[523]

Hello guys, as i see in manual motor oil should be 0W20. Today had my first oil change, and i saw that the oil was 5W30 ! Is that ok? I see in manual that if 0w20 not available is ok to use 5w30 but they should replace it with 0w20 at next visit.
I live in hot climate though, and i never saw anyone before to use 0w20 here.
Any opinions ?

 

[mjvdzwet]

With my previous Auris Hybrid I always brought my own 0W20 oil. Since they all use 5W30 or 5W40.

The more thinner the oil the less friction you have.
0W20 is thinner at lower temperatures, so it should be more efficient. But if the additional costs of the oil weight up the lesser fuel consumption... I have never tested it.

 

[523]

With my previous Auris Hybrid I always brought my own 0W20 oil. Since they all use 5W30 or 5W40.

The more thinner the oil the less friction you have.
0W20 is thinner at lower temperatures, so it should be more efficient. But if the additional costs of the oil weight up the lesser fuel consumption... I have never tested it.

True. But im sure if i ask for it they will say to me that 5w30 is fine cz of the hot climate (is cold usually december-january-february).
According to manual is clear, so i cant understand why they use 5w30. So if any future damage occurs i will have my ass covered ? :?:

 

[Karmalakas]

Same here. They put 5W-30 and said it's fine :/

 

[523]

Same here. They put 5W-30 and said it's fine :/

Today i had a call with dealer, as he said is what Toyota said to them as they follow their orders. Who knows if true or not :|

 

[dim_theo]

Castor's Web site recommends 5W 30 if you choose the hybrid CHR.

http://applications.castrol.com/oilselector/en_gb/

Not sure if that is because they don't make a 0W 30. If they do make a 0W30 then it is strange they dont recommend that.

 

[523]

Mine is 1.2T. After an email i sent to Toyota Europe head offices, the made it clear that 5W-30 is also approved without any concern.

 

[dim_theo]

My hybrid manual clearly says 0W 20 is the best for fuel economy and cold start in low temps but you can use 5w 30,10w-30 or even 15w 40 as an alternative. With the temperatures you get in the summer in Cyprus I would definitely go with something thicker than 0w-20.

 

[523]

My hybrid manual clearly says 0W 20 is the best for fuel economy and cold start in low temps but you can use 5w 30,10w-30 or even 15w 40 as an alternative. With the temperatures you get in the summer in Cyprus I would definitely go with something thicker than 0w-20.

True, i guess thats why they use 5w30 here or even 10w40. Even in winter, coldest temperature here will be 5°-6° celsius, not lower and that only in rare occasions. Thanks mate.

 

[Karmalakas]

We sometimes get -25°C in winter (rarely down to -30°C). Winter average I think is ~0°C (used to be much colder). Still 5W-30

 

[dim_theo]

In the hybrid engine there is another good reason to go with 0w-20 other than low fuel consumption. As the car can be driven with the engine off this cools down the oil. Prius drivers report 50~80C water coolant temps in traffic. In this situation you want an oil that is as thin as possible at low temps. This will protect the engine in start/stop situations which is how this car works. Having done some research, the best low temp low viscosity oil is the original Toyota 0w-20 that comes in US, European and Japanese versions. All of them are quite cheap and can be bought online. The US and Japanese versions have been tested in oil labs and are very similar. Not so sure about the EU version but it should be similar.

 

[Karmalakas]

What about winter, when temp. outside drops to -15°C or so? Is 0W-20 or 5W-30 a better choice?

 

[holyhead]

Stick to 0W-20

 

[dim_theo]

What about winter, when temp. outside drops to -15°C or so? Is 0W-20 or 5W-30 a better choice?

0W 20 is clearly better for a cold engine start in winter for the same reason it has better fuel economy. It is simply thinner when cold on engine start and thinner at low operating temps which is ideal for the hybrid engine. Obviously this doesn't mean all 0W 20 have the same viscosity at low temps. If you start comparing the viscosity of different 0w 20 oils you will see that Toyota's oil is about 30% thinner at 40 degrees than a common 5w 30 (i.e. valvoline). It is the only 0w 20 oil with a viscosity index higher than 200 and the only alternative that comes close is Mobil 1 (btw they make the Toyota oil in the US). Both oils have been scrutinised a lot in oil forums and oil analysis tests and everyone is happy. Therefore Mobil 1 0w 20 is the only other alternative i would consider.

