Have you stressed out about what oil to use?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Originally Posted by AmoryBlaine
For a time I worried that the 20w50 I use in my Elantra may be too thick. However, after some thorough internet searching I found an online pdf format owners manual for my 2010, for the Australian market, in which it deemed 20w50 to be acceptable. I'm in blazing hot California, so never again did I hesitate to use 20w50.




I can assure you that Australia gets much hotter than anywhere in California with the exception of Death Valley.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by AmoryBlaine
For a time I worried that the 20w50 I use in my Elantra may be too thick. However, after some thorough internet searching I found an online pdf format owners manual for my 2010, for the Australian market, in which it deemed 20w50 to be acceptable. I'm in blazing hot California, so never again did I hesitate to use 20w50.




I can assure you that Australia gets much hotter than anywhere in California with the exception of Death Valley.


How much hotter?
 
Originally Posted by s2krunner
I never...until recently. Most of daily cars & trucks, i just used any brand name at WM and for my performance cars, i only looked for high zddp.

But after picking up my first Camaro and i have started learning more and more about oil. Dexos, SAPS, HTHS etc (still learning lol) and suddenly it starts confusing me more and more. Bought a oil and returned and keep thinking and searching etc etc and even just standing front of Oil section at WM lol.

But after spend more times here and now i have finally decided which oil to go with. (I have decided just forget Dexos and go Castrol 0W40 or M1 0W40.)



I believe you have the same engine in your Camaro that I have in my Corvette and I'm not keen on the idea of using either Castrol 0w40 or M1 0w40 in there, especially while under warranty. But even beyond that, my worry is that both of those oils have too high of a sulfated ash level for our direct injected engines. That's one of the reasons I chose to go with the dexos2 ESP Formula 5w30 in mine, it has a very low sulfated ash level of 0.6%, plus it's Noack value is very low too. I want to keep my Corvette a very long time and I feel in the long run this oil (and other dexos2 5w30s or 0w40s like it) will keep this DI engine much cleaner inside.
 
I have trust and faith in the scientists that formulate oil and oil specs and the engine engineers that anything that's important is specified. I don't try to out think them. Just use the recommended oil and enjoy your car.
 
Originally Posted by Patman
Originally Posted by s2krunner
I never...until recently. Most of daily cars & trucks, i just used any brand name at WM and for my performance cars, i only looked for high zddp.

But after picking up my first Camaro and i have started learning more and more about oil. Dexos, SAPS, HTHS etc (still learning lol) and suddenly it starts confusing me more and more. Bought a oil and returned and keep thinking and searching etc etc and even just standing front of Oil section at WM lol.

But after spend more times here and now i have finally decided which oil to go with. (I have decided just forget Dexos and go Castrol 0W40 or M1 0W40.)



I believe you have the same engine in your Camaro that I have in my Corvette and I'm not keen on the idea of using either Castrol 0w40 or M1 0w40 in there, especially while under warranty. But even beyond that, my worry is that both of those oils have too high of a sulfated ash level for our direct injected engines. That's one of the reasons I chose to go with the dexos2 ESP Formula 5w30 in mine, it has a very low sulfated ash level of 0.6%, plus it's Noack value is very low too. I want to keep my Corvette a very long time and I feel in the long run this oil (and other dexos2 5w30s or 0w40s like it) will keep this DI engine much cleaner inside.


Yes, you gave me an advice before. Im not too much worry about carbon build up since i have added catch can. I will take a car to race once a while plus how hot it gets in summer in TX...I think 0w40 fits much better all year around for me since i do not much worry about warranty at this moment.
 
Originally Posted by AmoryBlaine
For a time I worried that the 20w50 I use in my Elantra may be too thick. However, after some thorough internet searching I found an online pdf format owners manual for my 2010, for the Australian market, in which it deemed 20w50 to be acceptable. I'm in blazing hot California, so never again did I hesitate to use 20w50.


