New Tundra Owners – Should You Use Synthetic Oil?
Jason | Mar 13, 2007 | Comments 32
We get asked this question all the time: “I just got a new Tundra and I want to treat it right – should I use synthetic oil? If so, should it be full synthetic or synthetic blend?” The answer: It’s complicated.
Should you use synthetic oil in your new truck? Find out the answer below.
Synthetic oil has fewer impurities, better properties at high temperatures than natural oil, slightly better viscosity, and it’s more resistant to breakdown. Therefore, synthetic is better for an engine. However, whether or not it’s better for your engine depends on a few things…
Should You Use Synthetic Oil?
1. Are you zealous when it comes to changing your oil? If the manual says to change your oil every 5,000 miles, do you have the oil changed at 4999.9? If you follow a strict oil change regimen, chances are you won’t benefit from synthetic oil. Synthetic oil is highly resistant to breakdown and sludge forming. However, most oil won’t breakdown unless excessive time and/or mileage passes between changes. Because most the benefits of synthetic oil over regular oil don’t show until the oils are subjected to adverse conditions, you really won’t see any benefit from synthetic unless you stress the oil.
However, if you’re the type of person that might forget an oil change (shame on you), or if maybe you don’t get to changing your oil right at 5,000 miles, then you can buy a little insurance against engine damage by using synthetic oil.
2. Are you going a long time between oil changes? Case in point: my grandmother, who drives a few thousand miles a year (less than the Toyota recommended 5000 miles between oil changes), uses synthetic. Why? Because her oil can go more than a year between changes. Unlike natural oil, synthetic oil will last more than 6 months without any breakdown in effectiveness. So, if you (or someone in the family) is likely to exceed the 6 month time between changes, a synthetic oil makes sense.
3. Severe duty users. As natural oil gets hot, it starts to breakdown. The longer that natural oils stay hot, the worse the breakdown becomes. If you regularly operate your vehicle in such a way that the engine temperature is always high, you should run synthetic. For example:
- Letting your vehicle idle for hours at a time (like on a jobsite) will overheat the engine. Because you’re not moving, there is no high-speed air circulating around the engine to keep it cool. In this case, excessive heat can build and normal oil will break down.
- Constant operation in high ambient temperatures (like the desert) or at high altitudes (over 10k feet) will also lead to higher engine temperatures. High temperature desert air has poor cooling properties, and while the air above 10k feet is usually cool, it’s “thin” and also has poor cooling properties.
- Extreme cold (-10 F or below) can also cause natural oils to break down much faster than normal.
- Racing, towing, hauling, or going off-road all can create very high engine temperatures. Hauling the boat to the lake and back once a month probably doesn’t qualify, but towing the bobcat to and from the jobsite definitely qualifies as severe.
4. Your personal situation may require it. Some experts suggest synthetic oil in stop and go traffic. I disagree, but they may have a point. It depends on your typical drive and just how much “stop” is mixed in with your “go”. If idle is excessive, then you can go synthetic. There is also some advice out there stating that if you only drive your vehicle short distances, you should use synthetic. The theory is that synthetic coats the engine better in a short time period than natural oil. In my opinion, if you only drive short distances, synthetic oil will not save your engine. Short distances are bad because the engine never gets a chance to fully lubricate and cycle the oil in the system. With modern engine tolerances being so high, I really don’t think synthetic will make much of a difference by sticking to all your parts better than regular oil. My advice to people that only drive short distances – stop it. Drive an extra 10 minutes. Join a carpool. Take the long way home…etc. Stop hurting your motor.
Beware of Synthetic Blends
If you decide to use synthetic oil, be conscious of “synthetic blends”. While many manufacturer’s have a synthetic blend as their standard oil, the term “synthetic blend” is not regulated. Any mixture of regular and synthetic oil is considered a blend, even if it’s just 1% synthetic and 99% regular. If it’s not a manufacturer provided oil (i.e. Motorcraft, Goodwrench, Genuine Toyota Motor Oil, etc.) then it could be a very low percentage of synthetic in the oil. Some companies will state the percentage, but you’d be surprised to find that big names like Valvoline, Penzoil, Quaker State, etc., have very low percentages of synthetic in their “synthetic oil” blends.
