V6 2GR-FE rav4 oil recommendation

[tonycrouch]

It's come time for me to complete my first oil change in my 2012 v6 rav4

I'm curious to know what brands / viscosity grades other people (particularly those in Australia)

The manual recommends 5w-30 with either SL or SM API ratings.

I originally lent towards Shell helix ultra extra 5w-30 but noticed that it doesn't meet the aforementioned API ratings.

I gave Shell a call and they explained that this oil is for euro vehicles only. They suggested Shell helix ultra 5w-40 : sm rated

But I'm concerned by the 40 weight being too thick from the suggested 30.

I've given a few other manufacturers a call and they have suggested different oils ...

Nulon - 5w-30 long life sn rated
Valvoline - 10w-30 sm rated
Penrite - 10w-40 sn rated
Castrol - 5w-30 sn rated

Any comments / suggestions would be great

Cheers tc

[Dr. Dyno]

I can't imagine the engine would know the difference among any of them.

Here in the US I use whatever's on sale.

But I go back to the days of single weight oil when it mattered. Now, IMO its mostly a war of advertisers, they are all excellent.

Ever hear of an oil related failure that wasn't from letting it run low or not changing it at all?

[RTexasF]

The most current API rating is SN. SL and SM are outdated so I can't imagine why the manual recommends them. They won't cause harm but it just seems odd. Any brand name 5W30 with the SN rating will work just fine and maintain your warranty.

[tonycrouch]

Just to update those that are interested, I took the manual into the local toyota dealer today to double check the grades of oil I should be using.

turns out 5w-30 is only accepted for temperates from -18C to +10C ... as the part of Australia I live is consistently sees +40C the service bloke recommended either using 5w-40 or 10w-30

I've decided that I would prefer to go fully synthetic so 5w-40 it is :-)

[rav4two]

Originally Posted by tonycrouch

turns out 5w-30 is only accepted for temperates from -18C to +10C ... as the part of Australia I live is consistently sees +40C the service bloke recommended either using 5w-40 or 10w-30

It's interesting how recommendations vary from place to place. The recommendation for many US vehicles is to use 5w-20 up to about +35C, if not more, and I know that many people track their vehicles, reaching oil temps of about +120C, with 5w-20 and 5w-30 oils with no issues.

[djb383]

Originally Posted by tonycrouch

It's come time for me to complete my first oil change in my 2012 v6 rav4

I'm curious to know what brands / viscosity grades other people (particularly those in Australia)

The manual recommends 5w-30 with either SL or SM API ratings.

I originally lent towards Shell helix ultra extra 5w-30 but noticed that it doesn't meet the aforementioned API ratings.

I gave Shell a call and they explained that this oil is for euro vehicles only. They suggested Shell helix ultra 5w-40 : sm rated

But I'm concerned by the 40 weight being too thick from the suggested 30.

I've given a few other manufacturers a call and they have suggested different oils ...

Nulon - 5w-30 long life sn rated
Valvoline - 10w-30 sm rated
Penrite - 10w-40 sn rated
Castrol - 5w-30 sn rated

Any comments / suggestions would be great

Cheers tc

I would suggest that one educate themselves about pressure, lubrication and viscosity. Google Motor Oil University or Motor Oil 101 and get the oil facts vs myths/opinions.

[bob-o]

I think here in the US they spec the thinner oil to boost the fleet fuel economy rating just a bit.

I am just about to change the oil in my V6 for the first time, and I am replacing the conventional toyota oil with Mobil-1 5-30w myself rather than take it to the dealer and let them put their house brand in it, likely screwing up something else in the process and definitely wasting my day. I have been using Mobil-1 since it first came out and it has never given me any reason to switch.

The last time I used bargain brand oil was over 30 years ago; my motorcycle blew up soon after I put it in. That was the last time I bought oil based on price. Good oil is like unicorn repellent; you never know if there might be any unicorns, probably not, but you don't need to worry.

[tonycrouch]

out of interest ... I just had a look at my user manual and noticed that the graph for 5w-30 only goes from -29C to +10C

Printed off a copy of the USA manual which says that 5w-30 goes from -29C to +39C

Went down and showed it to the service manager at my local Toyota dealer. He said that it's a misprint and 5w-30 is acceptable for Australian conditions.

He even went on to say that they use 5w-30 full synthetic in all rav4's (of late(r) models)

The details of the book with the fault are:

PUBLICATION NO. 0M42846E

PART NO. 01999-42846

[djb383]

If going with Mobil 1, why not 0W30?

[bob-o]

not sure if 0W30 would meet OEM requirements, and it doesn't get THAT cold here, but I'll look into it. I wonder if it's really worth the extra cost for any fuel economy that is more than statistical.