Merkava, I would love to go one grade up this summer but I failed Oil as a second language and have to take summer classes to pass it so I'll be stuck in the same grade this summer unfortunately.
Is anyone going one grade up for the summer?
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Originally Posted By: The Critic
Automakers visit parts of Arizona and California during the summertime(when temperatures are well above 100F on a daily basis) to conduct the hot weather testing as part of their validation testing. They conduct such testing as they anticipate their customers operating their vehicles under such conditions, so they want their engine oil recommendations to be up to the task.
So, why would it be necessary to increase your oil viscosity for the summer if the automaker has already done the testing to prove that the recommended grade is fine for such conditions?
I completely agree! Car makers often test their vehicles in Death Valley, which has some of the highest temps in the country.
Whatever the automaker calls for is what I run. My wife's Camry calls for 5W-30, so does my Ford van w/ 4.0 engine (just turned over 200K miles). The van has made NUMEROUS trips to Arizona in the summertime with both a/c units running, as well as many trips up to the Fresno area from San Diego, which involves going over the Grapevine!
My (new to me) Grand Marquis calls for 5W-20 and that's what I changed to today. My soon to be gone Chevy Trailblazer calls for 5W-30 and that's all I've ever used in it.
Automakers visit parts of Arizona and California during the summertime(when temperatures are well above 100F on a daily basis) to conduct the hot weather testing as part of their validation testing. They conduct such testing as they anticipate their customers operating their vehicles under such conditions, so they want their engine oil recommendations to be up to the task.
So, why would it be necessary to increase your oil viscosity for the summer if the automaker has already done the testing to prove that the recommended grade is fine for such conditions?
I completely agree! Car makers often test their vehicles in Death Valley, which has some of the highest temps in the country.
Whatever the automaker calls for is what I run. My wife's Camry calls for 5W-30, so does my Ford van w/ 4.0 engine (just turned over 200K miles). The van has made NUMEROUS trips to Arizona in the summertime with both a/c units running, as well as many trips up to the Fresno area from San Diego, which involves going over the Grapevine!
My (new to me) Grand Marquis calls for 5W-20 and that's what I changed to today. My soon to be gone Chevy Trailblazer calls for 5W-30 and that's all I've ever used in it.
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Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Automakers visit parts of Arizona and California during the summertime(when temperatures are well above 100F on a daily basis) to conduct the hot weather testing as part of their validation testing. They conduct such testing as they anticipate their customers operating their vehicles under such conditions, so they want their engine oil recommendations to be up to the task.
So, why would it be necessary to increase your oil viscosity for the summer if the automaker has already done the testing to prove that the recommended grade is fine for such conditions?
I completely agree. Car makers often test their vehicles in Death Valley, which has some of the highest temps in the country.
Whatever the automaker calls for is what I run. My wife's Camry calls for 5W-30, so does my Ford van w/ 4.0 engine (just turned over 200K miles). The van has made NUMEROUS trips to Arizona in the summertime with both a/c units running, as well as many trips up to the Fresno area, which involves going over the Grapevine!
My (new to me) Grand Marquis calls for 5W-20 and that's what I changed to today. My soon to be gone Chevy Trailblazer calls for 5W-30 and that's all I've ever used in it.
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Automakers visit parts of Arizona and California during the summertime(when temperatures are well above 100F on a daily basis) to conduct the hot weather testing as part of their validation testing. They conduct such testing as they anticipate their customers operating their vehicles under such conditions, so they want their engine oil recommendations to be up to the task.
So, why would it be necessary to increase your oil viscosity for the summer if the automaker has already done the testing to prove that the recommended grade is fine for such conditions?
I completely agree. Car makers often test their vehicles in Death Valley, which has some of the highest temps in the country.
Whatever the automaker calls for is what I run. My wife's Camry calls for 5W-30, so does my Ford van w/ 4.0 engine (just turned over 200K miles). The van has made NUMEROUS trips to Arizona in the summertime with both a/c units running, as well as many trips up to the Fresno area, which involves going over the Grapevine!
