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Hybrid oil grade


ArranB
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My handbook recommends 0w20 fully synthetic oil to be used. That’s what I used on my last oil change but it’s not easy to get hold of, can’t buy it anywhere locally so have to buy online and it’s so expensive for engine oil! I do notice that is says 5w30 can be used but it should be changed to 0w20 as soon as possible. Is it that important to use 0w20 and how much difference does it make compared to using 5w30? 

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Toyota's preferred oil is 0W-20 for hybrids and Optimal Drive petrol engines, though they don't state synthetic or semi.

Using 5W-30 will have an adverse effect on fuel consumption, though the degree may vary according to usage, etc.

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While I wouldn't disagree that it may affect fuel consumption it will be so little that it wouldn't be noticed day to day. It won't cause any adverse effects on the engine so unless you can get hold of the 0w 20 cheaply then I'd just be using the 5w30 it's very similar. Synthetic always recommended as you won't find  anything but that with those grades. 

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31 minutes ago, Makemadam said:

While I wouldn't disagree that it may affect fuel consumption it will be so little that it wouldn't be noticed day to day. 

not what the Prius people on here say & the Auris pretty much uses the Prius running gear. 

 

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I had 5w30 oil put in mine during the last service. It makes a noticeable difference the the mpg compared to the correct oil. Currently seeing a reduction of about 6mpg overall and some hesitation with the engine on cold mornings.

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2 hours ago, jgodfrey said:

I had 5w30 oil put in mine during the last service. It makes a noticeable difference the the mpg compared to the correct oil. Currently seeing a reduction of about 6mpg overall and some hesitation with the engine on cold mornings.

I would not call 5w30 incorrect as you mentioned. There are grades of oil recommended as per vehicle usage, climate etc, and both oils are correct, though lighter oil should be better during cold starts, but the difference in mpg i would mostly attribute to cold weathers and car spending more time running lean.

The actual difference between those 2 oils should be negligible in financial aspect of mpg consumption.

Both oils are better in some degrees, but i would not call one more superior than the other, if they are both same brand.

If 5w30 is stated in your manual, car should run just fine with it.

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35 minutes ago, furtula said:

If 5w30 is stated in your manual, car should run just fine with it.

In later Toyota's, Toyota describe 0W-20 as the preferred oil. They also say that 5W-30 may be used, but should be replaced with 0W-20 at the next oil change. 

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Ok thanks guys. I’m sticking to what should be used (0w20) 👍

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi folks, this is an oil question too.  I have a 2015 Auris Excel Hybrid.  I live in a semi-rural area.  I'm very pleased with the car but I'm concerned how rarely the engine reaches 'correct' working temperature.  This is because I do quite a lot of short, local drives of 5 miles or less, with perhaps a longer drive once a week and the occasional 'long' drive of 30 miles or more.   During those local drives, below 40mpg and on light load the car is of course usually running on electric drive only.  The same must be true with urban driving.  That means that the engine doesn't get much of a look-in, doesn't warm up much and therefore the engine oil doesn't get 'hot'.   I worry that this will be causing moisture or condensation to build up, emulsifying the oil and leading to early corrosion and wear of the internals.   The Toyota dealer didn't seem to think it was an issue, but they would say that wouldn't they.   Any informed opinions out there?

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Hi Andy & welcome to TOC 🙂

Not informed as I don't run a hybrid but no doubt you will soon get replies fro those who do.

The "electric only" range of an Auris hybrid is a lot less than 5 miles, iirc it's under 1.5 miles & at a lowish speed (<~30mph?).

So, fwiw imo ,yes, if the ICE is only running for ~3 miles (& it's probably running more to also charge the drive battery) it isn't surprising that it isn't warming up fully but tbh I don't think that it's going to be any worse for it than any other ICE would be under similar use.

How often is the 30 mile+ journey done & how often do you change the oil?

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Not really an informed opinion, but in the colder months you could experiment with a lower radiator grille-block.  Then check the results on coolant temperature via the 'Hybrid Assistant' phone app.

That app is free, but an OBD2 ELM 327 adaptor (£10 - £15 on Amazon or eBay) is needed.   This setup with a different app is useful tool for reading diagnostic error codes of almost all modern cars, so this is a good thing to have! 

This link will tell you a lot more: - 

https://priuschat.com/threads/2010-prius-grill-blocking-strategy.62556/

The hybrid inverter cooling radiator (which is happiest when running cool) is mounted above the 'conventional' engine radiator on the Auris, so a lower grill-block (beneath the front number plate) is unlikely to affect the airflow through this.

The above doesn't make *that* much difference when warming up, but it does slow the rate at which the engine cools down when parked.  The Gen 4 Prius does something similar but with an electric motor and some Venetian blind-style slats behind the grille, but opens the grille when parked to stop it getting iced up when closed, like this:-

https://priuschat.com/threads/more-details-on-active-grille-shutters-video.187589/

Or you could turn the car's heater control higher so the engine runs for longer to heat the car's cabin, but this will cost you in petrol!

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Hi Gerg, I'm not sure if a radiator block will be much use to me, because I'm not sure if the engine heats up enough to open the thermostat for the radiator anyway (or if so, not for long) for a lot of my journeys.  For some drives I'd say the engine is only actually running for no more than a total of two or three minutes.  Thanks though for the link to the Hybrid Assistant app; I'll take a shufti at that.

Scott: I have the oil changed annually at the scheduled service. but I'm thinking of a 6-monthly oil change from now on.  30+ mile journeys are usually only weekly at best.

Thanks all

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I don’t think there is anything to worry about it, those cars are fine driving like that, but shorter oil change intervals will be a good idea just to be on the safe side. Only use 0w20 oil. 

Regards 

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