Should I use 10w30 oil for summer?

[DVad3r]

Car is a 2001 Lexus ES 300. In my manual it says 5w30 is prefered, but also lists 10w30 as compatible also, although obviously it's better geared towards warmer temps.

My oil change is coming up, should I use the 10w30? By the time my next oil change rolls around it will be late fall and Ill switch back to 5w30 for winter...

What do you guys think?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I would go with the 10w30 for summer time. As you might know oil gets thinner the higher the temps get and thicker in the cold. I live in Texas so in summer we really need to use thicker oil since the oil thins so much.

 

[DVad3r]

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
I would go with the 10w30 for summer time. As you might know oil gets thinner the higher the temps get and thicker in the cold. I live in Texas so in summer we really need to use thicker oil since the oil thins so much.

Yea I know but it's not going to mess anything up switching oils right?

 

[woodie1]

I'd stay with the 5W30. I'm in South TX and use 5W20 or 5W30 year round.

 

[Vette73]

Stay with 5w30 year round. I don't think there are any cars that call for 10w30 anymore and oil companies are making the 5w30 the best and 10w30 seems to not get as well made.

Also the 5 and 10 are at start up. The 30 for both will be when you drive it at its operating temps. So in the end you will not see better performance/savings/etc...


Right now napa has their Napa Syn oil for $2.99 a QT. Its made by valvoline.
Costco has $10 off a case of 5w30 Mobil1.

Don;t use a Fram filter as well.

 

[Bignate603]

Check your manual. If you should switch it will recommend it.

 

[DVad3r]

Originally posted by: Bignate603
Check your manual. If you should switch it will recommend it.

Naw it doesn't recommend anything, but it does have the 10w30 listed there, although there is no indication that it wants you to switch, it says 5w30 gets the best performance/fuel economy. Logically though 10w30 should be great for the summer? I went to the mobil 1 site and it said I could use 10w30 after I went through the car/driving quiz selector.

Right now I'm using quaker state Q power horsepower full synthetic 5w30. I also have 3 jugs sitting that I bought because they were on special.

I could go out and buy 5 liters of Mobil 1 10w30 though...hmm

And I heard about Fram filters that they are bad, why exactly? Not that i've used one, I use the quaker state ones.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

If your manual states its okay to use 10w30 it would be ok. Since you are using synthetic oil I don't see any need to switch the weight. Synthetic oil will give you all the performance you need out of your oil. Also there is nothing wrong with fram filters. I have been using them for years in all my cars and motorcycles I've had. They are the only brand I trust. Also try to stick with one brand of motor oil through the life of your motor.
Also why are you wasting your money on synthetic oil? Your going to pay much more for the oil than the little bit of wear and tear your saving your car unless your car has a high performance motor.

 

[DVad3r]

Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
If your manual states its okay to use 10w30 it would be ok. Since you are using synthetic oil I don't see any need to switch the weight. Synthetic oil will give you all the performance you need out of your oil. Also there is nothing wrong with fram filters. I have been using them for years in all my cars and motorcycles I've had. They are the only brand I trust. Also try to stick with one brand of motor oil through the life of your motor.
Also why are you wasting your money on synthetic oil? Your going to pay much more for the oil than the little bit of wear and tear your saving your car unless your car has a high performance motor.

The guys on the Lexus forums said it's good to use synthetic and it extends the life of your engine. I think the guy that owned the car before me used it and I've used it ever since. It's like a 10 $ Canadian difference between the oils when it's on special, no biggie.

 

[Vette73]

5w30 is still the best.

Also that quaker state filter might be a Fram filter. I know Honeywell (fram owner) use to make quaker state filters.

 

[zerocool84]

It won't kill anything so you should be fine.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
5w30 is still the best.

Also that quaker state filter might be a Fram filter. I know Honeywell (fram owner) use to make quaker state filters.