Originally Posted by SureshR
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
10W40 is thick enough for any place in the south-mainland USA. Just because 20-50 is allowed, doesn't mean it works best for that engine.
What prompted using such a thick oil? Surely a reason behind it - being the Honda only sees 5w20 and Australia uses thicker for Hondas.


The last time I owned a Honda sedan - 2014 - the original guidance was a 5w40 a3/b4 every year or 10k kilometers. A year or two later I got told low viscosity Idemitsu 0w20 every six months. Increased fuel economy they say. The weather in my city (the deep south of India) goes to 110F in the shade in summers, and a pleasant winter even G is like high 60s / mid 70s. The engine sounded harsh with the 0w20 so I moved right back to 5w40. The Oz outback and desert sees much higher heat levels and also dust / dirt so..


20w50 is too thick for daily uses imo. Here in TX, we also gets pretty hot in summer. I know high whp guys runs VR1 20w50 but most time 5w40 works for daily and some track funs. But just regular daily cars here, they all have no issue following OM spec.
 
Catch can? It's the oil that slips past the rings that causes problems. Catch can may keep intake valves clean. The verdict is still out on catch cans.
 
Originally Posted by s2krunner
Originally Posted by AmoryBlaine
For a time I worried that the 20w50 I use in my Elantra may be too thick. However, after some thorough internet searching I found an online pdf format owners manual for my 2010, for the Australian market, in which it deemed 20w50 to be acceptable. I'm in blazing hot California, so never again did I hesitate to use 20w50.


Originally Posted by SureshR
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
10W40 is thick enough for any place in the south-mainland USA. Just because 20-50 is allowed, doesn't mean it works best for that engine.
What prompted using such a thick oil? Surely a reason behind it - being the Honda only sees 5w20 and Australia uses thicker for Hondas.


The last time I owned a Honda sedan - 2014 - the original guidance was a 5w40 a3/b4 every year or 10k kilometers. A year or two later I got told low viscosity Idemitsu 0w20 every six months. Increased fuel economy they say. The weather in my city (the deep south of India) goes to 110F in the shade in summers, and a pleasant winter even G is like high 60s / mid 70s. The engine sounded harsh with the 0w20 so I moved right back to 5w40. The Oz outback and desert sees much higher heat levels and also dust / dirt so..


20w50 is too thick for daily uses imo. Here in TX, we also gets pretty hot in summer. I know high whp guys runs VR1 20w50 but most time 5w40 works for daily and some track funs. But just regular daily cars here, they all have no issue following OM spec.


Perhaps I will give a 5w40 or 10w40 a try on next oil change. I once tried some 5w-20, but it didn't sound right, and there was a tiny amount of oil in one of the spark plug wells. Going back to the 20w50, this solved both issues.
 
Originally Posted by ka9mnx
Catch can? It's the oil that slips past the rings that causes problems. Catch can may keep intake valves clean. The verdict is still out on catch cans.


Are you talking about LSPI?
 
LSPI, generally, occurs with fuel that becomes trapped between the top piston ring and the top of the piston. Oil alone does not cause LSPI but can contribute to it. In a DI engine the oil that comes in through the PCV generally does not make it to that area. The verdict is still out on causes of LSPI also. That is why GF6 testing is taking so long. There are manufacturers that have tried catch cans on new cars but it is not wide spread. It hasen't been determined if that gooey mess you drain out of the catch can is harmful or helpful to the engine. Engines have been running PCV's since 1967. I see the return of EGR which, with major upgrades from the original design, eliminated engine pinging.
 
Who cares about Australia? I thought the vehicle will be driven here stateside?
Why use 20-50 here in an Elantra? Never read anyone else here doing the same, for Hyundais driven here in mainland USA.

If Australians want to use 20-50, good for them. No kangaroos running around loose in USA.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Who cares about Australia? I thought the vehicle will be driven here stateside?
Why use 20-50 here in an Elantra? Never read anyone else here doing the same, for Hyundais driven here in mainland USA.

