Napa synthetic & cold

[Camprunner]

Since its on sale this month and it seems like a good deal is Napa Full Synthetic 5w30 ok for cold Western MA winters? We often see several days to a week of -20F in Jan. Last year M1 worked fine but I am not that farmiluar on how to decifer the cold weather properties of motor oil.

Do you think 6,000 miles is pushing it with Napa synthetic with a clean motor?

By the way it will be used in my 2012 Nissan Pathfinder 4.0 V6

 

[xshoex]

0w or 5w20 imo.., 6k no problem.

But 5w30 syn will work

 

[BrocLuno]

5W is good to something like 25* below, so it should work fine. 6,000 is no problem on a fairly new'ish healthy motor. Even on my older motors, I'm going to once a year change now. The oils all hold up really well out to 8~10K, so why not

AFAIK - Good oil made by Valvoline (Ashland). I just picked some up to add to the stash. Closer and easier to get to than WalMart

 

[GR_CoB]

Any other engine - no problem. But with that engine+oil combo I would stay at 3500-4000 miles. Reason being is that this oil is a watered down version of Synpower, and Synpower is not known to be a great performer on longer runs. So since this oil is even a weaker version of that - you might want to stay in "severe service" schedule, 3750 miles if I'm not mistaking? Also Nissan V6 with a chain is known to abuse any oil a lot quicker than any other engine. So since you got an engine that shears oil at a fast rate, and Napa synthetic is not the best oil out there - I would say 4000 miles is a safe zone. Anything more would be playing Russian Roulette with the timing chain components. But at the end of the day the choice is yours.

 

[bbhero]

I agree with Vlad on his points. The VQ motors are very hard on motor oil due to the timing chain, VVT chains and chain tensioners. The oils that I believe that can go longer are Pennzoil ultra, Castrol gold bottle, Castrol 0w30, and Mobil EP.

 

[crazyoildude]

I think Mobil 1 is a better oil at around the same cost and its on sale now with a $12.00 rebate.. What does PQIA say ?

 

[Yup]

Conventional works OK at -20. NAPA syn would also be fine. 0w would be the best. Do what your owner's manual says. NAPA syn is API certified and will work fine. Mobil 1 would too. Unless you're going for extended drain you'll be fine.

 

[WillsYoda]

Originally Posted By: Yup
Conventional works OK at -20. NAPA syn would also be fine. 0w would be the best. Do what your owner's manual says. NAPA syn is API certified and will work fine. Mobil 1 would too. Unless you're going for extended drain you'll be fine.


I've used both at -20, and while conv works, syn works way better. Conv makes funny noises and struggles a bit by comparison.

 

[Yup]

Originally Posted By: WillsYoda
Originally Posted By: Yup
Conventional works OK at -20. NAPA syn would also be fine. 0w would be the best. Do what your owner's manual says. NAPA syn is API certified and will work fine. Mobil 1 would too. Unless you're going for extended drain you'll be fine.


I've used both at -20, and while conv works, syn works way better. Conv makes funny noises and struggles a bit by comparison.


Agreed. Definiton of "OK" wasn't clarified, but meant it as "not great but won't kill your engine." Syn cranks MUCH easier in a cold car at below zero temps. Any brand syn. Doesn't matter really. I've known many a car with 200k+ that lived on conventional in MN year round. I usually threw syn in come Nov.

 

[GR_CoB]

When I had one of my first cars and did not know anything about oil - I went by my friend's advice once. His advice was to put 10w40 Maxlife blend and a bottle of Lucas in my engine since my car at the moment had 256k miles, and it was a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac Vibe outfit. And I dumped that oil mixture right before winter... Temps never got below 0F, but I can still in my nightmares hear those noises that the engine made while it was warming up... I wish I knew better back then... Poor little Toyota engine just kept on going though.

 

[BigD1]

I look at the NAPA Synthetic from the point of view that yes it's watered down Synpower, but on the other hand it's a full synthetic version of Valvoline conventional that is Dexos approved. The product data sheets from the Valvoline conventional and NAPA synthetic look quite similar on paper, at least what additives we can see on paper.

 

[Garak]

I use a 5w-XX in my winters, and have done so almost exclusively for many, many years. You will be fine.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Id like to try redline oil in 0w20. Pours to -76

I was kinda thinking the same thoughts on Valvoline SynPower and Napa Syn as it was valvoline conventional just hydrocracked to be synthetic. I cant imagine it to be any worse than a standard bottle of dino. Sometimes people think Napa Synthetic and Valvoline SynPower are equals and I think its false because I seem to remember Valvoline Syn/Maxlife Full Synthetic having a touch of PAO in its base? Only thing in common is both made by Ashland and neither can meet Honda/Acura HTO-6 spec in 5w30.

 

[Dorian]

Oh god, do I know the EXACT noise you are talking about. My neighbor thought the same thing for my Camry. He used MaxLife 5w30 and about 1/2 a quart of Lucas, and I thought my car was going to die in Michigan when we were on a hockey trip. Only 2k in, and I switched to Mobil 1 0W40 and have never looked back or questioned this oil. I will never use Lucas, even if they paid me. MaxLife has left a bad taste in my experiences.

 

[mazdamonky]

My vote is 0w20 for 5k miles. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. Try a used oil analysis on it to see how long you should actually run the oil. You may find it lasts further than 6k.

 

[tmorris1]

I use 5W30 Napa synthetic in a 1997 F-150 5.4L and have no problems in the winter. I question if it is really "watered down"? I can't beleive they change it that much. I didn't think it got that cold in MA?

 

[Virtus_Probi]

This table is over three years old and only gives a number to compare at -30C, but, FWIW.
http://www.pqiamerica.com/March2013PCMO/Marchsyntheticsallfinal.html
NAPA was one of the thicker oils at -30C for this group, and the viscosity value given is about 37% higher than that for M1...does that mean it is that much "thicker"? I don't really know...I do know that doing my own oil with M1 and Quaker State Ultimate Durability 5W30 gave me much more pleasant cold (as in parking outside on White Mountain ski weekends cold) starts than whatever synthetic the dealer was stuffing in there. I would guess that most 5W30 conventional oils would be much closer to the 6600 max cold viscosity spec than these synthetics.

Also, NAPA is in a group of oils with Valvoline, Schaeffer, and a few others in having a significant sodium content...all around about 470ppm while the other oils are less than 5. Not sure if there is any real significance to that...sodium contamination is a killer in my field and the word itself scares me, but it is obviously not such an issue in motor oil.

 

[Bgallagher]

Yup, that would be a perfectly fine oil for where you are and what you're using it in.

 

[BigD1]

Originally Posted By: tmorris1
I use 5W30 Napa synthetic in a 1997 F-150 5.4L and have no problems in the winter. I question if it is really "watered down"? I can't beleive they change it that much. I didn't think it got that cold in MA?


Not as much calcium, and I would think a lower starting TBN, so that's basically the watered down part in my opinion. Here is the current NAPA synthetic data sheet. If you compare it to the PDS of Synpower and Valvoline conventional, you will see that the NAPA oil additives on paper are in line with Valvoline conventional. Valvoline tech line told me that the base oil for Synpower and NAPA synthetic are the same with different add pack. For the admission price of $2.99 quart this month, I think it's a good deal. No rebates to be bothered with either.

 

[CT8]

Some kind of gpIII base oil?