Should I use heavier weight oil?

[Hendo]

Don't be afraid of a thicker oil, try a xxW40 (xx being whatever number suite your min temp in your area) . Your veichle has so many miles that the bearing clearances will be looser than stock.
Hddeo oils usually have fantastic add packs, rotella t6 or Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck would work well, and have a high flash point and low noack so less burn off.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Hendo
Don't be afraid of a thicker oil, try a xxW40 (xx being whatever number suite your min temp in your area) . Your veichle has so many miles that the bearing clearances will be looser than stock.
Hddeo oils usually have fantastic add packs, rotella t6 or Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck would work well, and have a high flash point and low noack so less burn off.


I had two jars in my refrigerator for 24 hours. One jar with 10w30 and the other jar with 10W-40. Both oils measured 39*F with a digital thermometer. I did this because I couldn't make up my mind which oil to go with for the upcoming winter. The 10w30 looks plenty thick at 30*F, but the 10W-40 was ... dare I say ... a little too thick to flow quickly at that temperature. I haven't tried any 5W-40 in my refrigerator yet, but I'm guessing it would be thinner at 39*F than the 10W-40 is. Now in the summertime, when the ambient temps are at 100F, the 10W-40 flows very well. I was just hesitant to use it for the winter. Typically, Central California has its winters around 40*F during the daytime.

 

[Shannow]

I used a 25W-70 through a winter here some years back (down to -7C), car still started and ran...a bit sluggishly.

 

[Merkava_4]

19*F is about what my freezer is. I put a jar of 10W-40 in there
one time too. That oil is like motor honey at that temperature.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

The 3.2L sohc engine is a very stout, reliable engine; I have one myself in my 97 rodeo, with 205k miles and going strong.

This engine DOES have a PCV valve and is VERY important to it's running right; should be changed every 6mnths, no kidding; but they're cheap and easy to get too.

Mine does not burn or leak oil however; knocking hard on wood.

That said, I had mine on Maxlife 5w30 for several years, just because that was the oil my sister & I could both use.

However in the last 6 mnths I've since switched to Quaker State Defy 5w30 - my engine runs a lot smoother, and again, doesn't use any oil, but I like how the Defy is labeled an SL oil for use in older engines.

15w-40 is not too thick for these engines in Australia or if you lived in the Arizona desert; but truthfully, there's no need for an oil this thick and could actually rob the engine of needed lubrication at start-up as well as diminish gas mileage greatly.

10w-40 is not needed either.

5w-40 Rotella diesel/gas oil is considered the jewel among Isuzu owners; great start-up oil without being too thick and has great cleaning properties at a slow rate; has also greatly slowed down oil usage in 90% of the older engines.

 

[Jay1981]

I would try a HM 5w30 first for a couple oci's and if that doesn't help, then try a HM 5w40.