GC-- Cold Starts and Short Trips

[Falcon147]

Hey all..

We own a 94 miata. I was running M1 5w-30 for quite sometime. I have changed to GC 0W-30 due to soo many recomendations that it was an excellent oil and that it was a heavy weight 30 almost a 40 when HOT. anyways I have found it to be an excellent oil its been in the engine for about 5000kkms now. For the last 2-3 month it has been driven 10 Short trips a week too and from work about 2-3kms. It is a daily driver so it does strech its legs out in the evenings and on weekends ofcourse

When do you guys think I should be changing this oil as winter is approacing and I will be forced to drive it in our COLD temps. I have always changed my oil at 6-7 kkms (synthetics and the car dosent burn a drop

Thanks

 

[Patman]

Try and time it so you do an oil change right before the real cold weather arrives here, so do it in November sometime. Then run that batch through until April or May. You'd probably be safe to just do those two oil changes per year, but it might be a good idea to get an oil analysis done just to confirm it.

(hey look, this is post number 12345 for me)

 

[Shannow]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
(hey look, this is post number 12345 for me)

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Congrats Patman.

Looking forward to 54321

 

[buster]

quote:

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Looking forward to 54321

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**** your 7k posts ahead of me!


I agree with Patman's advice. I'll be doing a change around November just before winter.

 

[Gene K]

If you really want to be anal you could run the Winter Oil November 1 thru April 1. This would allow you to run the winter oil 5 months and the summer oil 7 months since winter is harder on the oil.

Gene

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

I think I've figured out how to substantially increase one's post count here at BITOG: just reply to every post where Buster replies to Patman. I should be at 5K in to time!

 

[Falcon147]

Thanks for the replies

Ill change it in Nov just to be safe then in the spring

I better stock up on the oil (are they running out?)

 

[MMX]

quote:

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Originally posted by Falcon147:
Thanks for the replies

Ill change it in Nov just to be safe then in the spring

I better stock up on the oil (are they running out?)

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There are lots of GC at a few Walmart's I've been to. Too bad the price has increased from CAN$6.66 to CAN$7.12 per litre...

 

[Falcon147]

GRR 7:12

BUMS

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gene K:
If you really want to be anal you could run the Winter Oil November 1 thru April 1. This would allow you to run the winter oil 5 months and the summer oil 7 months since winter is harder on the oil.

Gene

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That's a good idea actually, and is basically what I'm doing with my wife's car.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Falcon147:
Thanks for the replies

Ill change it in Nov just to be safe then in the spring

I better stock up on the oil (are they running out?)

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It doesn't appear to be running out up here just yet. I've noticed a lot more Canadian Tires now stock it (every one of the ones lately I've checked actually), where before only a small number of them did. And the CT stores seem to get all the latest batch numbers too. My local Walmart doesn't seem to be running low either, just when I think they aren't going to get in any more, then they fill the shelves completely up with it.

But just to be safe, I'm now buying 2 bottles per week instead of just one. I'm up to 56L, but will be using up a lot of it soon since I'll be doing an oil change in my Corvette and in my wife's Honda and my father will need some in about a month for his car too.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Falcon147:
GRR 7:12

BUMS

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It's $6.99 at CT now, but it might go up in price soon, so stock up at this price while you can.

 

[element]

Winter harder on oil than summer.

In Southern California, I imagine the hot summer is harder on the oil than the mild so called 'winter'. After all we rarely see temperature in the 30's here in Southern California, especially if the car is garaged.

Would this be an accurate assessment? If so, then would you foresee a May 1 - Oct 1 oil changes (5 summer months vs 7 winter months)?

 

[Gene K]

I thought California had two seasons.... Rainy and Dry... I didn't know they had Summer and Winter too...

Actually that might not be a bad idea for San Diego type weather...

Gene

 

[element]

rainy is not how locals describe southern california. would be nice to get more rain, thus more water.

 

[Palut]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gene K:
I thought California had two seasons.... Rainy and Dry... I didn't know they had Summer and Winter too...

Actually that might not be a bad idea for San Diego type weather...

Gene

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You're confusing Washington and California. We have rain and construction. That's about it.

 

[Audioquest]

quote:

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There are lots of GC at a few Walmart's I've been to. Too bad the price has increased from CAN$6.66 to CAN$7.12 per litre...

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Be careful at Canadian Walmarts. I know here in London, the Walmart in White Oaks stocks the yellow label 0W30 and the one in Argyle stocks GC. Weird...