Going back to 0w-20 for the winter

[CKN]

Agreed

Well....unlike many on here I don't try to out guess the engineers that designed the truck. In addition-the truck was certified at the time of purchase and has a 100,000 mile power train warranty. If you follow my posts at all-I do a ALOT of high altitude towing. Previous trucks that spec'ed the same oil never blew up.

An educated guess is that I have towed an accumulated 30,000 miles -most which running what most call "thin oils". Most in 5.3's running 0w/20.

 

[4WD]

Well....unlike many on here I don't try to out guess the engineers that designed the truck. In addition-the truck was certified at the time of purchase and has a 100,000 mile power train warranty. If you follow my posts at all-I do a ALOT of high altitude towing. Previous trucks that spec'ed the same oil never blew up.

An educated guess is that I have towed an accumulated 30,000 miles -most which running what most call "thin oils". Most in 5.3's running 0w/20.

The L83/L84 has a very stiff and concentric lower end (6 bolt) - and oil jets/coolers were added to control temperature …
The AFM/DFM concerns me some - but one of our engineers is well past 200k on M1 AFE (0W20) with zero issues …

 

[oil pan 4]

Well....unlike many on here I don't try to out guess the engineers that designed the truck. In addition-the truck was certified at the time of purchase and has a 100,000 mile power train warranty. If you follow my posts at all-I do a ALOT of high altitude towing. Previous trucks that spec'ed the same oil never blew up.

An educated guess is that I have towed an accumulated 30,000 miles -most which running what most call "thin oils". Most in 5.3's running 0w/20.

It's not the engineers. It's the bean counters trying to get that cafe number as absolutely low as possible with out having to recall a million engines.....

 

[dbias]

It's the bean counters trying to get that cafe number as absolutely low as possible with out having to recall a million engines...

But they just did lol

 

[oil pan 4]

It's the bean counters trying to get that cafe number as absolutely low as possible with out having to recall a million engines...

But they jut did

I bet they could have hid it well enough with 30wt to avoid the nearly 7 figure engine recall.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Their using the 20W due to CAFE / gas mileage / etc. Every manufacturer has to meet CAFE standards , weight standards, emissions standards, mileage standards. That's why all these new cars are like beer cans. You lean on them, and now you have a dent to look at.

 

[CKN]

It's the bean counters trying to get that cafe number as absolutely low as possible with out having to recall a million engines...

But they just did lol

Be more specific, I know what you are talking about-but I don't like "hit and run" posts.

 

[CKN]

Their using the 20W due to CAFE / gas mileage / etc. Every manufacturer has to meet CAFE standards , weight standards, emissions standards, mileage standards. That's why all these new cars are like beer cans. You lean on them, and now you have a dent to look at.

What year beater do you drive?

 

[50yr Street Mech]

CKN, My beaters are old. Sill have some metal on the body. 03' Solara / 4cyl / 5W30 --- 06' Camry / 4cyl / 5W30 --- 13' CRV / 4cyl / 0W20. My moms cars is new. 2024 Toyota Cross / 0W16 / Tin Can / She hates it. She's scared she may dent it with her shopping bags. Paper thin skin on it.

 

[rondhol]

Body of the car does not need to be tick, it is thr frame that need to be stronger and pass small overlap crashes.
Older heavy thick cars are not as good as newer cars in crashes. They put metals on not so important place, just added weight.
I like that some newer cars even use aluminum plate on the trunk, hood and probably door skins.
The same true also with thinner and thinner oil like 0w8. 0w20 is a normal oil that can deal with a good turbo engines, not crappy engines..

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Well, mom is old, and old school. 85 yrs old. Can't teach an old dog new tricks . She likes a heavy metal body. I said " Ma, they no make them like that no more" She says " Frigging P.O.S. "..." Plastic everywhere !!!!! " I just laugh

 

[Urshurak776]

Doubt it will make much difference. I would stick wih a 0W-30 year round.

 

[D1dad]

I'm an hour and half, give or take from you and originally from Flat Rock, so essentially the same weather. I probably take the same I75 route that you do as well going to FL. I'm doing something similar but am running 5w20 from June through Oct and switching back to 0w for the winter. I know, I know, 5weight will start at -40 and all that. I can still tell a big difference between a 0 and a 5 at minus 10.

 

[oil pan 4]

Be more specific, I know what you are talking about-but I don't like "hit and run" posts.

Did you not hear about gm recalling a million engines that were all speced to run 20wt and the fix is to run 40wt and change the oil cap to "0w-40"?
Assuming the engine isn't already toast.

 

[oil pan 4]

I'm an hour and half, give or take from you and originally from Flat Rock, so essentially the same weather. I probably take the same I75 route that you do as well going to FL. I'm doing something similar but am running 5w20 from June through Oct and switching back to 0w for the winter. I know, I know, 5weight will start at -40 and all that. I can still tell a big difference between a 0 and a 5 at minus 10.

I go by a jeep service bulletin that boiled down to make sure you don't use oil that gets thicker than 6,000cP at your coldest temperature expectations.
That's probably around -20f here. If it gets that cold I'm not going anywhere except to the wood pile with my wagon.

 

[CKN]

Did you not hear about gm recalling a million engines that were all speced to run 20wt and the fix is to run 40wt and change the oil cap to "0w-40"?
Assuming the engine isn't already toast.

It's not the oil that's the issue-it's engineering defects in the motor. It's not a "fix"-simply a band aid.
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/0...all-doesnt-apply-to-2025-model-year-vehicles/

 

[AZjeff]

Their using the 20W due to CAFE / gas mileage / etc. Every manufacturer has to meet CAFE standards , weight standards, emissions standards, mileage standards. That's why all these new cars are like beer cans. You lean on them, and now you have a dent to look at.

2006 4 cyl Camry 3100 lb curb weight 25 mpg, 2025 4 cyl Camry 3500 lb curb weight, 47 mpg. Maybe the sheet metal is thinner, IDK, but what would that have to do with CAFE when the new car is 400 lbs heavier than your 06 and gets 22 mpg more? Agree about the -20W now -16W oil use for CAFE of course. (Edmunds.com source of info.)

 

[football]

Does the manual really recommend using 20wt for pulling huge trailers up mountains in summer?
I'd bet it does not.

There is a GREAT Ford video on YouTube where they ran a turbo ecoboost truck towing a trailer around a super speedway ( maybe Daytona?) at full throttle for like 24 hours straight. The turbos were glowing the entire time. In the crankcase? Regular motorcraft semi synthetic 5W20. No issues, no damage. Oil handled it just fine.