What Toyota Says About Synthetics
If your Tundra was made before 2010, or if it has a 5.7L V8 or a V6, Toyota’s official policy is “Any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle.” In other words, normal “natural” motor oil is just fine. You can use 5W-20, just change it every 5,000 miles.
If you have a 2010 or later Tundra with a 4.6L V8, as of January, 2010, Toyota requires full synthetic oil. However, for these vehicles, Toyota also recommends a 10k mile oil change interval.
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i talked with the dealer and he states not to use synthetic on the new tundra because, if anything happenes to the engine, the dealer will use any excuse to void your warranty. 50W-20 or 0W-20 regular oils is the only oil recommended by toyota.
Toyota’s not going to deny a warranty claim on the basis of synthetic oil use — that would be against the law. Your dealer is just trying to dissuade you form using synthetic.
I was told that using 100% synthetic voids your warranty. Toyota does not recommend it and your warranty states that using fluids not recommended by Toyota is improper maintenance and voids your warranty. I believe this is a way for Toyota to save money on the pre-paid maintenance program.
Now, I agree this is silly, but it is the warranty. I’m not a lawyer but I don’t understand how this would be illegal?
The “synthetic will void your warranty” line is incorrect. Toyota can’t leverage your warranty against you to force you to purchase a specific type of oil. That would be a violation of the “Tie-ins” provision of the Magnusson-Moss act. Read all about the act here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline.....nuson-Moss
As far as I know 0w20 only comes in synthetic and not a conventional oil. The tundra manual says 5w20 or 0w20 oils can be used.
Nothing Was Said About The 15 Thousand Mile Synthetic—What Happens IF You Use That Oil And Dont Change Your Oil For Close To The 15 Thousand Mile Mark—Does That Void My Warranty—If It Does Is The Oil Company Lying About There Milage Claim—It Looks To Me Like, If The Oil Company Says 15000 It Should Be All Right To NOT Change My Oil Till Then ??
Your new 2007 Tundra is shipped from the factory with synthetic oil. 0w20 Toyota Motor Oil that the dealer has now changed twice in my 5.7 is sythetic!
Deathwind1 – Sorry I didn’t respond to your question sooner. the 15k mile oil should not be used for 15k miles, as it will definitely violate your warranty. Regardless of the type of oil used, it must be changed every 5k miles or so to keep your warranty in good standing.
Kaptain – True. New tundras do come with synthetic. However, it’s not needed to ensure proper performance or operation. If your dealer is providing you with synthetic 0w20 for the same cost as regular old 5w20, by all means take the synthetic. On the other hand, if you’re paying an extra $40 per oil change for synthetic (or a blend), than it might make sense to switch to regular oil and save…Toyota’s official line is that they don’t endorse synthetic.
I’ll pay the extra $40. I’ve been synthetic since day one. And Loving it…
When the local dealer changes my oil he is putting in 5w-30. He states that this is fine and that is all they use. He does not explain why the owners manual states 0-20 or 5-20, just that they use 5-30 and it will be fine. Is this OK.
Todd – The best would be to use what Toyota recommends, but your mechanic is right – one batch of 5w30 shouldn’t hurt your truck.
What about “break-in-period” and the use of synthetic oil. I have a new GMC 5.3 gas burner … 3,000 miles on it. What type oil came in the engine as “break-in oil” and what should I change to … I didn’t see synthetic or blend mentioned in the manual … or did I overlook it ? Murph
Murph – Break-in on most new motors is the first 500-1000 miles. During this time, all the parts are still “seating” (mostly valves) and the gaskets are still soaking up fluids. The break-in oil is likely a little better than whatever GM recommends for regular use – likely a synthetic blend. Most of the time, the factory recommended oil IS a synthetic blend (it’s just a mild blend, say 5%). The more I read and talk to people, the more I come to the conclusion that a good premium “natural” oil is best. These premium oils contain some synthetic as well as a few additives, and they have the best combination of longevity and viscosity. Premium synthetics can’t bond with important additives nearly as well as a natural, imperfect oil can.
