5w-30

[DENNISD]

You're not really contributing. Everything so far from you has been:

• don't question the engineers
• use whatever the manual says
• warranty concerns, warranty concerns, warranty concerns
• if you're going to make a change, prove its benefit....yet when someone proves a measured downside of 0W-20 (excessive wear on an analysis), that gets chalked up to being inconclusive because of too many variables. OK - so if I did two oil analyses, one on 0W-20, and one on 5W-30 or 5W-40 and clearly proved less wear, would that be good enough? Or still too many variables and I should still just do what the manual says? Do you see the problem with the arguments here?

We have gone full circle here - exactly what useful contributions is anyone supposed to draw from any of these points?

You’re missing my point.


I’m not saying don’t question anything—I’m saying understand the limits of what you’re using as “proof.”


An oil analysis or two is not controlled testing. There are too many variables: driving style, load, temps, fuel dilution, engine variance, sampling differences, etc. You can’t isolate viscosity as the sole cause of wear from that.


The manufacturers, on the other hand, run thousands of hours of controlled testing across all kinds of conditions. That’s what the manual is based on.


Could you run 5W-30 and be fine? Probably.
Can you prove it’s better with a couple oil reports? No.


So the practical takeaway is simple:

• If you want zero risk → follow the manual
• If you want to experiment → that’s your call, just own the risk

That’s not “adding nothing”—that’s keeping the discussion grounded in reality.

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[GSPHerder]

This isnt why I use 0w-20 Dennisd thread, this is 5w-30 post your oil analysis thread. Post any oil analysis. The more data the better!

So 0w-20 is cool Dennisd but if you want to contribute then post an oil analysis, short of that we got that your gonna use 0w-20 because the manual tells you to.

 

[MustardTiger]

@GSPHerder what 5w30 did you end up going with? I've been using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w30 for the past 5k miles...through the majority of winter actually (temps down to -40). Truck hasn't skipped a beat, my last road trip of 1200 miles it averaged 18 mpg, with extended highway durations in 4wd during terrible road conditions (blizzard). I absolutely will not be returning to 0w20 - it's simply not worth the risk of added wear and reduced engine longevity. If I can run 5w30 up in Canada all year round...anybody can...even Dennis !!!

Also rode in my buddies 3rd gen last week...and he also rode in mine. We both confirmed...3rd gen more solid, larger inside, has less squeaks and rattles, feels way more solid, and the 3rd gen just overall seems more "trucky". His has over 100k miles too. The 4th gen has more tech/features, and obviously the hybrid max is more power, but at the expense of engine soundtrack.

 

[GSPHerder]

what 5w30 did you end up going with? I've been using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w30 for the past 5k miles...through the majority of winter actually (temps down to -40).

I went with Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic 5w-30. It has the dexos 1 rating which is supposedly specced for turbo's by GM. I used the PUP in previous vehicle which I really liked but thought id give this a try. Depending on how it works out I might try redline which I used to run in my previous vehicle and is supposed to hold up very well.

We just traded my wife's 3rd gen Tacoma MT for a Highlander which she wanted. I wasn't a big fan of it but hated trading it because they don't make them anymore. She beats the snot out of her vehicle's so I dumped it before I lost anymore money on it.

Overall I'm really pleased with my 4th Gen, I think the fit and finish on it rivals a Japanese built 4r but time will tell. I'm not sure how my "Pro" is compared to other less expensive models but so far I'm really liking it. (except for all the nanny bs electronics) Finally Toyota put a decent screen and controls that are more ergonomic and easier to use vs previous gens.

No squeaks or rattles so far but its still pretty new. I'm gonna cover a bunch of rocky offroad NM miles later this month during Turkey season so will see if it still rattle free afterwards.

New to me is a turbo vehicle, I was caught off-guard by the stinky oil when I changed at 1100 miles, smelled like diff fluid. I did do a 300 mile tow of around 4600lbs at 6k-7k elevation so not sure how that affected the oil.

 

[Will721]

It's funny that people on this forum like pennzoil. I've seen it mentioned multiple times on a few threads now. Meanwhile in the autoparts industry nobody likes pennzoil and they had a reputation for causing early engine failure. All the major brands have a contract with an oem except them. Even had a saying Pennzoil for your enemies and friends don't let friends use Fram.

I always wondered who was keeping them alive.

 

[Pappy]

Meanwhile in the autoparts industry nobody likes pennzoil and they had a reputation for causing early engine failure.

Back in the day we called Pennzoil "Penn-soil" for that reason. It had a reputation for gumming up engines. It might be an acceptable oil today, but simply based on its old reputation I will not run it. That might be silly. But, there are plenty of other quality options.

 

[MustardTiger]

@Will721 I will admit…I’ve never used Pennzoil before, until the last oil change and switch to 5w30. Always been a Mobil 1 diehard, have used it for years in many different vehicles and equipment…never any issues with those engines. What got me with the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum is it’s a relatively thin 5w30 among literally every other brand…and this was a characteristic that I wanted. Then I can just run it all seasons and not worry about it. Plus, it always sells for cheaper (and more oil per jug) vs Mobil. I plan on early oil changes anyways…especially with the fuel dilution. Maybe eventually I’ll go back to Mobil 1….kinda miss the comfort and confidence in having in the crankcase.

