RX in NC

Has anyone here on the forum been running Walmart's Super Tech 0W-20 Full Synthetic oil in these 2GR-FE engines? I can typically get it for half the price of Mobil 1. It is made by Warren Oil Company who years ago made all of Valvoline's oils (and probably still do). It certainly meets all the required specs and I would not be surprised if it is actually Valvoline oil with the Super Tech label on the bottle. No point spending double for motor oil if folks have been running this stuff in these 2GR-FE engines with no issues.

RX in NC

I see that Ashland Oil Company now makes all Valvoline oils so please disregard my comparison of Super Tech to Valvoline.

If anyone has experience running Super Tech 0W-20, please share your opinions here.

Clutchless

I have run the Costco (Kirkland) labeled version which is also made by Warren and it worked just fine. The motor was quiet and I did not have to add any oil between changes or about 6,000 miles. I also ran it in my HS250h, and it was fine in that engine. Get it and don't agonize over the cheap price. Warren is probably the largest private label oil refiner in the US.
I have been using Warren's ATF under the brand name MAG 1 full synthetic low viscosity multi vehicle ATF for over 6 years and many drain and fills in the RX and the transmission still works perfectly.

Warren Oil is the largest independent lubricant manufacturer and marketer in the United States. Warren Oil markets it lubricants, both conventional and synthetic, domestically and internationally, under the WARREN OIL brand, the LUBRIGARD brand, the ITASCA brand, the COASTAL brand and the GOLD BAND brand.
Here is a link to all the private label brands produced by Warren in alphabetical order https://engineoil.api.org/Directory/...ompanyId=10297

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

I did some of my own research on Warren as well when I decided to try AmazonBasics engine oil (also made by Warren) and found exactly what Clutchless said - they make a lot of brands of oil and seem like a reputable company.

The only difference I noticed is Mobil 1 has a warranty on their oil which states they will pay for any oil related failures on your engine up to a certain amount of miles if you follow the manufacture’s recommended OCI while the car is under warranty and then on Mobil’s OCI after that. Now that sounded a bit like marketing to me, but it’s nice they stand behind their product with that claim.

I haven’t noticed any issues running AmazonBasics especially since my last few oil changes have been less than 5000 miles due to the 6 month rule.

RX in NC

Thanks for your input, guys. I have enough Mobil 1 0W-20 sitting on my garage shelf to do the next oil change at 80,000 miles. After that, I will go with Super Tech 0W-20 for the remainder of our ownership. We kept my wife's previous 2000 RX300 and 2004 RX330 until they both reached 130,000 miles before I decided to sell them while I could still get a decent price for them. I am guessing we will keep this 2015 RX350 for at least that long and perhaps even longer if it holds up.

RX in NC

Stopped into Walmart this morning to grab a 5-quart jug of the Super Tech 0W-20 oil for $17.18 plus tax. Saw that an even better deal is the 6-quart box of Chevron Havoline Pro-DS 0W-20 for $19.97 plus tax, so I grabbed the only one they had. I have never used one of these containers before - apparently the oil is in a plastic liner inside the cardboard box. The instructions look to be simple enough as long as you do not use any sharp objects when opening the box to expose the plastic liner cap that you unscrew to pour the oil. The good news is that an oil change for these 2GR-FE engines will require the entire box (plus another half quart) so there will be no leftover oil in the box to store for next time.

doji

I run the Kirkland 0W-20 for past 2 years on our Sienna, and past 2 oil changes for our recently acquired 2011 RX. Runs just fine in these 2GR-FE engines. Oil is changed every 5k, with the Fram Ultra filter. Oil comes out quite black, indicating it is doing its job. There is a bit of tick when the engine is cold and I have to go up a bit of ascent. But seems this tick is common to these engines.

riredale

Just follow the manufacturer's advice. Typically a synthetic oil is changed once a year or 10K miles. And as long as the oil meets the Toyota/Lexus certification requirements, you're good to go.

Finally, my understanding is that "blackness" in an oil is indicative of a bit of piston ring blowby, not that the oil's ingredients are wearing out. My diesel car's engine decades ago had black oil after just a few weeks.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Kirkland is great too, same Warren oil manufacturer. Look into purchasing factory oil filters in bulk, they’re far superior to Fram or most other budget aftermarket options at a fraction of the cost. I think a batch of 10 averages out to $4-5 a filter.

RX in NC

I purchase the 5-pack deal of Toyota oil filters that is typically available on Amazon for around $25 including free shipping. If your local Toyota dealership has an online store, you may find them there for $4 to $5 each as long as you are willing to drive there and pick them up.

RX10

I buy Toyota filters from the local Toyota dealership and always ask if they have a special or if I can get the employee discount. A couple months ago when I reloaded my supply, I got 4 filters for about $15 out the door.

As for oil, I’m still using Mobile 1 0W-20 but after reading the above posts I need to consider the Costco brand. Nice savings money wise as long as engine performance and effectiveness is not jeopardized. FWIW, I’m in the oil change every 5K miles or less camp.

ronmaiden

Regardless of brand if your oil is black after only 5000 miles you may have a problem down the road. I change my oil closer to 10k using Mobile 1 or Castrol and it's just darker gold.
if it's black after only 5k it is doing it's job but it's working overtime to do it.

RX in NC

I do the 10,000-mile 0W-20 oil change intervals as specified in the 2015 model year service booklet using the appropriate new Toyota oil filter each time. The drained 0W-20 oil is always still a darker golden color. It should not be black.

needa

The manufacturer of the oil doesn't really matter all that much in my opinion, as each brand will have their own additives. Youtube channel project farm did in depth testing, and sent all brands to a lab for additives and evap temps. Anywho.... SuperTech is some really good oil. It beat out most of the others.