I use 0/20w amsoil in my 2007 tundra, they claim you don’t need to change oil until15,000 in severe conditions and 25,000 in normal conditions. Amsoil claims it will warranty your vehicle against any engine breakdown due to an oil failing issue. but you are saying toyota warranty anything if the oil has gone beyond 5000 miles. our toyota dealer uses a kendall synthetic. I called and spoke to my dealer mechanic and he agreed amsoil was outstanding oil, but would’nt go beyond 15,000 miles and it was fine to use. also amsoil 0/30w signature series oil is supposed to protect my engine even better, they claim the lighter weight is a gas mileage increase gimmik that is imposed by the epa so all auto manufacturers meet the regulations to produce so many vehicles that get x amout of gas mileage. so 30 will make your engine last longer but 20w will get you better gas mileage?
Danny – I think that Amsoil makes a great product, but I can’t recommend it. The reason is that Toyota’s warranty is quite specific about the 5k mile oil-change interval. While it’s highly unlikely you’ll have any engine problems, if you DID, Toyota would have cause to deny your warranty claim. I know – Amsoil is better – but that’s not what the warranty fine print says, regardless of what the Toyota mechanic said. I would stick with cheaper oil and change it more often. Heavier oils do reduce fuel economy, but that’s not the only reason that manufacturers avoid them. Will 30w oil make an engine last longer than 20w? It depends. In a warm climate, it’s reasonable to assume that 30w protects better with only a slight fuel economy hit. In a cold climate, where heavier oils flow poorly, not so much. There’s also some concern that a heavier oil will have trouble circulating right at engine start-up (regardless of climate) – yet another reason to go with the factory recommended oil. The engineers that build these engines are pretty smart, and unlike engines of 20 or even 15 years ago, they’re not leaving a lot on the table. Messing around with super-long-lasting oils and heavier than recommended oils isn’t necessarily bad, but it can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Don’t get me wrong – you seem to know what you’re doing – but I wouldn’t recommend either of these practices to someone with limited knowledge of engines and oil (and what to look for before things go wrong).
Jason
I don’t want readers to be mislead , and this is not a plug for amsoil. I don’t sell the stuff, my only experience with amsoil is this past year I put it in a 1991 toyota camry that has a 170,000 miles on it, and my new 2007 Tundra. The Tundra is to new to really tell a difference. But the old camry runs smoother and has jumped up from 26 mpg to 29 mpg at best, varies on where we buy the gas. Your statement ” Toyota would have cause to deny your warranty claim” on using extended drains with synthetic oils such as amsoil. We may need to clarify by reading the Magnuson-Moss Act. If you are interested in using AMSOIL motor oil, but concerned that using a synthetic oil or extending your oil drain interval will void his warranty, you have no need for concern. Congress in 1975 enacted the federal Magnuson-Moss Act to regulate written consumer product warranties. An examination of the law reveals warranties remain intact when AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants are used.
The law was meant to give consumers detailed information about warranty coverage before they buy.
Congress charged the Federal Trade Commission with creation of the specifics of the law.
The FTC set down three rules under the Act: the Disclosure Rule, the Pre-Sale Availability Rule and the Dispute Resolution Rule.
Those rules require warrantors to title their written warranty as either full or limited, provide a single, clear and easy-to-read document that spells out certain information about coverage and ensure that warranties are available where the products are sold so that consumers can read them before buying.
In passing the Act, Congress meant to give consumers access to warranty information, let consumers comparison shop for warranties, encourage warranty competition and promote timely and complete performance of warranty obligations.
While the Magnuson-Moss Act does not require manufacturers to provide a written warranty, it provides specific rules when one is provided. Among those provisions, FTC regulations state: (c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if (1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and (2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest. (15 U.S.C.2302(C))
That means your warranty stands when you use AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.
