0W30 year round fill?

[sub_zero]

What do you all think of a 0W30 Heavy Duty oil as a year round fill? This oil is usually marketed as an 'Arctic' oil, does it mean that it's unsuitable for summer operation? I live in a climate that rarely exceeds 35°C and can remain at -30°C for weeks. Don't put too many miles on per year, mainly short trips with four or five long hauls a year. The engine is GM's 5.3 Vortec in a 4X4 app. Looking for good value, not the cheapest, year round fill. BTW the owners manual recommends a 0w30 for extreme conditions. It doesn't specify for or against year round operation. I have considered for this application: PC Duron XL, PC Arctic although it's not HD, Esso Superflo. I have yet to discover a supply of Castrol, Mobil in this grade. Current fill is Pennz. 5w30 Multi-Grade.

 

[Patman]

I see no problem with using a good 0w30 oil all year round. Amsoil 0w30 or the German Castrol 0w30 would both make very good all season oils, as both of them will easily handle hot summer temps and the coldest that winter can throw at you.

 

[buster]

I agree with Patman. Amsoil and Castrol would be good choices. I wouldn't go with Mobil's but I would go with there 0w-40...not in Canada though. [ June 13, 2003, 08:37 PM: Message edited by: buster ]

 

[Howard]

I use the Duron XL 0W-30 year round in my 2001 VW Jetta TDI and my 1996 F150 with a 300 I6. I have no problems with either engine. I have ran oil analysis and the Duron performs very well.

 

[TooSlick]

Subzero, Most of my Amsoil gas engine customers run their 0w-30 year round down here in Alabama, and have for the past eight years. No issues with high oil consumption or low oil pressure. My own oil analysis reports from personal vehicles have been consistently good. The Petro Canada oil is an excellent product - I'm not really familar with the others. TooSlick

 

[greencrew]

I just started my Ford truck on Amsoil 0w-30. If anyone has the perefect application for that oil, you do. Normal temps here are summer 50 - 70, and winter 0 - 20. In fact, if I lived in your neighborhood I would probably run Mobil 1 0w-20 in my truck.

 

[sub_zero]

I do alot of short trips, so a high quality Grp. IV does not represent a great value as I understand, since oxidation stability is not a primary requirement. Good flow properties are paramount especially for the short winter trips. Glad to hear that Petro-Can. has a good product reputation, I tend towards this oil simply for the price point. Why don't the pennzoil/QS, Castrol, etc. not market a 0w30 at 4CDN bucks a litre?

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

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Originally posted by sub_zero: I do alot of short trips, so a high quality Grp. IV does not represent a great value as I understand, since oxidation stability is not a primary requirement.

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Boy, do you need to rethink your position. Short trip driving is where PAO-based synthetics are MOST needed over conventional oil, expecially in cold weather.

 

[userfriendly]

I thought I remember reading that Pet-Can's two 0W30s were a PAO/III blend. At $4.00 CDN or $2.80 US/litre I can't help agreeing that they are a good dollar value. I found that the Pet-Can Duron 0W30 used 1/2 litre in 3000 miles, where their 5W40 showed zero consumption in 8,000 miles in the same vehicle. I'm not brand loyal to P-C or any other oil company's product. Esso's 0W40 xd-3, and Chevron's Duron 5W40 performed about the same as Pet-Can's Duron 5W40. I've yet to try Shell's Rotella synthetics, but I have used their 2-stroke Advance Ultra (EG-D)excluively in MX bikes for the last 3 years with no problems. I usually buy at a price point and from the people I like. We have a great bunch of bulk dealers in my town who know their stuff. One thing I've noticed, and I've heard this from other people too, is that when an older engine is switched from a conventional to a group III or PAO, the engine goes into a clean-up phase. During this period sometimes the engine smells hot, the oil turnes black quickly, and is accompanied with some oil consumption. This seems to be the case even with engines that have been maintained with more than regular oil changes. Wierd. !!

 

[sub_zero]

Well I have been running pennz multi-grade and had a brief stint on Formula Shell and neither of those oils ever got dark after 5000km and the certainly never got black. Seriously though my rationale for not needing a Grp. IV or real synthetic oil was that I never run in the heat let alone have the truck work hard in the heat. So why purchase an expensive oil that's going to likely go down at the same interval on TBN because you never get it dried out very often? A Grp. III is more volatile but that increased volatility would only really become a problem when operated at high temperature for prolonged periods. I could be completely off the mark, I have read dilligently on lubrication, base oils, additives etc. and this is what I came up with.

 

[Dr. T]

Woah....Group III, IV and V's are all LESS volatile than Group I or II oils. And not only that, they're cold temp properties are more desirable as well as the oxidative stability during short trip commutes. As G-Man II put it...just what you need...

 

[williar]

My UOA of Mobil1 SuperSyn 0w30 in a turbo engine at 5K miles looked great, except iron was a bit high. It's rated ACEA A5. I'd recommend this oil for any engine calling for Xw30, regardless of climate. I probably wouldn't run it past 10k miles, though.

 

[sub_zero]

Precisly why I don't have to spend nearly $8 CdN for a liter of M1. A Group III will offer a great advantage over Group I, II and II+ in the cold.

 

[Chris Jefferson]

YES YES YES!!! Yes you CAN run 0w-30 ALL year round!! ITll do the exact same in summer as a 5w-30 or even a 10w-30 and in winter itll kill both in cold start performance. a 0w-30 oil, i thought years ago would take over the 5w-30's after time, but, americans are too frakin paranoid and the auto companies didnt push it on us. Instead we get 5w-20 and americans think that if they dont run this oil their engines will "blow up". And yet thats the same reason why many that ive talked to said thats why they wouldnt use a 0w-30 oil to begin with!! i dont get it!!! going to bed now, sorry for the rant!

 

[mikemc]

I know you said you can't find Mobil1 in 0w30, but just for info here is what Mobil1 had to say on this question on their web site: "While ExxonMobil always recommends following the manufacturer's recommendations, we are confident that Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic™ 0W-30 can be used year round, and that you do not need to change viscosity grades with the change in seasons when using Mobil 1 0W-30. It will provide superior protection over conventional oils both for winter and summer use."

 

[sub_zero]

Thanks mikemc. I'll look for M1 0w30, if it's priced out of my window I'll adopt PC Duron XL HDMO as the 0w30 fill though.