Shel_B
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It doesn't seem that you're considering the polar moment of inertia ... just a thought.But 5w20 is less affected by gravitational pull thus lubricating the top end more effectively
Does 5W-30 REALLY protect better than 5W-20?
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we have fleet company that comes to my job to have all their vehicles oil changed. they have all kinds of cars from corollas to civics to trucks etc you name it they have it. we have been servicing their cars forever. no matter what the oil recommendation is on any car even brand new cars from 0w16, 5w20 0w20 etc. the company always has us use 5w30 syn blend on every single car and religiously change them every 5k miles and a lot of these cars have a ton of miles on them and we have had no issuses with any of them
Zee09
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That is a polarizing thought.
Viscosity does not even matter to me. I have an 2005 Rav4 160HP 2.4L and first gear I rev to 2000rpm and the auto upshifts. Very rarely exceed 2000rpm.
Very light throttle inputs.
Saves gas, reduces wear and tear and relaxes the nerves.
No point revving more than 2000rpm during regular drives.
Very light throttle inputs.
Saves gas, reduces wear and tear and relaxes the nerves.
No point revving more than 2000rpm during regular drives.
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Everyday, I wind my 2013 2.4L Equinox to 4000 to 4500 on short interstate on-ramps in the Milwaukee area.
I don't mind winding the engine when it's needed -- and it's needed just about everyday.
142,000 and still going strong. She's clean as a whistle inside.
Come to think of it, my Alaskan Chevy pickup has 188,000 miles on her and she's still going strong. Both of these will last a long time yet -- if I continue to change the oil and other fluids regularly -- if I don't extend their OCI's -- especially that Equinox and its crappy DI 2.4L. When she really starts to burn oil, I change it w/ 30 or 40 weight oils such as 5W-30 or 0W-40. That's around 3K miles, plus or minus a bit. Extending OCI's to 5K or 6K miles in the Equinox's 2.4L is asking to have the engine torn down and its timing chain, tensioner, and guides replaced. I've had that done once already because I did several 5 to 6K OCI's in the past. Never again.
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It does to your engine, feelings notwithstanding.
My cap used to say 5W-20 but I bought a new one and it says 5W-30 so now I listen to that.
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I remember my old neighbor from years ago had a 1985 Volvo. The oil cap said "Castrol 20W-50" on it.
I dont think there is any documentation showing any oil better or worse then the other. However if you take climate into account, oil sumps are not temperature controlled like the antifreeze is so oil temperatures can get hotter in warmer places of the country as also driving conditions such as interstate driving, mountain driving, towing ...
Oil viscosity is based on an average and the USA is huge country with wide temperature ranges.
So for me, living in South Carolina VS my old home state of NY, I can tell you, its a heck of a lot hotter here then there.
With summer temps of at least 4 months never below 90 degrees, 100 degrees is a yawn. So yes, I only use 5/30 in my vechicles, even if it calls for 5/20... which is interesting, wifes Mazda calls for 0 or 5 /20 yet the owners manual states can be 5/30 in Mexico and outside the USA>
Our new Traverse with Tow Package requires 5/30 oil, wouldn't you think if Chevy thought 5/20 was ok they would require that instead? Being it would save 1/10 mPG for the government requirements?
Does any of it matter? No, we all like to debate, that's all. Bottom line, there is no need at all for oil discussions, you can safely use what the owners manual says but we like to debate and discuss, many most likely do more damage because of it *LOL*
All I know is I will never use a 20 wt oil in my climate, when the same weight is called for in much cooler places, the part that surprised me, our new to us 17 Traverse calls for a 5/30
One more thing to think about, the difference between a 20 and 30 is minimal if you take into account the viscosity of a 20 and 30 wt are within 10 % of each other at 50F with a cSt of 250 !!! and at freezing 32f both oils are around 400 cSt Surely any engine can handle a cSt difference of 5 at full operating temperature.
So we are debating which engine oil viscosity of 20 or 30 with cSt in the single digits to very low teens that when cold the engine is circulating that oil with cSt of 250 to 400 vs 11 when hot.
20 is for fuel mileage in the fractions which matter most to the automobile manufacturers for the EPA. Nothing wrong with 20 but nothing wrong with 30 either and certainly has some merit in the warmer parts of the country.
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Spasm3 - Funny, just read your post ^^ I do the same on our Mazda Skyactive, use 5/30 ... but I still have the 20 oil cap *L*
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
Depends on which side of the equator you are on.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
I have been back and forth between 20’s and 30’s in the same engine for 140k … runs great - does not use oil …
10k OCI’s with M1 or Fram XG filters … the only given? Going to be a good synthetic I got on clearance
What really gets worn out is this topic …
Next couple of days, i'm going to change the 0w40 out to 0w30 or 5w30 for summer.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Way back my 5.7’s just 5 quarts ! 5.3’s took 6. The 8 quarts came with the introduction of GDI … and the used oil does smell of gasoline hence the *Fumoto valve and swapping a quart at 50% OLM. I have a stash of M1 AP 0w20 to use up … but might eventually put that engine on 5w30 … it’s under factory warranty for a while yet … (2017 @ 47k) …
*also a big oil splasher with a drain bolt.
So we’re clear, the later change said use 5w20. (At least from looking at the dates and copy-write year on the two posted TSBs.). I do remember the old owners manuals that said don’t use 5w20 for prolonged highway use. Meanwhile a few Ford engines went back to 5w30 whereas the others are celebrating the 20th year of Ford recommending 5W20.
Editor’s note: I am using 5w30 in my Taurus specced for 5w20, but this winter I found a jug of 5w20 in my stash and threw it in without any hand wringing.
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Ok, let me post the Ford’s recommended viscosity for the new boy on the block: The 7.3 Godzilla naturally aspirated engine with a 10.5 compression ratio. Would folks be satisfied that is the most robust oil Ford can think of, while still under CAFE requirements? This is directly from the 2021 Ford Super Duty owners manual.
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I didn't know there was a 0w-30 in synthetic blend.
Maybe the usual owners manual typo. I can see the marketing dept missing that one. Here’s a Mobil version: same Ford code, full synthetic.
At the same operating conditions, xW-30 will give more film thickness (MOFT) than xW-20 ... so yes, it would therefore have more protection headroom to prevent moving parts from rubbing on each other. Been that way ever since two moving parts had a layer of oil between them.
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