Switching from 0w-20 to 0w-30 experience

[kschachn]

Lots of anecdotes and everyone is entitled to their opinion. A few fellow BITOG members told me it not possible to notice reduced MPGs from a higher viscosity oil but when I switched the oil from 0W-16 to 0W-20 on a '21 Venza hybrid wife immediately commented on the MPG drop even though she did not know about the oil viscosity difference. The Venza is due for an oil change. I will go back to 0W-16 and eagerly await for the wife to say something.

The reason someone may have told you that is because it is true. There are multiple and much more significant variables that contribute to a "real world" fuel economy observation. The oil in this case contributes about 1% to the difference.

The energy content of the fuel varies about 4% even at the same gas station, irrespective of seasonal formulation changes. Add to that any weather variations, traffic differences, user variations and your reported tire replacement the effect of the oil is rather deep in the noise.

But hey, keep on keeping on if you're convinced.

 

[4wd]

Sounds like the solution is a lube with higher quality bases to resist that better.

 

[proffittmarke]

I switched from 0W 20 to 0W 30 once and lost 2 MPG on the highway. Next oil change, I went back to 0W 20.

 

[kschachn]

I switched from 0W 20 to 0W 30 once and lost 2 MPG on the highway. Next oil change, I went back to 0W 20.

Amazing.

 

[stenerson]

I got 180K miles on my 2018 Ram 1500 3.6. Used 0w20 the whole time. Engine sounds smooth to my ears. But switched over the 0w30 Amsoil SS 1800 miles ago just for the heck of it. Still sounds smooth, not really monitoring temps that much, but oil pressure seems a little higher at startup than before.
I'm not gonna get in habit of buying Amsoil, it's overkill for my needs, just wanted to try it once.

 

[Pablo]

Amazing.

Miracle

 

[facility1]

I go from 0w-20 PUP to 5w-30 PUP and could see very little difference, the climate is probably the most determining factor.

 

[spasm3]

I switched from 0W 20 to 0W 30 once and lost 2 MPG on the highway. Next oil change, I went back to 0W 20.

I have 0w-40 in my mazda , and before that 5-w30. Both in place of 0w-20. I see no difference in fuel mileage.

 

[tired]

I'm still dubious either of those would CAUSE a single burnt valve ... sooo many other potential causes.

Burnt intake valve on the 1GR is very rare. Oil lubricates the moving parts of the intake valve. Early breakdown of valve stem seals. As old oil breaks down, it will vaporize easier and get routed back into your intake by the PCV, and it will cause a heavier burden of intake valve deposits.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Burnt intake valve on the 1GR is very rare.

The valve clearance can get tight on that engine and leave them open a hair, so they need to be checked way before the mileage he had on that truck.

 

[tired]

He probably never had the valve clearances checked. Those engines use shims, they are not hydraulic.

Are you sure about that? I thought the 1GR-FE used a shimless bucket design early on and then hydraulic lifters in the series in the 4Runner in the video.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Are you sure about that? I thought the 1GR-FE used a shimless bucket design early on and then hydraulic lifters in the series in the 4Runner in the video.

Checking into the engine valve train config, it does look like they went to hydraulic lifters in 2010 when it got dual (intake and exhaust) VVT. It had solid buckets before that. I had to go back to the video to see he has a 2015.

 

[BobUser]

I switched from 0W 20 to 0W 30 once and lost 2 MPG on the highway. Next oil change, I went back to 0W 20.

Sure - but, unless you were on a closed circuit, with telemetry coming from the engine, and exact temps, tires, no traffic, hills, etc - and, had robotic inputs that were exactly the same ... er, not likely related to the oil.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

After reading almost every oil thread on the PUG 3.6, I have yet to see any evidence that oil can fix the camshaft/rocker arm issues. Mine made it to 120k before eating the bank 1 intake camshaft. Some do it at 5k, others never do, and can find examples of either situation running any kind of oil. TSB seems to indicate a manufacturing issue.

 

[D.P.R.]

The reason someone may have told you that is because it is true. There are multiple and much more significant variables that contribute to a "real world" fuel economy observation. The oil in this case contributes about 1% to the difference.

The energy content of the fuel varies about 4% even at the same gas station, irrespective of seasonal formulation changes. Add to that any weather variations, traffic differences, user variations and your reported tire replacement the effect of the oil is rather deep in the noise.

But hey, keep on keeping on if you're convinced.

Who am I going to believe your well articulated, very plausible arguments or my own eyes?

 

[kschachn]

Who am I going to believe your well articulated, very plausible arguments or my own eyes?

Considering your demonstrated analytic ability I'd say there is a preferable choice.

 

[cptbarkey]

Who am I going to believe your well articulated, very plausible arguments or my own eyes?

I trust your eyes can’t see the scientific difference even after he generously took the time to explain in detail.

 

[ineptizoid]

I switched from 0W 20 to 0W 30 once and lost 2 MPG on the highway. Next oil change, I went back to 0W 20.

I may be an outlier, but I check my mpg at every fill up with a calculator, and I regularly see a 2-mpg difference--sometimes better, sometimes worse--from tank to tank. Same Murphy USA gas from the same station, same oil, same tire pressures, same driving habits on the same roads in the same weather. During the same month.


This variation has occurred with all the vehicles I've owned, with the exception of my old Dodge van with the 225 slant six, which got 15 mpg consistently regardless of how it was driven. There are so many variables that will affect gas mileage, that I don't believe a 2-mpg loss or gain from one tank to another is significant enough to pin on one cause like oil viscosity.

 

[BobUser]

Good points when calculating in that manner. My sense is the onboard computer provides more accurate calculations - especially over given standard profiles - ie, the same exact interstate - and, may be better now even when computing tank to tank, as it measures fuel going through the engine vs amount put into it. Using the onboard calculator also means there is no error for fill up quantity - over filling, under filling, ullage, temperature, etc.

 

[kschachn]

Good points when calculating in that manner. My sense is the onboard computer provides more accurate calculations - especially over given standard profiles - ie, the same exact interstate - and, may be better now even when computing tank to tank, as it measures fuel going through the engine vs amount put into it. Using the onboard calculator also means there is no error for fill up quantity - over filling, under filling, ullage, temperature, etc.

You can be accurate as you want for measurement but that’s not the problem. When other and more significant variables affect a measurement then accuracy isn’t the issue.