Castrol Syntec 5w20,3586miles,03 Impala

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Trying the the thin is in thing.First sample ever on this engine with 42k.Wanted to go longer but one particular cold morning the engine had some ticking noise for a few seconds at start-up,I paniced(I should know better)and changed the oil that day..Until then nothing out of the ordinary,mpg up slightly...Running PP 5w30 thru the summer and will go with PP 5w20 at next OCI..Whatcha think???

sample first,average second


Aluminum 3,,3
Chromium 0,,1
Copper 26,,13
Lead 7,,7
Iron 7,,13
Tin 0,,0
Moly 67,,52
Nickel 0,,0
Manganese 0,,0
Silver 0,,0
Titanium 0,,0
Potassium 1,,8
Boron 17,,47
Silicon 5,,11
Sodium 4,,13
Calcium 2155,,2091
Magnesium 12,,112
Phosphorus 653,,716
Zinc 774,,870
Barium 0,,0

Sus Visc @210F 55.0 should be 53-62
Flash point F 380 should be >355
Fuel Anti-freeze 0.0
Water 0.0
Insolubles 0.1

All comments welcome
 
If the engine is not rated for 5W-20. I woujldn't go there. If you must go with a 50/50 mixture of 20 and 30 wt. Its probably not a big deal though because the 20 weight will not shear down much if any and is a better oil. The 30 wt will shear back to almost where the 20 wt started off. I guess I am sending you a mixed message. Istill wouldn't go with 100% 10 wt.

Certainly an O.K. analysis

Which engine do you have in there?
 
Al is right go with the 5/30 if it calls for it. I would think with the thin stuff it wouldn't tick when cold. They must have their engineering reasons for not using 5/20. The report looks good with silicon at 5 I wish I could get those numbers.
 
Sorry it's a 3.8...I know it's not alot of mileage but the 20w seems to have held it's own here.It's a chronic short tripper,maybe just the cold months???
 
This is a good UOA report. The Castrol Syntec 5W-20 starts out at 9.0 cSt, per the PDS sheet, and dropped to 8.8 cSt, after 3.5K miles. Good viscosity retention!

Copper is slightly high, but no real problem, and the iron is half of what the 3.8L's usually throw.

Good choice of oil for this 5W-20 experiment!
 
I'm gonna compare this 5w20 run to a run of 5w30,but this report does seem favorable and I will give it another try...
 
from what I have read, 5w30 is not even rated to be used in 3800 engines-only 10w30. It is the one engine GM still calls for 10w30 in, with all else they have getting 5w30. I maybe wrong but that is what I have read.
 
Hi

Colder temps called for 5w-30 for the Series II, while the Series III calls exclusivly for the 5w-30.

However, higher temps permitting, 10w-30 can be used.

Not much of a change from either varient.
 
Manual says 10w30,cap says 5w30...??????????..It's only had 10w30 once in it's life,rest has been 5w30 or 0w30...It's all 30 weight at operating temp so I hardly think it makes a difference..
 
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