Amsoil 0W30 and MPG with a short trip vehicle

[Laminar Lou]

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...Even though I only put 5K miles a year on this vehicle...

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You could use SuperTech Synthetic 5w30 and probably see the same mileage improvement, given your driving habits and location. But if nothing but the best will due for your baby, what the heck, go for it.

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Is there something in the Supertech 5W30 that makes it more fuel efficient than the Amsoil 5W30 that I had it in previous? I figured that the 0W was the reason for the improvement, since it is more pumpable when the engine is cold.

What is really amazing is that I live in warm temperatures. It's been in the 90s since I have started using this oil and I still see an increase.

 

[MysticGold04]

Hmmm... same weather where I'm at... Lancaster, CA. I might try out GC 0w30 in my Tacoma soon just to see if it helps a little.

 

[Laminar Lou]

Howdy neighbor - I live in Valencia, CA. So, our climates are pretty much the same - you get a tad colder in winter and a tad warmer in winter but I would say only a 5 degree variance. If you garage your vehicle, you are probably going to have warmer starting temps than me (both the cars are parked in the driveway).

My comment was to illustrate that 0W30 isn't just for people in Minnesota. My last MPG reading was 15.07. That is the first time I have achieved anything in the 15MPG range. My pre-0W average was 13.64MPG. After the 0W30 I am getting 14.78MPG average. That is greater than 8% increase in MPG.

I still say that 4 fill ups isn't conclusive but the trend is definately there. I look forward to doing a UOA at 2K miles to see the wear rates. However, I don't know how this Toyota could really produce lower wear.

 

[ConfederateTyrant]

Laminar Lou, getting that high of a percentage is not uncommon with the Series 2000, perhaps even more with the SM formula since it is a tad thinner. I found a lot of non-dealers, ONLY users, who got a 5% or greater increase in fuel economy.

I achieved an average of 23 mpg twice with it, when I was previously getting 22 mpg with Amsoil 5w-30. Driving habits changed after those two fill ups, so I wasn't able to keep accurate records after that.

I would guage it more on the amount of miles than number of fill-ups. Keep us informed.

 

[427Z06]

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...Even though I only put 5K miles a year on this vehicle...

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You could use SuperTech Synthetic 5w30 and probably see the same mileage improvement, given your driving habits and location. But if nothing but the best will due for your baby, what the heck, go for it.

---

Is there something in the Supertech 5W30 that makes it more fuel efficient than the Amsoil 5W30 that I had it in previous? I figured that the 0W was the reason for the improvement, since it is more pumpable when the engine is cold.

What is really amazing is that I live in warm temperatures. It's been in the 90s since I have started using this oil and I still see an increase.

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No, but considering your climate and temperatures you stated, it should do about the same. AMSOIL 2K Syn 0w30 has similar 40°C and 100°C viscosities compared to other 5w30 syns. And it's HTHS is higher than many if you can believe the value that's advertised. With it's 195 VI, I expect it to show it's stuff when your starting temps fall below 70°F.

As an aside, given AMSOIL 2K Syn 0w30's 40°C and 100°C viscosities and 195 VI, it's hard to believe it's advertised HTHS value, especially if people are reporting significant increases in fuel economy.

 

[Laminar Lou]

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No, but considering your climate and temperatures you stated, it should do about the same. AMSOIL 2K Syn 0w30 has similar 40°C and 100°C viscosities compared to other 5w30 syns. And it's HTHS is higher than many if you can believe the value that's advertised. With it's 195 VI, I expect it to show it's stuff when your starting temps fall below 70°F.

As an aside, given AMSOIL 2K Syn 0w30's 40°C and 100°C viscosities and 195 VI, it's hard to believe it's advertised HTHS value, especially if people are reporting significant increases in fuel economy.

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So, if I follow your logic, I could probably have clost to the same MPG gains if I switched to the Amsoil ASL 5W30. The advertised specs at 40C for Amsoil are:

XLF 5W30 - 58.2 cSt
ASL 5W30 - 57.3 cSt
TSO 0W30 - 56.9 cSt

The 0W still is the leader but it is only .7% better than the ASL.

I guess the million dollar question should be at what point does my oil pump go into relief. I am definately getting lower idle pressure with the 0W faster, and my overall pressure is less at startup (it used to be way high - now the needle is a tad bit higher than normal operating pressure at freeway speeds).

To address your HTHS value, well, we will see how much it shears I guess. It's going to be hard though with only 5K in a year. I know this is way overkill for my application, but so is 80% of the stuff that people do on this board (so I feel at home here).

 

[427Z06]

Don't sweat it, Laminar Lou, it's working for you and you're happy.