2020 Tacoma oil

True but he lives in Florida so the cold is no issue. Toyota has a feedback system as it would be folly to design the system to have a blindfold on it. The system variates actuation dynamically and checks what was done and readjusts as oil is always a different viscosity and there are thick and thin 0w-20's and some shear worse than others. Toyota knows what they're doing. The Toyotas in Europe run 4 grades up in their owners manual from the minimum. 0w-20 to 20w-50. in the manual. And every one is vvt.
His post says he’s in PA, not Florida

Also, the Hilux doesn’t get the 2GR-FKS, it gets a D4-D (diesel) and doesn’t get VVT-i

And are the VVT oil control valves the same between US and RoW?
 
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I am reaching the end of my trucks included toyotacare services. I was changing the oil myself at 5,000 miles just because I do some short trips and some towing especially towing a camper in the summers. So I have done my own oil change between the 10,000 mile interval they do them at and was using the recommended 0w20 in the 3.5L v6.
I noticed a few things the oil is pretty darn thin. much thinner than the 5w40 my Liberty CRD took. I see the owner's manual says 5w20 is ok if 0w20 is not available. they however state that they want you to change it after 5,000 miles back to 0w20. As I have been looking at what the stores now have on the self 5w20 seems to be more often in stock than 0w20. At my local wally world every time I have went down the oil isle it's pretty sparse. I have no problem using SuperTech as it seems to meet the specs from Toyota and it will be changed regularly.
Is there any issue or any harm that could come if I switch over permanently to 5w20 or even 5w30? I would still keep with a full synthetic oil and quality filter, most likely an OEM filter. Is this 0w20 stuff just for EPA fuel conservation and will it even make a lick of difference? I'm in Pennsylvania and we do see all kinds of temperatures all year but nothing below 0F too often.

I've run 0w20 PUP in my 20 Tacoma since my first oil change at 5k. I never did go for the free oil from Toyota, as I'm 2.5 hours from the dealer.

I have 5 gallons of RP HPS 5w20 left over from another car. I run it in the summer months in the Tacoma. The engine turns over slower with the 5w compared to the 0w, but the engine is smoother and more quiet with the 5w.

So if I have a choice, I'll go with 0W20 as to reduce the added drag of the 5w in the engine.
 
Even so it’s the winter rating that will dictate whether an oil is pumpable at low temperature. Between one 20-grade that has a 0W rating and one with a 5W rating no significant difference will exist above -30 or so. There would only be minor differences with a 30-grade.
 
I have gone between switching to 5w30 or sticking with 0w20 for my 3rd Gen Tacoma as well. I live on the Gulf Coast so cold weather performance doesn't matter to me. I most likely will be sticking with 0w20 due to all of the cars I will be maintaining use that spec.

I will be using Valvoline Gold bottle, 5k OCI, swapping to the metal oil filter housing, and using a oem filter.

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I will be using Valvoline due it being a quiet motor oil, I am not too sure if that means it protects any better than others, but I like that the motor is quieter.
 
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His post says he’s in PA, not Florida

Also, the Hilux doesn’t get the 2GR-FKS, it gets a D4-D (diesel) and doesn’t get VVT-i

And are the VVT oil control valves the same between US and RoW?
Ah true i mixed him up with another guy with a tacoma on here for a second. But even then in PA it still doesn't get cold enough to make a difference. The models that have those 4 grade differences have the same engine and vvt like the corolla, prius, camry, highlander, rav 4, and the chr i think that are also sold over here. I know they can sometimes get a smaller engine in a particular model where we don't but they still have the ones we get as an option.
 
I have gone between switching to 5w30 or sticking with 0w20 for my 3rd Gen Tacoma as well. I live on the Gulf Coast so cold weather performance doesn't matter to me. I most likely will be sticking with 0w20 due to all of the cars I will be maintaining use that spec.

I will be using Valvoline Gold bottle, 5k OCI, swapping to the metal oil filter housing, and using a oem filter.
What spec?
 
I see the owner's manual says 5w20 is ok if 0w20 is not available. they however state that they want you to change it after 5,000 miles back to 0w20.

