start using 5w30 instead of 5w20 ?

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thomasew

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I have a '05 Dodge Stratus with a 2.7 v6 engine. It is approaching 138K miles. I don't have to add oil between changes, which I keep to around 4k due to the 2.7 engine. We bought this car new, and it has been maintained at a high level. It doesn't smoke, and there are no oil leaks anywhere on the engine, no engine noise, runs quietly. Dealer has done most oil changes, I've done some also. I have put in 5w20 as the oil filler cap indicates, and I assume the dealer did the same. The manual says 5w20 or 5w30, but the preferable one is indicated on the oil filler cap.
I am thinking about putting in 5w30 next oil change due to the mileage on the engine. I wanted to find out if the members think this is a good idea, or should I should I just stay the course with 5w20. I have used 2 or 3 different brands of oil, and I assume the dealer used their bulk supply, whatever that might be at the time.
 
Go ahead and try it. Your car will be fine, especially since the manual says you can use either weight. Bur Demar does have a point.
 
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Its done fine for 137K there is no reason to believe it wont continue to do so with the same oil.
No smoke, leaks or consumption, runs good and quiet, what more can you ask for?
The oil seems to me like it was doing a fine job.
 
There is no need to change the 5w30 just because you hit certain mileage, however you can safely use that grade if you want to.
In my vehicles, both call for 5w20, I use 5w20 and 5w30 because I got a good deal on some PYB and VWB jugs, but there were only few jugs of 5w20 left, so I grabbed 5w30 as well.
So in my Mazda I use 5w20 in winter months and 5w30 the rest of the year and Ford gets 5w30 all year round since I don't have enough 5w20 to go around and I don't want to stock up on more oil before using up the existing stash.
 
There's a mistaken belief by some that at a certain mileage, an engine somehow become "old" or "worn" and needs to be treated differently. While this may have been true 60 years ago, it certainly isn't today. Case in point: the millions of Crown Vic taxis out there with 300,000 miles that run fine.

I have to especially laugh at the oil companies who want you to start using their "High-Mileage" oils at 75,000. If 75,000 miles is considered high, then my ex's 2003 Mercury Marauder with 180,000 is downright stratospheric. We bought it in '07 with 87,000 and I treat it no differently today.

Long story short: just keep doing what you're doing.
 
I'm no oil expert but I love doing oil changes on the cars in the family. I've learned alot here. IMO, It would not make a difference which grade of oil you used. I assume you/dealer have been using conventional oil? The only possible issue I could see if you were to switch from conventional to synthetic. Honestly, I prefer a 5w-30 oil to a 5w-20 oil. (And most of our cars require a 30w oil w/the 2005 Focus being the only one w/a 5w-20 requirement/recommendation.) I'd ask the dealer what grade of bulk oil they used. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a 5/10w-30 oil. Also, some brands of oil are on the light or heavy side of the scale. So...I say don't over think this too much. Buy what's on sale if you DIY.
 
Since the 2.7 is a known sludger, it may be best to keep with the 5w20; the lighter weight should flow more readily.
 
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Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
There's a mistaken belief by some that at a certain mileage, an engine somehow become "old" or "worn" and needs to be treated differently. While this may have been true 60 years ago, it certainly isn't today. Case in point: the millions of Crown Vic taxis out there with 300,000 miles that run fine.


All the taxis, police cruisers, and city/county vehicles in my hometown at one point in time were all either crown Vic's, or ford rangers... Had a buddy who worked on the vehicles at the county/city garage (county vehicle repair depot) anyway, those bad boys were all 350,000 miles plus, and that was with a healthy dose of QSGB (ya know, the wax that'll kill your engine) and Motorcraft filters....
Then to save money + add experience the county mechanical shop closed, and the police cruisers and county vehicles maintenance responsibility went to the local high schools auto shops. Again, QSGB as the oil, and Pureone filters.


The taxi services in my county always came into racetrac, my former workplace, as they had our fleet credit card, and bought either the WPP "trac" brand oil or pennzoil yellow bottle and top them off. Helping one driver one time, I saw her crown Vic had a grungy looking STP filter prolly surviving on top offs.
Again, those vehicles put on a lot of miles AND a lot of idle time.



This was a few years ago. Last time I was in Florida, I saw a lot of cruiser crown Vic's be replaced with dodge chargers, both at the state, county, and city levels. But if you look at the taxis out there, you can see where the former sheriff/police/state trooper decals were.
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Since the 2.7 is a known sludger, it may be best to keep with the 5w20; the lighter weight should flow more readily.

