Why is Puerto Rico able to use 15W-40?

Exactly. And for those that like to (and do) pay attention... if we could run an oil that might give us a little longer engine life as long as we swap it out before “winter” (whenever that is, wherever that is), it’d be cool to know that it’s ok to do so.

I totally understand dumbing it down in the owners manual. But there’s a lot of us that would sacrifice a mile per gallon of gas if we could get a little longer engine life. (If possible)

 

I doubt yota would ever say you are gaining engine life using a thicker viscosity than they recommend.

 

Right. Because someone would forget to change it back to 0 weight when it got cold outside.

 

Or they are recommending oil for fuel efficiency while sacrificing engine life.

 

Agreed.

 

To quote the 2021 Toyota 4Runner Owners Manual:

"An oil with a higher viscosity may be BETTER SUITED if the vehicle is operated at HIGH SPEEDS, or under EXTREME LOAD CONDITIONS."

Toyota RECOMMENDS 0W-20 oil, but it does not REQUIRE it. The only REQUIREMENT is ILSAC GF-5 Multigrade Engine Oil.

To quote ILSAC "Oils meeting ILSAC GF-5 are: SAE 10W-30, 5W-30, 0W-30, 5W-20, 0W-20 and 0W-16."

Oil selection should be based on your driving conditions and temperature ranges.

I live in year round in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, where I am constantly going up and down steep hills in low gears, very cold winters, sometimes below 0°F, but we rarely get over 80°F in the summer, dusty conditions, rock driveway, twice daily 4x4 engagements, short driving distances (3-7 miles per trip) and I rarely get to go over 50 mph.

I would consider those EXTREME LOAD CONDITIONS!

0W-20 and 0W-16 were selected ONLY for CAFE reasons, NOT to better protect your engine.

Puerto Rico (same engine, same vehicle) is not regulated by CAFE, so the full range of ILSAC GF-5 oils are available to use. My 2008 FJ Cruiser (same engine) used 5W30.

So for my new 2021 4Runner, I will be running Mobil1 0W30 (Change in October) and Mobil 1 5W30 (Change April) because I'll never get 5K miles on it in 6 months. I also use the TRD Oil Filter (PTR4300079).

So as soon as the 4Runner hits around 1000 Miles (Break In Period), probably by October, I'll be switching to Mobil 1 0W30 for the winter.

 

So if I make weekly 300 mile trips at interstate speeds all summer long… would that be considered “high speed”?

would I be better off using 5-30 or 10-30?

 

1000 miles by October? I put that on every 2 weeks! Do you have multiple vehicles, or just don't drive much?

I think if you're going 75-80 MPH + I would call it high speed. I notice that above 65-70 the engine is working a lot harder to fight the wind.

 

I would say 75-85 MPH Interstate use in the hot summer in a 4Runner would be High Speed, especially if you live in Texas, New Mexico or Arizona.

If I lived down there, I'd go with a 10W30, if it never got below freezing. The 0W and 5W are Winter ratings for cold starts and quicker cold flow rates.

I'm originally from Quebec, Canada and yes, 0W really makes a big difference when you start at below 0°F.

So back to the 4Runner owners manual: "An oil with a higher viscosity may be BETTER SUITED if the vehicle is operated at HIGH SPEEDS, or under EXTREME LOAD CONDITIONS."

What Toyota is saying is BETTER SUITED, not BETTER FUEL ECONOMY. Who cares if you get 1/2 MPG less by running a 30 weight oil, if your engine is BETTER PROTECTED in the long run. As long as you stick to the Toyota Required GF-5 oils, it can't void your warranty, because they are stating a "Higher Viscosity may be Better Suited" in your owner's manual. Their exact words, not mine!

I would suggest looking at other countries, like Puerto Rico, that are not CAFE bound, and see what Toyota recommends for this vehicle and engine. I bet you will find that 5W-30 is what it the engine was designed for, at least that what was on the oil cap of my 2008 FJ Cruiser. If you live in much colder climates, try 0W-30, but if you never get below freezing and live where it's really hot all the time, you could go with 10W-30.

