why not 10w30

[schreck]

I'm sure this has been discussed in this forum before, but a half hour of searching couldn't find it.

The recommended 5w20 motor oil is hideously expensive in my area ($7 a quart even at Wally World) but I can get a high quality oil change with 10w30 for $22.

Owner's manual hints that 10w30 is okay but doesn't seem overly enthusiastic about it.

Any real reason I can't use 10w30 in my 09 Yaris? I'm a cheapskate at heart and see paying $45 for an oil change I do every other month.

Live in Florida where cold weather is not an extreme issue.

[dvlnblkdrs]

you can use 10w30 just fine.. it doesnt make a huge difference in this instance.. and may i ask why on earth would u do an oil change every other month? 5k miles is norm with conventional oil

[schreck]

Unfortunately, that's the mileage I'm averaging every couple months. Now you know why I drive a Yaris! :)

[DandiDani]

oh wow. good car for it tho

[dvlnblkdrs]

have you considered switching to synthetic then? and doing your own oil changes if u dont already do that... synthetic gives u 8-10k miles between changes instead...

[schreck]

even more expensive in my area. I prefer to keep with the old standards

[dvlnblkdrs]

well.. i tried.. gl then

[Yaris Hilton]

I used 10W-30 conventional oil for 8 years and something over 100K miles in my daughter's Echo, and it was running fine when traded off this year.

[Sir A.Y. Atoyot]

Originally Posted by schreck

I'm sure this has been discussed in this forum before, but a half hour of searching couldn't find it.

The recommended 5w20 motor oil is hideously expensive in my area ($7 a quart even at Wally World) but I can get a high quality oil change with 10w30 for $22.

Owner's manual hints that 10w30 is okay but doesn't seem overly enthusiastic about it.

Any real reason I can't use 10w30 in my 09 Yaris? I'm a cheapskate at heart and see paying $45 for an oil change I do every other month.

Live in Florida where cold weather is not an extreme issue.

In theory, 10W30 would be too thick in both winter and summer. This might not be a problem, due to your location. Remember, though, that the engine oil pressure also operates the computer controlled valve timing - too-thick oil could have a negative effect there, at least until the engine warms up.

[Yaris Hilton]

Toyota says 10W-30's OK, but they recommend 5W-30. That has lower viscosity at startup and while the engine's cool. Really cold weather is where the higher cold viscosity would make a significant difference. The lower viscosity in a cool engine helps with gas mileage, as well as providing quicker oil circulation on startup. The VVT-i system needs oil that's not too viscous to operate properly, but the intake cam reverts to its most retarded position when the engine's shut off and stays there until the "COOL" light goes off anyway. By that time the oil's starting to warm up.

[schreck]

that's what I figured. Here in Florida cold weather lasts all of 2 weeks and then it's right back to the 70 to 95 degree range

[ern-diz]

Synthetic for the win (if u ask me)!

[Sodium Duck]

Why is the price of oil so expensive in your area...? And if you do drive that much, then why do you not just stop off at a place, "not in your area," where oil is a normal price and buy some?

And yea, +1 on synthetic. I change my oil every 7,500 miles and I love it. But to each their own, stick with what you like -- but drive somewhere to get it cheap!

[R2D2]

+1 10W-30 will be fine in Florida. My 09 manual allows it's use for high speed/heavily loaded conditions (10W-30 has less viscosity index improver as a rule so it tends to be less prone to shear) so your warranty SHOULD be OK too.

R2

[UTVitz]

Remember the 10 is viscosity at start up and the 30 is for when you're up to operating temps. So, a 10-30 will be thicker at start up than a 5-30 and be a little harder on all components associated with the oil to get it moving through the engine. And a cold engine is cold no matter what climate you are in till it gets to operating temps, your engine will just get there faster in florida than say colorado. From my experiments with a Miata that recommeded 10-30 and a mechanic that said go with 5-30 the car starts a lot easier with 5-30 and is just as protected at operating temps as the 10-30. As pointed out all ready the 5-30 has a few more modifiers in it and can shear easier than 10-30 conventional oil. What I'm finding and reading is that the start up weights are going down, i.e., 0-30, to speed lubrication when the engine is cold and to improve fuel economy during warm up since the engine turns easier with the lighter weight oil. So, after saying all this I think the weights are about fuel economy more than anything else. All oils are the best they've ever been and if you're changing every 5k you're well protected. Give the 10-30 a try and see if you notice any fuel economy change or engine roughness when cold that bothers you. good luck with it.

[Yaris Hilton]

The viscosity index improver shear problem isn't as important as it was a few years ago, as more stable VI improvers have been developed and base oils with higher intrinsic viscosity index are being used. The line between "conventional" and "synthetic" oils is a lot blurrier than it used to be. "Conventional" base oils are now hydroformed semi-synthetic products for the most part, not the regular old refined distillates and residual oils of the past.

[schreck]

This used to be whole lot easier when I first changed oil years ago. For about $7 I got a filter and 4 quarts of oil. Everybody used either 10w-30 or Castrol GTX.

Cripes, I can't even get a quart of oil today for $7 and it's actually cheaper to go to an oil change place and pay them $22 (and they even vacuum the interior).

[Sodium Duck]

Buy it offline then.

$2.19 per quart of 5W-20:
http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=5202377

But seriously, what is a few bucks extra every oil change -- even if you change it every two months. $30.00 dollars more a year? Big deal, this isn't 1982. Things cost more now, lol.