Engine Oil

[TomdeGuerre]

Then you should be OK with the 5W 30 oil but make sure it meets the spec quoted in your handboook. With some of the high performance overhead cam engines with bucket cam followers suffered badly when they introduced oil without zinc additive (API SM spec). I’d use a good quality oil and filter and change them at least once a year. If your engine has done 200,00 km ( ~ 125,000 miles) I’d stay away from the 0W 20 oil, especially if you’re in the Northern Territory or some place like that near the equator.

[Arnova]

My Corolla D4D has just over 335k miles and I use 5w-30 but it kinda uses half a dipstick every 400-600 miles.

I might change to a thicker oil but I think i'll rather keep it as it is now.

[mickburkesnr]

Bit confused by this thread.

On the engine cover of the 1998 Corolla 1.3 that I'm getting, it has a sticker on there labelled "Castrol" and "10w-40". So I'd imagine that's what was recommended at the time the car was built? So you wouldn't really follow Toyota's new guidelines regarding oils for their engines would you?

As well as that, the car has done 98,000 with that engine. The car is 18 years old, and in that respect it wouldn't seem like it's high mileage - average 5,444 miles per year. But, as silly as this sounds, how is an engine deemed high mileage? Is it down to the miles it has done on its own, or the miles against the age of the car?

Finally, if the car has been using 10w-40 oil for it's entire life, wouldn't changing the oil to a thicker/thinner oil (which is meant for high mileage engines) lead to an increased probability of oil leaks on the engine?

[FROSTYBALLS]

The thread gives recommendations that were current in 2013 and still apply today - and realistically these would apply to cars dating back 10 years or so. 

10W-40 may have been the grade recommendation when your Corolla was new 18 years ago, and I would stay with that grade for your car. However, you would wish to use oil that meets the latest API spec, which is API SM or SN, rather than that of 18 years ago, 

[Janna]

I don't know what oil they are putting. I just going and telling them 5000 how my friends teached me... I didn't know there is different type of oils)))

[GnuToyo]

Hi folks,

We've just bought a 2007 Corolla 1.6L T3, with almost 108,000 miles on the clock.

It has a full Toyota dealer service history. However, I intend to have it serviced at an independent garage. For that reason, I'm contemplating buying my own oil and asking the garage to use that.

I'll definitely be going with fully synthetic 5w30, but I'm trying to decide whether it's worth forking out more for Castrol Magnatec. The car mostly will be used for short journeys and will have low annual mileage (3,000 to 3,5000). The other main option was oil from Comma.

Any advice?

Thanks.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The brand of oil is down to personal preference. Some swear by Magnatec, others swear at it ....

[Devon Aygo]

Minor amendments and new additions added to list on first post. 

[GnuToyo]

On 11/08/2016 at 6:51 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

The brand of oil is down to personal preference. Some swear by Magnatec, others swear at it ....

Thanks Mike. I'll stick with the less expensive option until I'm given a compelling reason to do otherwise.

 

[Aamir2892]

Does anyone know what oil the 2ZZ-GE Supercharged requires? A lot say 5W-30 but I've read that superchargers tend to put more pressure on the rod bearings because of the constant high torque they give across the rev range. 

Would a 10W-30 be better than?

According to the Compressor supplement manual that comes with the normal owners manual 10W-30 might be the one as long as the temp doesn't drop to -18C. Any compressor owners would be grateful to share what you use, only had mine for 5 months.

[twopenceworth]

Hello "FB"

Thank you for the useful data you have provided, which I shall keep on file.

The problem with oil technical designation I believe is that many folk struggle to get to grips with the technical nomenclature of a product, let alone understand the quality of oil they should buy within the data you have provided - it is of course in the minimum specification required.

I attach a link which is quite long, but hugely informative, and describes the evolution of oil technology to todays synthetics. Its an extremely rewarding read for those interested and of a certain disposition!. Cheaper synthetic products in my view have very modest abilities and equally short lives because the base oils they are constructed from are inferior  to the more expensive synthetic oils. The more expensive products such as Castrol Edge or Mobil 1, really do do the job, but oil in cars, irrespective, should be changed annually or every 10K miles, whichever the sooner. The cost is very small compared to the cost of replacing a knackered camchain or failed turbo as a result of a partially blocked oilway and cooked central turbo bearing. Not just in cost alone, but time off the road - the owners time.

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/engine_oil_history.shtml

 

I apologise if I have drifted away from your original argument, which is important.

 

Kind regards