Shell Rotella T6 in All My Vehicles.

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Well, I have come to a decision about my oil. I want to have all three of my vehicles on one oil. That being Shell Rotella T6. My vehicles:

2008 BMW X5 3.0 si
2010 Volvo XC90 3.2
2008 Chevy Tahoe 5.3 (Getting a new engine, Jasper reman next week).

I have been using it for awhile and it works well in all my engines. I definitely want it in the Tahoe after I get the new engine in.

Thought's on this?
 
Should work fine
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I have run it in lots of stuff. Always worked well
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Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Should work fine
smile.gif


I have run it in lots of stuff. Always worked well
smile.gif



It seems to do well in all my vehicles. Plus I like the price.
 
You ran Rotella T6 and now you need a new engine?!? That does not seem like a ringing endorsement.
 
Originally Posted By: wdn
You ran Rotella T6 and now you need a new engine?!? That does not seem like a ringing endorsement.


The engine in question has 285,000 + miles on it. It blew it's head gasket and over heated as the coolant was being pumped into a cylinder. Had nothing to do with the oil.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
As long as you keep the OCI's in check you should be fine. Good luck with the Jasper reman.


Thanks. I read a lot of information and reviews on this engine particular. They seem to be highly recommended. I will be sticking with 5000 oci's.
 
Originally Posted By: thunderchild
Originally Posted By: wdn
You ran Rotella T6 and now you need a new engine?!? That does not seem like a ringing endorsement.


The engine in question has 285,000 + miles on it. It blew it's head gasket and over heated as the coolant was being pumped into a cylinder. Had nothing to do with the oil.
That on BITOG is a potential oil cause failure.
 
Regarding the 5.3L Jasper reman, you may want to reconsider the use of T6.
Jasper's warranty (3yr/100k miles; a very good one) is predicated on using OEM fluid/filter recommendations (as are most all reman and aftermarket entities).
You would be jeopardizing your new engine warranty if you use T6.
http://qms.jasperengines.com/warranty.asp
"Buyer specifically acknowledges that proper maintenance procedures which include, but are not limited to, changing or calibrating, as applicable, the filter, lubricant, ... must be performed as recommended by the original manufacturer or the warranty will be void." (underline my emphasis)
You might want to email them and get Jasper's acknowledgement in writing if you intend to use a lube grade not spec'd for the Vortec engine by GM.

Additionally, while it is admittedly very unlikely that Shell T6 would cause any issues in your other two cars, it's also very unlikely that Shell would be willing to extend any warranty coverage for the use of T6 in your other vehicles. This is because Shell, and just about any lube/filter maker I can think of, predicates their warranty coverage to those that mimic the OEM application recommendations. Just because you like T6 in your cars, does not mean Shell will be required to cover any damage (however unlikely) from the use of their lube in your application. If you use 5w-40 where a 5w30 is spec'd, that gives them the ability to deny, or at the very least, delay with great fervor, any warranty claim. Just because lube makers spec some of their diesel oils for gas applications, does not automatically mean they will cover YOUR SPECIFIC APPLICATION, should you choose to use a grade not covered by the OEM spec in your engine.
https://rotella.shell.com/warranty/terms-and-conditions.html
You might want to write an email to Shell and ask their position here as well.

I realize it's popular to go off the reservation and try new things; I do it often myself. But I do so knowing the risks I take, and how that affects my warranty coverage in the equipment and products I utilize. This topic is no different for lubes than filters. So many want to "upsize" their filter for some imagined benefit, where no tangible evidence shows any credible gain, and to boot, they risk the filter maker's denial of warranty coverage for choosing a filter not spec'd for the application. When an OEM specs/licenses something, the aftermarket often will use that same spec as their "recommendation" or requirement for their products as well.


Up to you; Caveat Emptor.
 
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You will be fine with T6 5W-40 in an LS engine (Tahoe), extensive used oil analysis has shown lower wear with 40 weight oils in LS engines. Patman did many UOA's back 15 years ago. The only downfalls, quicker emission catalyst degradation and hardly noticeable decrease in fuel economy from using heavier viscosity oil. Offset is an engine that will last longer.

I have T6 5W-40 in my ecodiesel, 17kW Generac generator, John Deere lawnmower. It's an all around a good oil, i'm not crazy on the CK-4 blend of T6, they took out the moly. May switch to another 5W-40.
 