For the 1.2 turbo engine i haven't seen what the manual says and i can't comment on that but as the engine works at normal operating temperature and it has a turbocharger i might consider a thicker oil to handle the higher operating temperatures compared to the hybrid. Unless of course the car is used in a really cold country where cold start is more important for someone and the car doesn't do any racing.

 

[523]

What about winter, when temp. outside drops to -15°C or so? Is 0W-20 or 5W-30 a better choice?

0W 20 is clearly better for a cold engine start in winter for the same reason it has better fuel economy. It is simply thinner when cold on engine start and thinner at low operating temps which is ideal for the hybrid engine. Obviously this doesn't mean all 0W 20 have the same viscosity at low temps. If you start comparing the viscosity of different 0w 20 oils you will see that Toyota's oil is about 30% thinner at 40 degrees than a common 5w 30 (i.e. valvoline). It is the only 0w 20 oil with a viscosity index higher than 200 and the only alternative that comes close is Mobil 1 (btw they make the Toyota oil in the US). Both oils have been scrutinised a lot in oil forums and oil analysis tests and everyone is happy. Therefore Mobil 1 0w 20 is the only other alternative i would consider.

For the 1.2 turbo engine i haven't seen what the manual says and i can't comment on that but as the engine works at normal operating temperature and it has a turbocharger i might consider a thicker oil to handle the higher operating temperatures compared to the hybrid. Unless of course the car is used in a really cold country where cold start is more important for someone and the car doesn't do any racing.

Very informative answer, cheers.
Just to say also that, according to an email i sent some time ago to Toyota head offices, they said that "5w30 is also satisfied oil according to the owners manual".
Also, wanted to ask you, as the 0w20 oil they use is Toyotas oil, i guess also the 5w30 is Toyotas ? Not something else, like mobil etc, correct ?

 

[dim_theo]

What about winter, when temp. outside drops to -15°C or so? Is 0W-20 or 5W-30 a better choice?

0W 20 is clearly better for a cold engine start in winter for the same reason it has better fuel economy. It is simply thinner when cold on engine start and thinner at low operating temps which is ideal for the hybrid engine. Obviously this doesn't mean all 0W 20 have the same viscosity at low temps. If you start comparing the viscosity of different 0w 20 oils you will see that Toyota's oil is about 30% thinner at 40 degrees than a common 5w 30 (i.e. valvoline). It is the only 0w 20 oil with a viscosity index higher than 200 and the only alternative that comes close is Mobil 1 (btw they make the Toyota oil in the US). Both oils have been scrutinised a lot in oil forums and oil analysis tests and everyone is happy. Therefore Mobil 1 0w 20 is the only other alternative i would consider.

For the 1.2 turbo engine i haven't seen what the manual says and i can't comment on that but as the engine works at normal operating temperature and it has a turbocharger i might consider a thicker oil to handle the higher operating temperatures compared to the hybrid. Unless of course the car is used in a really cold country where cold start is more important for someone and the car doesn't do any racing.

Very informative answer, cheers.
Just to say also that, according to an email i sent some time ago to Toyota head offices, they said that "5w30 is also satisfied oil according to the owners manual".
Also, wanted to ask you, as the 0w20 oil they use is Toyotas oil, i guess also the 5w30 is Toyotas ? Not something else, like mobil etc, correct ?

If the 1.2T recommended oil is the 0w 20 then it is very likely your car came with it from the factory. If you changed the oil and the Toyota Genuine Motor Oil is not available in Cyprus they might have used a different brand 5w 30 (hopefully with the correct API rating as the latest SN spec is designed to protect the turbocharger). You can always ask them what they used. If you are not happy with that just take your own oil with you next time and ask them to use that. Do your own research but I think you will find that Toyota's 5w 30 is not as good as their 0w 20 as they want their cars to consume less fuel and focused on the spec for 0W 20.

