GM 3800 oil for winter?

[gtm245]

I have a 92 LeSabre with the 3800 V6 with about 84,000 miles on it and I was wondering what weight is ok to use this winter. Right now I have regular SuperTech 10W30 and a SuperTech filter on it. Im up north so it's starting to get pretty cold. It was about 8F outside this morning. It usually doesn't get below 0F more than 2-3 times up here in the winter. But it can usually be around the single digits or in the 10F - 30F range.

The manual says it's ok to use 10W30 down to 0F so am I ok with what I have now? Will the SuperTech 10W30 work just fine for the temperatures as long as I don't go below 0?

What do you guys think? Should I switch to 5W30 or stick with the 10W30 as long as I don't start it in below 0 weather?

[ December 14, 2004, 07:24 PM: Message edited by: gtm245 ]

 

[2000sunfire]

I'm in New Brunswick here and the temps in the morning have been about what you're having and last week my room mate changed his oil from 10W30 to 5W30 and we can hear his engine spinning over more freely now, mind you the 10W30 was still getting the job done. I'ld say do the 5W30 thing just to be safe.

p.s. we can't get supertech filters in Canada at our walmarts so I'm EXTREMELY jealous of you guys down south

Unless we wanna fork out like eight or nine bucks a filter it's Fram for us!

 

[DSteven]

How about upgrading to Phillips 66 Trop Artic @ $1.12/qt, which is only $.24 more per quart. It is a much higher quality oil, and also should be better for starting in the cold temps. If you use a 5w30, it is a synthetic blend!

 

[Al]

I honestly would switch to a 5W oil. You might be O.K. with Mobil 1 10w30 but why push it.

 

[Thomas Pyrek]

My family has always run 10w30 bulk in our cars, including our bonnevilles, over the winter until I started taking care of them. Since then it's been 5w30 in them.

They sure like 5w30 better than 15w40, though.

 

[gtm245]

The manual says not to use a 5W30 when it's warmer than 60F. What if I do? And why can't you use that when it's like 80F outside? Because if I could I would just use 5W30 all the time reguardless of temperature. Ya know what I mean?

 

[mzugg]

I don't think it will make a big difference at above zero temps. Yes, it will crank a bit faster, and get oil circulating a smidge faster, but I don't know that it would be worth changing for those temps. If you usually drive short distances, or with repeated starts after cooling down, you might see a fuel mileage increase from the thinner oil. And, if a stretch of -30 or -40 is a possibility in your area, I would probably change it just so I know it will start anytime I might need it to. I would let those considerations, and how close it is to needing changing anyway, be my guides.

As far as using 5w30 when it's 80 rather than 60, if it makes any real difference at all, I think it would be at the extremes of usage. If you drive flat ground, lightly loaded, and don't idle it for half an hour with the A/C at full crank, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I have pulled heavy trailers over the rockies on warm days with 5W30 in a 350 that called for 30w or 10-40 under those circumstances with zero problems.

If 80 was a hot day for me, and I didn't stress the vehicle temperature wise, I would just run 5W30 year round.

But, I don't worry as much about oil as some people do.

[ December 14, 2004, 10:23 PM: Message edited by: mzugg ]

 

[427Z06]

Keep in mind that the manual was written back when they didn't have some of the 5w30s we have today. There's quite a few API SM 5w30s that are synthetic blends now, e.g., Phillips 66 Trop Artic, Conoco, Motorcraft, that I wouldn't hesistate to use above 60F. If it was I, I'd use one of these API SM 5w30s synthetic blends year round.

 

[Shaman]

I am running Motorcraft 5w30 Syn Blend in my 3800 SC right now, with temps from 20-60 for the last months. Has no problem starting up and running at any of these temps.

 

[Ugly3]

I ran Mobil 1 5w30 in a 1990 Buick Park Avenue 3800 V6 the year around. Ran it for 110,000 miles when I sold it. Not a problem.

 

[haley10]

Hi, I have a 3800 Series II and a similar climate. With an oil like Super-Tech, I think GM has sound advice. You'd be much better off with 5w30 for about 6 months out of the year and the 10w30 for the warmest 6 months. The 5w30 at least from now through March will make cold starting much easier. Your battery and starter will like you for it.

A synthetic 0w30 or 5w30 is fine all year and a dino that meets SM/GF-4 would be fine in 5w30 all year.

Remeber that everytime you cold start with a conventional oil that some of the pour point depressants get used up. For better cold starting, I'd use the 5w30 with short oci for the Winter.

 

[Matt89]

quote:

---

But, I don't worry as much about oil as some people do.

---

Hey! Pull this guy's membership ASAP

 

[gtm245]

Would it be safe to use SuperTech 5W30 year round even during the hot summer months? I think if I don't do any starting below 0F like the manual says then the 10W30 should be ok right? But yes the 5W30 would help with cranking speed and battery life. I just don't know if going to a 5W30 would really cause the oil to circulate that much faster or lubricate better than a 10W30.

 

[Forkman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by gtm245:
Would it be safe to use SuperTech 5W30 year round even during the hot summer months?

---

Instead why not use the "new" 5w30 TropArtic as someone else has already mentioned. Its a syn-blend with from what has been said here very high quality base oils. It's also SM/GF-4, unlike the Supertech.

The TropArtic is $1.12/qt at WalMart. Why you wouldn't want to spend an extra $0.24 cents per quart to get an oil that's around 50% GrpII, meets the new standards and is a "known quantity" (unlike the Supertech) is beyond me.

Just picked myself up 13 more qts of TropArtic 5w30 yesterday. I bought out the rest of WalMart's stock just like last time I was there. $14.56 for a case (+1qt) of oil. I've got 15 total qts setting in the basement right now waiting to go into my '03 Century (3.1L), fiancee's 94 Regal (3800), and my folks '03 4.0L Jeep.

 

[edvanp]

Just changed the oil in my 3800 series II from 10w30 down to a 5w30 Blend(I blend it myself, this time with free Valvoline Durablend and Synpower). It feels "freer" when I first start out and gas mileage is up about a mile per gallon.

 

[haley10]

quote:

---

Originally posted by gtm245:
Would it be safe to use SuperTech 5W30 year round even during the hot summer months? I think if I don't do any starting below 0F like the manual says then the 10W30 should be ok right? But yes the 5W30 would help with cranking speed and battery life. I just don't know if going to a 5W30 would really cause the oil to circulate that much faster or lubricate better than a 10W30.

---

I don't see an issue here. Super-Tech and others come in the convenient 5 qt. jugs. That give you 4.5 for a change and .5 for top up. One jug per oci. So I see no inconvenience in switching grades based on seasonal difference.

The 5 qt. jugs make it a non-issue to me, but yes, I think you are safe either way. Why not be optimum?

 

[Pat in Kentuckiana]

Just to reiterate what everyone else has said, I'd go thinner in the winter too. For my '93 Caprice with 209K miles, my rule of thumb is:
5w30 for fall & winter oil changes
10w30 for spring & summer changes

Of course going synthetic would be even better, but even sticking with SuperTech 5W30 will do you better than the 10W30 in there now. I've currently got 4K-plus miles on my free Valvoline MaxLife dino

and she fired right up without a bit of struggle this morning in Indy where it was 17F.