US vs Euro 0w20 for new Kia Carnival

I understand your point, and I don’t disagree. My only point originally, besides congratulating the owner on a new car, was that if your local dealer is decent, with a 100k mile warranty you can pretty much not worry about it if they service the vehicle with the oil Kia recommends - dealers cannot use what is not recommended.

My only point of departure with you is that quality 20 weight synthetics (not my first choice either) can handle higher than 220 without problems.
220f is the Minimum temp the engine will see - -
After 40-60 of driving in high heat high load it gets much higher.

That's my issue I would rather use an oil that will be slightly thicker - - -

Also what about the 20 weight after it has been fuel diluted at 220+f
Not for me - thanks
 
Interesting. I tow with my half ton using 5w20 (5.7 hemi) in the summer, up to about 7k pounds and the temp never gets much above 220, even in summer. Long uphill run it once got to 230-240 that was about it. A full synthetic can handle that temperature without issue. I would not be comfortable with conventional at 250, and would want the safety margin the synthetic provides.
 
would fresh anti-freeze/radiator fluid change and cooling system flush be in order if engine temps run a bit too high? and a addition of a cooling systen additive as Royal Purple ,purple ice cooling system optimizer help??
 
would fresh anti-freeze/radiator fluid change and cooling system flush be in order if engine temps run a bit too high? and a addition of a cooling systen additive as Royal Purple ,purple ice cooling system optimizer help??
These are brand new vehicles that are made to run this hot.
Mine has 3000kms on it.

Also cooling system is fine...never goes above 101-103 Celsius. Usually high 90s.
 
Interesting. I tow with my half ton using 5w20 (5.7 hemi) in the summer, up to about 7k pounds and the temp never gets much above 220, even in summer. Long uphill run it once got to 230-240 that was about it. A full synthetic can handle that temperature without issue. I would not be comfortable with conventional at 250, and would want the safety margin the synthetic provides.
you should be using 5w30 or 0w40.
 
Interesting. So you saw instances of cars that were regularly serviced at the dealer having coverage denied? That would be pretty scummy and would be a real knock on Kia. But very interesting.

I understand your point about bulk oil, it is not what I use but if a Kia dealer uses it, Kia cannot say the oil is inappropriate for warranty purposes. That would expose them to significant litigation risk.
yes. it was shame we had to tell consumers it was normal for their engine to use 1 1/2 quarts if oil per 1000 miles. the warranty pretty much tells you the engine is only good for 100,000 miles. if you have a bad rod bearing they will replace engine, but not for oil consumption. when the Hyundai Equis came out it had an oil consumption issue, so they did a recall and we put a longer range dipstick in the car to make the consumer think it wasn't using as much. out of all the manufactures I have worked for, Hyundai and kia are by far the worst and people keep buying this junk. but hey consumer reports rate then high, but they don't last. pure garbage. even their GDI is the worst too with carbon buildup. I thought audio was bad but these Koreans have them smoked. bottom line is they use that warranty to sell a product and once you buy, the headaches start.
 
you should be using 5w30 or 0w40.
My brother in law is a mechanic for a large Chrysler dealer in NY. He said the motors will sometimes set a code (not a check engine light) if the 20w is not used. He said as long as you have a high quality synthetic you will be fine. He did say he has not seen that information used, but he said it is there. I have an 8 year Mopar warranty on the truck so I use the specified 5w20, but if I tow more (right now it is occasional) I would likely increase to a 5w30 or the 0w40 specified for the larger V8, the 392.

As I said, it is almost easier to own a car outside of warranty. But I appreciate the perspective, I am sympathetic to it.
 
My brother in law is a mechanic for a large Chrysler dealer in NY. He said the motors will sometimes set a code (not a check engine light) if the 20w is not used. He said as long as you have a high quality synthetic you will be fine. He did say he has not seen that information used, but he said it is there. I have an 8 year Mopar warranty on the truck so I use the specified 5w20, but if I tow more (right now it is occasional) I would likely increase to a 5w30 or the 0w40 specified for the larger V8, the 392.

As I said, it is almost easier to own a car outside of warranty. But I appreciate the perspective, I am sympathetic to it.
Hmm…

Well a 0W-30 would never throw a code.
 
Kia does a fairly good job of speaking in circles in the manual so as to not commit to allowing different viscosity oils. In one sentence they say you may need a thicker oil based on temperature and then right after that they say but using an oil other than the one recommended could cause engine damage. To me, the allows Kia total a lot of leeway in deciding whether they are going to cover a warranty issue related to oil.

No way Kia, or any manufacturer, denies warranty, due to the type of oil used. I know engineers that work at the Kia HQ in California, and it just ain't gonna happen.
 
No way Kia, or any manufacturer, denies warranty, due to the type of oil used. I know engineers that work at the Kia HQ in California, and it just ain't gonna happen.
I agree and I believe the spirit of the comment in the Kia manual about using ANY VISCOSITY other than the recommended may damage the engine is specifically talking about a thinner viscosity oil and not a thicker viscosity oil. My comment is simply about the ambiguity of the verbiage in the Kia manual, especially using the term ANY VISCOSITY. Toyota for instance just says use this viscosity but a thicker viscosity may be better under hot conditions. There is much less ambiguity there because they omit the comment about using a viscosity other than what is recommended may damage your engine.
 
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No way Kia, or any manufacturer, denies warranty, due to the type of oil used. I know engineers that work at the Kia HQ in California, and it just ain't gonna happen.
It plainly states Recommended in all manuals - - - not required.