If Australians want to use 20-50, good for them. No kangaroos running around loose in USA.

It happens from time to time. This was in the Cleveland area:

[Linked Image]
 
Originally Posted by ka9mnx
LSPI, generally, occurs with fuel that becomes trapped between the top piston ring and the top of the piston. Oil alone does not cause LSPI but can contribute to it. In a DI engine the oil that comes in through the PCV generally does not make it to that area. The verdict is still out on causes of LSPI also. That is why GF6 testing is taking so long. There are manufacturers that have tried catch cans on new cars but it is not wide spread. It hasen't been determined if that gooey mess you drain out of the catch can is harmful or helpful to the engine. Engines have been running PCV's since 1967. I see the return of EGR which, with major upgrades from the original design, eliminated engine pinging.


LSPI isnt issue with N/A engine.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Who cares about Australia? I thought the vehicle will be driven here stateside?
Why use 20-50 here in an Elantra? Never read anyone else here doing the same, for Hyundais driven here in mainland USA.

If Australians want to use 20-50, good for them. No kangaroos running around loose in USA.


You're cool triple 7. Witty too, and charming.
 
hahahaha...... only in Ohio.
We Michiganders love to chuckle & razz our neighbor to the South.
It's been a great rivalry..... dates back to at least Bo Schembechler vs Woody Hayes in the late 60s.
 
Not really...its motor oil. As long as it meets the specs/approvals it's fine. The minutia that's argued here isn't worth stressing over. The rest of your car will fall apart way before your engine does. My VWs are easy...#502.004lyfe
 
Last edited:
Briefly when I got my fusion. Then I learned that for a commuter vehicle it doesn't matter. I ran 5w-20 for the first 100k or so. She started burning oil about a qt every 3k, I moved up to 5w-30 to slow consumption, then I relocated to FL so I switched to M1 HM 10w-30 which is a non-ILSAC oil with HTHS of 3.5.

Engine doesn't care what's in it as long as it has oil.

Xw-20, Xw-30 for a daily driver
Xw-40 for high performance and/or track use

Peak oil temps dictate how much viscosity is needed, if you're interested in digging into the minutiae.
 
Originally Posted by ka9mnx
... Engines have been running PCV's since 1967. ...
Earlier than that on many US cars. My parents' 1964 Buick had PCV, and it was in cars a year or so earlier than that in California (for good reason). However, neither my '72 Subaru nor my brother's '74 VW Dasher had a true PCV system---just crude venting of blowby to the intake, with no provision for intake of fresh air into the crankcase.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by SilverFusion2010
Briefly when I got my fusion. Then I learned that for a commuter vehicle it doesn't matter. I ran 5w-20 for the first 100k or so. She started burning oil about a qt every 3k, I moved up to 5w-30 to slow consumption, then I relocated to FL so I switched to M1 HM 10w-30 which is a non-ILSAC oil with HTHS of 3.5.

Engine doesn't care what's in it as long as it has oil.

Xw-20, Xw-30 for a daily driver
Xw-40 for high performance and/or track use

Peak oil temps dictate how much viscosity is needed, if you're interested in digging into the minutiae.


You're being intolerably reasonable, but you're right. Still, for my money, it's 20 dubya 50 all day long. Its never let me down.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

G
I don't stress about oil brand or grade
2 3 4
Replies
61
Views
5K
kschachn
burbguy82
GM 0w-40, Super Tech 0w-40, M1FS 0w-40, and Supercar.
2 3
Replies
57
Views
4K
We're Metals
B
Mobil 1 0w-40 - Supercar or FS?
2 3
Replies
51
Views
10K
OVERKILL
S
What's wrong with this Canada Tire synthetic oil (it's being cleared out) ?
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
Revving2Redline
Nuclear_42
L84 5.3 DFM GM Oil Choices
2
Replies
28
Views
4K
z71offroader83
Back
Top Bottom