My (new to me) Grand Marquis calls for 5W-20 and that's what I changed to today. My soon to be gone Chevy Trailblazer calls for 5W-30 and that's all I've ever used in it.
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
Originally Posted By: XS650
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: XS650
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
What kind of engineer and where is he driving his car?
Originally Posted By: XS650
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
What kind of engineer and where is he driving his car?
Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: XS650
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
What kind of engineer and where is he driving his car?
He was an engine designer/engineer in MI.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: XS650
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
What kind of engineer and where is he driving his car?
He was an engine designer/engineer in MI.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: XS650
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
What kind of engineer and where is he driving his car?
He was an engine designer/engineer in MI.
Ask him what he would use in his personal car driving it hard in 110F desert weather.
Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: XS650
Unless you actually talk to the engineers designing the engines and running the tests, all you learn from the manufacturers recommendation is what they think the one size fits all viscosity , including fuel economy ratings is.
What would be useful information would be knowing what the desert test engineers use in their personal vehicles.
The GM engineer that I talked to stated that he only uses conventional 5w-30 in his cars that do not require synthetic oil, and Mobil 1 in those that do.
What kind of engineer and where is he driving his car?
He was an engine designer/engineer in MI.
Ask him what he would use in his personal car driving it hard in 110F desert weather.
Originally Posted By: XS650
Ask him what he would use in his personal car driving it hard in 110F desert weather.
Probably the same stuff. He told me that his oil choice wouldn't change even if he lived in a climate where it was constantly well below 0F.
Ask him what he would use in his personal car driving it hard in 110F desert weather.
Probably the same stuff. He told me that his oil choice wouldn't change even if he lived in a climate where it was constantly well below 0F.
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Check out the temp...
Yes, very hot, but the engine temp gauge does not look too high. If you drive a lot, why not get Redline oil in the specified grade for your car? Redline will handle the heat.
Another option is a 10w30 or a straight 30.
Umm... they are both 30 weights at operating temperature so I don't get why a 10w30 would be of any benefit.
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Check out the temp...
Yes, very hot, but the engine temp gauge does not look too high. If you drive a lot, why not get Redline oil in the specified grade for your car? Redline will handle the heat.
Another option is a 10w30 or a straight 30.
Umm... they are both 30 weights at operating temperature so I don't get why a 10w30 would be of any benefit.
Originally Posted By: BlazerLT
Umm... they are both 30 weights at operating temperature so I don't get why a 10w30 would be of any benefit.
If you educate yourself on the matter, you should see why.
Umm... they are both 30 weights at operating temperature so I don't get why a 10w30 would be of any benefit.
If you educate yourself on the matter, you should see why.
Like I said, going DOWN a grade in winter makes more sense than going UP a grade in summer.
I went from Maxima Ultra 0w30 to Brad Penn 0w30 in our Honda, as I still wanted synthetic components in my oil, and reduce to a normal brand (yep, your eyes reading that statement didn't deceive you), priced oil.
Brad Penn doesn't make a semi-synthetic 5w20 or 0w20, just 0w30 in their Grade 1 line, and Maxima's oil was essentially a heavy 20 weight in the cST department anyway.
So did I go up a little bit, yes. Am I worried about the .1 to .3 GPM I'll probably lose, I guess I should, but my driving has been limited by gasoline prices so it really won't make a difference, as the Pilot is lucky to see 100 miles in a week anymore, and I only fire up the Dodge once per week, just to get the oil circulated one time.
Brad Penn doesn't make a semi-synthetic 5w20 or 0w20, just 0w30 in their Grade 1 line, and Maxima's oil was essentially a heavy 20 weight in the cST department anyway.
So did I go up a little bit, yes. Am I worried about the .1 to .3 GPM I'll probably lose, I guess I should, but my driving has been limited by gasoline prices so it really won't make a difference, as the Pilot is lucky to see 100 miles in a week anymore, and I only fire up the Dodge once per week, just to get the oil circulated one time.
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Is anyone going one grade up for the summer?
I think that I'll be going down a grade ...
Is anyone going one grade up for the summer?
I think that I'll be going down a grade ...