That's another statement in the OM driven by CAFE because Toyota most likely qualified the Tacoma fleet (and other models) with a 0W-20 oil. The 0W will give them a super sliver more fuel efficiency during the engine warm-up phase. That's how desparate and far the manufacterers will go to meet CAFE reqirements and not have to pay a penalty for not meeting the CAFE targets.
 
I suggest running a SP-rated 5W-30 and calling it a day. There's no need to run a thin 20-weight oil in this engine. And, there's no need to run anything lower than a 5-weight as a winter rating as well. It just doesn't get that cold in PA -- it's not Alaska like where I'm located! Heck, even I seldom run less than a 5W in the winter...

If you stick with a quality 5W-30 oil and filter, changing it regularly, that engine will run longer than you'll want to keep the truck.
 
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I suggest running a SP-rated 5W-30 and calling it a day. There's no need to run a thin 20-weight oil in this engine. And, there's no need to run anything lower than a 5-weight as a winter rating as well. It just doesn't get that cold in PA -- it's not Alaska like where I'm located! Heck, even I seldom run less than a 5W in the winter...

If you stick with a quality 5W-30 oil and filter, changing it regularly, that engine will run longer than you'll want to keep the truck.

For Tacomas I believe this. But I don't think there is any measurable difference that would justify the switch, besides the price of the oil itself.
 
I just bought a Highlander with the same engine. My plan is to run an API SP low VI oil such as Idemitsu 5w-30 since will be doing some towing with it. The Highlander manual recommends 0w-20, but also says;

"The 20 in 0W-20 indicates the viscosity characteristic of the oil when the oil is at high temperature. An oil with a higher viscosity (one with a higher value) may be better suited if the vehicle is operated at high speeds, or under extreme load conditions."

Haven't looked at the manual for the Tacoma but there may be similar language in there.

The 3.5 V6 doesn't seem to be fussy about oil. Depending on where in the world it is sold, 0w-20 to 10w-30 is stated as acceptable in the manual. In Europe I believe they are running >3.5 HTHS Euro spec oils.

A little extra HTHS viscosity in the 5w-30 isn't going to hurt mileage significantly and will have a little more cushion for shearing and possibly some fuel dilution.

**EDIT** Just looked at the manual for the Tacoma and the same language is in there on page 538.
 
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I just bought a Highlander with the same engine. My plan is to run an API SP low VI oil such as Idemitsu 5w-30 since will be doing some towing with it. The Highlander manual recommends 0w-20, but also says;

"The 20 in 0W-20 indicates the viscosity characteristic of the oil when the oil is at high temperature. An oil with a higher viscosity (one with a higher value) may be better suited if the vehicle is operated at high speeds, or under extreme load conditions."

**EDIT** Just looked at the manual for the Tacoma and the same language is in there on page 538.
I think that statement in the Toyota OM is pretty standard in all their later model vehicles. It's Toyota's way to say in code that it's OK to use a thicker oil if you feel like you need more engine protection due to using the engine harder. Toyota understands the relationship between viscosity and film thickness between moving parts and how it relates to engine protection and wear.
 
I think that statement in the Toyota OM is pretty standard in all their later model vehicles. It's Toyota's way to say in code that it's OK to use a thicker oil if you feel like you need more engine protection due to using the engine harder. Toyota understands the relationship between viscosity and film thickness between moving parts and how it relates to engine protection and wear.

Post like these make me switch back to 5w30. haha
 
"The 20 in 0W-20 indicates the viscosity characteristic of the oil when the oil is at high temperature. An oil with a higher viscosity (one with a higher value) may be better suited if the vehicle is operated at high speeds, or under extreme load conditions."
I think that statement in the Toyota OM is pretty standard in all their later model vehicles. It's Toyota's way to say in code that it's OK to use a thicker oil if you feel like you need more engine protection due to using the engine harder. Toyota understands the relationship between viscosity and film thickness between moving parts and how it relates to engine protection and wear.
Such an instruction in the manual might indicate that a heavier viscosity oil won't screw up the VVT, clog those "tiny" oil passages, and that the engine wasn't "designed" for using only a thinner oil.
 
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