Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Monte32
Originally Posted By: NH73
Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
When one looks past the average 1 pickup user to commercial fleets that run many of them with drivers who could really give a rip about maintenance and rack up some pretty significant miles in situations and conditions outside the normal single pickup owner, and do it while using something like a bulk 10w30 that they use for multiple vehicles in their fleet, that speaks a little better to the argument that there is no significant issue with using higher vis oils in engines that call for 20w. And I have yet to see a commercial operation doing this have their warranties denied.
That is because auto dealers will bend over backwards for fleet operators, then they will for the average 1 pickup owner person. Fleet operators are there bread and butter. One mechanic told me that one fleet owner signed a agreement with a chevy dealer that they could use 15w40 on a 5w30 spec truck and a 150000 mile warranty. So just because this is what the fleet guys do, you could do it too is not a good argument. All a 1 person owner needs is warranty denied and would need to just suck it up or pay for legal service to sue and if the issue was oil related, will lose.
I agree with tired trucker on this one. The politics don't matter as much as the results. Whether the auto dealers bend over backwards for the fleet operators is irrelevant. What I care more about is how many miles did those Silverados and F-150s rack up without incident while running a non-recommended grade?? Seems like it's already been almost universally established that the likelihood of having your warranty voided over an oil grade issue is extremely unlikely. So I'd just want to know what truly is the best oil to run.
Yep-until it happens to you........
I suppose that is true. But in over 40 years of personal and commercial vehicle ownership, I have yet to see a dealer or OEM even ask about the oil, let alone actually test it. They might want to know if oil services were done on schedule, but even then, they have never seemed to waste a lot of time over it. I have never heard first hand of a dealer or OEM flat out denying the warranty over this type of thing. Lot's of internet banter about how it could happen, but no real evidence that convinces me it is really has. I understand apprehension by some folks. An engine is a expensive proposition if they had to replace it on their own. Many of my engines are in the $30K range to replace. I don't lose a single minute of sleep that the oil I use is not on the OEM approved list on those expensive engines. And it isn't. Cumulatively, nearly 6 million miles and not a single dealer or OEM issue over oil.