just purchased a 2004 scion 125,000 miles, on the oil sticker viscosity 5w-20, owners manual says use 5w-30 what's the best/correct oil to use? thanks

 

The one that Toyota recommends.

 

thanks

 

At 125k miles, your engine is almost halfway thru it's (potential) lifespan..........though it might make it to 300k miles or more, if taken care of.

30 weight oil is what works best.....in my opinion.

The SAE oil weight rating is just the manufacturers recommendation. The actual weight you use in your vehicle should be determined by your driving habits, how the vehicle is used and (most importantly) the climate in which the vehicle is operated in. That being said, the more important number is the 5.

In this example: 5w30 The numbers represent different SAE viscosity ratings at two different temperatures. A rating of 5 is thinner than a rating of 30.

The oil viscosity of 5 is rated between 31° below zero to 14°F. (Ambient temperatures. Cold engine).

The oil viscosity of 30 is rated 23°F to 95°F. (Ambient temperatures. Engine at normal operating temperature).

If you live in Alaska, you might want to use oil with a rating of 0w30.

Where I live, the climate temperatures never drop below freezing, this being the case, there's never a reason for me to use a 5w rated oil. I'll use a 10w rated oil all year round.....and maybe even a 15w rated oil if I know evening climate temps aren't gonna drop below 70°F (particularly during late September & August).

The 30 is the SAE rate when measured at 212°F. This is the weight I use in all my Toyota, Lexus & Scion cars.





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Amsoil or if you cant afford it. Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic SAE 5W-30 Motor Oil