Hello Oil Geniuses!
I am the proud owner of a Hyundai Veloster N. And while I make one heck of a survey, my oil knowledge is lacking. So if my vocab/accuracy in knowledge is off, I apologize in advance. I have some questions about the oil selection for this car that Hyundai's own customer service and several dealerships have been unable to answer quite to my satisfaction, and the manual itself is a little…well…vague. Being unable to find existing topics pertaining to this car, I wanted to reach out to tap your expertise.
About the Engine and the Car:
Here we have a 2.0 liter inline 4-banger, with a twin scroll turbo and a pseudo ‘anti-lag' system, operating at a 9.5:1 compression ratio. The engine is direct injection, and the output is 275 (N w/ Performance Package) or 250 (N w/o PP) brake horsepower (same engine/turbo, but different ECU tune supposedly) and 260 lb. ft torque (both trims). The redline is about 6750 RPM and the throttle response is user-adjustable. Both versions are 6 speed manuals (supposedly a DCT is on the way) and put the power down to the front wheels. The car uses a FMIC that is isolated from the radiator, and requires 91+ octane (AKI) with a maximum ethanol content of 15%. It is essentially impossible not to really get into the throttle. Oil capacity is about 5 quarts.
What The Manual Says:
The manual advocates a 0W-30 ACEA C2 (or the latest API or ILSAC) on page 8-7, recommending the Quaker State brand but not a specific product line…then, on page 8-8, it suggests we can select (quite a few…0W-30, 5W-30, 5W-40, 10W-30, 15W-40, 20W-50) alternative engine oils using the viscosity chart based on temperature/availability and throws the API/ILSAC Starburst at us, which to my understanding is an SN-RC. So my take from this is they want me to use a low-SAPs/mid-SAPs oil. The advocated OCI is 6k miles for normal driving in the manual (3k miles for severe driving conditions), although I was told verbally it should be 5k miles.
About the Factory Fill & Factory Oil Filter
I have been unable to get any definitive information on what oil is currently in the vehicle. Hyundai Customer Affairs told me through a generic email that the car currently uses (and they advised using) conventional oil, which does not seem right…being this is a new car, perhaps the general customer service reps may not understand the difference from the N and other models? For that matter, it appears most Hyundai dealers use a conventional oil as the standard oil (with a ‘premium' synthetic upgrade as an option.) The manual does not appear to specify the oil filter to use. With summer approaching, this makes me lean towards draining the FF relatively early (car currently has around 1,000 miles.)
Where I am a Little Concerned:
Within the relatively wide range of oils they are suggesting, there seems to be substantial variation in regard to shear stability. Simultaneously, I was under the impression that shear stability is generally of pretty significant importance with many of these high-output turbo engines, especially in hotter climates if the car will see very spirited use (I may be wrong?) And some of the oils that would technically qualify have pretty low-HT/HS values… With the previous car I had (which had an EJ257), the big concern was in regard to the implications of what might happen to the bearings should the oil go in a 30 weight but shear to a 20 weight before coming out at the completion of the OCI.
What I Did Previously
Based on the advice of those with more knowledge than me, I gravitated towards a HD 30 instead of an RC 30 for my EJ257. Partly based on the general tendency of UOAs with Subaru's DI FA20F and PFI EJ257/255 to be quite positive, I went for the Motul 8100 X-Clean family, choosing the 5W-30 X-Clean EFE with relatively short OCIs. And all was well. Motul 8100 X-Clean EFE meets the C2 compliance the Hyundai manual says, and it also seems to hold up well to turbo engines that beat on oil. I also happen to have a substantial amount of 5W-30 X-Clean EFE sitting around now, and I am in a climate where it rarely goes below 20 F and the car will rarely or never be operated when below freezing. In the summer, temperatures regularly exceed 95F with high humidity.
So What To Do Now?
So how good of a match does X-Clean 8100 EFE sound for this engine? Alternatively, are there better matches?
What oils do you recommend for other owners of this car? Mobil 1 ESP 0W-30? Castrol Euro 0W-30? Schaeffer's 9000 5W-30? Pennzoil Platinum Euro LX 0W-30?
Thanks much for your time! Sorry for the long post but I wanted to provide as much info as I could. I do plan to UOA this car as I go, and would be glad to upload the numbers if it is of interest to anyone.
