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2009 4-cyl Rav4 0w20 or 5w20?

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29K views 60 replies 17 participants last post by  RTexasF  
J
#1 ·
Hey all,


I may do an oil change for our 2009 Rav4 soon and was wondering what you'd all recommend as far as deciding between 0w20 and 5w20. I hear 0w20 is generally better for cold winters as well as mileage. Is the gas mileage difference substantial between 0 and 5 though? Also, I've read that 0w20 should be good for 10k miles versus the standard 5k with 5w20. Is that still true for the Rav4?

I'm located in Southern CA. My mechanic has been using 5w20 FWIW. He's out of town for a couple weeks and I've changed oil before but it's been a while on the Rav4 (I probably used 5w20 back then too). So I guess I'm just more curious about the potential benefits of 0w20 and if there's any reason I should give it a shot.


Also, is there a certain brand(s) that fares well with this model year Rav4? And synthetic or no?

TIA!
 
#2 ·
Either one will be just fine as will any major brand name including the Walmart branded oils. Standard oil or synthetic is your choice. If you change every 5,000 miles I see no advantage to paying for synthetic. Just my take on it.
 
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#8 ·
EMFBI but when approximately does Wally World have these sales? Two jugs would suit me for a while on the wife's '05 Limited (I use dino oil in my '07). THANKS
 
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#7 · (Edited)
BTW: if I did use synthetic, wouldn't I just change every 10k miles instead of 5k?
Click to expand...
You should not automatically assume you can go 10K miles with synthetic. The safe way to determine that is a couple of used oil analysis' to establish a trend. If that's too much trouble then 7500-8000 miles should be fine.

Be aware that it is not unusual for the engine to use some oil the first time you use synthetic after years of standard oil. I'm not saying positively that it will but it might. Have some on hand for top offs if you decide to go synth.
 
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J
#12 ·
So I work from home and my wife primarily uses the car to run errands and what not. We don't drive the car all that much (around 10k per year if that, which I believe is below the national average and should be on the low-side for CA). The longest we'll drive is roadtrips 2-3 times a year between NorCal and SoCal.

BTW: where would I get an "oil analysis" done? My mechanic? Jiffy Lube? DIY? Sorry for all the noobish questions - this isn't really something I've thoroughly investigated... have just taken the car to my mechanic but may decide just to start doing my own changes soon. I just want to make sure I do things right and not screw myself over because of some fine detail...
 
R
#19 ·
^Good question, and by periodic I would do an oil analysis when I buy a used car, then again every 100,000 miles or just before I were to sell it (more scientific info shows I cared for the car and might command a premium at sale time).

The value in an oil analysis regardless of synthetic or "dino" oil is the wear on the ENGINE, not just the oil. If the analysis finds trace amounts of certain metals, it may mean your piston rings are disintegrating, or your camshaft is flaking, or your valves are going bad. They can also tell you if a higher than normal amount of fuel is getting into your oil (hello direct injection engines!).

But my guess is, with your Rav4 and the fact that you are not some dumb 16 year old racing it- is that an oil analysis will show you that you could run a dino oil for around 7,500 and a synthetic oil for up to 12,000 miles. We could debate all day about running oil that long or changing it early- your car your money. Just please recycle it (for free) at an auto part store such as Advance Auto if you are in the USA. Also, you will never trust Jiffy Lube's "3,000 mile" recommendation after getting an oil analysis.

Just follow post #7 here and you will be fine.
 
#22 ·
Rick's Rav4 said:
^Just please recycle it (for free) at an auto part store such as Advance Auto if you are in the USA.
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You mean, used oil should be recycled? We just dump it on the roads down here in Dixieland to keep dust down...

BTW, what kind of racing are you talking about? I used to frequent Great Lakes Dragway, Road America and other tracks. I've had my hands in a few m/c engines as well as Pontiacs and Corvettes.

Now? Cat 3126 in the MH, the BMW boxer oilhead, the new RAV4, the Perkins diesel in the Massey-Ferguson and the B&S v-twin in the mower.
 
