VVT and thicker oil

[Scott S]

I recently read an article vehicles with Variable Valve Timing, it is important to stay with the specified oil grade, or it can throw a code, cause the vehicle to run rough because the timing is slightly off, oil is not getting to where it needs to..
Neither here nor there, there is a lot of people on here, that run different grades of oil, with VVT, so obviously this can't be true, and I even read where oil geek, ran 0w16 with 0w8 was specified. In his daughter's Toyota.. so is this only certain vehicles??
Thank you

 

[wemay]

Can you share the article link?

 

[demarpaint]

The topic has been discussed here a lot over the years, there is a lot of good info which seems to go against that article.

 

[kschachn]

A few of those discussions. The same article you mention may be linked there:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/thick-oils-and-vvt-systems.370172/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/vvt-engines-and-best-engine-oils.296000/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/vvt-and-viscosity.244285/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/oil-causing-problems-in-vvt-engines.270061/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/oil-viscosity-and-vvt.277451/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/oil-for-vvt-i-engines.249814/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/thicker-oil-and-variable-valve-timing.327217/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/different-vvt-calibration-for-different-oil-weight.191334/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...d-variable-valve-timing-solenoid-code.331533/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/viscosity-and-vvt-engagement.297388/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/oil-pressure-and-variable-valve-control.51122/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/an-article-on-vvt.249849/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/5w30-throw-off-vvt-5w20-vehicle.321417/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/using-a-10-40-high-mileage-oil-in-a-toyota-vvti.269335/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/coyote-vct-system-vs-oil-grades.355481/

 

[GR_CoB]

I call on that. VVT has never been bothered by an oil grade in any of my Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Mazda, Hyundai/Kia, Infiniti, Nissan, and GM vehicles.

VVT HAS been affected by fresh and clean oil though. When it gets cleaned out (after previous owners abuse/neglect) and starts operating properly - then the performance difference you can feel is night and day. In a couple cars I had to resort to Marvel Mystery Oil for VVT solenoid cleaning, and it worked in few hundred miles. In severe case I revived a sticky 2JZ-GE VVT solenoid by letting it soak in Berryman B12.

But VVT being affected by an oil grade or viscosity? Never. Only Clean vs Dirty/Sticky.

Edit: I can only think of one case. A Pontiac Vibe with Toyota 1ZZ-FE engine. It has seen every grade from 0W-20 to 15W-50, (even 25W-40) in my ownership. One time I did an oil change with Valvoline MST 5W-40. Immediately the car lost all its pep, super slow, almost like it was pulling a trailer with another Pontiac Vibe on it. I thought it would go away, but it didn't. So I changed the oil again with something else from my stash, and the issue instantly went away. So my wild guess is that Valvoline MST 5W-40 did something to the VVT solenoid or cam gear assembly. No other oil ever did that before or since then.

 

[StarCaller]

One can always rely on kschachn /

 

[Urshurak776]

@kschachn is starting to get sloppy though. He missed one.

Not saying which one he missed ....

 

[kschachn]

That’s quite a load there. Nothing that answers the question unfortunately.

Such obsession with “flow” which isn’t unusual.

 

[I<3oil]

Currently have M1 0W-40 in my Silverado with VVT and no issues. /shrug

 

[Scott S]

I never said I had proof I asked a question that is it..

 

[demarpaint]

My buddy is running Mobil 1 0W40 in his VVT 3.6L second generation Pentastar engine. No problems to report, even in the dead of Upstate NY winters. IIRC that engine has 0W20 stamped right on the fill cap.

 

[Titan]

If little changes in viscosity had a great effect on VVT, the engine wouldn't run worth a darn at cold oil temps, or it wouldn't run worth a darn at high oil temps. If it runs good at both cool and hot temps, viscosity has little to do with VVT function.

 

[Scott S]

I was talking to a guy last night that has a repair shop, he has a GMC Denali and his customer was running the wrong grade of all, the customer tried putting the right grade in still did not take care of it..

 

[Kalle.J]

I recently read an article vehicles with Variable Valve Timing, it is important to stay with the specified oil grade, or it can throw a code, cause the vehicle to run rough because the timing is slightly off, oil is not getting to where it needs to..
Neither here nor there, there is a lot of people on here, that run different grades of oil, with VVT, so obviously this can't be true, and I even read where oil geek, ran 0w16 with 0w8 was specified. In his daughter's Toyota.. so is this only certain vehicles??
Thank you

Yes some older Volvo V70 2.4t can shoot a fault code when the oil is too thin/old & hot (past regular OCI) for the VVT solenoid.
Ran the Honda CRX d16z5 with everything between 5w30 > 5w50.

 

[oldhp]

I have 2 Dodges with the 3.6 and a RAM 1500 Classic with 3.6. They all get Valvoline Full Synthetic 5W30. All are quieter running engines now.

 

[ATex7239]

If this were actually a thing modern engines during in the frigid winters up north would be toast. The first 20 mins of cold driving at or below 0F will see variations much greater than the difference between any neighboring grades at operating temperature.

 

[jetman]

3 of our vehicles have VVT. None have ever been effected by the various viscosities that I have run in them.

 

[BrendanC]

honda K24 doesn’t seem to care about HPL 5w-40 being in it.

 

[SR5]

Here is the owners manual for a Toyota Camry VVT Hybrid, the factory say you can use anything from 0W16 to 15W40

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2018-camry-hybrid-manual.297507/

 

[Kalle.J]

Yes some older Volvo V70 2.4t can shoot a fault code when the oil is too thin/old & hot (past regular OCI) for the VVT solenoid.

Just to clarify, this probably has more to do with dirty valve and or worn leaky valve. So too low pressure/viscosity cant regulate the cam gear correctly.