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OILS, 10W40 or 10W30?

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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 10:29 AM
  #1  
keithguts's Avatar
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From: Bay Shore, NY
OILS, 10W40 or 10W30?

OK all summer I run 10W40 GTX High M. oil. Just wondering if 10W30 would be better in the winter. Give me some help.

Thanks

Keith

Last edited by keithguts; Nov 20, 2008 at 10:34 AM.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 10:32 AM
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Toyota recommends 5w30 for the 3.0
There should be a sticker on your hood.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 10:34 AM
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From: Bay Shore, NY
Originally Posted by Tigerstripe40
Toyota recommends 5w30 for the 3.0
There should be a sticker on your hood.
Are you saying that it is bad to run the 10W40 if it calls for 5W30?
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 10:37 AM
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From: Hazzard County, Georgia
Here is a great article on oil. It explains the weights very well.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/faq...=haas_articles

Its a little long but breaks it down great
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 10:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Tigerstripe40
Toyota recommends 5w30 for the 3.0
There should be a sticker on your hood.
On my 93 4runner 3.0 automatic it says 10w-30 right on the oil cap. I ran 5w-30 once and I changed it after 500 miles because my oil pressue did not seem right. How ever I always run castrol gtx 10w-30 year round. I never thought about 10w-40 in summer though that might be a good idea.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 11:02 AM
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It seems like the more you read about oils, the less you know.

I am running 15W40, we see temperatures from -5 to 30*C (convert it yourself).
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by keithguts
Are you saying that it is bad to run the 10W40 if it calls for 5W30?
I don't know if it's necessarily bad, but Toyota made their specifications for a reason, though.

The machinist that built my motor said 5w30.
The sticker on my hood says 5w30.
So I stick with that

FWIW they also say to change the oil and filter every 5,000 miles .

Last edited by Tigerstripe40; Nov 20, 2008 at 11:06 AM.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 11:55 AM
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Originally Posted by dbcx
Here is a great article on oil. It explains the weights very well.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/faq...=haas_articles

Its a little long but breaks it down great
Holy mother of god......um, yeah. What he said.
Of all the different info/opinions out there, I have to say this is the hardest to argue with.....
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 12:02 PM
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i ALWAYS run Royal Purple 10W-30, but because my oil pressure is always so low, im thinking of upping it to 10-40... but i have no problems
there shouldnt be any real problems with running a different grade... maybe just slowing the motor down a lil bit and making it work harder...
but then again, i come from a family where the idea is too much is never enough...
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 12:33 PM
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According to the million page article just posted, oil flow rate matters, oil pressure doesn't.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 12:34 PM
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pressure is irrelevant. yes if you up the viscosity the pressure will go up as long as the oil can still flow, but it doesn't make it any better for the engine.

oh and i'm running 0w-30 synthetic for the winter up here in maine
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 12:38 PM
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From: Kingman AZ
i run 10w30 all yr round
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 12:40 PM
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you're suppose to run what the manufacturer recommends rear round unless they say other wise
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 01:56 PM
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Originally Posted by MMA_Alex
pressure is irrelevant
To a point. If you don't have enough oil pressure, your rod bearins will contact your crank, your main bearing will contact your crank, etc. Pressure matters when you are talking about <20 psi.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 01:56 PM
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thats just a suggestion... really, it doesnt matter... it all opinons... how many of those rigs that hit the 500K mark still use 5-30? prolly not a lot of them... i think that its more of what the owner wants to run... i mean some stuff would be outrageous, but its what works for the vehicle... heck, theres a couple guys on here that run diesel oil in their rigs! so the manufacturers suggested oil wight can kiss my rear dif... im gonna use what works for me...
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 02:17 PM
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From: Da Gorge, Oregon
The newest Toyota engines recommend 0W-20.

I run Mobil 1 0W-40 year round, original fill on many supercars and covers all the bases except it's not energy conserving certified.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by space-junk
thats just a suggestion... really, it doesnt matter... it all opinons... how many of those rigs that hit the 500K mark still use 5-30? prolly not a lot of them... i think that its more of what the owner wants to run... i mean some stuff would be outrageous, but its what works for the vehicle... heck, theres a couple guys on here that run diesel oil in their rigs! so the manufacturers suggested oil wight can kiss my rear dif... im gonna use what works for me...
Thats why you get regular UOAs. You will know which oil is working for you and how well.
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 02:41 PM
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So far, "space-junk" has the best answer to this question.

I have an 1984 4Runner that I bought new in June '84 and have run 20-50 oil year-round since. I still have great compression and have yet to have an engine part failure. You won't find that oil weight recommended in manuals now but in the '84 owners manual it has a graph showing which weight oil to use at different temps. It shows for above 90 degrees F use 20-50 oil.

Someone mentioned that Toyota recommends this or that weight oil for a reason--yep--now it's mostly to meet EPA mileage requirements. Lower weight oil gives better mpg. I also have a 2003 Highlander with a 6 cylinder engine (1MZ-FE) that has "5-30 oil recommended" printed on the filler cap and in the owner's manual. The first time I took the vehicle (during warranty) to the dealer for service they used 10-30 oil. I asked the service manager why they didn't use what is recommended in the owner's manual he said "cause we use 10-30 here". I wrote to Toyota and asked about this--their reply: "In certain climates (like Arizona) 10-30 is recommended. Go figure.

So my opinion is: Use the grade you like, change it and the filter regularly and enjoy your Toyota!
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 02:53 PM
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whats a UOA?
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Old Nov 20, 2008 | 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted by space-junk
whats a UOA?
Used Oil Analysis. It is a sample you take and send it to a lab and they test it for numerous things. water in oil, fuel in oil, meatals wearing and how much.
Taken maybe once a year to keep tabs on things.

More confusion occurs because people think in terms of the oil thinning when it gets hot. They think this thinning with heat is the problem with motor oil. It would be more correct to think that oil thickens when it cools to room temperature and THIS is the problem. In fact this is the problem. It is said that 90 percent of engine wear occurs at startup. If we are interested in engine longevity then we should concentrate our attention at reducing engine wear at startup. From previous link

Oil type... Thickness at 75 F...Thickness at 212 F

Straight 30...... 250......................10
10W-30............100......................10
0W-30..............40 ......................10

Straight 10........30....................... 6
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