Kirkland 5W-20 vs 0W-20

[glenncarpenter]

Oil-shopping for two Honda vehicles that specify 5W-20 oil (one K20 one K24), thinking Kirkland, and wondering if 0W-20 is a better choice. I can find very little info on the 5W- and almost none on the 0W-. Wondering if there's any consensus or data on whether the 0W- is a better base stock with a higher viscosity index, or a similar-quality base stock with more viscosity index improvers. If the former, I'd think the 0W would be a better oil year-round. If the latter I'd probably stick with the 5W-.

Sidebar question, is it worth paying a few extra bucks for something like Valvoline for a stronger additive pack? Not for longer OCIs but for general wear protection. OCI will be 5k on both.

Thoughts, opinions and advice all welcome.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Does Kirkland still offer 5w20 ? I haven't seen it for quite awhile. I run 5w30 in 3 Acura TSXs with the mighty K24. Perhaps they are tuned a little different than the Accord engines?

 

[sohccammer427]

I like the idea of a 5w20 over a 0w20 simply because of less viscosity modifiers. On the other hand, I've read a few threads that suggest that 0w20 has superior base stocks over 5w20.

Not sure why that would be so, unless a colder winter rating would necessitate a better base stock?

 

[Foxtrot08]

0w20 does everything 5w20 does. But better.

Especially at 5000 oil change intervals.

 

[kschachn]

Sidebar question, is it worth paying a few extra bucks for something like Valvoline for a stronger additive pack? Not for longer OCIs but for general wear protection. OCI will be 5k on both.

Thoughts, opinions and advice all welcome.

How are you determining the Valvoline product has "a stronger additive package"? Where are you seeing a list of all the additives in either oil?

 

[ashneale23]

Why not grab a 5 quart jug of Pennzoil Platinum from Walmart? Full synthetic, 8.4 tbn, overall good value.

 

[tasch72]

If your costco carries one or the other in-store, that would be my choice to avoid the shipping. Both are dexos approved.

If you want more info, look for their other white label equivalent, Supertech Full Synthetic (non-advanced)

 

[Silver]

Always frustration with trying to find specs on house brand oils. And Mobil 1.

I've seen some oils have goofy specs, like M1 at one time and maybe still so, their 0w20 FS HM had a higher hot viscosity than their 5w20.

 

[glenncarpenter]

Does Kirkland still offer 5w20 ? I haven't seen it for quite awhile. I run 5w30 in 3 Acura TSXs with the mighty K24. Perhaps they are tuned a little different than the Accord engines?

Thanks to everybody for the replies. Yes, costco.com is currently showing both still available.

 

[glenncarpenter]

0w20 does everything 5w20 does. But better.

Especially at 5000 oil change intervals.

Are you sure? My question was about base stock quality versus viscosity index improvers. I haven't seen any actual information either way, do you know of any?

 

[OVERKILL]

Oil-shopping for two Honda vehicles that specify 5W-20 oil (one K20 one K24), thinking Kirkland, and wondering if 0W-20 is a better choice. I can find very little info on the 5W- and almost none on the 0W-. Wondering if there's any consensus or data on whether the 0W- is a better base stock with a higher viscosity index, or a similar-quality base stock with more viscosity index improvers. If the former, I'd think the 0W would be a better oil year-round. If the latter I'd probably stick with the 5W-.

Sidebar question, is it worth paying a few extra bucks for something like Valvoline for a stronger additive pack? Not for longer OCIs but for general wear protection. OCI will be 5k on both.

Thoughts, opinions and advice all welcome.

With Kirkland and other inexpensive oils that won't have PAO in them, base oil selection will likely be similar between the two, but the 0W-20 will probably container lighter base oils and more VII.

 

[glenncarpenter]

How are you determining the Valvoline product has "a stronger additive package"? Where are you seeing a list of all the additives in either oil?

VOAs over the years on this site for Valvoline products compared to Project Farm's VOA for Kirkland 5W-20 posted in a Youtube video. Kirkland looks to have an adequate additive pack but not super-robust. Valvoline has always impressed me in this regard but the same would probably go for Pennzoil, Shell, etc.

(Edit: to clarify, I like the High Mileage oils, so I'm basically comparing Valvoline/other HM to Kirkland, which doesn't have HM available. Not a fair comparison maybe, but the best of what's conveniently available to me at prices I like).

 

[glenncarpenter]

With Kirkland and other inexpensive oils that won't have PAO in them, base oil selection will likely be similar between the two, but the 0W-20 will probably container lighter base oils and more VII.

Exactly what I was wondering. Trying to get from probably to data.

 

[glenncarpenter]

Why not grab a 5 quart jug of Pennzoil Platinum from Walmart? Full synthetic, 8.4 tbn, overall good value.

Can't seem to find the stuff. Shelves are usually at least half-empty around here lately, haven't seen PP at all in a while. One reason I like the Kirkland is easy free online ordering.

 

[glenncarpenter]

If your costco carries one or the other in-store, that would be my choice to avoid the shipping. Both are dexos approved.

If you want more info, look for their other white label equivalent, Supertech Full Synthetic (non-advanced)

Thanks. Free shipping on the Kirkland I believe, and a little less tax than in-store, also if I recall they either carry 0W-20 or 5W-20 in my area but not both and don't remember which.

 

[OVERKILL]

Exactly what I was wondering. Trying to get from probably to data.

Well, since both are Group III, you need to use lighter bases to get the 0W-xx designation, while you can get away with heavier bases for the 5W-xx one. If you look at Gokhan's BOV estimate sheet, you'll see that this is the way it is done pretty much universally when the base oil type is held constant. Where things change is if the blender ups the base oil quality/type when going for the 0W-xx Winter rating and goes for PAO, then the base oil blend could actually be heavier.

 

[sohccammer427]

For anyone interested, a very, very technical thread that relates to the subject at hand.

Automated calculator for the A_Harman index, VII content, and base-oil viscosity

 

[glenncarpenter]

Well, since both are Group III, you need to use lighter bases to get the 0W-xx designation, while you can get away with heavier bases for the 5W-xx one. If you look at Gokhan's BOV estimate sheet, you'll see that this is the way it is done pretty much universally when the base oil type is held constant. Where things change is if the blender ups the base oil quality/type when going for the 0W-xx Winter rating and goes for PAO, then the base oil blend could actually be heavier.

Thanks. Appreciate the reply. Hadn't seen the BOV estimate thing before, haven't been on the site in a while and seem to have lost my old ID, maybe it was deleted. In any case that's exactly the type of information I was hoping to come across.

 

[glenncarpenter]

For anyone interested, a very, very technical thread that relates to the subject at hand.

Automated calculator for the A_Harman index, VII content, and base-oil viscosity

Excellent. Thank you. That thread looks like a treasure.

 

[kschachn]

VOAs over the years on this site for Valvoline products compared to Project Farm's VOA for Kirkland 5W-20 posted in a Youtube video. Kirkland looks to have an adequate additive pack but not super-robust. Valvoline has always impressed me in this regard but the same would probably go for Pennzoil, Shell, etc.

(Edit: to clarify, I like the High Mileage oils, so I'm basically comparing Valvoline/other HM to Kirkland, which doesn't have HM available. Not a fair comparison maybe, but the best of what's conveniently available to me at prices I like).

Just understand that a VOA/UOA is not a list of the additives, it is a spectrographic analysis of decomposed compounds which for the most part only detects the metallic elements. It is not possible to determine relative quality between oils using this method of analysis. Especially when both have the same licenses or approvals. I have no idea how anyone could determine that one is only “adequate” whereas another is “super robust”.