0W20 oil in Europe

Toyota dealer can, in advance, get it stocked for your service. Not cheap, really (5 litre can does cost almost 100eur).
But in winter time it is really silky smoothness...

 

You need 0w20 oil in the gen3 Prius. Anything else will result in poor fuel economy. Guess it's upto you. I doubt 5w30 synthetic oil will damage the engine but it will affect your economy and why buy an super economical car like a Prius if you then compromise using 5w30?

 

In Canada, Toyota dealerships sell their own Toyota branded 0W20, for around $6CAN per liter. That's currently close to par with the US dollar, and I think in the US they're selling US quarts for around $5?

Does your owners manual spec 0W20? Could they get it shipped?

 

I know many Portuguese 3Gen owners that get 5W30 and even 10W40, which strangely is the "base oil" on the oficial chart here.
One with a 5W30 did make a 1628km tour on a single tank with a 17" 3Gen...averaging an amazing 2,94litre/100km.
Details: Toyota - Prius - Prius 3G Premium - Spritmonitor.de
There isn't a significant lost in economy, in warm weather countries.

 

It's the same as what my German user's manual says.
Somehow my dealer insists on putting 5W30 in it. The last time I asked expressly the 0W20 and then when I opened the engine bay I found a "sticker" saying the next change was in so-and-so-many km and the oil would be 5W30.
I did not pay the oil at the last 30.000km check, so whatever. The next one will be also at their expenses. It is a deal I got from Toyota Germany (after 1.5 years of negotiations) to compensate for the faulty FM radio (long thread on PC).
I don't understand this insistence on filling 5W30. I will pay for the 0W20, give it to me!
I think the only "problem" is a possible lower fuel consumption. Nothing else.

PS: problem is I cannot change the oil myself. I wouldn't know where to do it and it is very complex and regulated how you dispose of exhausted motor oil in the EU.
PS2: you could try one of these, no warranty about them though, never used them: Autoteile-meile (I don't know if they ship outside of Germany - the UK link on the top redirects to another, affiliated (?) shop called 1-2-3 Spare Parts

PS3: while searching for the above, I bumped into this article from German ADAC that says (see answer to question "Kraftstoff sparen mit Leichtlaufölen" - "saving fuel with "smooth running" oils") regarding smooth running motor oils:

Or better said..., that the 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30 and 5W-40 are all "easy going" oils (i.e. with reduced viscosity) that will potentially, according to ADAC tests, reduce the fuel consumption of:
4-6% for short trip traffic
2-4% for city/suburbs mixed
2% on the highway.

Essentially the 5W-30 is not much different from the 0W-30 which, I suppose, is not a huge difference from the 0W-20....

 

In the maintenance schedule in the USA, it says that if 0W20 wasn't used, to change the oil at the 5,000mi mark, instead of 10,000.

 

That's because they assume that if you didn't use 0W-20 your didn't use a full synthetic oil. They also need to encourage you to use 0W-20 because that's what they used to achieve their US fuel economy ratings and if they don't do that, their ratings would be invalidated.

 

The shop seems to be legitimate. I have never heard of it or never used it. But the website oil-center.de seems OK.

 

I've ordered the same oil, from that vendor, to use it in the 45.000 km oil change. Not problem at all.

In a few weeks I'll use more of this oil for the 60.000 km revision.

 

I have never seen a shelf life listed on an oil container in the U.S. The question has come up on this forum before and some of the oil experts stated that as long as it is sealed in its original container it should last indefinitely.

 

I contacted Mobil with this question and I believe the answer was 5 years if the container is unopened and about 1 year once it has been opened, depending on the environment it is stored in.

 

I wasn't aware that 0 weight Oils weren't available (or are in such short supply) in Europe.

Seems interesting with Toyota and Honda actually recommending the useage in so many of their new vehicles, at least in the US.

Seems like if that is the recommended weight by Toyota, then dealerships would be charged with having a supply available.

It's a "little" difficult to find in The US, but options are on the shelf at even the most mundane Wally World stores...

Why is it so hard to obtain in Europe?

 

I suspect the answer has nothing to do with what is the best oil or what is best for the engine, it's a question of government regulations.

In the U.S. the EPA, which oversees the fuel efficiency tests, requires that the same weight oil used in the fuel mileage test be the only weight of oil recommended to the customers. Since car companies want to advertise the best mileage figures they can, and avoid violating the CAFE regulation, they design engines that can survive on 0W20 oil.

In Europe the government rules are different and there is no need to use thin oils.

 

it is 26$ in Walmart. quart is 0.946L, so 5qt = 4.73L.
Walmart.com: Mobil 1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy Full Synthetic Motor Oil, 5qt: Automotive

can you get it shipped from US?

 

My research, if you want to call it that, is limited to The Honda Fit and Honda. Interestingly since 2010 The Fit has gone from a Owners Manual Recommended 05W to a fully synthetic 0W being currently recommended. I plan to switch to the 0W. I've also read reports where Honda plans to make 0W oils the recommended weight- retroactive on most of their models.

But IMO, it should be based on what is "best for the engine" not best for EPA results. I would hope for an honest synergy, in other words, the engine is designed to perform best with this recommended weight.

I currently use a full synthetic 05W oil. And I suspect the difference between a fully synthetic 05w- and a fully synthetic 0w...probably minimal. But I'd hate to think I'm doing potentially long term damage to my vehicle in choosing a 0W oil for the short term gain of a few MPG's.

Am I being Naive? I'd like to think designers, and auto builders are actually recommending the oil that is precisely weighted to perform best with and for the automobile.