I need my specs...

[Jamis]

Not my glasses, but I need help understanding a couple of oil specifications. I am about to take delivery of an '08 Saturn Astra and I am pretty confused about the oil that is in the engine.

From everything I've read, the Ecotec 1.8L 2HO motor is built filled with oil that has a spec. of GM-LL-A-025. Not sure if is is a synthetic or not, but everything I can find tells me this is some sort of engine builder's specification. The Saturn owner's manual simply calls for 5W-30 oil that meets GM's standard GM6094M. I can find lots of 5W-30 oils that meet GM6094M standard, but few that meet GM-LL-A-025 standard. And they are never the same oil. Since this is the first car I will have ever owned that has an Oil Life System on board, suddenly, my 45 plus years of oil changing experience seems to be for naught.

Can anyone differentiate between specifications GM6094M and GM-LL-A-025. Is one a European, and one US? Thanks.

 

[moribundman]

And there I thought only VW had "screwy specs" [sic].

In all seriousness, your car, which really is an Opel, will come with something that is called a manual. In it, there will be a chapter, or at least a measly paragraph regarding the engine oil your engine requires. If you are lucky, GM will be frank and let you know which oil spec (probably a "screwy spec") the engine designers had in mind. If you are not so lucky, they will tell you to use, for example any API SM oil.

"Come rain or shine, API SM 5W-30 is always fine."

PS: M1 0W-40 meets GM-LL-A-025, if I remember correctly.

 

[MGregoir]

GM 6094M is a cold pumpability test in which the oil must be lower than 40,000 cP at -35 C in the MRV simulator test for a 5W-30, as far as I can tell. Usually a 5W-30, 10W-30 or in some rare cases a 5W-20 that meets API SM and ILSAC GF-4. GM brought this test back because modern low volatility oils were not pumping as well as earlier SJ oils because of the reduction in ligher components.

GM-LL-A-025 is a European specification used by Opel and Vauxhall for long life gasoline engine oils as a service fill. It is a fully synthetic oil that appears to meet an HT/HS of 3.5 and the requirements of ACEA A3.

In most cases, that would be a 0W-30, 0W-40 or 5W-40 oil. The most readily available one of these oils I can think of that would be in grade is German Castrol (Castrol Syntec 0W-30 European Formula) which may not be listed as that, but is an oil meeting that spec. It is Castrol Edge 0W-30 in Europe.

I would believe that the US oil life meter is calibrated for the former, rather than the latter, as that oil would last a long time and provide long drain intervals, but is much thicker and would hurt the CAFE to an extent, as well as availability issues.

If you are draining at reasonable intervals (7500 miles or less, on the service indicator's schedule) you really have nothing to fear using any decent 6094M 5W-30. In Europe, these cars can go as much as two years/30,000 miles between oil changes which requires a strict standard for oil quality, the shorter drain intervals make it less of an issue.

I know some Saabs required the LL-A-025 oil and GM basically said use Mobil 1 0W-40 or the dealer's oil because it was so hard to get a hold of. Your car will not be hurt by using a 6094M 5W-30 as long as you follow a reasonable service interval, because the difference in oil requirements is as much about the life of the oil as the performance.

 

[Jamis]

Alright Mac! Now that's an answer. Thanks. The Saturn Astra owner's manual calls for oil changes every 5K miles or one year. I have historically, changed oil every 3K miles in a new car until the 10K mark and then switched to a full synthetic oil for the rest of the ten years or so that I typically keep a vehicle. In the past, I have changed the synthetic oil every 10K miles. Again, none of these cars have had an OLS so, I was not sure how to treat this new one. Mobil1 0W-40 is easy to find around here and that was the first one I found that met the European spec.

 

[MGregoir]

You don't really need to run a 40 weight oil in this engine, it is just designed as padding for things like fuel dilution and shearing down over a long drain interval. Padding for worst case scenario. In European vehicles they tend to run thicker synthetic oils and what would be considered ridiculously long drains by our standards, while we run much thinner oils and change them more often. Many models specified to use synthetic 5W-40 in Europe do quite well on conventional 5W-20 in North America, but the oil change intervals might be 5,000 miles in North America and 15,000 miles in Europe.

Considering the price of oil and the service interval in the manual of 5,000 miles or one year, I would just change with Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 or Mobil 1 5W-30 on the OLM after the first couple of oil changes.

It'd be "good enough" for warranty (unless it says NO FURTHER than 5,000 miles) and it gives you an interval based on operating temperatures, fuel consumed, et cetera so it factors in your usage. The meter is there for a reason, might as well take advantage of it. As well, an oil like Platinum is cheap enough and stays in grade quite well that you could run the OLM to 0% and probably have margin to spare. Longer drains and preserve your warranty with a good value for oil, a win-win.

 

[Drivebelt]

Modern SM/GF-4 motor oils (latest specification) are "leaps-and-bounds" better than the oils we were using 20 years ago for 3k mile oil changes.

If you are going to do 5k mile oil changes, any SM rated conventional should provide excellent results. You don't need synthetics for 5k oil changes these days.

 

[MGregoir]

Conventional is not close to out of breath at 5000 miles. I was just thinking if it has an "optimistic" oil life meter that running something like Pennzoil Platinum, barely more expensive than good conventional oils if your OLM tells you to change at 9,000, you can change at 9,000 without wondering if your oil was good to 9,000.

 

[coffee]

I would definitely use Mobil 1 0w30 and be content! It would be great for that car.