Should I switch to a thicker oil for the summer?

[xwhaler]

Lemme hear some opinions.
I have read that many people go with a ticker oil for the ummer months.
I always go with 5w-30 per the Owners Manual with great results. I dont consume or leak any oil. Should I not mess with a good thing or should I maybe go up to a 10w-30?

This is for a 2000 Ford Explorer SOHC v6
Will be in Warm (70s/80s) weather over the summer, but not real hot.
Mostly short trips over the summer while I live on an island. (Nantucket, MA)

 

[Mamala Bay]

How many miles on vehicle and what kind of oil...dino or synnthetic?

 

[xwhaler]

43k on Truck
I was using Castrol GTX and was happy with it but just for curiosity's sake and through reading great things about it on this board, I went with Chevron Supreme 5w30. Did that this morning in fact!

Running the FL-1A Filter
thanks in advance

 

[Mamala Bay]

If you want spend a little extra for it, the Delo400 10-30 is one great oil and it's the only dino oil I would use. Not to say the Chevron, Castrol or Pennzoil is not a good oil but for me I have driven all brands of oil hard in very dusty condition and I have to say the Delo held up the best. It was a little experiment I wanted to see for myself...Changed the oil every 3,000 miles. The Delo could had gone a lot further. I was driving a 1,000 miles a week.

 

[outrun]

In "general" 10W30 oils are much more stout than there 5W30 kin.

I concur with the above Chevron Delo 10W30 (HDDEO) is extremely hard to beat for price/performance. (without going to full synthetic)

BITOG.com has made me a firm believer in the value of diesel oils used in gas engines

 

[Mamala Bay]

If Ford states to use 5-30wt oil, with 43,000 miles your engine has been broken in, I don't see any reason to go with a 10-30 with the temperature you stated for the summer. It should hold up a lot better. I got a Ford Ranger 3.0 and ran 5-30 and 10-30 since the temperature can hit 90 plus. I've got 80,000 miles on it and thinking of going with the Mobil Truck & Suv 5-40 because I think I need a thicker oil because of the mileage I have and temperature here.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Malama Bay, Why not try Havoline/Chevron in straight 30 or 40 weight? Your climate is one where cold cranking is an issue. I don't see any need for any winter-weight oils...assuming you're not starting the vehicle at the top of any mountains!

 

[Mamala Bay]

Lucky you with winter temperature I miss the snow...Might be, yea start up in the morning going down the mountain...hey that is an idea ToyotaNSaturn.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Oops,...meant to say "cold cranking isn't an issue your climate..."

 

[Mamala Bay]

Know what ya meant Toyota...Tough living in cold climate...

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

It's not so bad now that it's April...

Although February leaves me dreaming of an island vacation...

 

[mikemc]

Xwhaler, with your relatively mild summers I think you'd be fine sticking with either Castrol or Chevron 5w30 all year, so long as you don't go much past 4,000 mile intervals. The Ford engines really seem to like the 5Wxx oils and you may get slightly better fuel economy with the 5w30. I put over 130,000 miles on a 3.0 Ranger using Castrol 5w30 exclusively and never turned a bolt on the motor.

 

[pscholte]

No

 

[outrun]

I disagree i Bob told me a while ago never to run SAE straight weight oils.

 

[Mamala Bay]

Why I run the m8ti weight oil, that is an old myth tale straight 30 or 40wt....oil is made better today...

 

[TallPaul]

I'd switch to the 10w30 for the summer. I see no point in running a 5w30 unless it is well below freezing.

 

[XS650]

People routinely run engines like yours hard in 100F+ weather with 5W-30 oil. You aren't even giving it any good exercize.

 

[DEWFPO]

No need to change.

My 1 Cent

DEWFPO

 

[bythabay]

there will be absolutely no benefit of switching from a 5w30 tp a 10w30. in order to understand why you need to be able to understand what the numbers and letter mean. the 5w stands for viscosity at "winter" temps and the 30 is for viscosity at regualr operating temps. so as you can see, it won't make any difference whatsoever switching from a 5w30 to a 10w30. I would even use a 0w30 because it is more fluid at lower temps and would circulate to engine components faster.

 

[TallPaul]

He's going to be operating in 70 to 80 F ambient temperatures. Cold starting is not an issue! Using a 10w30 minimizes the amount of viscosity index improvers in the oil (the VIIs do not lubricate) and gives him a far more robust base oil (10w vs 5 or 0 w), and a much better high temp/high sheer viscosity. The 10w30 will stand up to abuse much better and should handle a longer oil change interval than 0w30 or 5w30.