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There always seems to be some romance in an all for one oil … but one of the main reasons I don’t do it is bargain shopping ... for a while I was finding deals on 40’s (Delvac 1 and Delo) and ran that but mostly used up ... then grabbed PPE 5w30 for $13/jug ... these have similar HTHS …

On the popular T6?… seems it’s always been 12 on NOACK …?
One can always look at a handful of solid 0w40’s on the shelf too … and some 10w30 HM formulas are also stouter …
My stash is still several brands and grades … not much there that was full price (maybe 0w20’s)
 
Good luck with your new Jasper engine. I put one in my suburban when the original spun a bearing at 200K. I chose the jasper class one for towing and it has run great. My only issue is when i run the standard 5w30 oil in it, my oil pressure hot and idle drops low enough to tick on the oil light periodically. With 10w40 in it, it idles at 10psi when hot. I was hopeful that it was just the sending unit but its not. The engine now has about 60K miles on it and is still running great. Good luck with your new engine.
 
I thought that the new T-6 was not rated for gasoline engines, only diesel. Is it safe to use on most gasoline engines?
 
Originally Posted By: walterjay
I thought that the new T-6 was not rated for gasoline engines, only diesel. Is it safe to use on most gasoline engines?


Yes and no, while the formula did change to meet the new CK-4 requirements, the only thing that really makes it unable to meet API rated SM or SN for gasoline applications is the amount of ZDDP in it. This was a newer change to those requirements as well as high levels are said to potentially fowl catalytic converters.

The funny thing is that the product used to carry a dual rating and had approximately 1400ppm zinc and now the newer formula which is no longer gasoline appropriate is approximately 1200ppm zinc (as per VOAs here).

If under warranty you should make sure that your oil meets the proper requirements or certifications. But many people like me still use the new Rotella T6 5w40 in gasoline engines.

They also have a Rotella T6 multi-vehicle 5w30 which is harder to find, but has reduced zinc and is API SN certified. It is what you are "supposed" to use now for gasoline applications.
 
Originally Posted By: walterjay
I thought that the new T-6 was not rated for gasoline engines, only diesel. Is it safe to use on most gasoline engines?

The T6 5w30 certainly is. As for the 5w-40, as I've mentioned before, if an E7, E9 lubricant was suitable for use in gasoline engines last summer, why is the current E7, E9 not suitable in the same gasoline engines this summer? Technically the 5w-40 could still be gasoline rated, should they have chosen, given that the phosphorus limits don't apply to that grade, anyhow.

It's no different than how we do not see an SN (or even SM) on Castrol 0w30 A3/B4. Its phosphorus exceeds ILSAC limits (and therefore API rules because 0w30 is a so-called ILSAC grade), yet A3 means it's suitable for gasoline engines, irrespective of any SL, SM, or SN.
 
There is only one shell Rotella T6 formulation that is for gasoline engines. That is their new 5w30 Multi Vehicle oil.

All other Rotella is not for use in gasoline engines, period. That includes their T6 0W-40 and 5W-40 oil. These are diesel engine only and that is according to Shell not according to me. They are not API SN service mark and they are labeled diesel engne oil. It is not even just a question of the wrong viscosity grade, it is Shell the manufacturer is not willing to call them gasoline engine oils at all.

So none of your three gas engine car manufacturers recommends T6 5W-40 and Shell does not recommend Rotella T6 5W-40 in any gasoline powered vehicle.
 
Originally Posted By: walterjay
I thought that the new T-6 was not rated for gasoline engines, only diesel. Is it safe to use on most gasoline engines?


Yes!
 
Originally Posted By: wdn
All other Rotella is not for use in gasoline engines, period. That includes their T6 0W-40 and 5W-40 oil. These are diesel engine only and that is according to Shell not according to me. They are not API SN service mark and they are labeled diesel engne oil. It is not even just a question of the wrong viscosity grade, it is Shell the manufacturer is not willing to call them gasoline engine oils at all.

Many gasoline engines don't need SN. Secondly, it doesn't matter what Shell is willing to call it. The specifications speak for themselves. This is not a two stroke diesel lube nor a marine lube. There are formulators and chemists here who agree with me on this.

Secondly, even before, when it was CJ-4/SM, the number of vehicles in North America that called simply for a 5w-40 in SM could be counted on one hand. Not everyone using the product (or its competitors) was driving a relevant Kia, Hyundai, or Subaru product. It's a lot of worry about nothing.
 
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