Mobil ESP 0W40 '17 Malibu 1.5T

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Jan 4, 2021
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Hey everyone.

I have a '15 Corvette that takes Mobil's ESP 0W40... They sell for 52 bucks per 6 quarts on amazon... wellll... I need 7 quarts. At like 15 bucks a quart online (can't find it locally) I figured I buy 2 boxes (12 quarts) which will be just enough for Corvette and the Malibu which is also due for an oil change.

I did bit of searching here and it seems like it'll be fine. The results were not for thr ESP 0W40 though but for other oils in same weight.

Pretty sure little thicker oil won't make a noticeable diff but I figured I ask.

I'm in south Florida which as you know is mostly hot throughout the year. Rare to see under 40 here.

Thanks!
 
The viscosity will be fine, in fact GM Australia use to recommend Dexos2 oil in the 1.4 iTi turbo Cruze as it was hard on oil and Dexos2 is higher HTHS than Dexos1. This was back in the Dexos1-Gen1 days, not sure what they said to do once the LSPI friendly Dexos1-Gen2 was brought out.

I think LSPI (low speed pre-ignition) is the issue with small turbo engines, like your Malibu 1.5T. When I googled the M1 0W40 ESP, the only spec I could see was Dexos2, which is a good spec but I don’t think it’s tuned for LSPI yet. To me an LSPI oil is API SN-Plus or SP or Dexos1-Gen2.

Now if M1 0W40 ESP was SP or SN-Plus rated, then you would be fine. I just couldn’t find any API spec for it listed on the web page or in the PDS. Maybe others here know more about this oil.
 
I would use Mobil 1 5w30 ESP instead but since you have a stash of 0w40 try it out . If it’s good enough for a corvette then it’s good enough for a Malibu
 
Hey everyone.

I have a '15 Corvette that takes Mobil's ESP 0W40... They sell for 52 bucks per 6 quarts on amazon... wellll... I need 7 quarts. At like 15 bucks a quart online (can't find it locally) I figured I buy 2 boxes (12 quarts) which will be just enough for Corvette and the Malibu which is also due for an oil change.

I did bit of searching here and it seems like it'll be fine. The results were not for thr ESP 0W40 though but for other oils in same weight.

Pretty sure little thicker oil won't make a noticeable diff but I figured I ask.

I'm in south Florida which as you know is mostly hot throughout the year. Rare to see under 40 here.

Thanks!
Why does it need a 0-40?
 
The viscosity will be fine, in fact GM Australia use to recommend Dexos2 oil in the 1.4 iTi turbo Cruze as it was hard on oil and Dexos2 is higher HTHS than Dexos1. This was back in the Dexos1-Gen1 days, not sure what they said to do once the LSPI friendly Dexos1-Gen2 was brought out.

I think LSPI (low speed pre-ignition) is the issue with small turbo engines, like your Malibu 1.5T. When I googled the M1 0W40 ESP, the only spec I could see was Dexos2, which is a good spec but I don’t think it’s tuned for LSPI yet. To me an LSPI oil is API SN-Plus or SP or Dexos1-Gen2.

Now if M1 0W40 ESP was SP or SN-Plus rated, then you would be fine. I just couldn’t find any API spec for it listed on the web page or in the PDS. Maybe others here know more about this oil.


I’m not sure if there is a 40 grade rated SN+ or d1G2 ?
 
I would use Mobil 1 5w30 ESP instead but since you have a stash of 0w40 try it out . If it’s good enough for a corvette then it’s good enough for a Malibu
The M1 5W30 ESP is API SN, not SN-Plus or SP for LSPI protection.
 
The M1 5W30 ESP is API SN, not SN-Plus or SP for LSPI protection.
It has a very low calcium count and follows close to the same formulation add pack wise. So for all intensive purposes it IS an LSPI oil, Just not tested and certified for it.
 
It has a very low calcium count and follows close to the same formulation add pack wise. So for all intensive purposes it IS an LSPI oil, Just not tested and certified for it.
Why isn’t it tested and certified for it ? Mobil run out of money or something?
 
I'm thinking I just go get some other oil for the Malibu and save the 0w40 for the next oil change... I mean plenty of decent oils for a everyday vehicle for less.
 
You tell me? Take the name and model off ESP pull a VOA. Then vote who thinks this is a Dexos 1 Gen 2 oil. Then ask why. Enough said.
For M1 5W30 ESP, a simple $20 VOA is not the same as passing Dexos1-Gen2 or API SP.

I vote it doesn’t have either, because Mobil says it doesn’t have either, and they would know.
 
For M1 5W30 ESP, a simple $20 VOA is not the same as passing Dexos1-Gen2 or API SP.

I vote it doesn’t have either, because Mobil says it doesn’t have either, and they would know.
I myself would never run a Dexos1-Gen 2 oil in my turbo car. I want a higher 100C and HTHS rating. And my Redline Euro has zero certs.

Well, your just plain dead wrong. Low calcium is low calcium. High calcium is high calcium. That is the key element preached by oil engineers/oilcompanies is low calcium to reduce LSPI. It is not the only element, but a key one. Plus there are all the additives in the background that mostly formulators/engineers are familiar with where most are not. The add pack follows so close to the same as other approved Mobil 1 LSPI oils AND I called Mobil and they said it has close to the same LSPI retarding as their approved oils. ( reduce calcium/sodium always helps reduce LSPI ) as does increased Magnesium, Moly, and Ester. I called them a year ago when ESP was going to be my go to oil for my Kona. Now it is Redline Euro 5w-30. He said 5w-30 has very high anti-LSPI formulation as most of their oils. As some can remember Mobil was one of the first to go the reduce calcium direction and a lot of people here were all jabbering on the direction Mobil went with their add packs BEFORE LSPI was news. Of course industry guys here had the heads up before anyone else. LSPI is not as much of a thing in Europe were ESP is in it's happy place, so I don't think they push those oils as much.
 
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For M1 5W30 ESP, a simple $20 VOA is not the same as passing Dexos1-Gen2 or API SP.

I vote it doesn’t have either, because Mobil says it doesn’t have either, and they would know.
M1 ESP 5W30 cannot be Dexos 1, it is Dexos2. Mobil1 5W30 EP is, and it is SP.
 
Irrelevant. It has MB229.52 and VW 504.00/507.00 (2020 update). Both have LSPI test included in approval and bunch of other tests which makes them most stringent approvals.
I didn't know MB 229.52 & VW 504/507 included a LSPI test, thank you that's good to know. Do you have a link ?, not because I don't believe you, but rather so that I can read more.

Anyway the M1 5W30 ESP (which has MB 229.52 etc) was a side story, as the OP was talking about M1 0W40 ESP which carries only Dexos2 and nothing else. Last I heard Dexos2 still didn't include a LSPI test, unless it too has a 2020 update I missed.

I still stand by my point to the OP, is that he should run a oil in his Malibu 1.5T that is tested and approved for use in LSPI prone engines.
 
You tell me? Take the name and model off ESP pull a VOA. Then vote who thinks this is a Dexos 1 Gen 2 oil. Then ask why. Enough said.

For M1 5W30 ESP, a simple $20 VOA is not the same as passing Dexos1-Gen2 or API SP.

I vote it doesn’t have either, because Mobil says it doesn’t have either, and they would know.

The only Euro + API SP I could find is Pennzoil Euro 5W40...
It even has "SP" in the donut (in the Passat at the moment).

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Considering all the issues GM had with these engines destroying pistons, I would only run the recommended oil spec.
 
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