I am the proud owner of a Hyundai Veloster N. And while I make one heck of a survey, my oil knowledge is lacking. So if my vocab/accuracy in knowledge is off, I apologize in advance. I have some questions about the oil selection for this car that Hyundai's own customer service and several dealerships have been unable to answer quite to my satisfaction, and the manual itself is a little…well…vague. Being unable to find existing topics pertaining to this car, I wanted to reach out to tap your expertise.
About the Engine and the Car:
Here we have a 2.0 liter inline 4-banger, with a twin scroll turbo and a pseudo ‘anti-lag' system, operating at a 9.5:1 compression ratio. The engine is direct injection, and the output is 275 (N w/ Performance Package) or 250 (N w/o PP) brake horsepower (same engine/turbo, but different ECU tune supposedly) and 260 lb. ft torque (both trims). The redline is about 6750 RPM and the throttle response is user-adjustable. Both versions are 6 speed manuals (supposedly a DCT is on the way) and put the power down to the front wheels. The car uses a FMIC that is isolated from the radiator, and requires 91+ octane (AKI) with a maximum ethanol content of 15%. It is essentially impossible not to really get into the throttle. Oil capacity is about 5 quarts.
What The Manual Says:
The manual advocates a 0W-30 ACEA C2 (or the latest API or ILSAC) on page 8-7, recommending the Quaker State brand but not a specific product line…then, on page 8-8, it suggests we can select (quite a few…0W-30, 5W-30, 5W-40, 10W-30, 15W-40, 20W-50) alternative engine oils using the viscosity chart based on temperature/availability and throws the API/ILSAC Starburst at us, which to my understanding is an SN-RC. So my take from this is they want me to use a low-SAPs/mid-SAPs oil. The advocated OCI is 6k miles for normal driving in the manual (3k miles for severe driving conditions), although I was told verbally it should be 5k miles.
About the Factory Fill & Factory Oil Filter
I have been unable to get any definitive information on what oil is currently in the vehicle. Hyundai Customer Affairs told me through a generic email that the car currently uses (and they advised using) conventional oil, which does not seem right…being this is a new car, perhaps the general customer service reps may not understand the difference from the N and other models? For that matter, it appears most Hyundai dealers use a conventional oil as the standard oil (with a ‘premium' synthetic upgrade as an option.) The manual does not appear to specify the oil filter to use. With summer approaching, this makes me lean towards draining the FF relatively early (car currently has around 1,000 miles.)
Where I am a Little Concerned:
Within the relatively wide range of oils they are suggesting, there seems to be substantial variation in regard to shear stability. Simultaneously, I was under the impression that shear stability is generally of pretty significant importance with many of these high-output turbo engines, especially in hotter climates if the car will see very spirited use (I may be wrong?) And some of the oils that would technically qualify have pretty low-HT/HS values… With the previous car I had (which had an EJ257), the big concern was in regard to the implications of what might happen to the bearings should the oil go in a 30 weight but shear to a 20 weight before coming out at the completion of the OCI.
What I Did Previously
Based on the advice of those with more knowledge than me, I gravitated towards a HD 30 instead of an RC 30 for my EJ257. Partly based on the general tendency of UOAs with Subaru's DI FA20F and PFI EJ257/255 to be quite positive, I went for the Motul 8100 X-Clean family, choosing the 5W-30 X-Clean EFE with relatively short OCIs. And all was well. Motul 8100 X-Clean EFE meets the C2 compliance the Hyundai manual says, and it also seems to hold up well to turbo engines that beat on oil. I also happen to have a substantial amount of 5W-30 X-Clean EFE sitting around now, and I am in a climate where it rarely goes below 20 F and the car will rarely or never be operated when below freezing. In the summer, temperatures regularly exceed 95F with high humidity.
So What To Do Now?
So how good of a match does X-Clean 8100 EFE sound for this engine? Alternatively, are there better matches?
What oils do you recommend for other owners of this car? Mobil 1 ESP 0W-30? Castrol Euro 0W-30? Schaeffer's 9000 5W-30? Pennzoil Platinum Euro LX 0W-30?
Thanks much for your time! Sorry for the long post but I wanted to provide as much info as I could. I do plan to UOA this car as I go, and would be glad to upload the numbers if it is of interest to anyone.
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