"High Speed" Driving & Engine/Oil

[circuitsmith]

In my previous 2006 Toyota Matrix I normally ran 5w-30 conventional.
For a 5300 mile summer road trip, Wash. DC, up and across Canada then down and back across the plains, I ran 10w-30.
No high altitudes, lots of cruising at 85mph. Lowest MPG tank 31.

 

[aquariuscsm]

When you see the addendum in the manual "use thicker oil (whatever weight they recommend) for sustained high speed driving",are they referring to extended highway runs?

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
When you see the addendum in the manual "use thicker oil (whatever weight they recommend) for sustained high speed driving",are they referring to extended highway runs?



I would think so....nothing else I can think of would qualify - the 10 minute blast down the highway in a 40 minute commute isn't "sustained" IMO.

 

[zmelli]

Oil weighs less at higher Altitude so you might want to step up a grade

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by zmelli
Oil weighs less at higher Altitude so you might want to step up a grade

That's a new one.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
When you see the addendum in the manual "use thicker oil (whatever weight they recommend) for sustained high speed driving",are they referring to extended highway runs?

What that says is: we are trying to get as much as possible from EPA when it comes to mpg rating, so we are using thinnest possible oil that will not ruin your engine during warranty. After warranty, we do not care.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

To me this is an hour or more. I do about 3 hours of sustained 80-84 mph on my trip home from work on Wednesday. The other 3 hours are more like 60-65 but I choose thicker oil for that long 80 mph cruise from sunny and warm west Texas and back every two weeks.
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
When you see the addendum in the manual "use thicker oil (whatever weight they recommend) for sustained high speed driving",are they referring to extended highway runs?

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by zmelli
Oil weighs less at higher Altitude so you might want to step up a grade

That's a new one.


But you have to admit it was pretty good!

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by zmelli
Oil weighs less at higher Altitude so you might want to step up a grade

That's a new one.


But you have to admit it was pretty good!

To expand on that further, then it's appropriate to run 0w16 or 20 in Death Valley since it's below sea level at times.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
Originally Posted by BrocLuno
What Toyota and what load ... Sienna with roof rack or Thule's and 6 on board will be a fair load and may be bucking wind. Supra with 2 on board and just overnight bags, no big deal.


Corolla with the high performance, twin turbo, 345hp 4-cylinder. Or it's 135hp or so. I can never remember...just me and luggage. No roof racks.




So this entire thread was either based on a hypothetical situation or we were led on by the op.


It was a joke, dude. If you've driven a Corolla it'll make sense and you'll laugh. Also, this whole website is questions of theory.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by JLTD
I think you will be fine. Check out the UOA on the 4Runner....the 1400 miles of towing was headed West from Ohio to Colorado, all high speed highway and 5th gear locked out. RPMs well above 3000 most of the way and some brutal winds blowing at times. Was using 5w-20 but don't think it would make a difference from 0w-20.

The long road trip was Colorado to Montana and back with a lot of vertical and Wyoming highway speed limit is 80mph.

If you are concerned about it then you can run a 0w- or 5w-30, many many folks on FJ Cruiser and T4R sites running 30 grades long term with no issues. I am currently running a 5W-30 and will have a UOA in a couple of months.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...iles-2015-toyota-4runner-4-0#Post4972499

Hope that helps.

Good info! Just curious how "severe" it is in terms of load. Because heavy engine loading (towing, roof rack, etc.) are considered severe in the owner's manual. But 70 with a roof rack can't be worse than 85 with a 20mph wind, can it?

Just seems so arbitrary.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
Originally Posted by BrocLuno
What Toyota and what load ... Sienna with roof rack or Thule's and 6 on board will be a fair load and may be bucking wind. Supra with 2 on board and just overnight bags, no big deal.


Corolla with the high performance, twin turbo, 345hp 4-cylinder. Or it's 135hp or so. I can never remember...just me and luggage. No roof racks.




So this entire thread was either based on a hypothetical situation or we were led on by the op.


It was a joke, dude. If you've driven a Corolla it'll make sense and you'll laugh. Also, this whole website is questions of theory.




Yes I know. We had a guy here once with a whole thread about running his engine with canola oil. He tried to make sense of that.

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by zmelli
Oil weighs less at higher Altitude so you might want to step up a grade

That's a new one.


But you have to admit it was pretty good!

To expand on that further, then it's appropriate to run 0w16 or 20 in Death Valley since it's below sea level at times.

