Looking to use one oil for my fleet

[Number_35]

Guys -

I went over to synthetic some years ago, and have tended to use either Penzoil Platinum or Mobil 1, depending on what comes on sale when. So now I've got a stash of both kinds, in 5W-20, 5W-30, and 10W-30. The 5 calls for 5W-20 year round, but the Protege & the ancient MPV call for 10W-30 except below -18 C (0 F) when 5W-30 is recommended.

Based on what I've read here, there's no reason to keep using 10W-30 at all; 5W-30 should work in the Protege & the MPV year round.

Now for the controversial part - although 5W-20 is spec'ed for the 5 in Canada & the US, per the owner's manual 5W-30 is OK for Mexico & Puerto Rico. You know where I'm going with this ...

Would it be acceptable to use 5W-30 in the 5? (The engine is the Ford/Mazda 2.3.) That would allow me to run 5W-30 in all three vehicles year round. No more consulting the maintenance records to see what I used to know what to top up with. (That may be moot - with several synthetic oil changes over about 19 months since we bought the 5, it is no longer using oil. The Protege has never used any oil between changes, and I've recently fixed the oil leaks on the MPV, so it may be OK now as well.)

In fact, if I could find it affordably here, could I run 0W-30? (Probably not an issue, because I never see it in jugs here - it was $12.xx per litre at Canadian Tire the other night. Add in 13% tax, and it gets expensive.)

As far as brand of oil, I think I've settled on Mobil 1. I really like the Pennzoil Platinum, but it just doesn't come on sale as regularly. Just got a good deal on three 4.4 litre jugs of Mobil 1 5W-30 @ Canadian Tire, but I still have some PP 5W-20, PP 5W-30, and M1 10W-30 to use up at some point. (The M1 was 45% off, which worked out to c. $28/jug, which is pretty good for here.)

As far as filters, I can't standardize there; I'm running Baldwin B-1402 filters on both the Protege & MPV, but the 5 takes cartridges (also Baldwin). A B-1400 is spec'd for the Protege, but the only difference is that the B-1402 is slightly longer. Have been running the larger filter on the Protege for over nine years with no ill effects.

Any feedback much appreciated!

 

[eljefino]

Grab some free oil change stickers for your windscreen and write what grade you put in, so you'll know come top off time.

I like simplicity too, but getting deals on oils gets in my way.

 

[Clevy]

Canadian tire has all mobil 1 grades for 28.99 a jug. So yes 0w-30!would be a fine fleet oil.
Going a grade thicker certainly won't do any harm. I'm in saskatoon so I have similar weather to you. I've currently got 5w-30 in my truck with no starting issues whosoever,not that it's been very cold though.
So yeah,a 30 grade is 100% fine if you want to use 1 oil for everything. 5w-30 is fine too,so whatever you can get on sale will do.
Personally I like the euro 0w-40 grade. It's a long life oil certified for use in vehicles that run wide open on the autobahn so I figure it's great in my charger.

 

[oliveoil]

5-30 would be fine for all. I'd just use up what you have and but 5-30 from here on out.

 

[mtndew_dad]

Mix everything you currently have together and you will end up with your own custom blended 7w-27 oil and all the positive attributes of both M1 and PP!

 

[splinter]

Originally Posted By: mtndew_dad
Mix everything you currently have together and you will end up with your own custom blended 7w-27 oil and all the positive attributes of both M1 and PP!

lol

 

[Number_35]

Hey, maybe Boeing could use that 7-27 blend in their old three-engined jet.

Seriously, I will try to stay away from mixing PP & M1, but would have no problem mixing the different weights of each together.

If I get down to less than an oil change of PP remaining, I'll save it to pour in at the end of an oil change drain to help flush out the remaining dirty oil.

 

[fdcg27]

A 5W-30 would be fine for your 10W-30 cars.
A 0W-30 would be even better since you do live in a place that sees real cold.
The engines will be okay on a 5W-30, though, as they have been for years.
You could certainly use the same in the 5, but you could just as well use a twenty in everything.
People with even less knowledge and experience than I have will argue that a thirty is always the better oil, while others with the same level of expertise will argue the same for a twenty and the couple of members with real knowledge bowed out of the thick vs thin threads long ago.
In short, if you want to standardize on a 5W- or 0W-30, I can see no harm in doing so.
I'd not use anything as good as PP as a flush oil, either.
PP and M1 have very similar add packs. They probably also have similar basestock blends, since they're formulated to sell in the same price tier.
What I'm saying is that I'd have no hesitation about running a mix of M1 and PP during the warmer months just to use up some orphan quarts of PP.
I'd avoid it during the winter, though, since there is no way of knowing how the interaction of the VIIs in the two might degrade cold performance.

 

[Koz1]

0W-30.

 

[camrydriver111]

I'd use 5W30 in all.

0W30 would be expensive.

 

[Number_35]

0W-30 would be my first choice, but I've never seen it on sale here. It retails for over C$50. Ditto 0W-20.

5W-20/5W-30/10W-30 all come on sale regularly, at under C$30.

We've got 13% sales tax here as well.

I was pleased to pick up M1 0W-20 (presently in the 5) and 0W-30 (presently in the MPV) last April in Iowa for US$25.