Anyone using a higher viscosity oil in their Tundra?

Frickin internet......

 

Absolutely! I keep a excel spreadsheet with date, miles and what service or work was done on all my cars.
Keeps me honest. Sadly though take that spreadsheet to a dealer, the service manager wants proof.
Sure you can tell the truth but a spreadsheet can easily be faked too which is the crappy part.

Taking pics and a quick video? I have more proof that I did the job at hand than they do.

I have got a vested interest in keeping this truck alive and happy for as long as I can.
Within those 10 years and 120k warranty... I will not let them have an exit on an issue if it arises.
I mean if its my fault, then I will own up to that.

 

How will they know there's new pil on the truck. For all we know, it might be old oil from your wife's Kia Sorento. Are you recording the whole process start to finish?

 

Nope dont record it from start to finish. I dont have a helper holding a camera while I do the work, lol. But I guess I could in a way. I have cameras on the outside of the house that probably I could archive the cctv footage if I wanted too....
Plain Jane receipts mean less. Just because you bought it doesn't mean you did it.

 

The only proof we get from dealership service is a receipt.

 

Right?
And we KNOW the dealerships would never falsify any service.
Sure, we did your tire rotation.

You probably can't tell, but I'm just a little anti-dealer service.
Been hosed too many times and heard too many horror stories.

 

That's precisely the point I was trying to make. How is a dealership receipt any more proof or of value than what we would provide if requested?

 

In theory they would also have confirmation in their system for any service they did on that VIN. Not that I am advocating for going to a dealer! And I DIY all my routine maintenance. I used to try to save receipts but all I do these days is my spreadsheet. Back in the day I had a Camaro that toasted a conrod bearing and GM replaced that engine with no questions asked about service. I would hope Toyota wouldn't play games with this stuff, but I have never been in that situation with them.

 

Many years ago when I first started driving I picked up my mom's VW at the dealer after an oil change. For whatever reason I checked the oil when I got home to find that they hadn't even touched it. Still full of the old black oil. LOL. Most aren't that bad but still. I took that early life lesson to heart... trust but verify.

 

Apparently their system doesn't sync with the Toyota Owners website which is sad. I logged in this morning and no service records exist for my 24. I have been to the dealership at least 5 visits for OC and recall stuff.

 

Just for kicks, I just downloaded a manual for the Lexus LX600 sold in United Arab Emirates (https://www.lexus.ae/en/owners/owners-manual/). Same engine I believe (correct me if I am wrong). This is the detail about the engine oil:



Shown below is a page from the US manual for our Tundra (used 2024 model year). This image matches the same page from the US based LX600 manual.

 

I trust the dealer techs as far as I can throw them.

Recall on the fuel line, done. Next day scraping sound when in drive. One of the gas tank straps was just bouncing against the driveshaft. None of the bolts to the straps on the gas tank were tightened. Really?

Issue with front air dam. Service complete, airdam dont move. Looked underneath and the dam itself wasnt connected to the motor. DOH!

Sadly these dealers used to be the gold standard for auto repairs. These days that notion is long gone. Sure there have to be some good ones out there but that's far in few between.

 

Unfortunately the fact that 99% of dealers in the US work off a "flat rate" system not only encourages quantity over quality but can sometimes force an otherwise good tech to maybe cut corners or maybe juggle multiple vehicles at once because he's got a family to feed. I was there until late 2006 at which point I was able to get out of the auto trade and I've heard from those still in it that it's only gotten worse with less actual services required and book times cut to the bone.

 

try it again as I record my own maintenance and it can be fluky. just my experience

 

Still the same for me and the vehicle image is what looks to be an Avalon even though it has my correct VIN. I tried logging out but now can't get logged in. Oh well, I was just hoping to we had a place to reliably see previous dealership and owner service dates... but I guess not.

Anyway, sorry to derail the conversation.

 

This isn't anything new. This has been known for well over 3 years.

 

Not saying it's a great solution but a Carfax will generally show services done at dealers and chain stores and sometimes independent shops.

 

This is interesting, GM is changing the oil spec from 0w20 to 0w40 on its recalled engines that don't qualify for replacement.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/0...-in-your-non-recalled-gm-6-2l-l87-engine/amp/

Context, GM 6.2 engines have a recall for bottom end bearings.

 

Yup....Just swapped last night. Benefits of a fumoto valve.

0w40 Pennzoil ultra platinum. SRT Spec apparently.

 

Which vehicle? I also have a fumoto on my Tundra. Best thing ever.

 

The Tundra.

 

Keep us posted on the 0W40. I’m kicking myself for getting the prepaid maintenance crap up to 85K. Although I’ve thought about buying a oil extractor to get the oil out after they service it and use a thicker grade myself.

 

Started getting into the mid 80s here already. I don't expect anything noticeable TBH. Its once again a preventative thing... knowing heat and how it affects viscosity and lubricity. Oil pressures were nearly identical on my drive in this morning (from the idiot gauge on the dash).

Another thing I've noticed, my oil pressure at 21k miles never goes down to the 1/4 hash mark. I take this as a good thing, especially at idle. Lots of videos i've seen shows the pressure dropping low.

I'll have a good 4-5hr road trip, loaded in a few weeks to really give this a good shake down.

 

I went with a mix of 5W-30 and 0W-30 my last change a couple weeks ago heading into summer since that's what I had on hand. Next change I'll probably do 0W-30 heading into winter. By when next summer rolls around I should have my new engine and will likely go to 0W-40 then.

 

5W- solidifies at -22 F / -30 C. If your place never sees temps lower than that, what's the point in 0W? If your place sees the temps this low, but rarely, better stay home on such days If your place has this sort of the temps months in a row, you likely have engine block heater, oil sump heater, etc, because starting the engine bone cold in such temps kills it, even if oil is liquid.

Go straight with 5W-30.

 

That's my plan. Walmart sells a box with a 12qt bag of Mobil 1 in it for $60 delivered. Been using the 0W20 and 5W20 for our other cars for a while but when l change the oil in the Tundra it'll be getting the 5W30 variant. Especially since it is the tow vehicle for the boat and SXS. I'll continue the 0 weights in the other two cars until it's gone and will likely feed them all 5W30 going forward.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/383945284?sid=14625177-3e34-4d17-8e88-b37b126edbf8

 

The only possible benefit is maybe a little bit better startup protection even in warmer temps. It will flow easier and come up to pressure faster... but then it probably won't leave as much on the bearing surfaces at shutdown, so that effect may be a wash. But between 0 and 5W this is all pretty trivial.

I lived in one of those places one winter (Idaho) and unfortunately staying home was not an option. Had to walk 3/4 mile in -40F to catch a bus. Oof. Cars wouldn't start and it didn't matter anyway since they were not allowed at work.

 

You could have said “ old news” a la Ryan.

 

#NotRyan

 

I am relatively new to the whole scene - wanted to check / find out for myself.