is 0w30 ok for summer towing use

[2003f7]

I tow a 24' fifth wheel camper with a 2004 1/2 ton silverado with a 5.3 V8. I normally use M1 or RP 5w30 but I have some M1 0w30 I was saving for winter. Would this be ok to use in summer?

 

[Zhukov]

All the 0W is gonna do is get the oil moving faster. Once it's hot, it's a 30 weight just like any of the other brands you were running.

 

[ZZman]

Of course....especially since it is synthetic.

 

[Bowser]

I can't speak for M1, but I use the more sturdy GC (Castrol Syntec 0W30 Euro) in my GM trucks all year around with UOA's to backup great wear numbers. My G/F drives a '02 Silverado and hauls a horse trailer everywhere in the summer months while using GC and PureOne filter. She's hard on the truck but oil always looks good at oil change. GC is a stout 30 weight that was developed and spec'd for Mercedes Benz and is a SL rated oil. If your Silverado is on warranty it requires the reduced additive package of the current SM GF4 oils on the market to comply with lower burnoff, CAFE, and reduced ash catalytic converter requirements.

 

[bmwtechguy]

Just because an oil is synthetic does not make it a better oil for the projected use it will see. My personal opinion is to save that oil for the winter and get some M1 10W-30 HM for this oil change. The anti-wear additives will be much higher for the hot, towing season, when these additives will come into play more. And the higher viscosity of the HM 10W-30 can only help in this situation as well.. does not matter if your engine is a "high mileage" engine yet or not. A 24ft. trailer is no small potato! Your engine will benefit long term from the beefier oil.

 

[2003f7]

The truck has 57,000 miles on it and the camper weighs about 5500lbs unloaded.

 

[ZZman]

The truck probably calls for a 5-30 normally so a 0-30 would not be that far off. Plus it being a Syn oil means it handles the stress and heat better than a dino oil would. Would there be better choices for an oil...sure. But is he O.K to use this oil.....Yes.

 

[bmwtechguy]

GC or M1 10W-30 HM. I just picked up some M1 racing oil 0W-30 at AA on the clearance rack for $3/qt. This oil would be good as well, IMO due to the elevated levels of ZDDP, etc. None of these oils I mentioned are API SM, but not sure yours requires SM? Just SL? If you want API SM then the best retail oils I know there are PP or Valvoline Syn. I would use 10W-30 in summer.

 

[GMBoy]

 Originally Posted By: bmwtechguy

Just because an oil is synthetic does not make it a better oil for the projected use it will see. My personal opinion is to save that oil for the winter and get some M1 10W-30 HM for this oil change. The anti-wear additives will be much higher for the hot, towing season, when these additives will come into play more. And the higher viscosity of the HM 10W-30 can only help in this situation as well.. does not matter if your engine is a "high mileage" engine yet or not. A 24ft. trailer is no small potato! Your engine will benefit long term from the beefier oil.

I agree with you accept I'd use the regular Mobil 1 10W/30 because the poster's truck is under 60,000 miles. I also tow horse and RV trailers with my Sierra Denali (6.0V8) and use 10W/30 in the summer and 5W/30 in the winter. Just makes ME feel good.

 

[AEHaas]

0W-30, 5W-30 and 10W-30 are all 30 grades oils at operating temperature. These may help some understand viscosity, the first one is more complete: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item#faq_haas_articles http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=259902#Post259902 aehaas

 

[el_zorro]

Good advise from bmwtechguy. 0W-30 would work in the summer but if I were towing, I would use a 10W-30 sync. 10W-30 is tough stuff. Bowser, I know that GC doesnt meet the energy conserving spec, but I was not aware that it had anything in there that would screw up a US catalytic converter. Actually from the UOA/VOAs on GC and since it is PAO based it seems to rely less on additives and more on its base for its strength. PAO based shouldnt hurt a catalyt converter to my knowledge.

 

[Audi Junkie]

The 30 weight oil that is referenced for American and Asian cars is a light 30 and perform similarly under load. You can up that visc a hair, still staying in the 30 weight range with a "Euro" 30, like GC or MaxLife Synth. There are a few others too, like Mobil 1 Hi-Miles 10w-30. I have to also mention Mobil 1 0w-40, that is a light 40 which shears down to a thick 30. GC is the fav here.

 

[JAG]

If I was itching to use up some M1 0W-30 in this application, I'd probably mix a quart of M1 15W-50 into it. The HTHS viscosity of M1 0W-30 is as low as it gets for 30 grade oils: 2.9 cP.

