Hi, I went out today and actually actively looked for gc green. I was lucky and found a good batch at my second autozone. I bought 7 quarts of it. I made sure to look at the batch numbers on the bottom and found 6 M04xxxxx, 1 M03xxxxx, and 3 or so M02xxxxx.
The 3 quarts of M02xxxxx didn't say "made in Germany", but instead "made in USA". I thought the batch number M02xxxx meant that it is gc green?
I didn't buy those bottles because I wasn't sure if the formulation is the same as the German made stuff.
First time GC Green Buyer!!!
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good my young padiwon, you have done and been taught well! Yes, those were not GC, but instead the american formulation
lol...so it definitely isn't green?
![[Smile]](images/icons/smile.gif){kind=icon}
So gold would say "made in germany" and be 0w-30? Does the batch number matter?
Pre GC: M02xxxxxx, made in USA
Green GC: M02xxxxx-M05010xxxx, made in Germany
Gold GC: M05020xxxx-M06xxxx, made in Germany
You can determine the date of manufacture by locating the fill code on the bottom of the back panel.
It is composed of a series of letters and numbers, with the first five characters being the most important.
For example, if you have M04023...., the "M" would represent the plant location.
The five digits '04023' represent the date of production.
The number 04 represents the last digit of the year (2004) and the '023' represents the day of the year, based on 365 calendar days, on which it was produced (January 23).
Therefore Lot# M040236ATW2418346 16:38
was manufactured on January 23rd of 2004.
Where in Sac have you hit? I'd just like to save some time...
I'm planning on hitting more Northern CA Autozones. Btw, don't goto Woodland; they have no green GC ![[Big Grin]](images/icons/grin.gif)
Hello everyone!! My first post!! I'm also looking to try German Castrol. I'm a loyal M1 user who wants to try something different in my GM 5.3 I've been reading and searching the forums on GC. A few questions.... What weights does it come in?? I'm looking for a 0w30 or a 5w30. Is the bottle green?? I understand that I need to look for a made in germany logo on the bottle correct??? Syntec is not GC correct???? What is the deal with the gold castrol that I'm reading about??? And finally why is gc so much better than the regular castrol synthetic???? Thanks, tom
tom,
Not to be harsh bro, but if you search a bit more you can find the answers to those questions.
GC only comes in 0W30, the bottle is black with a made in germany logo on the back. If you search around in the GC area some members have posted pics to assist you in finding the oil.
Gold GC is really the only readily available GC now a days. Some times you can find the green stuff but it is rare.
Search around and you will find more than you care to read about GC.
BOAZ
LaHoot - Welcome to the world of German Castrol 0w30 & BITOG! Just a few months ago I was just like you - pulled 6 quarts of GC 0w30 (M052xxx) off AutoZone's shelf.
Now I got almost 55 Quarts! Just don't ask some of the guys here how many quarts they have (Elf Meister = 300+).
If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
-Paul
yea, i remember when i clapped about 16 qts of green. about 13 of em at 1 AZ. I havent been able to find more since, but maybe ill get lucky here in florida.
Well just got back from AZ and scored some GC green. Got six quarts for my 5.3 Silverado. Is this oil too thin for summer use??? I usually use 5w30 M1. Also the store had about 8 more quarts on the shelf....should I go back and get it??? And finally will I notice any differences from the M1, in running, smoothness, MPG etc.??? Thanks, Tom
Too thin for summer...heck no! It's actually THICKER than M1 5W-30 (or M1 10W-30) at operating temperature. Don't get fooled by the 0W rating...that only indicates that it meets a certain cold-flow rating. GC is actually a "thick" 30-weight oil, almost a 40-weight. I use it year round here in Philly in my STi.
As for MPG loss... I have a 2.2L Ecotec Dohc 140hp. I have actually recorded a better MPG. <-- More likely because I pumped up my tires, waxed the car, etc...
Some people with 1.8L engines have claimed to get MPG loss with GC 0w30 but usually it is only 1-2MPG.
All oil is slippery - I find it difficult to believe a 10w difference is going to cause a huge MPG loss. May be possible but I haven't noticed it.
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