Vehicle manufacturers recommend lubricants according to their viscosity grade and service classification. Any oil, whether its conventional petroleum motor oil or synthetic, meeting the correct viscosity grade, 5W-30 for example, and the current API and ILSAC North American service classifications may be used without affecting warranty coverage. AMSOIL motor oils are recommended for use in applications requiring these specifications.
Furthermore, the practice of extending oil drain intervals does not void warranties. Original equipment manufacturers pay or deny warranty claims based on the findings of failure analysis. To affect the vehicle warranty, the lubricant must be directly responsible for the failure. If the oil didn’t cause the problem the warranty cannot be voided, regardless of brand or length of time in use.
Synthetic motor oil was introduced to the automotive public in 1972 by AMSOIL, INC., with the world’s first API rated synthetic motor oil specially formulated for long service and superior performance and protection to that of conventional oils.
Nearly 30 years ago, AMSOIL synthetics represented a vision of the future and technology ahead of their time. Since then, every major engine oil manufacturer has introduced synthetic oils of their own. To be sure, many original equipment manufacturers would like you to believe you can only use their products. However, it’s a violation of the consumer protections set forth in the Magnuson-Moss Act, unless they’re willing to provide you those products free of charge.
AMSOIL offers a warranty that covers the cost of repair or replacement of a proven mechanically sound engine damaged as a result of using AMSOIL synthetic motor oil. However, it has never happened. Thirty years of experience proves AMSOIL can be installed in any vehicle with complete confidence.
AMSOIL further backs its products with action when a Dealer or customer reports being told their warranty is voided if they use synthetics.
If you have heard from any member of a business that the use of AMSOIL Motor Oil or the practice of extending drain intervals will void warranties, send AMSOIL all the details including the name of the business, business owner or manager and the individual making the claims, in a signed and dated letter. Send the letter to the Technical Services Department at corporate headquarters and an AMSOIL representative will send them a letter explaining the facts.
Access to the complete Magnuson-Moss Act is available on the Internet by key words Magnuson-Moss Act or Federal Trade Commission.
either way I bet it would be like pulling teeth to get amsoil to fork out the money to replace my engine if it were to fail. I choose to gamble on this and stick with the synthetic and extended oil changes. I can get an analysis on my oil when it has 15,000 miles on it for 24 dollars. If it passes with flying colors that would give me peace of mind to continue using the product.I agree with you on sticking with the recommended oil wieght
Danny – You’re absolutely correct about the Magnusson Moss act and how it relates to Amsoil. Using Amsoil and extending the drain interval can’t, in and of itself, void your warranty. HOWEVER, imagine sitting in an arbitration hearing with an arbiter that doesn’t truly understand engines and lubricants, and you can guess as to how often this situation works out in the manufacturer’s favor. Hence my comment about anything other than 5k mile intervals being grounds to void a warranty. It’s not what the Magnusson Moss act says, it’s what the arbiter believes…Regardless, the bottom line for me is that consumers shouldn’t use the same oil for 15k miles because they often FORGET an oil change (crazy, but I’ve seen it happen quite a bit). If a person forgets to change their oil at 5k miles and accidentally goes 10k between changes, no big deal (once in a while, not as a matter of habit). They’re probably fine using the recommended oil. However, the best oil in the world won’t take anyone 30k between changes. SO, unless they’re experienced (and not the type to ever forget), my advice to the typical consumer is to stick with the recommended regular old oil and get it changed every 5k. Still, great comment Danny – you’re 100% correct.
i purchased my 2007 toyota tundra with 90000 km on it. it has warranty up to 140000kms its been sitting in the shop for 2 months. the block blew at 122000 kms. they want me to find all service records since day one. how the hell can they expect me to find that? option 2. they want to rip the old block out so a special tech from toyotas head office can look at it to make sure it doesnt have oil sludge. a multi million/billion dollar company will slime there way around paying for a new block. and even if they rip out the old block to see if there is sludge, and if there is, its going to cost me a thousand dollars. i love my truck but holy shit keep the customers happy. so we continue to buy toyota vehicles.