 

[440Magnum]

 Originally Posted By: bmwtechguy

Just because an oil is synthetic does not make it a better oil for the projected use it will see. My personal opinion is to save that oil for the winter and get some M1 10W-30 HM for this oil change. The anti-wear additives will be much higher for the hot, towing season, when these additives will come into play more. And the higher viscosity of the HM 10W-30 can only help in this situation as well.. does not matter if your engine is a "high mileage" engine yet or not. A 24ft. trailer is no small potato! Your engine will benefit long term from the beefier oil.

10w30 is NOT THICKER than 0w30 at 100C (212F) where the specification benchmark is done. As the temperature goes higher than that, the 0w30 may actually retain viscosity better because it will have a higher VI (and is typically a better base oil). You may be right about the add pack, but frankly everything I've been reading lately indicates that the 0w30s and 5w20s are some of the best oils out there. Better base oils, good addpacks. Great UOAs... You might also consider an HDEO in 5w40, like Rotella T syn, Mobil 1 TDT, etc.

 

[BuickGN]

 Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

 Originally Posted By: bmwtechguy

Just because an oil is synthetic does not make it a better oil for the projected use it will see. My personal opinion is to save that oil for the winter and get some M1 10W-30 HM for this oil change. The anti-wear additives will be much higher for the hot, towing season, when these additives will come into play more. And the higher viscosity of the HM 10W-30 can only help in this situation as well.. does not matter if your engine is a "high mileage" engine yet or not. A 24ft. trailer is no small potato! Your engine will benefit long term from the beefier oil.

10w30 is NOT THICKER than 0w30 at 100C (212F) where the specification benchmark is done. As the temperature goes higher than that, the 0w30 may actually retain viscosity better because it will have a higher VI (and is typically a better base oil). You may be right about the add pack, but frankly everything I've been reading lately indicates that the 0w30s and 5w20s are some of the best oils out there. Better base oils, good addpacks. Great UOAs... You might also consider an HDEO in 5w40, like Rotella T syn, Mobil 1 TDT, etc.

It may or may not be thicker at 100c depending on the particular oil. A 10w-30 is less likely to have VIIs or as much VII as a 0w-30, of course exceptions do apply. Given the choice, I would much prefer the straight 30wt synthetic oils for severe service. Why exactly is a 0w needed for 90% of our climates?

 

[il_signore97]

 Originally Posted By: 440Magnum

10w30 is NOT THICKER than 0w30 at 100C (212F) where the specification benchmark is done. As the temperature goes higher than that, the 0w30 may actually retain viscosity better because it will have a higher VI (and is typically a better base oil). You may be right about the add pack, but frankly everything I've been reading lately indicates that the 0w30s and 5w20s are some of the best oils out there. Better base oils, good addpacks. Great UOAs... You might also consider an HDEO in 5w40, like Rotella T syn, Mobil 1 TDT, etc.

It is not correct to say that 10W30 is or is not thicker than 0W30 at 100C. That totally depends on the properties of an individual oil. Also, there seems to be confusion about VII's and that a multi-grade oil may actually be thicker than a straight grade above 100C. This may or may NOT be true, again, depending on the particular oils involved. It is not correct to generalize here. Yes, a multi-grade oil such as a 0W30 will have a much higher viscosity index than a straight 30. However, viscosity index is only measured by using two points, 40C and 100C. This is the exact area where a multi-grade oil will behave as non-newtonian. This means that viscosity index is really a misnomer for multi-grade oils above 100C and below 40C. It is not correct to use viscosity index to extrapolate viscosities on multi-grade oils above 100C or below 40C because we don't know where those oils begin to behave as newtonian again. The VII's in those oils are only effective to reduce thinning between a minimum and maximum temperature. Once they are fully uncoiled, they do not add any further apparent resistance to thinning as temps increase. That said, I agree with BuickGN. Go with a stouter oil for towing and severe use. Just to qualify: The 0W30 will work fine, but another oil may work better. Save the 0W30 for the winter. In any case, it will not go to waste. Engine protection is complicated, with many many parameters to account for, and thus does not only hinge on viscosity at 100C!

 

[PT1]

Me? I would go t WM and get some 5w30 QTP or QHP on closeout with the $10 rebate and save that oil for Winter. You can get the QS rebate form in the Product Sale rebate section at the bottom. QHP sells for $18-10= $8 for 5 qts of synthetic.