Take it for what it's worth but I work for Honeywell and I won't use fram. My preference is Napa Gold, made by Wix. They're relatively cheap and a great filter.

 

[magomago]

Wow your next oil will be in late fall? LORD....you drive....very little (Atleast for someone in socal. It is about every 2 months for me). I'd go for it, especially since the manual lists that you can use it. 10-30 is nothing for me, I'm packing 15-50 lol. Of course, you have a relatively new car, and unless there is a specific reason, you shouldn't bother with something else.

 

[DVad3r]

Originally posted by: magomago
Wow your next oil will be in late fall? LORD....you drive....very little (Atleast for someone in socal. It is about every 2 months for me). I'd go for it, especially since the manual lists that you can use it. 10-30 is nothing for me, I'm packing 15-50 lol. Of course, you have a relatively new car, and unless there is a specific reason, you shouldn't bother with something else.

My next oil change is going to be in a few weeks, after that it should last me till fall time. It's every 8000 km. Also summer time I don't work for 2 months, that means no more commute.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Not a dime's worth of difference between the two. Switching won't hurt a thing, but isn't necessary, either.

 

[fstime]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Not a dime's worth of difference between the two. Switching won't hurt a thing, but isn't necessary, either.

 

[LTC8K6]

The last two.

 

[heymrdj]

As stated earlier, your car is going to reach a certain operating temperature, and at startup I doubt your oil will possibly be thin enough at 5w-30 to no properly lube the engine even if you were in the sahara. Remember how hot an engine actually is at operating temps, not just the temp of the water it's putting out.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: heymrdj
As stated earlier, your car is going to reach a certain operating temperature, and at startup I doubt your oil will possibly be thin enough at 5w-30 to no properly lube the engine even if you were in the sahara. Remember how hot an engine actually is at operating temps, not just the temp of the water it's putting out.

Ever heard of multi-viscosity oil? That's what the "5w-30" means.

Yes, the oil most certainly DOES properly lubricate the engine at startup.

You must have never poured oil before.....try some 5w30. It doesn't pour like water, but it's plenty thin enough to flow just fine, especially under pressure from the oil pump.

I'll put it like this: On an engine in good shape, when it starts, the oil has already been pumped through every passage in there by the time you can let go of the key.

 

[Jeff7181]

Theoretically the 10w30 will give you better protection. Practically there's no difference.

The first number tells you what weight oil the oil acts like when cold (or, the viscosity of the base oil) and the second number tells you what weight oil the oil acts like when hot (at 100 degrees C). As the additive package breaks down, your 5w30 might act more like a 20 weight oil at high temp than a 30 weight oil. If the additive package is completely trashed, your 5w30 could potentially act like a 5 weight oil at high temp, which would be bad for your engine.

 

[LTC8K6]

That engine has a sludge problem with a TSB I believe. Better stick with 5W30 and change it often.

 

[DVad3r]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
That engine has a sludge problem with a TSB I believe. Better stick with 5W30 and change it often.

It does have a sludge problem but I thought that was from not changing the oil on time at intervals?

 

[LTC8K6]

Since Toyota settled the lawsuit and extended the warranty, I doubt it was merely an oil-change interval problem, but I have not read the TSB or heard much about the settlement.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Since Toyota settled the lawsuit and extended the warranty, I doubt it was merely an oil-change interval problem, but I have not read the TSB or heard much about the settlement.

Yea it was a Toyota problem for most.


The best case I remember reading was a guy who bought his Toyota new, had the dealer perform all maintaince, engine went bad from sludge, and Toyota said it was his fault for not maintaining the car. And he had all the reciepts and documnets showing it was maintained to Toyota specs by the toyota dealer.


My SiL has a Toyota and was in the sludge years. I used Syn oil yet changed it at 5000 miles (time i change reg oil) to keep it happy. She has not had any sludge issue and now has over 100k.

 

[StageLeft]

Hard to really justify a seasonal switch in oil.