johnny – I understand where you’re coming from, but a couple of items to consider: 1) You bought the truck used, which means you bought all the problems it came with. It sounds like the previous owner didn’t take care of it, because there’s no reason except abuse that you should need a new motor at 122k clicks (about 76k miles). 2) Toyota doesn’t owe you because you didn’t buy the truck from Toyota. Here’s what the dealership (and Toyota) are thinking: Since you decided to save some money and buy a used truck instead of a new one, you have the responsibility for this problem. In terms of getting your problem solved, I would suggest you check out this post for a process to follow:
http://www.tundraheadquarters......em-solved/
yes i understand that, but the truck was bought from a toyota dealership and the extended warranty was bought from toyota. and just cause i payed 35000$ instead of 50000$ shouldnt matter. so toyota doesnt stand by there extended warranty because i didnt buy it new? and i shouldnt have to worry about this problem i have extended warranty to worry about this problem. so as soon as the first owner sold his vehicle to the dealership the warranty doesnt mean shit anymore? even if it had 50000k left on it? im not trying to be a dick but all i got out of it was, if you dont buy brand new then toyota doesnt help?
Johnny – You didn’t buy your truck from Toyota man – that’s the problem. You bought it from someone who forgot to change the oil. If I buy a used TV and I get it home and plug it in and it doesn’t work, that *might* be a warranty issue. But if the TV repairman says it looks like someone poured out an entire Coke into the back of the TV, that means I got hosed. Your beef isn’t with Toyota sir – it’s with the guy you bought the truck from. Whoever forgot to change the oil is responsible – not the company that made the truck that someone forgot to change the oil in. There’s an important difference.
Jason I hate to disagree but he did buy a Toyota at a dealership even if it was used. Now for starts that dealership apparently didn’t do their multi inspections prior to selling that vehicle. Along with the warranty that was sold too. To use an excuse that he didn’t buy new that he was cheap is an insult as far as I’m concerned. Not everyone, let me repeat “NOT EVERYONE” can afford to buy a new vehicle and wait till one comes available that is within their price range. If that’s Toyota’s response to Johnny Wall then I must have the wrong truck and go back to the crap of GM. Jason that’s not an attitude Toyota should do. They know darn well he can’t come up with all maintenance visits on that truck. All he needs to do is show from what date he bought it from. To expect him to come up with before is ludicrous. He bought it from a Toyota licensed dealership. The inspections should have been done before resale of the truck. If sludge was apparent it would have shown then. If Johnny did all maintenace requirements then how can Toyota void the warranty? I’m sure Johnny will be forced to take them to court for this. You know as well as I do they are taking the cheap way out and void his warranty. With that said I’m very dissatisfied with Toyota. Johnny Wall keep us in touch in what happens.
Mickey – I’ve re-read Johnny’s comments and my own, and here’s what I think. First, my comment about Johnny being ‘cheap’ was framed with “Here’s what the dealership (and Toyota) are thinking:” Second, Johnny is describing a pretty normal situation. Whenever a major repair is on the table (especially when it’s abnormally major, like a new engine at 76k miles), the dealership ALWAYS says “If this isn’t covered by warranty, we need you to understand you still have to pay us.” Third, take a step back. You’ve probably got the same number of miles on your truck right now and it runs like a top, right? Same goes for 99.98% of the other Tundras on the road with 76k miles. Then there’s Johnny’s truck, which for some reason or another needs a new block. There are 2 possibilities – either the truck has failed (rare, but certainly possible) or the oil wasn’t changed on time at some point during the vehicle’s life (far more likely). It’s possible that the oil wasn’t changed BEFORE Johnny bought the truck, and if so that sucks. However, we all know that no inspection involves tearing down a motor and checking for signs of major wear. If I forget to change the oil on my 30k mile motor, it’s entirely possible that it won’t become apparent until 75k miles…such is the nature of the beast. The bottom line here is this: IF the engine wasn’t properly taken care of, who is responsible? Toyota’s warranty is pretty clear on that point, and with good reason. They make the trucks – it’s up to the people who buy them to maintain them. As for Johnny buying used instead of new, I hear what you’re saying but I don’t think it really matters. We all know there are risks involved with buying a used anything – it’s not fair, but it’s not a surprise either. I DO think this is a great reason for Toyota (or someone else) to devise a system for tracking all normal maintenance. That way, the person who pawned this truck off on Johnny could be held responsible for their negligence.
