Oil recommendation - 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse

[B8]

My girlfriend has been running GC 0w30 in her car for the past several months...there's a used oil analysis somewhere on this site. Now that the weather has been getting cooler, I noticed that her car remains at fast idle after start-up for probably close to a minute. And recently she's noticed that her oil temp guage has been going above normal during her stop and go morning commute. I'm thinking that this oil is too thick for the colder months in her 2.4L 4-cylinder engine, especially given her driving patterns. And recommendations on a thinner, high quality oil? Not necessarily synthetic, but something that can go 5,000+ miles between drains. Mobil 1 maybe? The car has 89,000 miles on it, so I don't think I want to drop to an xW-20. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[CBDFrontier06]

First off, anything spec'd at 0w30 isn't too thick for winter....that's almost as thin as you can get in cold temps. As for the fast idle, no oil is going to change that...it's programmed to idle fast to heat up the catalytic converter as quickly as possible. Every fuel injected car I've owned funs faster, longer during winter.

The oil temp is what worries me....I almost suspect the oil you're using may be too thin. Not all cars are spec'd for 0W-XX. In any case, if you think the oil may be causing the overheating issue, definitely change it immediately. I'd recommend Mobil 1 5w30, which is likely the viscosity that engine calls for.

 

[B8]

Thanks, CBD. I guess my concern is that GC is almost a 40 weight oil which I fear is too thick for this engine in the colder months given the stop and go driving. Maybe I'll give Mobil 1 a try since it's a thinner 30 weight than GC. Maybe I'm overthinking the issue.

 

[Drew99GT]

You sure it's oil temp and not coolent temp? Are there 2 temp gauges in her car?

 

[B8]

Quote:

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You sure it's oil temp and not coolent temp? Are there 2 temp gauges in her car?

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I'm not sure to be honest, but I think there is only one...I'll ask her, but I get the feeling that she won't know either.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

It's likely a coolant temp guage, since most mainstream cars short of the Z don't offer an oil temp guage. It might be as simple as a low coolant level, or maybe the thermostat sticking. Make sure to tell her that if the guage goes near the red zone, stop the car.

Concerning oil weight you're referring to....the "40" in 0W-40 refers to the viscosity of the oil when it's hot, the "0" when cold. You're definitely not having any cold-flow issues with the oil you're using now.

 

[AndyH]

Either Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 or Mobil 1 5w30 would likely be thinner than GC at most "normal" starting temps you might see in Philly. GC is thicker than either oil until you get really, really cold...colder than you're likely to see in a typical Philadelphia winter, IMHO.

 

[AndyH]

Quote:

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Concerning oil weight you're referring to....the "40" in 0W-40 refers to the viscosity of the oil when it's hot, the "0" when cold. You're definitely not having any cold-flow issues with the oil you're using now.

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Yes, but that "0" rating is at -35°C (-31°F)...a heck of a lot colder than the car will see in a Philadelphia winter. At most typical cold starting temps the car will see during the winter, the GC may in fact be thicker than Mobil 1 5w30.

 

[B8]

Thanks, guys...I'll check out Mobil 1 and Pennzoil Platinum. I think I've already overcome the biggest obstacle: getting the girlfriend to stop going to the quicky lube places.