Corolla engine oil debate

Hi,

I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
according to model/miles/climate?

Thank you in advance,

Rick

Rick, 9/26/2006, 2:53:26 PM,
<1159296806.062945.137800@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
> condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
> according to model/miles/climate?[/color]


What does your owner's manual say?

On 26 Sep 2006 11:53:26 -0700, "Rick" <e_man_online@hotmail.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Hi,
>
>I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
>condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
>according to model/miles/climate?
>
>Thank you in advance,
>
>Rick[/color]

I have a '92 Corolla Wagon

The book recommends 5W-30.

I would assume yours is the same.

--

Scott in Florida

The owners' manual doesn't tell about the thickness, probably b/c it
depends on mileage and climate.

badgolferman wrote:[color=blue]
> Rick, 9/26/2006, 2:53:26 PM,
> <1159296806.062945.137800@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> > Hi,
> >
> > I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
> > condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
> > according to model/miles/climate?[/color]
>
>
> What does your owner's manual say?[/color]

"Rick" <e_man_online@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159313410.794327.62540@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> The owners' manual doesn't tell about the thickness, probably b/c it
> depends on mileage and climate.[/color]

I would be very surprised if the owner's manual did not give a specification
for oil viscocity because it has been in every other Toyota owner's manual
I've seen. Oil viscosity and grade should also be screened on nthe oil
filler cap.

If in doubt, use oil that is marked "API Service SM" 5W-30.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

[color=blue]
> badgolferman wrote:[color=green]
>> Rick, 9/26/2006, 2:53:26 PM,
>> <1159296806.062945.137800@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com> wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>> > Hi,
>> >
>> > I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
>> > condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
>> > according to model/miles/climate?[/color]
>>
>>
>> What does your owner's manual say?[/color]
>[/color]

"Rick" <e_man_online@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159313410.794327.62540@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> The owners' manual doesn't tell about the thickness, probably b/c it
> depends on mileage and climate.
>[/color]

Oh, really??

Are you missing any pages? Your owner's manual most definitely recommends
what viscosity to use based on climate. You'd better check again...

Ray,

I would like to followup with another question. My Highlander
recommends 5W-30 and I've used this weight in Castrol Oil but....it's
getting harder to find in my area but 10W-30 is plentiful. What are
your thoughts on switching weights?

J



Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> "Rick" <e_man_online@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1159313410.794327.62540@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>[color=green]
>>The owners' manual doesn't tell about the thickness, probably b/c it
>>depends on mileage and climate.[/color]
>
>
> I would be very surprised if the owner's manual did not give a specification
> for oil viscocity because it has been in every other Toyota owner's manual
> I've seen. Oil viscosity and grade should also be screened on nthe oil
> filler cap.
>
> If in doubt, use oil that is marked "API Service SM" 5W-30.[/color]

I have a 93 Corolla...Look at the oil filler cap. If your manual
doesn't say it (it does for my year) it will certainlly be labled
there. In any case, the oil recommendation for my year Corolla is
10w-30.

Tom

On 26 Sep 2006 11:53:26 -0700, "Rick" <e_man_online@hotmail.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Hi,
>
>I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
>condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
>according to model/miles/climate?
>
>Thank you in advance,
>
>Rick[/color]

Joey, 9/27/2006,8:42:34 PM, wrote:
[color=blue]
> I would like to followup with another question. My Highlander
> recommends 5W-30 and I've used this weight in Castrol Oil but....it's
> getting harder to find in my area but 10W-30 is plentiful. What are
> your thoughts on switching weights?[/color]

I think it depends upon the temperature range of your area. 5W-30 oil
has a wider temperature range than 10W-40, especially at colder
temperatures. Most manufacturers recommend 5W-30 because it is
supposedly fuel-saving compared to 10W-30. Your manual probably has a
chart like mine does.

"Joey" <J_nospam_@mou.net> wrote in message
news:12hm6jl560kv7c8@corp.supernews.com...[color=blue]
> Ray,
>
> I would like to followup with another question. My Highlander recommends
> 5W-30 and I've used this weight in Castrol Oil but....it's getting harder
> to find in my area but 10W-30 is plentiful. What are your thoughts on
> switching weights?
>
> J[/color]

I would stick to the factory recommendation. The recommendation for most,
if not all, newer Toyotas is 5W-30, and so I doubt if it will go away. I'd
start looking at another store for oil.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)[color=blue]
>
>
>
> Ray O wrote:[color=green]
>> "Rick" <e_man_online@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1159313410.794327.62540@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>>[color=darkred]
>>>The owners' manual doesn't tell about the thickness, probably b/c it
>>>depends on mileage and climate.[/color]
>>
>>
>> I would be very surprised if the owner's manual did not give a
>> specification for oil viscocity because it has been in every other Toyota
>> owner's manual I've seen. Oil viscosity and grade should also be
>> screened on nthe oil filler cap.
>>
>> If in doubt, use oil that is marked "API Service SM" 5W-30.[/color][/color]

