I have a 2003 S-10 with 83000 miles. 5 sp 2.2. I currently use synthetic 5-30. I was driving 24 mi. round trip. I have since bought a house 2.9 miles from work. The truck barely warms up enough to move the needle to about 150 to 180. Do I change oil more frequently, use a different weight oil? Thanks for the opinions in advance.
Need opinions
- Thread starter nstoolman1
- Start date
- Status
You would be a good candidate for a plug-in electric car! With the S-10 though, I'd try to find a longer way to drive to work. You're going to have unburned fuel and moisture in your crankcase. Heck, if I only lived three miles from work I'd walk!
Where I live there aren't many side walks and the drivers would just as soon run you over. I work 12.5 hour shifts. I leave when it's dark and get home when it's dark.
How often do you change it now?
If you don't drive it much other than the few miles to/from work, say a bunch on weekends, I wouldn't run it more than 5k, but I'm conservative. I figure a few bucks on an oil change is cheap insurance and peace of mind. I mean, what's the extra cost $30/yr? Some of us get bogged down (bitogged down?
) with saving 50 cents on a quart of oil...seeing too many trees and not enough forest, if you know what I mean.
As for the 5-30, unless it's back-specified I wouldn't do anything differently. The 5-weight covers well the cold start needs.
If you don't drive it much other than the few miles to/from work, say a bunch on weekends, I wouldn't run it more than 5k, but I'm conservative. I figure a few bucks on an oil change is cheap insurance and peace of mind. I mean, what's the extra cost $30/yr? Some of us get bogged down (bitogged down?
) with saving 50 cents on a quart of oil...seeing too many trees and not enough forest, if you know what I mean. As for the 5-30, unless it's back-specified I wouldn't do anything differently. The 5-weight covers well the cold start needs.
Originally Posted By: nstoolman1
Where I live there aren't many side walks and the drivers would just as soon run you over. I work 12.5 hour shifts. I leave when it's dark and get home when it's dark.
Been there! When I worked and drove under the same situation, it looked like I had sour cream smeared under the oil filler cap because of condensation. Maybe you could hook up an electric block heater so the engine is already warmed up when you go to work, and when you punch out, you could take the long way home, and plug up the heater again so the engine doesn't get cold overnight (or overday?). If you could park near an outlet at work, that would be ideal! A good hour-long pleasure cruise on a rural highway once a week would be beneficial too!
Where I live there aren't many side walks and the drivers would just as soon run you over. I work 12.5 hour shifts. I leave when it's dark and get home when it's dark.
Been there! When I worked and drove under the same situation, it looked like I had sour cream smeared under the oil filler cap because of condensation. Maybe you could hook up an electric block heater so the engine is already warmed up when you go to work, and when you punch out, you could take the long way home, and plug up the heater again so the engine doesn't get cold overnight (or overday?). If you could park near an outlet at work, that would be ideal! A good hour-long pleasure cruise on a rural highway once a week would be beneficial too!
You may want to start changing your oil based on months not miles. 3-4 months is what I use for my short trip driving.
My wife runs around during the day with the kids and errands. She only does a few miles at a time and, especially in the winter, the car cools before the next trip. I did a 3500+/- mile UOA on 5W30 SuperTech oil a couple winters ago. It came back fine, even with short trips and remote start idling.
Modern EFI systems are very efficient. I would do a 3000 mile run and send in a UOA sample. With syn, I'd bet you could go to 5K easy. Also given your location, plugging in a pan heater would be a waste of electricity, IMO. Spend that coin on 1 UOA and then have piece of mind.
Modern EFI systems are very efficient. I would do a 3000 mile run and send in a UOA sample. With syn, I'd bet you could go to 5K easy. Also given your location, plugging in a pan heater would be a waste of electricity, IMO. Spend that coin on 1 UOA and then have piece of mind.
The synthetic is wasting money (not that you can't get a deal at almost conventional prices).
You'd probably see fuel dilution in a UOA. One plan is to change twice a year. Hopefully, you can get a highway run of 30 minutes or more each week to work that oil out a bit.
You'd probably see fuel dilution in a UOA. One plan is to change twice a year. Hopefully, you can get a highway run of 30 minutes or more each week to work that oil out a bit.
You would want to think about the time your engine spends not running at full operating temp. Block heater is what I would do.
Most engine wear happens with an engine before it warms up.
Most engine wear happens with an engine before it warms up.
I quess I should explain my work schedule. I work 7 days straight, 12.5 hour shift then get a week off then back to work. So on the off week my wife and I drive the truck where ever we we want to go. After the move we still do that. I am only putting on 40+ miles in that work week. On the off week I will put 150+ on it. I feel thats enough running around to get the temp up in the engine. So 6 months is good for about 2400 miles. Before the move I was changing it every 5-6000 mi. I use the synthetic from Wal-Mart so the cost is acceptable. HTH
Car pool...
i'd use the super tech synthetic oil and change it as per the OLM.
Use 10W-30. They generally tend to be more stable than the 5W and hopefully help with the dilution a bit. Besides, in CA we really don't need the cold crank capability of a 5W anyways and with 10W you get a marginally thicker film in mid to high temps. But do read the spec sheet for the oil you choose, some brands 5Ws are better than their 10W in almost all temperature ranges!
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: nstoolman1
So on the off week my wife and I drive the truck where ever we we want to go. .... On the off week I will put 150+ on it. I feel thats enough running around to get the temp up in the engine.
You are correct! Also, like another poster said, the EFI engines don't have nearly the fuel/dilution issues of years past. With the alternate weeks of driving around, you are going to be absolutely fine.
So on the off week my wife and I drive the truck where ever we we want to go. .... On the off week I will put 150+ on it. I feel thats enough running around to get the temp up in the engine.
You are correct! Also, like another poster said, the EFI engines don't have nearly the fuel/dilution issues of years past. With the alternate weeks of driving around, you are going to be absolutely fine.
Thanks all for the opinions.
- Status