Daily Driven Pontiac G8 GT (Motul 300V)

[MarioSS]

Hey guys! As you can see am a new member to this lovely community! (noobie) I almost read all threads that mentions the Motul 300V. What i would like to know if its a good choice to use it for a everyday use use (Hardly driven). As some of you know the Pontiac G8 GT oil pan is HUGE 8.3 Liters. Thats for extending the service intervals. and the car is equipped with a Engine Oil Life System (The owner manual says that "this is based on engine revolutions and engine temperature, and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage at which an oil change is indicated can vary considerably.") I have been using the factory ACdelco Dexos1 5w30 oil. And would like to switch to something else. But in my country we dont have that much of a variety to choose from. And our MOTUL dealer gave me a kick-[censored] deal on the 300V 5w30 oil. So is it safe to use it in my car for everyday use and keep on counting on the Engine Oil Life System thats equipped in the G8? ACdelco 5w30 Dexos1 tests sheet The Motul 8100 X-Clean+ 5w30 is also available locally. But i am not sure which is suits the car / driving conditions better? Sorry for the long post Thanks for your patience and looking forward to hear your opinions and recommendations

 

[earlyre]

I would check with an Australian source, as they typically use heavier oil weights than we do in the states, and that car is really a Left Hand Drive Holden Commodore, built in Australia, badged as a Pontiac for export to the US.(they are now doing the same thing, but slapping Chevy Badges on them and calling them a Chevy SS.) Plenty of Aussies post on here, hopefully one of them can provide some info on the recommended oil for an '08 Commodore.

 

[MarioSS]

Thanks for your input earlyre! hehehe yeah thats a fact it is a true Australian car Hope so to as i am a complete noob when it comes to oil choice. And ive always went by the manual and used the ACdelco 5w30 Dexos1 oil in my car

 

[MarioSS]

Hope ill get lots of feedback as i should have my oil / filter changed by tomorrow :< To add to my first post our fuel is

 

[SXE10]

Factory fill down under is M1 5w30 dexos1. 300V is very similar in cSt but much higher HTHS, I can't see that being a problem especially in your warm climate.

 

[MarioSS]

Thanks for your reply SXE10. I guess there is no harm in using the 300v then. Actually summer temprature doesn't exceed 38 celcius. What's the optimal intervals to change the oil?

 

[bigt61]

I like the Motul 8100 X-Clean+ 5w30 - especially if the car has a catalytic converter - this oil is more in line for a street car IMO. Follow the oil life monitor regarding change intervals. How many miles does this car see per year?

 

[MarioSS]

Bigt61 I appreciate your input buddy! X-clean and X-cess are both available here at our dealer. My car is running cat less (Long tube headers) coupled with a K&N cold air intake with a custom HP tuners tune. The car does almost15000 km a year (max)

 

[Ducman]

The Motul 8100 will be more than adequate for your application, especially given your large sump capacity. Virtually any oil that is approved by GM to meet Dexos/Dexos 2 specs will be fine with the 5w-30 grade. Here in OZ i run with Amsoil ATM 10w-30 and temps can get to similar levels or slightly higher to what you experience in your climate. Factory fill was Mobil 1 10w-30 and is the only grade of oil specified in the owners manual (2006 HSV GTO) at the time. Holden then moved into line with GM to approve 5w-30 which was reflected in the later owners manuals. To give a bit of background. It was around 2005-2006 that GM ceased to accept submissions of 10w-30 oil for approval against the old, and now superceded specs, and were only accepting 5w-30 or thinner. The 5w-30 grade has been the benchmark going forward to the current Dexos specs. On paper and in reality there is virtually nothing between these different grades. In summary, i think that any oil that is approved against the Dexos/Dexos 2 spec would be fit for purpose as GM do their homework. Motul 300 V could be considered to be overkill and not cost effective, and possibly not as good as the 8100 for potentially longer OCIs. Cheers

 

[supercity]

The engines are no different to their American counterparts, they are still built in North America. Mobil, Shell, Penrite and I'm sure others all recommend their 5w30 DEXOS1 oil. Castrol is the odd one out not having a DEXOS1 oil here so their primary recommendation is 0w40 (HTHS 3.6) even though they have Magnatec 5w30 GF-5 in their stable. Penrite, of course, give other thicker options too. So I can't see the 300V being a problem and with a sump that big it could probably do the 15000km. I'd do a UOA at 10,000km.

 

[MarioSS]

Ducman than you for the detailed explanation I really appreciate it! Our Mogul dealer matched the 300v price to match the ACdelco 5w30 dexos1 price. The sad par is that motul only offers 8100 Xclean 5w40 that's certified by GM and its approved to Dexos2. @supercity again I appreciate your input too buddy! As i mentioned in reply to ducman i dont have that much of a variety of approvrd oils (dexos) oils to choose from in my country. Its either ACdelco or something like 300v. The price offer on the 300v is really tempting to be honest.

 

[dailydriver]

The 8100 might be 'better' for a long OCI, but with that L98's sump capacity, and the 300V's decent TBN, I would not hesitate to use it in that Holden.

 

[MarioSS]

Thanks for all your feedback guys! I went ahead and changed my oil. went with motul 300v. Guess I'll have my oil changed after 5000 km to stay on the safe side

 

[Turk]

Hey MarioSS, Just saw this thread. I have a 2006 GTO 6.0L with a Supercharger, + more goodies Original owner used Mobil 1 5w-30 for it's 1st 40,000 miles and I now run Amsoil Z-Rod 10w-30. Amsoil Info: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2426045 BITOG Virgil oil thread: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2426045 The Z-rod is on the thicker end of the 30w range and my engine's valve train noise is now gone by using it. Have fun!

 

[Ducman]

Originally Posted By: MarioSS

Thanks for all your feedback guys! I went ahead and changed my oil. went with motul 300v. Guess I'll have my oil changed after 5000 km to stay on the safe side

Well done MarioSS. It is the logical choice, esspecially seeing as they're matching the price

 

[daves87rs]

Those engines seem to like that oil anyways...in fact, not too picky either...

 

[Blokey]

Actually, in the G8GT the 6.0L with DOD is the L76. Any dexos1 5W-30 should serve you well but with the mods and driving conditions you described, an oil high in ZDDP like Amsoil Z-Rod would be great, if you can get it. I'm running CAM2 dexos1 5W-30 in my mostly stock, lightly driven '09 G8 GT.

 

[MarioSS]

Thank you guys! Loving all your opinions and inputs. As I mentioned earlier I don't have that variety of oils to choose from other than the ACdelco and motul oils. Everything seems fine till that moment while running motul 5w30 300v oil. Actually am not sure if is a placebo effect but I feel that my valveterrain is quite than before and my RPM is a bit faster on full throttle

 

[dailydriver]

^^^It might be the ol' "seat of the pants" placebo effect, but very high ester basestock content/stout addpack oils have been known to make valvetrains smoother/quieter.

 

[dparm]

Quieter is a possibility, but faster really isn't (unless you had something ridiculous in there like 10w60). I ran 300V 5w30 at a 5,000 mile interval in my old Audi S4. It held up just fine to street driving, and even after being on track once or twice it still came back fine.