It doesn’t matter what website or blog you’re on the comments are always the same when people are talking about synthetic oil, synthetic blends, oil change intervals etc. There are always comments from Amsoil Dealers, but don’t worry I’m not here to sell anything. Amsoil Dealers tend to know a little more about the Magnusson-Moss Act then most people because we are exposed to it during discussion about synthetic oil.
The bottom line is you can use synthetic oil in any car or truck as long as it meets the API requirements period. I have been using Amsoil since 1996 and yes I go the entire 25,000 miles between changes. Most people would never consider doing this, but I have 14 years experience plus over 800,000 miles driven between 4 vehicles and I haven’t had one problem nor has any Car Dealer questioned my use of Amsoil for such long drain intervals.
I had the opportunity to travel to Europe in 2007 and did a little research while I was there. First of all there wasn’t one quick lube in the entire country of Italy. Why? because in Europe they have been changing their oil once a year for over 25 years. Most Europeans take their vehicle back to the Dealer once a year for a complete maintenance check list and that’s about it. All fluids are changed if necessary and out the door they go. They don’t talk about voiding warranties over there because they use oil that last and doesn’t break down unlike the cheap crap being fed the American public. Cars in Europe last twice as long as they do here in America and you can relate that to the use of high quality synthetics.
Most people error on the side of safety and choose shorter drain intervals, but you’re really wasting a lot of money. Don’t let the Dealer scare you into using cheap oil because all that will do is shorten the life of your vehicle, which is probably their ultimate goal.
You definitely have a point there Steve. Very Good comment….
Steve – Interesting notes about Europe – thanks for commenting. I completely agree that dealers are paranoid when it comes to oil changes, btw.
4 time Toyota owner- 2 celica’s, a 4 runner, and now a 2010 tundra 5.7 Xsp- Man what a truck, I only have 4999 miles on it but have enjoyed everyone of them. A little humor, I have always changed my oil, I use very good oil and filter as well, I crawled under the tundra to take out the plug and remove the filter, I quickly found the oil plug and removed it, man did I make a mess, the oil came out so fast it went everywhere, a little went in the pan, I got all the oil out and began looking for the filter. After 1 hour of looking and 1 hour of researching the owners manual I had no choice but to forget about the filter and replace the oil with full synthetic. The next day I broke down and called Toyota and asked where in the hell is the filter? Great guys even sent me a text picture of the filter, but never told me exactly where it was. I decided to hit the site and bingo there it was, TAKE OFF THE SKID PLATE- OK I will but my question is this, due to changing the oil and the truck only has 4999 miles on it, can I wait to change the filter the next time or should I go on and do it now???????Thanks Herbie
Herbie – Definitely want to change the filter every 5k. As for the fact the filter is behind the skid plate, every Toyota dealership oil change technician HATES it. LOL.
I just bought a 2007 5.7L Toyota Tundra – 54,000 miles. The previous owner told me he got oil and filter changed every 5000 miles – using “synthetic blend.” Is it ok to start using regular oil from now on? I plan on changing oil and filter every 5000 miles.
Rick – The main reason to use a synthetic blend is because it’s recommended, but that’s not much of a reason. Part of Toyota’s recommendation is based on fuel economy concerns. You will have no trouble using conventional oil.
Just received a letter from toyota and a new maintenance book due to my switching to 0w20 synthetic oil my changes are now recommended every 10,000 miles or 1year.
Garry – Are you driving a 4.6? We covered that in this post: http://www.tundraheadquarters......hetic-oil/
If you’ve got a different motor, let me know.