0W-20 vs. 5W-30 - General Motors Warranty Concern

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Originally Posted By: ChevyBadger
Yep, I've been gone for a while but Merk hasn't changed one bit.


OK . . . let's change it around the other way. Let's say the OP has no choice but to use 0W-20 because the 5W-30 won't fit into the bearing clearances. You happy now ?
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: ChevyBadger
Yep, I've been gone for a while but Merk hasn't changed one bit.


OK . . . let's change it around the other way. Let's say the OP has no choice but to use 0W-20 because the 5W-30 won't fit into the bearing clearances. You happy now ?
laugh.gif

Id just like to know why you think you're smarter then an engineer lol
24.gif
 
For those that say 5W-30 will cause harm, (it won't) how do you propose the damage will occur?

5W-30 will be fine, and will likely increase protection at the cost of a percent or two higher fuel consumption.

The engine will last forever on 0W-20. It will last forever-er on 5W-30, all other things being equal.
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
I doubt you will have issues with 5w30 but why chance it while under warranty? I wouldnt but again..it depends how comfortable you are chancing it. Unlikely anything bad will happen but if something does Id rather do all in my power to make sure i couldnt be called out on it..

This. +1
 
You're not hurting the engine.

The engine warranty on the other hand could be in jeopardy...

Does the owners manual give you any wiggle room?
 
Why would the warranty in jeopardy?

I have NEVER had a rep ask for an oil sample, even though "ze Germans" have much more stringent lubricant specifications.

If your engine blows up, (it won't: it's a small block chebby) it won't be a lubrication failure. If you have a weird bearing or rocker failure caused by a manufacturing defect, all they're going to check that there was oil in the sump and the engine isn't sludged.

So much fretting over nothing. OP, leave the oil in there. You're doing nothing but good for your engine.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Why would the warranty in jeopardy?

I have NEVER had a rep ask for an oil sample, even though "ze Germans" have much more stringent lubricant specifications.

If your engine blows up, (it won't: it's a small block chebby) it won't be a lubrication failure. If you have a weird bearing or rocker failure caused by a manufacturing defect, all they're going to check that there was oil in the sump and the engine isn't sludged.

So much fretting over nothing. OP, leave the oil in there. You're doing nothing but good for your engine.


Have you had an engine failure? If you haven't I fail to see how your never having been asked for a sample (or records) is germane.

In the unlikely event of an engine failure maintenance records may be asked for, if someone wants to make an issue of the specified oil not being used they could make it stick. I wholeheartedly agree it is a very unlikely scenario but the OP title is warranty concerns, and it is a concern.

I have friends who still work at the multiline GM dealer I used to work at, my conversations with them seem to indicate GM has tightened up a bit on warranty. If you're using specified oil at specified intervals you leave no chance of them making an issue of it, if not there is a chance, hence the warranty could be in jeopardy.

The chance of an engine failure is very very very small. The chances of it turning into a fight if you can't prove maintenance satisfactorily are pretty good once it happens. Satisfactorily could be open to interpretation.
 
Engine failures are more likely to come from something other than the oil spec's as long as you're reasonably close and not stupid in your choice. Engine failures usually come from something like a cooling system leak, water pump failure, blown head gasket, outright abuse or not changing the oil for a long, long time. Most engines go to the scrap yard in a used up chassis long before they even wear out. A mechanical failure can usually be identified without looking at the oil viscosity.

As far as which oil viscosity is absolutely the best for your vehicle and your particular circumstances, good luck with proving that. There might just be too many variables the least of which are driving habits, vehicle use, maintenance practices and weather.

There are so many very good or at least reasonable choices for oil that given a bit of thought and a review of the owner's manual I'd say it would be more difficult to make a bad choice, that is picking an oil that would contribute to actual damage or premature wear in a modern engine.

A ranger out here in the desert is driving a Ford Crown Vic police/spec sedan with a V8 engine and uses Motorcraft synthetic blend 5w-20 oil. He leaves the car running all the time during his shift and so does his partner, no matter how hot it gets mainly to keep the electronics and the a/c going. He's got almost 400K on the car and engine and has had almost no unscheduled maintenance and no engine problems. It gets really hot and I'd say if the oil was not up to the job he would have had problems by now.

He changes the oil and the oil filter every 4-6K miles and he changes the air filter and fuel filters more frequently than the manual suggests because of the dust. He places a lot of care in keeping a clean air filter in the system. If there is a dust storm he may elect to change it right away.

Just as an off-topic side note, he says he's going to miss his Crown Vic because he does not like the different replacement vehicles available. The CV has already been scheduled to be retired and he's always making excuses to keep it.
 