I live in Sandy Eggo. Very temperate climate. Coldest starts in the winter are about 50F (garaged car) and summer sees cold starts of around 65F. Highs in winter 65-75F most of the time, summers 75-85F.
10W-30 for cooler six months, SAE-30 mono-grade for warmer six months (or a 50-50 mix of 10W-30 and SAE-30 of the same brand if the engine's fairly new).
I don't want anything less than 15cSt at operating temperatures. I assume oil temps to be around 180F in the winter, and 200F in the summer. These temps will give me slightly higher cSt than the 212F test level for any grade of oil.
10W-30 for cooler six months, SAE-30 mono-grade for warmer six months (or a 50-50 mix of 10W-30 and SAE-30 of the same brand if the engine's fairly new).
I don't want anything less than 15cSt at operating temperatures. I assume oil temps to be around 180F in the winter, and 200F in the summer. These temps will give me slightly higher cSt than the 212F test level for any grade of oil.
If you want a 15 cSt at 200 F you better go to a 40 weight. Even GC is only 14.1 cST at 200 F. Most other synthetic xw-30 oils will be under 13 cST at 200 F.
Quote:
Ask him what he would use in his personal car driving it hard in 110F desert weather.
I don't need to ask anybody - I have many decades and many hundreds of thousands of miles of experience.
As I mentioned before, my van with over 200K still makes the trip from San Diego to Phoenix and other points in Arizona on a regular basis.
Ford recommends 5W-30 and that's what I've used. In case you aren't familiar with the area - there are a lot of long hills between here and there, regardless of whether you travel on Interstate 10 or Interstate 8. I usually travel on I-8 and coming home there is a very long steep hill. As a matter of fact they have pull outs for water every 3/4 - 1 mile or so.
I came up that hill at 70+ MPH last October when the outside temp was 115. Both front and rear a/c running full blast, with 4 good size adults and several hundred pounds of luggage and various other stuff! This was using dino oil. (Valvoline All Climate 5W@-30.)
I have to wonder why GM and others would test their cars out in the desert, and "recommend" one oil if they thought it wouldn't protect the engines - especially since GM now has a 100,000 mile warranty on their powertrains!
Maybe those "thin" oils will protect the engine until 100,001 miles - just outside the warranty period!
(Sarcasm strongly intended)
Ask him what he would use in his personal car driving it hard in 110F desert weather.
I don't need to ask anybody - I have many decades and many hundreds of thousands of miles of experience.
As I mentioned before, my van with over 200K still makes the trip from San Diego to Phoenix and other points in Arizona on a regular basis.
Ford recommends 5W-30 and that's what I've used. In case you aren't familiar with the area - there are a lot of long hills between here and there, regardless of whether you travel on Interstate 10 or Interstate 8. I usually travel on I-8 and coming home there is a very long steep hill. As a matter of fact they have pull outs for water every 3/4 - 1 mile or so.
I came up that hill at 70+ MPH last October when the outside temp was 115. Both front and rear a/c running full blast, with 4 good size adults and several hundred pounds of luggage and various other stuff! This was using dino oil. (Valvoline All Climate 5W@-30.)
I have to wonder why GM and others would test their cars out in the desert, and "recommend" one oil if they thought it wouldn't protect the engines - especially since GM now has a 100,000 mile warranty on their powertrains!
Maybe those "thin" oils will protect the engine until 100,001 miles - just outside the warranty period!
(Sarcasm strongly intended)
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You guys tickle me with the starting viscosities .The company I used to work for "17" years had a fleet of F 350 Ford vans .They ran hdeo 30wt all year round there were 3 branches South San Francisco, Salinas And San Jose Calif . The doors would crack and fall off but engines ran great . I had a van with over 200,000 miles and still ran fine .The vans weighed close to 9,000 lbs loaded. My van got worked hard at times.
Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
Like I said, going DOWN a grade in winter makes more sense than going UP a grade in summer.
If you went down a grade in the winter then it would make sense to go up one grade in the summer.
Like I said, going DOWN a grade in winter makes more sense than going UP a grade in summer.
If you went down a grade in the winter then it would make sense to go up one grade in the summer.
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