It's a known sludger because of neglect. The waterpump seal, if failed, leaks into the crankcase.

Terrible design, but only causes catastrophic failure if you don't look at the coolant reservoir a couple times a year.
 
By 2005 the sludging issue with 2.7 was mainly fixed if cared for properly. And until 2005 this engines n startus/sebring etc called for 5w-30, yhe switch was made to improve mileage.
I have experience with 3 cars with same engine. 04 sebring convertible, exes 06 Stratus, n my aunts 01 intrepid. all of them have over 200k miles, they just don't take abuse well, the 01-03 models had extra issues others don't n especially longitudinal mounted engines.
use either oil as the manual states, maybe use 5w30 in summer if hot where u live or leaks develop over 200k miles, or just stick with what's worked, you'll be fine.
 
I have used 5w30 in my diesel Pathfinder and also 5w40

5w30 being preferred

I noticed no difference really

Both being A3,B3,B4,C3 oils

I did notice a very slight fuel economy improvement when I switched to 5w30 A5,B5 oil this oil didn't make the C1 saps limit but did match the one for C3 just about so I am happy the Dpf is safe.

I think you will be fine either way if my similar though not identical situation has indicated

Not sure if we even get that engine in the UK

Was it also fitted to the Chrysler Sebring?

I think you could buy that with a 2.7 for a while.
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Since the 2.7 is a known sludger, it may be best to keep with the 5w20; the lighter weight should flow more readily.

But...5w-30 usually has lower NOACK values so it won't evaporate as easily. Check out the latest PQIA test of 5w-20's, most of them failed the 15% limit.
 
I found this interesting, for those people who feel towing in hot climates has no impact on oil, or their engines, because the cooling and oiling system of their engine is more than capable of handling extreme heat even with thinner oils. Toyota and Mobil suggest bumping up a grade. Mobil does use words like "may" I guess that helps cover their butts.
27.gif



Question:
Is 0W-20 Motor Oil Suitable for Use in Hot Climates
Okay, I am having trouble believing that 0W-20 oil is thick enough for the Florida heat (in summer). I have a new Tacoma. I have no problem with the 0W part (cold starting) that seems good but 20 weight in the heat of summer does not seem to be enough. Even the manual says if you are towing or going at excessively high speeds, it might be necessary to use a higher viscosity oil. Please help me get to the truth. I do not want to have what I would consider premature wear due to CAFE standards needing to be met, I am all for gas mileage but I am not willing to sacrifice the life of my engine for an extra 146.00 dollars in gas savings over a hundred thousand miles!!!! I will and have always changed my own oil, and Mobil 1 has been my brand ever since I worked at a gas station for my first job as a teenager. But I need some clarification on this 0W-20 weight, I do believe 5W-30 is better suited to the Florida climate, especially when you consider the fact that I tow a boat at least once a week.
-- Gary Gilmore, Panama, FL

Answer:
Mobil 1 0W-20 is certainly robust enough to handle the climate in Florida, but considering there is additional towing involved, Mobil 1 5W-30 can provide the extra viscosity you may need when towing.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I found this interesting, for those people who feel towing in hot climates has no impact on oil, or their engines, because the cooling and oiling system of their engine is more than capable of handling extreme heat even with thinner oils. Toyota and Mobil suggest bumping up a grade. Mobil does use words like "may" I guess that helps cover their butts.
27.gif



Question:
Is 0W-20 Motor Oil Suitable for Use in Hot Climates
Okay, I am having trouble believing that 0W-20 oil is thick enough for the Florida heat (in summer). I have a new Tacoma. I have no problem with the 0W part (cold starting) that seems good but 20 weight in the heat of summer does not seem to be enough. Even the manual says if you are towing or going at excessively high speeds, it might be necessary to use a higher viscosity oil. Please help me get to the truth. I do not want to have what I would consider premature wear due to CAFE standards needing to be met, I am all for gas mileage but I am not willing to sacrifice the life of my engine for an extra 146.00 dollars in gas savings over a hundred thousand miles!!!! I will and have always changed my own oil, and Mobil 1 has been my brand ever since I worked at a gas station for my first job as a teenager. But I need some clarification on this 0W-20 weight, I do believe 5W-30 is better suited to the Florida climate, especially when you consider the fact that I tow a boat at least once a week.
-- Gary Gilmore, Panama, FL

Answer:
Mobil 1 0W-20 is certainly robust enough to handle the climate in Florida, but considering there is additional towing involved, Mobil 1 5W-30 can provide the extra viscosity you may need when towing.



