i tried searching and couldnt find anything... i just want a simply answer
would it be fine if i use 10w30 instead of 5w20 because i dont have enough money for oil and thats all i have and i am about to go on a 500 mile roadtrip and i need to change my oil cause it has reached 3000.

 

i believe you should be ok but dont get into a habit of using it 10w30 all the time. i believe the 5w and 10w are just temperature ratings (5 has a wider range so its better if youre in a snowy/cold or really hot area) and the 20/30 is a viscosity rating. meaning, if its higher, its more viscus (fluid-like) when its heated up.

 

is the price that big of a difference from 5w to 10w? stick to what your oil cap says.

 

You have no money for oil, yet need to do a 500 mile road trip?

Regardless, it'll be fine if you don't change it right now, you can just wait until after and do it at 3500 miles, or even wait 'til 5k if you're really hard up for cash.

 

What oil was in it in the first place, like what brand. I have gotten all dealer oil changes at 5k and never had a problem. Just wait until you get back.

 

you should be fine as long as you are not travelling on extremely low temp condition.. dont drive hard on cold starts. But as what they said, follow the recommended oil that would be best

 

Like everyone said it should be fine until 5k. And even if it wasn't....I think its a lot better to pay for a couple quarts of oil then to pay for all the damages to your car in case something goes wrong...

 

you should be fine changing it at 5k miles. most oils today are much better and can last 5k miles.

 

5w or 10w is the weight of the oil when your motor is cold (i.e. in the morning, after your car has been sitting a while). 0w can be pumped at a lower temp than 5w and 5w can be pumped at a lower temp than 10w. the second number is the viscosity of the oil at normal operating temp after your car has warmed up. if the oil is too thick or thin, your motor won't get the proper lubrication it needs.

you should always follow what the manufacturer recommends. they built the car, they should know what's good for it.

i'm sure it won't hurt to use 10w30 for one oil change. but if you're going to buy the 10w30, might as well shell out the couple extra bucks for the 5w20.

 

I have a good bit of experience with this in my old shop we were running 15w40 instead 10w30 in several vehicles We had premature bearing failure, lifter problems, and etc. We also were running 10w30 vs 5w20 in several cars. If you car says to use 5w20 then use 5w20. Newer engines have tighter clearances and require thinner oil to pass through and keep the bearings cool and lubricated. Stick with 5w20 they tell you this for a reason.

 

thanks... guys its just my dad had 4 q of the 10w30 laying around thats why i was wondering but i was able to get some 5w20. i had a good trip and was at HIN in san mateo... saw a couple nice tc's

 

glad you made it safely!! yeah toyota changd the requirement for the 06 tC in a tsb stating that 06+ would/should use 5w-20. even though the manual said 5w-30 for the 06 tC.

 

I emailed Scion about what the 06 model years should use and they told me 5W30. I've also read that TSB, so I'm kinda confused. I just use Motul Eco-nergy, which is a 5W30 on the thinner side of the scale. Plus I can get it for $35 for a 5L container, which is a steal for that oil.

 

^ That'll be fine, no worries!

 

Typical when you chat with the "Scion.com Experts" they really don't have a clue about anything. even when you quote the tsb number to them they still don't have a clue. Yeah you can use 5w-30 but I guess I take what Toyota "suggests" in a tsb as a legal way of saying "do it now" since Toyota never comes out and admits wrong even though the tsb says something is needed to be changed.

 

Just for reference:

The first number [10W] is the weight of the oil at 32*F [W = winter], the second number [30] is the weight of the oil at 212*F. So a "cold" engine is relative, the hotter the temp is the thicker oil you want to run [running 10W isn't a big deal in a Texas summer, but if you do it in a Canadian winter that's a whole different story...].

IMO 3,000 miles is too early to change your oil, Toyota recommends 5,000 miles as the extreme interval. Regular interval [most of you] is actually 7,500 miles....
With that said I change mine very 5k.

As far as 5W 20 vs 5W30, it's not a huge deal honestly, especially on the cars that originally came with 5W 30.
The 5W 20 thing is mostly to give you that tiny bit more gas mileage, though that's what I put in the newer ones. There's actually a TSB warning about putting 30 in the newer engines causing a CEL, but I've never seen it happen [seen plenty of techs put 30 in the 20 engines].

 

every 5k is my plan. I use 5w20 in the winter here in MI, gets about 3mpg better, then back to the 5w30 for summer. Havent had any problems yet! Your oil filter will have a bigger impact on your engine life then the viscosity of your oil, so dont go too cheap on the filter.

 

[QUOTE=BlackKnight;3054156]I have a good bit of experience with this in my old shop we were running 15w40 instead 10w30 in several vehicles We had premature bearing failure, lifter problems, and etc. We also were running 10w30 vs 5w20 in several cars. If you car says to use 5w20 then use 5w20. Newer engines have tighter clearances and require thinner oil to pass through and keep the bearings cool and lubricated. Stick with 5w20 they tell you this for a reason.

I have a 2008 tc that uses a quart of oil every 300 miles. Your comment about tighter clearances is interesting because I read somewhere the oil consumption issue with our cars was the manufacturer’s decision to use looser clearances to reduce friction and thus increase mpg. Have you heard this?

 

I read that the problem is with the oil rings and oil return ports. Oil rings are typically three pieces, sandwiched together: two flats with one convoluted in the center. Toyota did something different with their AZFE engine. Not only are the oil rings one-piece, the piston return port diameter is too small. The oil rings and the return ports get clogged with burnt oil. Instead of oil being returned to the crank case, it burns during fuel combustion.

I've yet to read why Toyota went with one-piece oil rings. If I had to venture a guess, it lowered costs. Same with the oil return ports, I haven't read an explanation for the smaller size. One reader speculated that thinner oil translated to a smaller port. That said, Toyota's fix involves conventional, three-piece oil rings and you guessed it, a larger oil-port diameter.

The moral of this story: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I've babied mine with oil changes and it still burns oil.