Which oil to use ?

[Machloop]

Hi all,

Rather an elementary question I know but I have had a company vehicle for twenty years !  I have the mk3 rav4 dcat ( 2ad-ftv desiel engine with dpf cat).  The car manual says the oil should be acea c2 compatible.  0w-30 or 0w-30.  Toyota oil costs a bomb !  "Which Toyota oil is the best"?  "And what are the alternatives".  Some Toyota oil says has "pfe" in it ?  I have no problems doing the oil change I am just confused as to what is the best oil to purchase.  Twenty years ago I just bought Castrol gtx, but things have moved on !  Please could you guide me through the fog around oil selection.

Cheers

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Toyota recommendation for grade of oil is:

'Diesel engines with DPF/DPNR including optimal drive 0w30 or 5w30 meeting C2 low ash' -

 

Toyota don't recommend a brand - the only other thing to consider is that they recommend the oil is either API SL, SM or SN.

Members use a variety of brands - eg Toyota, Eurocarparts' Triple QX, Petronas, Castrol, etc

[Machloop]

Thanks, so any 0w 30 or 5w 30 that is acea c2 compatible then ?  It says c2 on oil container type spec info which I assume is short for acea c2 low ash.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Yes. Buy whichever oil seems the best for you and your budget. No doubt some members will advise what they use. Eurocarparts, eBay, Amazon, etc.

[philip42h]

You might add Opie Oils to Frosty's list above - they seem to provide the correct oils at consistently realistic prices. But, yes, oil is expensive and you'll need to shop around to get the best price at any point in time.

You MUST stick to oil that meets the ACEA C2 specification - that gives you the low ash oils that our engines need ... 😉

[Mattch5150]

Synthetic oil 5w 30 and you will always be ok .low ash is better for all turbos regardless of cat ir dpf.  The original low ash oils were to protect cats . Synthetic oil is just good. It does not emulsify as much either. It can evaporate but you shoukd be ok if you keep a regular check.

[Avalon]

ECP are the last resort, just ring your local factor, give him your reg and he’ll tell you what you need/how much.