Perfect Corollary.



Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
Originally Posted by JLTD
I think you will be fine. Check out the UOA on the 4Runner....the 1400 miles of towing was headed West from Ohio to Colorado, all high speed highway and 5th gear locked out. RPMs well above 3000 most of the way and some brutal winds blowing at times. Was using 5w-20 but don't think it would make a difference from 0w-20.

The long road trip was Colorado to Montana and back with a lot of vertical and Wyoming highway speed limit is 80mph.

If you are concerned about it then you can run a 0w- or 5w-30, many many folks on FJ Cruiser and T4R sites running 30 grades long term with no issues. I am currently running a 5W-30 and will have a UOA in a couple of months.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...iles-2015-toyota-4runner-4-0#Post4972499

Hope that helps.


Good info! Just curious how "severe" it is in terms of load. Because heavy engine loading (towing, roof rack, etc.) are considered severe in the owner's manual. But 70 with a roof rack can't be worse than 85 with a 20mph wind, can it?

Just seems so arbitrary.


I'm sure that the oiling system is up to it..."severe" is indeed a relative term, but towing a 5000# (2267kg) at 75mph (120kph) into a 25 knot (46kph) headwind, with those results, tells me that you'll be fine with your roof rack at 85....all day long.

Wind resistance grows at a power of two with speed increase, so a few mph makes a huge difference in power required to maintain speed. So in fact, in the mountains at high speed with a headwind, your maximum speed might be limited by available engine power.

 

[circuitsmith]

Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
To expand on that further, then it's appropriate to run 0w16 or 20 in Death Valley since it's below sea level at times.

Actually it will weigh less below sea level.
If you could go to the center of the Earth you'd be in zero-g.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by circuitsmith
Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
To expand on that further, then it's appropriate to run 0w16 or 20 in Death Valley since it's below sea level at times.

Actually it will weigh less below sea level.
If you could go to the center of the Earth you'd be in zero-g.




Is that quote correct?

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by circuitsmith
Actually it will weigh less below sea level.
If you could go to the center of the Earth you'd be in zero-g.
Is that quote correct?
Yes, although that's extremely hypothetical. More to the point, the vehicle will weigh less up on a mountain than at sea level, albeit by a very small amount, insignificantly so in the context of arguments about oil temperature, etc.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by circuitsmith

If you could go to the center of the Earth you'd be in zero-g.




Is that quote correct?

Yes, see the shell theorem, for instance, which is one way to show there's zero g at the centre of the earth and also why the earth isn't upside down and we're not really walking on the inner surface.

 

[pitzel]

Originally Posted by edyvw
[Even when system is OK, temperature needle will start going up at Pikes Peak. At that point ventilation at max power and heat on max solve issues (if system is OK).



The big problem, especially those 'scenic mountain passes" is people climb up the hill and then do the absolute worst thing possible -- park the vehicle and shut it down to go take some pics and have a picnic. Circulation stops, pressures shoot through the roof, and any problems that may be related to pressurization of the cooling system thus become exposed. ie: weak hoses, gaskets, etc.


If they had even left the vehicle idle at the peak after such a climb for the 20 minutes they spend there getting a picture or two -- or immediately begun their descent...

 

[Anduril]

Originally Posted by MNgopher
Severe operating conditions typically are:
-Trailer towing
-Dusty Conditions (Primary use)
-Extended Idling operations
-Primary off road driving

My XTerra meets all of those on a frequent basis. Guess I'm not wrong for running HDEO in it.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted by pitzel
Originally Posted by edyvw
[Even when system is OK, temperature needle will start going up at Pikes Peak. At that point ventilation at max power and heat on max solve issues (if system is OK).



The big problem, especially those 'scenic mountain passes" is people climb up the hill and then do the absolute worst thing possible -- park the vehicle and shut it down to go take some pics and have a picnic. Circulation stops, pressures shoot through the roof, and any problems that may be related to pressurization of the cooling system thus become exposed. ie: weak hoses, gaskets, etc.


If they had even left the vehicle idle at the peak after such a climb for the 20 minutes they spend there getting a picture or two -- or immediately begun their descent...

100%! I always tell friends and family that drives here and then ventures to Pikes Peak to keep engine idling for 5min after they got up, and to downshift as much as possible going down or they will be in penalty box for an hour. Forest service has check point at 11,500ft when going down and measures temperature of rotors and has parking lot for those who do not understand that concept, next to the gift shop, of course.