 

We don't drive very much. We live in a very small mountain town that is about 60 miles from the nearest city. The wife drives 3 miles to work and I work at home.

We are in the "South" in North Carolina, but it can get down to -5°F and it snows a lot here for a good 3-4 months a year. Go 30 miles in any direction, and you are back in the real South again.

My 2013 FJ Cruiser TT was traded in October 2019 (just 6 years old), and only had 32K miles on it, so 5K per year is about average.

One nice thing about Toyota 4x4's is you can drive them for like 5-6 years and get almost what you paid new for them.

 

You can’t kill this engine and lighter weight oils sound unhappy on cold start up, which shouldn’t be a problem unless you live someplace where it gets below zero Fahrenheit.

 

I've done a lot of research on 0W20 and the common complain seems to be engine ticking on startup, which went away when they switched back to a 5W30 oil.

 

I've lived in Montreal, where it gets down to -40° (F or C, it's the same - too darn cold) and at those temperatures, you would normally plug your car in overnight.

I had a Toyota Canada Block Heater and a Battery Warmer in my 2008 FJ Cruiser but only used it a few times, but it did help heat up the oil and battery. Here in Western North Carolina, I've only seen -5°F a few times. I bet the same Toyota Canada Block Heater will fit in the 4Runners.

 

I don’t know what the part number is but I have the block heater on my 2013 because I would park it outside overnight in Colorado and Wyoming and I liked having a nice hot heater when I get in the truck without having to wait to warm it up.

The coldest it usually gets there in the winter is negative single digits F.

 

Now to see if I can get the local Toyota Dealer to put in 5W30 instead of 0W20 in my car as part of Toyota Care.

I will probably have to show them the owners manual where it says I can use a higher viscosity oil.

 

I had to special order the block heater from Toyota Canada, but it just clips into a 1" hole in the engine (no need to drain anything). I think I was up there and picked it up at the dealer. There is a black plastic cap covering the engine hole and it's in the rear on the driver's side. About a 10 minute install job, comes with a small tube of thermal grease. Most of the install was zip tie the 120V cord, and let it hang out the front. (makes it look like an electric vehicle - haha).

 

So is anyone else running 0W30 or 5W30?

Did you have issues with the dealer putting it in for you?

I called my local Toyota parts dept and they do carry 5W30 Toyota Oil in stock.

 

Dealership typically won’t put anything besides what’s written on the oil cap, because then you’ll come back and try to sue them for damage to your engine.

If you want to do it, either do it yourself, or find an independent mechanic.

 

PU140-00900 is the Block Heater part number. Says for 10-19, but should be the same.

 

Time to upgrade my oil cap them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KTIMJR0/

 

Dealer told me both 4runner and GX require 0w20.

With that said I put 5w30 in both haha. Even thinking about a 0w40/5w40 in the GX. I tow with it and use it as our camping rig so it sees a lot more off road.

 

I think I'll have to highlight the sentence in the owner's manual, where it says "recommended" and not "required".

Mobil 1 make a 0W-40 Euro Car Formula, that might work as well. Some say the wider the range, the better.

 

Motor oil is like religion to some people. (Bob Is The Oil Guy).

5W-30 FTW.

 

Found this for the 2020 FJ Cruiser which is still sold in South Africa (It snows in South Africa).

Engine Spec is the same 4.0L Dual VVT-I, producing 268 HP. They also recommend Premium Gas!




You can download the Sales Brochure and the Owners Manual from Toyota of South Africa.

They recommend 5W30 if your temperature range gets below 0°F.

 

10k intervals with any synthetic on sale works just fine

 

Read your manual. Dusty roads, high speed driving, towing and hauling all call for 5K intervals.

 

I've been using 5w-30 in various flavors for the last 30k miles.
Won't be going back to 0w-20.

 

I can see towing and "high speed" driving. I wonder why dusty roads play a part if the air filter is doing its job?

 

I’d imagine some super-fine particles get by the filter. When you do a sieve analysis on gravel, it’s amazing how fine the particles actually get. It’s like talcum powder.

 

Makes sense. And I forgot to add a visual representation of dusty roads.