5W-20 or 5W-30

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My wife just purchased a 2003 Mustang with a 3.8L, V6, with 24,000 miles on it. It calls for 5W-20, but the previous owner took it to Wal Mart and they Installed 10W-30. I plan on using the specified oil 5W-20, but an unfamiliar with it. I checked around and can find some 5W-20 (Castrol) and several containers of 5W-30 (Valvoline, Havoline…) Should I stick with the 5W-20 or would the 5W30 be OK? Any suggestions on brand?
 
5w-30 is good but this new(4 years old) 5w-20 is really getting popular with members at this site.

The Castrol is good but Motorcraft, Tropartic, Phillips 66 or Kendall are cheaper and just as good.
 
All of the Walmarts in this part of Ky are once again carrying Motorcraft syn blend 5w20 for $1.88/qt. This is a very good oil and also has great cold weather properties for the approaching winter.
 
quote:

Originally posted by pburchett:
My wife just purchased a 2003 Mustang with a 3.8L, V6, with 24,000 miles on it. It calls for 5W-20, but the previous owner took it to Wal Mart and they Installed 10W-30. I plan on using the specified oil 5W-20, but an unfamiliar with it. I checked around and can find some 5W-20 (Castrol) and several containers of 5W-30 (Valvoline, Havoline…) Should I stick with the 5W-20 or would the 5W30 be OK? Any suggestions on brand?

Unless you specify what oil to use at any oil change place outside of the dealer they will use whatever they fell like.Most times its 10w30.
 
If it were me I would just stick with my favorite brand of 10w-30, cause that is what has been in it . I have other reasons too but unless you just wanna use 5w-20, stick with the 10w-30 in the summer and 5w-30 in the winter, and hopefully you are supporting your local economy by purchasing Valvoline which is manufactured in Kentucky, by Ashland.
 
I would use the 0w20 (synthetic) year round. I would not consider using the 10w30 for average everyday driving. How about a 5w30 during the hottest months and switch back to 5w20 during the remainder of the year? You may want to consider startup flow - should this be your top concern? Not sure if durability and and startup flow are mutually exclusive? If they are, or not, then which would be better the 5w20 or the 5w30? Either one is a good choice I am not sure which one is the best choice. For the most part, with the exception of startup flow, there is very little difference between a 0w20 and a 5w20. Same thing would be true for a 5w30 and a 10w30. I believe that you should use the oil that gives you the best viscosity cSt at 40 C that you are comfortable of putting in your motor. Some people think this would be a 0w20 some think it should be a 5w20 or 5w30. Some think for general purposes it would be 10w30 or 10w40? In my opinion if you were to pick something between a 0w20 to a 5w30 in a synthetic you should be pretty safe. If you do not want to bother with the cost of synthetic I would go with a 5w30.
 
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