On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:40:07 -0400, "badgolferman"
<REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Joey, 9/27/2006,8:42:34 PM, wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I would like to followup with another question. My Highlander
>> recommends 5W-30 and I've used this weight in Castrol Oil but....it's
>> getting harder to find in my area but 10W-30 is plentiful. What are
>> your thoughts on switching weights?[/color]
>
>I think it depends upon the temperature range of your area. 5W-30 oil
>has a wider temperature range than 10W-40, especially at colder
>temperatures. Most manufacturers recommend 5W-30 because it is
>supposedly fuel-saving compared to 10W-30. Your manual probably has a
>chart like mine does.[/color]

5W-30 is fuel-saving over 10W-30, although I don't know how much
difference there is.

If the auto maker wants the EPA to run their tests using the 5W-30 to
possibly boost the mileage numbers, they have to specify 5W-30 as the
standard recommended oil, no matter whether it's good for the majority
of their customers or not.

Honda is now specifying a 5W-20 in an attempt to boost their overall
CAFE numbers even further.

Stuart Krivis wrote:
[color=blue]
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 21:40:07 -0400, "badgolferman"
> <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>[color=green]
>>Joey, 9/27/2006,8:42:34 PM, wrote:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>I would like to followup with another question. My Highlander
>>>recommends 5W-30 and I've used this weight in Castrol Oil but....it's
>>>getting harder to find in my area but 10W-30 is plentiful. What are
>>>your thoughts on switching weights?[/color]
>>
>>I think it depends upon the temperature range of your area. 5W-30 oil
>>has a wider temperature range than 10W-40, especially at colder
>>temperatures. Most manufacturers recommend 5W-30 because it is
>>supposedly fuel-saving compared to 10W-30. Your manual probably has a
>>chart like mine does.[/color][/color]

Something else to consider. Consumer's Report did an article on oil some
years back. The modifiers in the multi weight stuff tend to break down
over the life of the oil. So the 10-40 they tested ended up more like
5-30 after a while. The ones with the least modifiers (i.e. the least
range) did better. That means the 10-30 will do a better job at
maintaining it's characteristics than 5-30.

Your manual should have a chart. Choose an oil from the hot end of
the chart for your Florida climate.

BTW, around here the heavier oils (like 20-50) are hard to find in
the winter, but are plentiful in the summer. Maybe your 5-30 will
be come more prevalent in the next few months.

Kurt Krueger wrote:
[color=blue]
> Something else to consider. Consumer's Report did an article on oil some
> years back. The modifiers in the multi weight stuff tend to break down
> over the life of the oil. So the 10-40 they tested ended up more like
> 5-30 after a while. The ones with the least modifiers (i.e. the least
> range) did better. That means the 10-30 will do a better job at
> maintaining it's characteristics than 5-30.[/color]

But that article was published in the late 1980s and applied to SF
grade oils, and at about the same time, GM issued a statement that was
critical of SF oils as well and found that none of the 10W-40 oils met
SF standards (CR said only one 10W-40 maintained viscosity). But in
their more recent test, published about 10 years ago, they found that
all SH grade oils maintained viscosity sufficiently. That grade has
since been succeeded by SJ, SL, and currently SM.

Rick wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
> condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
> according to model/miles/climate?
>
> Thank you in advance,
>
> Rick[/color]

Used not abused indicates it's not burning oil. I gotta agree with Ray,
5W-30.
Worried about thermal breakdown? Use synthetic.
Consuming more than a quart every 3000 miles? Go to 10W-30.

Getting the filter changed every time the oil is changed?

I'm still using 5W-30 in a '89 car with over 215K miles.

On 29 Sep 2006 05:10:57 -0700, "ACAR" <dimndsonmywndshld@yahoo.com>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>Rick wrote:[color=green]
>> Hi,
>>
>> I live in Florida and have a Corolla '94 with 112K miles in reat
>> condition, used but not abused. What thickness oil would you recommend
>> according to model/miles/climate?
>>
>> Thank you in advance,
>>
>> Rick[/color]
>
>Used not abused indicates it's not burning oil. I gotta agree with Ray,
>5W-30.
>Worried about thermal breakdown? Use synthetic.
>Consuming more than a quart every 3000 miles? Go to 10W-30.
>
>Getting the filter changed every time the oil is changed?
>
>I'm still using 5W-30 in a '89 car with over 215K miles.[/color]

I'm using 5W-30 in my 92 Corolla wagon with 195,000.


--

Scott in Florida