toyota 2AR-FE best oil to use in HOT weather?

[apollo18]

hey all picked up a 2015 rav 4 with a 2.5 engine, i believe its called the 2ar-fe. It comes posted to use a 0w20 but i assume we can run thicker
i live down south so its always 95++ fahrenheit outside.

the vehicle has 100k miles on it rn

i assume it has seen 0w20 its whole life

is 5w30 a safe bet cuz of the heat? we never get a winter or cold weather here so i doubt it would be an issue?

but i read something about some vvt issue or something with the 2AR-FE if the oil is too thick but i doubt that should be a problem

curious what people would recommend! or just stick with the 'thickest' 0w20 i can find?

 

[gregk24]

Run the 0w20 with absolute confidence.

 

[Nesterenko]

5w30 definitely. No reason not to.

 

[edyvw]

You can run 0W20, 0W30, 5W30, 10W60. Whatever.
However, your thinking is wrong. Oil temperature is dependant on the ability of the cooling system to dissipate heat. Your cooling system, bcs. you lack air cooled oil cooler, will keep your oil temperature in check. As long as you are not living at high altitudes (that is where serious cooling issues start, some 3,000ft and up) you will be fine. And even if you do, in street driving you will be fine. Just bcs. you re hot, does not mean engine cooling system cannot maintain the appropriate temperature. Also, take into consideration that thicker oil=more resistance=more heat.
That being said, I would run 5W30.

 

[eljefino]

What edyvw wrote. An engine wants to be at 200'F, if your ambient air is 110 vice 90 that's just 20% more cooling capacity needed, which is probably engineered into your car anyway.

People want to personify their stuff, treat it as well as they would treat people. Just because it's hot for you, doesn't mean it's hot for your car. They also want some personal exceptionalism, ie "It's so hot here that nobody can stand it, except for tough old myself and my specially equipped cute-ute."

We also occasionally get posters here who think their spouses drive like maniacs so want a tough oil that will protect the car against that, whatever that is.

Your owners manual might allow 5w20, which is currently on sale at autozone.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

What's it say on the oil cap when you open the hood?

 

[userfriendly]

What's it say on the oil cap when you open the hood?

710

 

[Shel_B]

hey all picked up a 2015 rav 4 with a 2.5 engine, i believe its called the 2ar-fe. It comes posted to use a 0w20 but i assume we can run thicker
i live down south so its always 95++ fahrenheit outside.

the vehicle has 100k miles on it rn

i assume it has seen 0w20 its whole life

is 5w30 a safe bet cuz of the heat? we never get a winter or cold weather here so i doubt it would be an issue?

but i read something about some vvt issue or something with the 2AR-FE if the oil is too thick but i doubt that should be a problem

curious what people would recommend! or just stick with the 'thickest' 0w20 i can find?

I have the same engine. Last summer I made a 6500-mile trip across the country using M1 EP 5W-30. I went through miles and miles of 100-deg and higher temps while going through the Rockies. I was glad to be using a more robust oil. I also use that grade all year, while short-tripping and making long drives. I'd suggest seriously considering a good-quality 5W-30.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

710

?

 

[CharlieJ]

?

It's a joke, "710" is "OIL" upside down and reverse.

 

[VTECOverRated]

0w20. Source: Sold my 2011 camry with around 300k miles on it...and it ran like a clock.
Will 5w30 make it last longer? Who knows! I'll probably be dead when we all find out anyways.

 

[atikovi]

i believe its called the 2ar-fe. It comes posted to use a 0w20 but i assume we can run thicker
i live down south so its always 95++ fahrenheit outside.

Engine temperature is controlled by the thermostat. Doesn't matter if its 50° 95° or 120° outside. Thicker oil won't make it run cooler.

 

[kschachn]

Your previous thread below (and perhaps those under a previous user name) may be helpful:

What oil spec is considered to be the best/strongest if price was all the same?

hey! after reading the forum for the bit and oil company replies it seems that for a normal OCI, oil does not matter and all the brands will be a negligible difference, However I wanted to find out for example a 5w20, what oil spec is considered to be the best/strongest spec? because for...

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[Drew7a]

What edyvw wrote. An engine wants to be at 200'F, if your ambient air is 110 vice 90 that's just 20% more cooling capacity needed, which is probably engineered into your car anyway.

People want to personify their stuff, treat it as well as they would treat people. Just because it's hot for you, doesn't mean it's hot for your car. They also want some personal exceptionalism, ie "It's so hot here that nobody can stand it, except for tough old myself and my specially equipped cute-ute."

We also occasionally get posters here who think their spouses drive like maniacs so want a tough oil that will protect the car against that, whatever that is.

Your owners manual might allow 5w20, which is currently on sale at autozone.

Another favorite is "I do spirited driving."

 

[JavierH19]

You can run whatever you want in that engine. For timing chain longevity a euro 30 or 40 and it'll last you forever. I think I'd run castrol euro 5w-30. It's not a turbo engine just gdi so lspi isn't a concern. You can take that oil to 10k with a lot more confidence than the tgmo stuff.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I am running 10W30QSFS in the Summer in the Ford 2.0L BC the 5W20 didn't cut it. But I have D.I.

 

[doublebase]

I’ve been running a 5W30 in my Toyota 2GRFE for the last two oil change intervals (it calls for 0W20), and I haven’t had any sort of issues yet. Currently on a 10,000 mile interval using Mobil1 5W30. I’m not sure if I’ll run into any issues when it gets cold around here, but I highly doubt it.

 

[VTECOverRated]

I’ve been running a 5W30 in my Toyota 2GRFE for the last two oil change intervals (it calls for 0W20), and I haven’t had any sort of issues yet. Currently on a 10,000 mile interval using Mobil1 5W30. I’m not sure if I’ll run into any issues when it gets cold around here, but I highly doubt it.

If you look back when the engine originally came out it took 5w30 and even 10w30. There were almost no changes to this engine up til 2017, with minor changes mostly being rings and emission stuff.

 

[gregk24]

0w20. Source: Sold my 2011 camry with around 300k miles on it...and it ran like a clock.
Will 5w30 make it last longer? Who knows! I'll probably be dead when we all find out anyways.

Exactly. Real world data here.

 

[kschachn]

Exactly. Real world data here.

That's not data, it is a testimonial. And whether it is entirely true has not been established.

And even if it were "real world data" that is something that for the most part is an illusion. It is very difficult and very expensive to obtain statistically significant real world data and is rarely ever done.