 

[GSPHerder]

I always thought that of Pennzoil also, but looking at all the oil analysis's on the Ram Power Wagon the Pennzoil was showing to be one of the best oils for that truck. Thats when I started using PUP on my PW and had great results with it.

For the PW Mobile 1 wasn't even a consideration because of certain additives and wear characteristics. Another good contender or perhaps the most popular choice for the PW was Redline oil.

That is my point of this thread, the PW forum has over 100 pages on just that one thread of oil analysis and people crunching the data to determine what was working best for that motor.

The other thing they did is they did a good job of gathering real world shear characteristics such as how certain lighter oils had better shear characteristics than certain heavier oil based on oil analysis's.

Another great lessoned learned from that community was a very early diff oil change. I did mine at 1500 miles I think. The amount of metal fragments and discoloration of the oil was amazing. For the Tacoma I'm gonna do a rear diff oil change at 2k miles and see how it looks.

I hope we can do the same here.

 

[GSPHerder]

Back in the day we called Pennzoil "Penn-soil" for that reason. It had a reputation for gumming up engines. It might be an acceptable oil today, but simply based on its old reputation I will not run it. That might be silly. But, there are plenty of other quality options.

Please enlighten us on other quality options with fact based oil analysis vs. back in the old day's we called it pennsoil.

Rhetorical.. I'm thinking that's the best you have to offer.

 

[Pappy]

Please enlighten us on other quality options with fact based oil analysis vs. back in the old day's we called it pennsoil.

Rhetorical.. I'm thinking that's the best you have to offer.

Valvoline, Mobil One, Amsoil, Red Line, Castrol. All have quality oil choices. Penn-soil is not the only option out there. I have plenty of choices to satisfy my bias against Penn-soil. That was my point.

 

[DENNISD]

Please enlighten us on other quality options with fact based oil analysis vs. back in the old day's we called it pennsoil.

Rhetorical.. I'm thinking that's the best you have to offer.

There are plenty of oil analysis videos out there on YouTube, but the consistent takeaway is pretty simple: use the oil viscosity specified in the owner’s manual.


Pennzoil has historically had a poor reputation. The link I shared suggests they’ve improved over time, but that doesn’t really change the core point—brand debates matter far less than using the correct oil weight.


If you want to compare different brands using oil analysis, that’s fine. But once you start testing oils outside of the manufacturer’s recommended viscosity, you’re in a completely different situation. At that point, you’re essentially playing Russian roulette with your engine.

 

[GSPHerder]

I said it was Rhetorical, if you guys must I can start a vaccinated democrat thread. That way your peace of mind isn't disturbed by the threat of learning something new or challenging your uncle who back in the day called it pensoil. The thread will be a safe place for those who are afraid of scary things like real data and real numbers.

 

[DENNISD]

I said it was Rhetorical, if you guys must I can start a vaccinated democrat thread. That way your peace of mind isn't disturbed by the threat of learning something new or challenging your uncle who back in the day called it pensoil. The thread will be a safe place for those who are afraid of scary things like real data and real numbers.

What you’re calling “real data” is still just scattered, anecdotal oil analysis that only tells a partial story.


Used oil analysis is highly variable—different engines, driving styles, climates, and intervals all affect the results. Cherry-picking a few reports doesn’t establish anything conclusive, and it certainly doesn’t override engineering specifications.


At that point, it’s not about facts—it’s about selectively interpreting data to support a preference.


If the goal is something you can actually rely on, the only consistent, repeatable standard is the manufacturer’s recommended viscosity and specifications—not a handful of isolated reports pulled from the internet.

 

[32spoke]

Toyota didn’t just guess on oil weight to hit CAFE numbers. That viscosity is tied to engine tolerances, oil flow, and long-term durability testing.


If 0W-20 (or whatever spec) was actually causing widespread wear, they’d be eating massive warranty costs—and they’re not in the business of doing that.


The GM example proves the opposite of your point. They found an issue and changed the spec themselves. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to work.


Once you go outside manufacturer specs, you’re just guessing. Too many variables to claim a thicker oil is “better” without controlled testing.


I’ll stick with what the engineers who built the engine recommend.

Can you advise all of us with the different parts+ part numbers for the T24A-FTS engine components that relate to the use of 0w20 engine oil, for the United States, compared to European T24A-FTS engines, which advise 0w20, 5w20, 5w30, and 10w30?
Also, these trucks are assembled in Mexico, engines assembled in the United States.. the same trucks with the same engines for the Mexico market, show the same oil viscosity options as the European engines.. also of note, Toyota indicates that 10w30 can be used from 0 degrees Fahrenheit and above- 10w30. From page 526..
https://www.toyota.mx/content/dam/tmex/pdf-manuals/manual-de-propietarios/tacoma/2024/OM04044S.pdf

 

[32spoke]

It's funny that people on this forum like pennzoil. I've seen it mentioned multiple times on a few threads now. Meanwhile in the autoparts industry nobody likes pennzoil and they had a reputation for causing early engine failure. All the major brands have a contract with an oem except them. Even had a saying Pennzoil for your enemies and friends don't let friends use Fram.

I always wondered who was keeping them alive.

Shell oil purchased Pennzoil decades ago and the old high paraffin oil base stock is no longer used, they bought the brand not the product. The new oil is very different. It is the only oil recommended by Chrysler/dodge for hemi gas engines…
You are in the auto parts industry? If so, hello!! So am I!

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