20wt.

Castrol edge and edge HM.

There is no finer oil made.

There Titanium formula forms Iron Titanate inside your engine and it last for 50K miles.

You could not wish for finer protection for your iron parts and otherwise.

Happy Holidays everybody !!
cool.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
0W-20 will barely get you through warranty and then your engine will be shot.


So what you're saying is most engines will not make it past 40k miles. That's a big statement that needs proof to back it up.
 
Originally Posted By: KL31
But so many engines were specced to run off 5w30 and then back speced to 20. So obviously they all ran fine off 30. But if they re released that engine in another car it would be specced to 20 because emissions.

Every manufacturer wants to claim that 0.1 mpg gain in their unrealistic tests that were imposed on them by the EPA.


There, clarified it for you!
 
Run the 5w30 with confidence. It will be fine. GM specifies 5w30 for the Ecotec 4.3L V6 that is in the same engine family. As long as the oil meets dexos1, a dealer shouldn't kvetch about the viscosity, which he probably wouldn't even check in the highly unlikely event of an engine failure due to lubricant issues.
 
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Most other GM engines have been using 5W-30 for years, and little has changed inside the 5.3 other than adding the DI heads.



GM's redesign for the Ecotec 3 engines was way more extensive than just swapping in DI heads. The block was strengthened, the cam was redesigned because the exhaust and intake valve positions have been reversed, the head bolt diameters were enlarged, a fuel pump lobe was added to the camshaft, the intake manifold was redesigned to eliminate the port injectors, the pistons were redesigned to control charge motion for DI, piston cooling nozzles were added, the oil pump was made variable displacement, the head bolt pattern was changed, and the compression ratio was raised.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
For those that say 5W-30 will cause harm, (it won't) how do you propose the damage will occur?

5W-30 will be fine, and will likely increase protection at the cost of a percent or two higher fuel consumption.

The engine will last forever on 0W-20. It will last forever-er on 5W-30, all other things being equal.



I agree.
I certainly wouldn't dump the 5w30 early. If I scored a bunch of 0w20 Magnatec at the AZ CLEARANCE...that's what I'd run....if I scored a bunch of PU 5w30 at last years AZ CLEARANCE....that's what I'd run.....either way the motor will last a long, long time.
 
Not everyone knows that you're joking or completely out to lunch. You should use emojis or otherwise qualify your statements so folks know not to take your posts seriously.

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
0W-20 will barely get you through warranty and then your engine will be shot.
 
I am so sick of this line. Do you know who is an engineer on here and who isn't?
Do you think all engineers are great ones. Do you know how many lazy engineers just steal old poor designs because it's easier to do so? I'd rather take advice from an auto mechanic who has seen 100's-1000's of the same model throughout it's maintenance life and take his word over some engineer.

Did you ever read the advertising slop about testing a new car for 3 million miles and sweating all the details
and on and on. You go test drive the car and in 30 seconds you realize they got all the ergonomics wrong and in no way did they even sweat any detail?

When auto companies put out new engines that use 1 quart of oil every 700 miles do we also refer back to them for what suitable oil we should use?




Originally Posted By: ChevyBadger
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: ChevyBadger
Yep, I've been gone for a while but Merk hasn't changed one bit.


OK . . . let's change it around the other way. Let's say the OP has no choice but to use 0W-20 because the 5W-30 won't fit into the bearing clearances. You happy now ?
laugh.gif

Id just like to know why you think you're smarter then an engineer lol
24.gif
 
It all has to do with your comfort level and what you can tolerate for being unique. In over 4 decades of personal and commercial vehicle ownership, I have never seen a dealer or OEM even ask much about motor oil being used let alone try to claim it was the wrong viscosity. Yes, even when I had a warranty issue. And I have yet to even hear of a dealer going to the length to test an oil to "prove" that it was the wrong viscosity or not something like dexos1 compliant. I have used many oils, gear lubes, etc that were not on some OEM's "approved" lubrication list and never had a lubrication related issue. I don't go wildly outside the bounds of common sense, but I don't always say to the OEM "yes sir, yes sir, three bags full". For me anyway, I won't sit around worrying that I am not stepping outside the box even the least little bit for warranty reasons. Millions of miles of vehicle ownership, dealing with many dealers and OEM's over the years just has not convinced me that I need to toe the line that close.

And on this one... one is going to have a real tough time convincing many folks with a modicum of mechanical reasoning that an engine that once used 5w30 just fine in 2014, now needs a 0w20 just because it now has direct injection in 2015. Actually, reasoning would say the reverse. That 5w30 would be even more applicable due to potential fuel dilution of the oil due to DI.
 
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