Engine Oil, Which One?

[louise74]

I know this is going to sound like a right proper "female driver" question but which oil is best?

I have seen recommendations for a number of different grade oils

5w 30

0w 30

5w 40

0w 40

With my last (which was my first) car I never needed to top up my oil in between services however I have read that VVT-i engines require a more regular top up, I don't know what grade of oil was placed in my car when it was serviced if I placed a different grade (so long as it was a grade recommeneded by Toyota) to the one that is currently in my engine would I risk doing any damage-I assume not but thought best to check.

I did think of taking the easy way out and taking it into a garage if my oil light shows but that not going to be much use half way down the A1 and I am going to look a right muppet ringing the RAC out cos my oil lights on (to be honest I feel a right muppet posting this )

My Yaris is a 1 litre engine 2005 T3

[reece]

5w 30 Fully Synthetic and check your oil at least once a fortnight or ideally when you refuel

[Raeman]

Whatever you do DON'T wait for the oil light to come on!!! :o

If it does, chances are the engine is already sh4gged by then.

Funny how people say about the vvt-i engines needing oil top ups, i've owned mine for just nearly 3yrs and never had to top it up between services and i change it every 5k or so (once a year, i know it doesn't get much use).

Not sure what oil the 1.0 takes, but the oil i last put in was Castrol Edge 5w-30.

Check the oil once a week, also the tyres and other fliuds, only takes a few mins and could save your engine AND your pocket! ;)

[Madasafish]

Surprisingly enough I use Toyota semi synthetic - which is the recommended oil.

Either 5-30 or 10-40 will do and are recommended. I use 5-30 with no issues.

But if your car is older and starting to burn oil, 10-40 will be more suitable.

Fully synthetic is nice but not needed and very expensive.

All in the handbook as well.

Use Toyota oil and filter and you should have no problems. You can of course use other makes: I have used Comma semi synthetic in the past with no issues.

Castrol should be avoided at all costs due to price.

[alfiejts]

Agree with all the above. For UK use 5w-30, 10w-30 and 10w-40 are all fine in the Yaris.

Toyota themselves used a 10w-30 for UK servicing of my Mk 1 yaris, but have moved to a 5w-30 oil for servicing of my Mk2.

The logic is that a 5w oil is thinner and saves a tiny bit of fuel, but then you're at risk of the engine using more oil, because a thinner oil has more chance of seeping past the internal seals.

I'd personally go for a 10w-30 oil in your car, as that's the middle ground and its what Toyota used on the car in the first place, but the others would be fine.....

Go for at least a semi synthetic oil, as suggested, but I do use a fully synthetic oil, to make sure its still protecting 100% right through to the next service.....

I buy it from my local "motor factors" who supply the trade and their prices are much more reasonable - a 5l can of fully synthetic costs £12-£15 which is a fraction of the shop price...

As the oil is the thing that protects the engine, I'm happy to spend £5 a year more on a fully synthetic to get the best protection...

[stantheman1]

Agree with all the above. For UK use 5w-30, 10w-30 and 10w-40 are all fine in the Yaris.

Toyota themselves used a 10w-30 for UK servicing of my Mk 1 yaris, but have moved to a 5w-30 oil for servicing of my Mk2.

The logic is that a 5w oil is thinner and saves a tiny bit of fuel, but then you're at risk of the engine using more oil, because a thinner oil has more chance of seeping past the internal seals.

I'd personally go for a 10w-30 oil in your car, as that's the middle ground and its what Toyota used on the car in the first place, but the others would be fine.....

Go for at least a semi synthetic oil, as suggested, but I do use a fully synthetic oil, to make sure its still protecting 100% right through to the next service.....

I buy it from my local "motor factors" who supply the trade and their prices are much more reasonable - a 5l can of fully synthetic costs £12-£15 which is a fraction of the shop price...

As the oil is the thing that protects the engine, I'm happy to spend £5 a year more on a fully synthetic to get the best protection...

I fully agree with alfiejts regarding the best protection, and as for vvti engines requiring regular top ups is something that we've never had to do and we have had 3 yaris cars to date and not once has the oil level been below the max mark, the wife's yaris has almost 83k on the clock. I must stress that it's not only down to Toyota's unrivalled build quality but combine that with regular quality servicing (especially good quality oil) your car will last many years.

[reece]

Check my post number 6 with the video

[Cyker]

I think the increased oil consumption of the VVTi is just from people who regularly drive it into the second power band :D

I know with my D4D that it uses almost no oil during normal use, but when I get a bit 'enthusiastic' with the revs, the oil usage increases noticeably!

If driven sensibly, the oil should last 'til the next service...

[louise74]

Hi,

Thanks for your helpful replies. I'll nip down to my toyota/hellfrauds tomorrow and get a 1ltr bottle and pop it in my boot, I usualy stick my head under the bonnet once a month and check all my levels and before I head out on a long journey (my next long journey is to show my new Yaris off to my nana, the one after that is to show it off to my sisters!)

Damn, just relised I am on a another 13 hr shift tomorrow-grumble grumble (but those that go on holiday must pay for it)

[oilman]

As already said 5w-30 semi or full synthetic is ideal unless oil consumption is excessive. Go for a 5w-30 over a 10w-30 as the 5w will circulate better from cold then a 10w, as 80% of engine occurs on start up good cold flow is a bonus.

If you want the best protection then why not spend the extra few quid and get a decent synthetic.

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-653-5w-30.aspx

Cheers

Guy

[alfiejts]

Don't bother buying a litre just to keep in your boot - you'll probably never need it between services.

The key message is to check your "dipstick" once a month and make sure that the oil level is neat the "full" mark.

If it every does start dropping, you've plenty of time to get a top up tin then....

The key is learn how to check your dipstick regularly, because if you wait until the oil light comes on, its already doing dangerous damage to the engine.

The oil light doesn't mean "top me up", it means "I've completely run out of oil and there is engine damage occurring right now...". You should never see the oil light coming on under normal driving and if you do - its too late and you've probably already wrecked your engine...

If you check your oil dipstick each month, you'll soon get a view whether your car evey uses any oil and you will have plenty of time to buy some if you see the level starting to drop between the "full" and "low" marks....

[Richard Davies]

I found out the hard way with a Fiesta to rely on the oil light & to check frequently.

On my old car the oil light would occasionally come on when going downhill & breaking sharply. I had a garage look at it & they found a slight leak which could be sorted by topping up & adding someing to the oil to seal it up.

The light never come on again, but the overhead gasket began to leak & enough escaped to cause terminal little end damage.

[HowardL]

Check my post number 6 with the video

It is astounding so many people are ignorant of a basic requirement...they are dimwits there's no excuse.

My son has recently bought a Yaris and isn't mechanicly minded, but I have instilled into him that oil is extremeley important and he checks it regularly.

[alfiejts]

I was sat in the Audi dealers last month, waiting for my A3 to have its "free MOT" (Audi UK do free MOTs on all privately owned Audis....), when I heard a guy at the counter dropping his car off for a service....

"Can you make sure you check my tyre pressures as they haven't been checked since my last service."

Audi's are on a 2-year variable service interval!!!!!!

Whilst sat in a traffic queue last week (actually whilst on my way back to collect my Yaris from its first service and gearbox upgrade...), I watched in amazement as four women got into a people carrier with an obviously totally flat front tyre and drove off.....

Don't get me started.....

[Richard Davies]

I've seen 1 or 2 cars with very flat tyres over the years, most recently it was parked

Not long after I passed by (on foot) I heard a bang as someone tried to drive off & burst the tyre. Luckily they were near a garage.