This is a case study of a Toyota Venza service. A new customer asked for tire swap and oil change for their Toyota Venza. My phone reception was bad, so we had to cut our call short, but we set an appointment, and agreed that I would call a day before to confirm. It then occurred to me that I was missing some key information, such as model year, engine size, when and where the last oil change was done, and what oil and filter were used.
Wheel Nut Torque
The tire swap should be straight-forward. The 2024 Toyota Venza Owner Manual provides the wheel nut torque as 76 ft-lbs. Halderman’s Lug Nut Chart indicates the lug nut torque for any model year Toyota Venza to be 76 ft-lbs. I later learned that the car was a 2014 Toyota Venza, and the Owner Manual for that year also provides wheel nut torque as 76 ft-lbs.
Oil for 2024 Toyota Venza
Next, the oil. I like Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, but the 2024 Toyota Venza calls for 0W-16 viscosity oil, and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum is not available in this viscosity, just Pennzoil Platinum 0W-16. Almost the same name, but not the same oil, as shown by The Motor Oil Geek. Other easy-to-find options include Castrol Edge 0W-16 and Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0W-16. Any of these options can be had for under $60 CDN full retail, and under $40 CDN on sale. Tack on a manufacturer discount or promotion, and it’s possible to get down to about $25 CDN for a 5L jug of full synthetic oil that meets the American Petroleum Institute (API) specification for ILSAC GF-6B.
Mobil 1 is made by ExxonMobil, the same company that makes Toyota Genuine Motor Oil (TGMO) 0W-16, however they are not the same formulation. About 1 year ago, Project Farm tested Mobil 1 vs. TGMO vs. others, and by their metrics, Mobil 1 beat TGMO. About 4 years ago, ImpalaLFX13 compared Mobil 1 vs. Pennzoil vs. AMSOIL vs. TGMO, and it was shown that TGMO has waaay more Molyb, or Molybdenum, compared to the others.
Molybdenum and Boron are oil additives that reduce friction. If this were my car, I’d go with TGMO 0W-16 and Toyota OEM oil filter, and then consider switching to Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 0W-16, if that ever comes out. TGMO 0W-16 goes for about $20 CDN per 1L bottle, and they only come in 1L bottles from the dealership. The Car Care Nut provides an in-depth analysis of the 2.5L A25A-FXS I4 engine in the 2024 Toyota Venza.
Oil for 2014 Toyota Venza
Then I learned that the car is a 4-cylinder 2014 Toyota Venza, or maybe a 2013 or maybe a 2015, I referenced Halderman’s Oil Change Chart, and the Wikipedia page on Toyota Venza, and determined that the engine is a 2.7L 1AR-FE I4 naturally aspirated engine. That means 4-cylinder, and no turbo. That also means 4.6 quarts of 0W-20 viscosity oil is called for. The 2014 Owner Manual confirms 4.4L of 0W-20 oil meeting specification ILSAC GF-5 is required. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 0W-20 meets ILSAC GF-6A, which exceeds GF-5, and since I like Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, that’s the oil I would choose.
Oil Filter
For the oil filter, I think I’d stick with the Toyota OEM filter and drain plug gasket. Not sure if the filter is better than others, but I would bet on the O-rings and gaskets being the best. Also, something about Asian model cars and oil pressure/ oil flow requirements makes me lean towards OEM oil filters, even if these cars were designed and made in North America. If there was no Toyota parts desk nearby, I’d go for the FRAM Ultra Synthetic oil filter.
Torque spec for the oil filter housing is 18 ft-lbs. Torque spec for the oil filter drain plug is 10 ft-lbs, but The Car Care Nut recommends not touching the oil filter drain plug.
Oil Drain Valve
Finally, to make life easier for future oil changes, I’d recommend installing a ValvoMax oil drain valve. Scotty Kilmer reviewed this Made in The USA solution 6 years ago. Now there are knock-off versions being sold online. Tariff wars notwithstanding, I’d still go with the original, tried and trusted. The 2014 Toyota Venza oil drain plug is size M12-1.25, so you’d want the ValvoMax valve size M12-1.25.
I’d keep the old oil drain plug, just in case. Torque spec for the oil drain plug is 30 ft-lbs, so I’d also torque the valve to 30 ft-lbs.