Higher detergent level in Valvoline 5W-20?

[MGregoir]

I was just looking at different oil specs, my parents have a Fusion with the 3.0 Duratec with variable valve timing in it. It currently has about 18,000 miles on it.

It's lightly driven, the oil is changed on a 3200 mile/6 month interval roughly as the car is not driven that much, and currently it has Quaker State 5W-20 in it.

Synthetic isn't worth it as it is garaged with a block heater when it is extremely cold, the drain intervals are based on time more than mileage, and it gets changed every 5000 km.

One thing that I found interesting looking at different oils for calcium level is Valvolne's 5W-20 is quite high, and higher than all other grades in that line. Others here have mentioned Castrol GTX being high detergent and I am just curious as to why they would do that on the 5W-20.

As well, any suggestions for a good oil? Pennzoil is most readily available off the shelf, so I am just thinking that, but Wal-Mart tends to put the Valvoline on sale most often here if we are stocking up.

 

[charbaby]

I too have noticed this. A more robust addative package in many 5W20's. I beleive that due to it's lower weight, the 5W20 needs to be a strong motor oil and that being more and more popular, the 5W20's are going to be the weight of oil that most manufactures will be recomending in their engines in the very near future as 5W30 & 10W30 have been and 10W30 & 10W40 before that. The 5W20 motor oils are and will be made from better Group II/II+ with some Group III mixed in and good add's thrown in. Just my .02

 

[Lost1]

Originally Posted By: MGregoir
One thing that I found interesting looking at different oils for calcium level is Valvolne's 5W-20 is quite high, and higher than all other grades in that line...

...Wal-Mart tends to put the Valvoline on sale most often here if we are stocking up.


This is one of the reasons I use Valvoline in my vehicles that call for 5W-20- it's good stuff & the price is right.

 

[02zx9r]

I used castrol syntec for a few oci's in my '06 fusion but then went to amsoil.

 

[Drew99GT]

Valvoline is also using Sodium in the All Climate additive package for even greater detergency. The 5w-20 has excellent cold weather specs as well for 5w.

 

[hominid7]

Originally Posted By: MGregoir
I was just looking at different oil specs, my parents have a Fusion with the 3.0 Duratec with variable valve timing in it. It currently has about 18,000 miles on it.

It's lightly driven, the oil is changed on a 3200 mile/6 month interval roughly as the car is not driven that much, and currently it has Quaker State 5W-20 in it.

Synthetic isn't worth it as it is garaged with a block heater when it is extremely cold, the drain intervals are based on time more than mileage, and it gets changed every 5000 km.

One thing that I found interesting looking at different oils for calcium level is Valvolne's 5W-20 is quite high, and higher than all other grades in that line. Others here have mentioned Castrol GTX being high detergent and I am just curious as to why they would do that on the 5W-20.

As well, any suggestions for a good oil? Pennzoil is most readily available off the shelf, so I am just thinking that, but Wal-Mart tends to put the Valvoline on sale most often here if we are stocking up.


I'm not sure which OUA or VOA you are looking at but from the ones i've read it appears that QS and Pennzoil both have as much or more calcium as Valvoline plus they also have boron and moly which valvoline does not have.

All three are very good oils, and i would not hesitate to use any of them, but i would not make my decision based only on the calcium level when there are many other factors involved.

If that were my car, I'd be tempted to just stick with Motorcraft 5w20. It may not be on sale as often, but when we are talking about 2 or 3 dollars difference in a 5 qt jug and you do 2 oil changes a year, the cost should not be a big factor.

One other point to mention, is on the canister oil filters used in the fusion 2.3, the motorcraft ones appear to be just slightly long and have a tendancy to twist out of shape when the canister is assembled. I'm not sure what the set-up is on the 3.0, but if it does use a canister you may want to do a little research and see if the problem still exist in your year car. The solution was to use WIX/Napa cartridges or buy the Mazda OEM ones, as they both fit properly.

 

[MGregoir]

It uses the standard Ford canister filter, and I was just wondering, I was only looking at data sheets and not VOAs, Valvoline is one of the few who publish calcium and sodium levels for their PCMO.

The Pennzoil specs out better for cold weather and it seems to be the only oil on the shelf in parts stores in town here, with all the consolidation in auto parts in Canada you can basically buy the same stuff everywhere except NAPA, the dealers and bulk plants.

 

[hominid7]

Valvoline does get a gold star in my book for their PDS's. Castrol gets a demerit as theirs are lacking any amount of useful information.

 

[PT1]

You will get great results with Valvoline AC & Maxlife. I have used both and if PP were not around Valvoline would be my oil of choice.

 

[MKZman]

I have skimmed the UOA area some but is any brand 5W-20 oil getting consistently less than decent used oil analysis. I see good things about MC, Pennzoil, Quaker State, Shell, Chevron, Castrol, etc. It seems thanks to the specs, etc. all the name brands are good. If so, what is something to avoid?

 

[glennc]

The only thing I can think of to avoid is paying too much thinking you're getting more, when you get equal performance from the oils you just listed (or others).

I don't think there is any substandard 5W-20, or likely any substandard SM oil at all.

 

[MKZman]

That is what I see from the posts here. It seems like the only remaining criteria is cost and noise (if one was noiser than another).

My car is a bit noisy using MC at idle but have not tried anything yet since it is fairly new...only on its first old change.