Thousands of engines all over the US are using M1 0-20 in all climates, including Florida, Arizona, NM, Texas, and even here in Illinois where it gets hotter than Florida. These engines are protected as well as engines that spec for 5-30, etc. There is no evidence that they aren't.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I found this interesting, for those people who feel towing in hot climates has no impact on oil, or their engines, because the cooling and oiling system of their engine is more than capable of handling extreme heat even with thinner oils. Toyota and Mobil suggest bumping up a grade. Mobil does use words like "may" I guess that helps cover their butts.
27.gif



Question:
Is 0W-20 Motor Oil Suitable for Use in Hot Climates
Okay, I am having trouble believing that 0W-20 oil is thick enough for the Florida heat (in summer). I have a new Tacoma. I have no problem with the 0W part (cold starting) that seems good but 20 weight in the heat of summer does not seem to be enough. Even the manual says if you are towing or going at excessively high speeds, it might be necessary to use a higher viscosity oil. Please help me get to the truth. I do not want to have what I would consider premature wear due to CAFE standards needing to be met, I am all for gas mileage but I am not willing to sacrifice the life of my engine for an extra 146.00 dollars in gas savings over a hundred thousand miles!!!! I will and have always changed my own oil, and Mobil 1 has been my brand ever since I worked at a gas station for my first job as a teenager. But I need some clarification on this 0W-20 weight, I do believe 5W-30 is better suited to the Florida climate, especially when you consider the fact that I tow a boat at least once a week.
-- Gary Gilmore, Panama, FL

Answer:
Mobil 1 0W-20 is certainly robust enough to handle the climate in Florida, but considering there is additional towing involved, Mobil 1 5W-30 can provide the extra viscosity you may need when towing.




Why with my truck, and Florida summers If I knew it was gonna be a summer of towing (has been many times) I normally put in 0w30 Rotella HDEO over my normal fill of 5w/0w-20..

Personal preference.
 
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Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I found this interesting, for those people who feel towing in hot climates has no impact on oil, or their engines, because the cooling and oiling system of their engine is more than capable of handling extreme heat even with thinner oils. Toyota and Mobil suggest bumping up a grade. Mobil does use words like "may" I guess that helps cover their butts.
27.gif



Question:
Is 0W-20 Motor Oil Suitable for Use in Hot Climates
Okay, I am having trouble believing that 0W-20 oil is thick enough for the Florida heat (in summer). I have a new Tacoma. I have no problem with the 0W part (cold starting) that seems good but 20 weight in the heat of summer does not seem to be enough. Even the manual says if you are towing or going at excessively high speeds, it might be necessary to use a higher viscosity oil. Please help me get to the truth. I do not want to have what I would consider premature wear due to CAFE standards needing to be met, I am all for gas mileage but I am not willing to sacrifice the life of my engine for an extra 146.00 dollars in gas savings over a hundred thousand miles!!!! I will and have always changed my own oil, and Mobil 1 has been my brand ever since I worked at a gas station for my first job as a teenager. But I need some clarification on this 0W-20 weight, I do believe 5W-30 is better suited to the Florida climate, especially when you consider the fact that I tow a boat at least once a week.
-- Gary Gilmore, Panama, FL

Answer:
Mobil 1 0W-20 is certainly robust enough to handle the climate in Florida, but considering there is additional towing involved, Mobil 1 5W-30 can provide the extra viscosity you may need when towing.



Thousands of engines all over the US are using M1 0-20 in all climates, including Florida, Arizona, NM, Texas, and even here in Illinois where it gets hotter than Florida. These engines are protected as well as engines that spec for 5-30, etc. There is no evidence that they aren't.


No doubt about it, however Mobil provided the answer, I didn't. I was just cruising their site. If Mobil felt that was the case, they could have stated something along these lines. Mobil 1 0w20 has been thoroughly tested under all conditions and will provide the same level of protection in your application as a 30 grade oil. There is no need to use a 30 grade oil in its place. Toyota could have stated that too. They didn't say that though. People are constantly saying the automakers and the oil companies know best, this came from an oil company.

I'm glad I used this.
27.gif
For the record my 08 Liberty is currently filled with Mobil 1 0W20. I also have their 0W30, and 0W40 in my stash.

Happy New Year.
 
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