J
#27 ·
I got in on this deal last week and changed my oil over the weekend. So far so good!


starkeyg said:
Hello all,

While I run synthetic for the winters here in MI, would like to remind those that run extended miles that the oil filter can clog up and go into bypass mode (not working at all).

Use a better high mileage filter if running extended miles or change it (my guess would be at about 6,000 miles) to be on the safe side.

FWIW,
Greg
Click to expand...
I bought the Toyota Genuine OEM filter kit - is that an OK option running with synthetic on longer mileage? Or is there a particular filter you'd recommend otherwise?
 
S
#26 ·
Hello all,

While I run synthetic for the winters here in MI, would like to remind those that run extended miles that the oil filter can clog up and go into bypass mode (not working at all).

Use a better high mileage filter if running extended miles or change it (my guess would be at about 6,000 miles) to be on the safe side.

FWIW,
Greg
 
#32 ·
It will be a dirty DC. Don't run LED lights off of them without a bridge rectifier. I've measured voltage spikes up to 40 on some small engines and that will sure kill the LEDs. Run the LEDs off the battery with a fuse and switch. I dont think a diode will be necessary. Good luck.
 
D
#33 ·
Did you post this comment in the wrong thread?
 
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I
#34 ·
I use mobile 1 and change it one or twice a year, which averages out to ~15-20k miles. No problems. The rav has 275,000 miles, the buick has almost 280,000, and my truck has been rolled past 100k who knows how many times. Our olds had 200+k on it and still ran like new with 200 psi on every cylinder.

I like synthetic oil because it is more temp stable and it lubes well. It may get mast the rings easier, depending on your engine, but that’s fine with me. I just top it off once in a while.
 
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I
#37 ·
Yep. I have worked on many vehicles, and the ones that were using synthetic oils were in great health. The ones running dino oil were running rough, bad idle, low power, leaks, etc...

No comparison between the two. Synthetic wins every time.
 
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R
#38 ·
Ike Carlson said:
Yep. I have worked on many vehicles, and the ones that were using synthetic oils were in great health. The ones running dino oil were running rough, bad idle, low power, leaks, etc...

No comparison between the two. Synthetic wins every time.
Click to expand...
Not sure of your point. Are you saying that ALL cars running dino oil run rough, have a bad idle, low power and leaks? Or just yours?
 
D
#46 ·
Whichever's least expensive!
 
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#48 ·
The only reason for using 0W-20 vs 5W-20 is if you live in a climate that is always at or near 0 deg. F. I live in Alabama where the summer driving temperatures are usually at or near 90 deg. F. Cold engine starting is of no concern in those temperatures. BTW, I use Supertech brand 5W-20 oil, a full synthetic (Wal-Mart brand) available at less than $20.00 for a 5 quart jug. A new oil filter is less than $10.00. This make an engine oil change ~$30.00. Do not poo-poo the Wal-mart Supertech brand products. They are high quality as evidenced by UOA analysis as well as VOAs. Want more information, visit the BITOG website. Nothing wrong with Mobil1. It is excellent oil. I use Mobil1 in my air cooled lawn mower engine as well as my BMW motorcycle engine, also air cooled.

Both oils will serve you well. The main reason for using Mobil1 might be slightly better protection against sludge and varnish formation. Follow good oil change interval practices and you'll never have those kinds of deposits in your Toyota 4 cylinder engine. By using synthetic engine oil for the life of you car, you'll be able to extend OCIs well past the factory recommended interval. Synthetic oils hold up longer because their base oil stocks are tougher and stay in grade longer. Remember, heat and shear are the destroyers of engine oil. Synthetics resist heat and shear much better than non-synthetics. Also, synthetics have more robust additive packages. Just use synthetic and a quality filter and you'll never have any lubrication related engine issues.
 
#49 ·
What is printed on the oil filler cap???
 
#57 ·
Well then...driver's choice I guess.
 
#59 ·
In Cali, I would use a 5w-20 synthetic and change at 10K intervals. Using a heavier oil might knock your engine emissions test out of spec. Any name brand synthetic oil is fine. I like the Walmart Supertech brand of synthetic oil. It rates well in UOAs and is priced lower than most other name brands.
 
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