by Toyota. Your engine is not particularly stressed by high operating temperatures or high RPMs, so you get the luxury of picking from a wide selection of motor oils.
 
Castrol Magnatech in 5w-30. Oil and filter change once a year. what have the other lubed components seen as far as maintenance [Trans differentials etc.
 
If you want to minimize engine wear on start-up I would stick to the 0W-20 grade. Toyota's own 0W-20 brand specifically designed with that goal in mind vs other OTC 0W-20 grades.

If you're partial to Pennzoil I would go with their 0W-20 grade and annual oil changes if not longer. The limiting factor would be if you do a large number of short trips in the winter whereby the oil doesn't get up to temperature to boil off condensation.
 
Synthetic, 1 year and 7k miles? Easy - unless it is all city/short trio in which case a UOA is in order.
 
I changed all the fluids, Valvoline gl5 75W 90 syn in both diffs, and redline mt90 in trans.
 
I'd go for the 0w-20 and one year, or just go off the OLM which is calibrated to 5000 miles on those if I remember right. The 2011 I had seemed to come on at about that time. Although a 0w-20 synthetic can go way longer than 5k miles. I ran my '11 out to 10k, just reset the OLM when it came on. I still run 10k intervals in my current Tacoma with great results, it doesn't have an OLM though which is alright by me, I hate those pesky things! I know when it's time to change my own dang oil, don't need to be reminded haha.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
If you want to minimize engine wear on start-up I would stick to the 0W-20 grade. Toyota's own 0W-20 brand specifically designed with that goal in mind vs other OTC 0W-20 grades.


LOL, Toyota's advertising puff pieces are NOT engineering documents...

Most of the wear occurs during warm-up, and unless the OP is starting at -30F, 5W anything is suitable.
 
Maybe the yearly oil change with QSUD 5w30 to save a few bucks. I'd defiantly do the yearly with synthetic rather than the 6mo option.

Save you money in oil, filters, time, and effort.

Ps, my 01 Tacoma has done so many short trips with 5w30 and 270K miles, I don't think start up wear will be an issue...
 
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Originally Posted By: dew

Ps, my 01 Tacoma has done so many short trips with 5w30 and 270K miles, I don't think start up wear will be an issue...

And what are your winters like in your part of California?

The single biggest factor that effects engine wear is how the vehicle is used. If you keep the rev's very low during initial warm-up, especially on the coldest days of winter, with proper maintenance and reasonable OCIs you will enjoy a long engine life even with a 5W-30. But those that are indifferent to proper warm-up regimens and are prone to lots of heavy throttle and high rev's with a cold engine will benefit most from a high VI 0W-20.
That said, even if you don't fall into the second camp the 0W-20 grade still provides a lubrication, fuel economy and performance advantage so why not use it?
 
Just down the road in Parkersburg, glad to hear from a neighbor.
I had given some thought to going 5w20 winter / 5w30 summer with PYB, seemed cheap and effective.
But I do like the idea of 5w30 or 0w20 PPPP or QSUD or M1 and yearly oci.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: dew

Ps, my 01 Tacoma has done so many short trips with 5w30 and 270K miles, I don't think start up wear will be an issue...

And what are your winters like in your part of California?

The single biggest factor that effects engine wear is how the vehicle is used. If you keep the rev's very low during initial warm-up, especially on the coldest days of winter, with proper maintenance and reasonable OCIs you will enjoy a long engine life even with a 5W-30. But those that are indifferent to proper warm-up regimens and are prone to lots of heavy throttle and high rev's with a cold engine will benefit most from a high VI 0W-20.
That said, even if you don't fall into the second camp the 0W-20 grade still provides a lubrication, fuel economy and performance advantage so why not use it?


I do exactly that with the revs, and the colder the easier I drive.

For me personally I took into consideration that Toyota never clearly back speced my 5vz engine in the US while it did others, and its a 4x that sometimes sees 80+ in really hot weather, mountains and occasional towing.

I agree that the high viscosity index oils are an improvement in many cases. They have in part enabled us to just get in and drive without much thought or care. But I don't monitor oil temperature or pressure so I like having a little margin for the unknowns.
 
Yeah, I'd agree. I don't really think 0w20 is the end all, be all. I'm not saying it ain't good oil, cause clearly it is. Is it better, for me, than 5w30? I dunno.
I think I'll just pick a thin'ish 5w30 syn (PPPP or QSUD) and go yearly oci, and not look back. I'm a very conservative driver, don't push a cold car hard, and take care of them, so it'll be fine.
 
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Originally Posted By: CT8
There is no reason to run a XW-20 unless in the sub Arctic.

The main reason to run an engine spec'd for a 0W-20 or 5W-20 grade is because that's what the engineers have designed the engine to use.
The reason I use a 0W-20 in my track car is because my oil temp's don't get high enough warrant using anything heavier. It really is that straightforward.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: CT8
There is no reason to run a XW-20 unless in the sub Arctic.

The main reason to run an engine spec'd for a 0W-20 or 5W-20 grade is because that's what the engineers have designed the engine to use.
The reason I use a 0W-20 in my track car is because my oil temp's don't get high enough warrant using anything heavier. It really is that straightforward.


Most engines are not designed to use a particular oil grade, they often decide on the oil grade after a long series of bench tests, then err on the lighter side for cars sold in the US due to the CAFE regs game.
Many cars engines only have Xw20 grade oils recommended for the US or Japan, with Xw30 elsewhere. The OCI's listed for use in the US are often far less than those listed for use outside the US and a big part of the reason they do that is oil viscosity related.

If you do enough miles in a year, then it's a real good idea to select your oil grades based on temperature. So it might be good to use an 0w20 in winter and a 5w30 in summer.
 
Can you choose an engine oil grade based on bulk oil sump temperature, which is reflected on the pressure gauge?

Would an answer to that, include an engine with a variable pressure and displacement oil pump?
 
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