Here is what Honda thinks about 0w 20 and 0w 16: https://lubrizol.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Jeff+Jetter+of+Honda+Discusses+Plans+to+Use+0W-20+%28and+perhaps+0W-10+in+the+future%29/0_wx6rqoa4

https://lubrizol.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Masashi+Maruyama+of+Honda+Voices+Need+for+Ultra-Low+Viscosity+Oils+/0_bynv2lli

 

[523]

If the 1.2T recommended oil is the 0w 20 then it is very likely your car came with it from the factory. If you changed the oil and the Toyota Genuine Motor Oil is not available in Cyprus they might have used a different brand 5w 30 (hopefully with the correct API rating as the latest SN spec is designed to protect the turbocharger). You can always ask them what they used. If you are not happy with that just take your own oil with you next time and ask them to use that. Do your own research but I think you will find that Toyota's 5w 30 is not as good as their 0w 20 as they want their cars to consume less fuel and focused on the spec for 0W 20.

Here is what Honda thinks about 0w 20 and 0w 16: https://lubrizol.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Jeff+Jetter+of+Honda+Discusses+Plans+to+Use+0W-20+%28and+perhaps+0W-10+in+the+future%29/0_wx6rqoa4

https://lubrizol.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Masashi+Maruyama+of+Honda+Voices+Need+for+Ultra-Low+Viscosity+Oils+/0_bynv2lli

Thanks for ur answer. I found for my 1.2T in manual the below photos.

Until now i had just one oil change, they changed it with 5w30. After i saw it on receipt, i asked them why they didnt put 0w20 and they said that they put what Toyota Europe said to them. Also with the email i sent after in Belgium head offices they confirmed that 5w-30 is fine.
Dont know what is better, or what im supposed to do, because even if i ask them to put 0w20 they can say to me lies that they put, just to ignore me.

P.s. i dont believe is my idea, but after the 5w30 oil change, at cold startup, usually in morning, when i press the engine start, the engine sound at the first 1-2 seconds is different than before, u can hear something like a metallic sound and then back to normal :?

 

[dim_theo]

Do you tow anything with your car or race it? If not just follow what the manual says and go back to 0W 20 on your next oil change. I am guessing you checked the oil level already and it is fine. It is most likely some heat shield rattling (or even leaking exhaust gasket) that you didn't hear before.

Perhaps this is an agreement they made with Toyota Europe because they don't import Toyota oil in Cyprus or it is out of stock and the dealer uses an oil brand who doesn't make 0w 20. You know that with European law you can service your car anywhere you want and still have Toyota warranty?

p.s. Change the oil only when the engine is warm (but after the car sat for a while for the oil to fall in the sump) and ask them to fill up the new oil filter with the new oil before installing it. First of all this empties the old oil a lot better and it also builds oil pressure quicker when you start the engine with the new oil for the first time. For me every oil change should be this way but nobody cares for your car and nobody has time for this.

 

[523]

Do you tow anything with your car or race it? If not just follow what the manual says and go back to 0W 20 on your next oil change. I am guessing you checked the oil level already and it is fine. It is most likely some heat shield rattling (or even leaking exhaust gasket) that you didn't hear before.

Perhaps this is an agreement they made with Toyota Europe because they don't import Toyota oil in Cyprus or it is out of stock and the dealer uses an oil brand who doesn't make 0w 20. You know that with European law you can service your car anywhere you want and still have Toyota warranty?

p.s. Change the oil only when the engine is warm (but after the car sat for a while for the oil to fall in the sump) and ask them to fill up the new oil filter with the new oil before installing it. First of all this empties the old oil a lot better and it also builds oil pressure quicker when you start the engine with the new oil for the first time. For me every oil change should be this way but nobody cares for your car and nobody has time for this.

thanks for your info mate. No I don't tow anything. I do know about the European law and warranty. At next oil change I will ask for 0w20, and if not accept it I will change garage.

p.s. As u said nobody cares for your car like his owner does, so I guess for the correct procedure of oil change you should change it by yourself to be sure. :?

 

[dim_theo]

For your car the engine always works so even if they leave it for hours parked before the oil change, the engine will eventually start again before the change. For the hybrid i suppose it is possible they might change the oil with a completely cold engine. Here is another good reason for the 0w 20.