Using 0W-8 oil in a Toyota Camry with 330,000 miles leads to excessive oil consumption.

      Too Many Toyotas/YouTube screenshot (edited by the author)

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      Contemporary internal combustion engines differ significantly from those of three decades ago. For one, many are engineered to work alongside electric motors to enhance efficiency. This has led to extremely tight tolerances, prompting manufacturers like Toyota to recommend lighter oil mixtures. Every new Camry is filled with not 5W-30 or 0W-20 as before, but with 0W-8—the lightest oil available.

      So, what happens when this is used in a 1991 Camry that has over 330,000 miles?

      One owner is discovering this firsthand, sharing videos on the TooManyToyotas YouTube channel. Earlier videos showcase the humble Camry in autocross events, but about a month ago, the host decided to test 0W-8 in this beloved daily driver. The outcome has been quite humorous and, unsurprisingly, predictable.

      The 2.0-liter, 16-valve 3S-FE engine was already consuming oil quickly before switching to the synthetic blend, reportedly using a quart for every 500 to 750 miles. You could argue that this experiment was bound to fail from the beginning.

      After just 530 miles with 0W-8 flowing through it, the aging four-cylinder engine burned through 2.7 quarts of oil. This is remarkable, especially given that these engines typically hold just 4.3 quarts of oil. Should the owner stick with 0W-8, they would need to replace every drop of engine oil in under 1,000 miles. I found the genuine Toyota oil for $11.50 per quart online when purchased by the case of six. Ouch.

      A 1991 Toyota Camry equipped with the 2.0-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission had a combined fuel efficiency of 26 mpg when new, as per fueleconomy.gov. Therefore, for every 1,000 miles driven, it consumes approximately 38 gallons of fuel. AAA states that the current national average for regular 87-octane fuel is $4.536 per gallon, meaning that between fuel and oil, it would cost over $230 to operate this old car with 0W-8, assuming no loss in fuel efficiency—which is highly unlikely.

      You might think, “Wow, that’s reminiscent of pre-mixing gas for a two-stroke engine.” And you’d be correct. The owner estimates that their Toyota burns 3.5 ounces of oil for every gallon of fuel, resulting in a ratio of about 37:1. Typical mopeds operate on 40:1 or 50:1 mixtures.

      1991 Camry 1 Month On 0W-8 Oil Progress Report.

      While there are undoubtedly more practical and valuable experiments to conduct, I must admit I find this one’s failure immensely entertaining. It’s still ongoing, as they attempt to reduce oil consumption using B-12 Chemtool additive. They will be sending the oil for analysis, so I’m particularly curious to see the results from the lab.

      Have a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly at caleb@thedrive.com.