Winter Engine Oil?

[Uncle_P]

Morning all,

I've been looking at the handbook for my 2.0 petrol and it seems to recommend different grades of oil for different climates. So what do you chaps use? I'm a big fan of gtx, but am open to suggestions for alternatives. In the 12000 miles since the last change, the Rav hasn't used any oil at all and it's still goldy coloured. This seems unusual, as every other car I've had turns sweet smelling engine oil into black gunk within a few months..

[GreyRacer]

In winter a VVTI engine can benefit from a 0W30 oil like Castrol Edge. I use 0W40 in my Celica.

[gjnorthall]

Castrol GTX isn't really the best oil for this application - this is a heavier, mineral based oil, made for older cars or those with wear - there's no 5W30 in GTX just 15W40 and 10W40. In the Castrol range, Magnatec 5W30A1 is the recommended oil and is fine for all seasons in the UK. Castrol Edge 5W30 is an even better oil and can be sourced for less than £30 for 4l on eBay.

[Uncle_P]

So is 5w30 synthetic the preferred choice for all year round driving?

[gjnorthall]

Yes - it will give a good balance between protection, fuel economy and cold weather cranking. Obviously there are brands just as good as Castrol. I don't know about Toyota but many car dealerships sell their branded engine oils at very competitive prices. Both Nissan and Motorcraft (Ford) synthetic oil can be found at less than £20!

[Uncle_P]

A brief Amazon search for synthetic 5w30 shows that they're all on sale! Mobil 1 half price.. Castrol edge, magnatec etc all cheap.

[jase hutch]

I recently called in at Listers Toyota to pick up some parts and whilst there asked for a litre of engine oil and was a little shocked to discover it was Shell Helix and of the front of the container said " advanced formulation for Ford ! " Needless to say I walked out feeling a little disappointed !!! Ok , it may well be good enough for a Ford , but what about a Toyota ?

[anchorman]

Ford recommend 5W/30 to stop cam follower/valve lifter problems and many oils of that grade cite the info.

Guy turned up with 0W/30 fully synthetic for his oil change last week. It was Toyota PFE oil which he got from RRG for about £37. It is a C2 oil good enough for the newer DNPR engines and it saves a good amount of money over the Mobil 1. The Mobil 1 is a C2/C3 which I presume is slightly better and is quoted as a very low ash oil.

Any good quality 5W/30 semi synthetic is good enough for the VVTi engine.

[Mistermena]

You shouldn't have to use a grade for winter! Using Mobil 1 ESP 🚘0w-30 or others like Motul will cope with what ever the British weather had to offer! Change your oil/filters and antifreeze now before the winter takes hold...❄⛄

[Big Kev]

If ma wife thinks for wan minute I will take oot another mortgage on 0w30 oil for her wee Winter Rav.........Aye, right.....

[Mistermena]

I think that me mukka Kev thinks that a 0w-30 will do! ❄☔🌊☁⛄🚕💨

[Uncle_P]

To save me crawling under the bonnet (it's cold and dark out there!) is the oil filter a regular screw on type and easy to get to? Does the sump plug require any special tool to undo? I'm going take advantage of Amazon selling Mobil 1 for £40. I'd guess all oil filters are created pretty much equal, so it'll be a case of whatever's cheapest.

[Big Kev]

Ford recommend 5W/30 to stop cam follower/valve lifter problems and many oils of that grade cite the info.

Guy turned up with 0W/30 fully synthetic for his oil change last week. It was Toyota PFE oil which he got from RRG for about £37. It is a C2 oil good enough for the newer DNPR engines and it saves a good amount of money over the Mobil 1. The mobil 1 is a C2/C3 which I presume is slightly better and is quoted as a very low ash oil.

Any good quality 5W/30 semi synthetic is good enough for the VVTi engine.

Yep.......until independence, when Scottish people will own the rights to 0w30, the 5w30 will suffice..........

[Uncle_P]

My wife was born in Edinburgh and I'm from Portsmouth, so I guess we're a balanced couple! I'll take the positives from the north and south.. I wish I could get a decent pint of heavy down here though! I'll just stick to my malts for now, even though that's the reason this post doesn't make a lot of sense........ Hic........ Bedtime....

[Mistermena]

I bought a rook of Mobil 1 from Costco for £15.99 for 4L a while back! Still have over 50L of the stuff left in me garage. 🎱🎲⚽🏁🏀🚖⛽🚐🚲🇬🇧

[silly sausage]

To save me crawling under the bonnet (it's cold and dark out there!) is the oil filter a regular screw on type and easy to get to? Does the sump plug require any special tool to undo? I'm going take advantage of amazon selling Mobil 1 for £40. I'd guess all oil filters are created pretty much equal, so it'll be a case of whatever's cheapest.

Bill. I would fit a genuine one for the difference in cost, might even be cheaper.

[Big Kev]

I stand to be contracepted, but Bill's car being a 2003 (4.2), is the oil filter not the metal cartridge type....? Wife's PETROL wan surely is, and is indeed more readily removed with the tool in Don's pictorial guide, which has dual diameters which fit both the 4.3 larger filter HOUSING, and the 4.2 smaller CARTRIDGE.

Even a wee cheapy chain type removal widget would do, Bill, but that renders it a sorta two hand job if you only have limited access (and mobility, before anybody else passes comment......)

Please note........the dual diameter tool DOES NOT remove such as Auris or Yaris size cartridges......found that oot the hard way, being all prepared to do oil on a Yaris.......NOT.......

[silly sausage]

I stand to be contracepted, but Bill's car being a 2003 (4.2), is the oil filter not the metal cartridge type....? Wife's PETROL wan surely is, and is indeed more readily removed with the tool in Don's pictorial guide, which has dual diameters which fit both the 4.3 larger filter HOUSING, and the 4.2 smaller CARTRIDGE.

Even a wee cheapy chain type removal widget would do, Bill, but that renders it a sorta two hand job if you only have limited access (and mobility, before anybody else passes comment......)

Please note........the dual diameter tool DOES NOT remove such as Auris or Yaris size cartridges......found that oot the hard way, being all prepared to do oil on a Yaris.......NOT.......

Overlooked that it was a 4.2, silly me, contracepted indeed.

Johnnie.

[gjnorthall]

Loads of tests have been done on brands of oil filters - Google "oil filter comparison". Some filters can have double the filter media area of others for the same application and there can be a vast difference in the quality of the internal bypass valve. Generally car manufacturer brand filters come out well, so it's worth going for the genuine item if possible. The ones to avoid are third division brands, often originating from China, and sold at ridiculously low prices (some cartridge filters can be bought trade for less than £1). Many dealers recognise that service items are readily and widely available elsewhere and, as such, they tend to discount these items to get them to a broadly competitive price. Unfortunately Toyota dealers tend not to be as generous as some others.

[Parts-King]

. I'd guess all oil filters are created pretty much equal, so it'll be a case of whatever's cheapest.

Sadly not, the bits you cannot see like how much filtration paper, or even if it has a bypass valve will be an unknown quantity. For the sake of the price of a genuine filter, fit one, if you really want to save a few small pounds, go for a branded one like ADL or Blueprint, keep way from the £2 specials. I spent some time on a panel that were advising on counterfeit car parts and their impact on safety. I saw oil filters from China that were made from recycled materials, nothing wrong with that you might think, but actually saw oil filters that when cut open were made from tins of beans and peas and the like, still had the labels on the inside They have very little filtration paper in them and definatly no bypass valves

As mentioned above, no need for a winter grade oil in the UK, a good quality 5w 30 semi will do for all year round

Kingo

[Uncle_P]

Great advice chaps, thanks.