There is a HUGE difference in those words for warranty.
Any lawyer or chimp could win that case in court.

It's all about the replacement interval of that oil in question.
It's always been every 6 months minimum for us - - -

With our 2.0t theta 2 turbo its between 4-6 months depending on our driving conditions.
When we do a lot of city driving it's more like 4-5 months and definitely under 5k kms. During the cold months.

I Always keep receipts and take a lot of time stamped pictures for warranty purposes.

However, that being said - - - - - I think that the Kia - Hyundai - we just bought will probably be our last.
There have been WAY to many issues by both manufacturers - my confidence has been shaken.

Sadly though - - - there is not a lot of confidence left in the automotive marketplace - - - Toyota / Mazda are the last on my radar.
Our last Honda Odyssey was a total parts monster - - - Honda is out for me as well.
 
However, that being said - - - - - I think that the Kia - Hyundai - we just bought will probably be our last.
There have been WAY to many issues by both manufacturers - my confidence has been shaken.

Sadly though - - - there is not a lot of confidence left in the automotive marketplace - - - Toyota / Mazda are the last on my radar.
Our last Honda Odyssey was a total parts monster - - - Honda is out for me as well.
It does kind of seem like we are in a race to the bottom. Being "reliable" these days means simply not being as unreliable as other manufacturers. I will hold onto my Tundra and Rx 350 as long as possible out of fear they just don't make reliable vehicles like these any more.
 
I decided on M1 ESP X2 0w20. It starts out slightly thinner than many other oils in that grade, but seems to hold up well and has many stringent approvals, along with API SP. And you can find it cheaply now at Walmart, so…

We’re going on a road trip in a little over a week. When we come back the van will have over 1,000 miles on it. Will probably dump the factory fill then.
 
I tow with my half ton using 5w20 (5.7 hemi) in the summer, up to about 7k pounds and the temp never gets much above 220, even in summer.
The Hemi is capable of that with a 20 grade, but it would be better protected with a higher HT/HS oil.
He said the motors will sometimes set a code (not a check engine light) if the 20w is not used.
Perhaps during very frigid days. I have been running 30 and 40 grade in mine for over 100K miles and have yet to see any code. But I'm in FL, anyway.
 
Does it? They have had A TON of warranty claims related to their engine designs over the past 10 years or so years. Where was the data that not only prevented these issues but fixed them in a timely manner once they were identified? They knew they had a problem and chose to still produce these engines as is for years and just absorb the cost lower down on the income statement.

There are a ton of reasons why certain decisions are made and what's best based on the data isn't always one of them. Marketing, meeting regulatory demands, and cost control seem to be just as important these days and it comes down to a cost-benefit analysis for almost every manufacturer. Don't give too much credit to the manufacturers in general and this is especially true for Kia/Hyundai.
You are right, WHERE is the metallurgy data where Hyundai/Kia has that tells them they are choosing the wrong metal choice for the engine components ? They don't seem to be looking at it............ Hyundai is the world' largest metals company. It's been 12+ years now Hyundai/Kia have "completely failed" to get their engine from failing from engine design and their biggest problem metallurgy choice on engine components. They are trying to screw up, it is clearly that bad. My hypothesis is top level board members own multi private to them, engine rebuilding company's and use their "soft metals choice" to funnel cash their way legally, but unethically. You just can not be this stupid and that large of company for this long. A pot head/gear head high school drop out could fix their problem in 1 day. Even he could correlate why the other manufactures who are using the same designed engines are NOT having the engine destruction problem like Hyundai/Kia are having. Yes, it is that easy to fix Hyundai/Kia's engine's from destroying them self's. It is almost all a metallurgy choice issue.

Hyundai/Kia are part of a Global Engine Alliance with Stellantis/Chrysler/Dodge and Mitsubishi Automotive. They use the same designed engines, BUT the auto manufacture can choice their own metallurgy specs, and they do. You don't see crates and crates of engines lining the walls of these other dealerships like you do at a Hyundai/Kia dealership. 12 to 13 years of this crap. It will be interesting to see if their new line of engines will have the same old "soft" metals choice as the last 13 years.

As for using X-20 oil if I owned a NEW Hyundai/Kia. Not a chance, warantty be dammed. I am in the USA so I can bump off the Magnusen-Moss Warranty Act, while not a guarantee at all, it has some gravitas to use against a manufacture of using a "sweeping generality" on you, with a "SORRY!!! we are not warranting your engine because you did not follow our "Grade recommendations" I would use a large oil manufacture oil that clearly holds certs for BMW/VW/Porsche in 5w-30 and call it a day. Any issue on warranty, I guess I am fight it. Clearly I was using a certified oil, that exceeds your specs and these spec are the highestquality in the autmotive industry world wide.

Just another way Hyundai puts FUD into towing in North America. My 1.6T AWD Kona in other countries can tow 2,800 lbs with brakes and 1,200 without. "Not Recommended" in Noth America. This keeps 95% of the people from towing with it because of FUD ( fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Same witth oil choice/and grade. They bark and throw FUD around and when my Hyundai tanked a motor with another manufacture oil filter on it (Fram Ultra). They came back and said they might not warranty it, and within 500 millaseconds of them saying tha,t I BARKED back and said sorry you have to adby by the Magnussen-Moss Warranty Act, as long as my oil filter is the one speced for the car (which it was) you can't deny my warranty for you badly designed motor, and your soft metals you choose to use. Never heard another word about denying a thing, after I barked back. I even demanded a long block and not the normal short block they do over 1/2 the time because Hyundai doesn't seem to "watch their data" when motors were dieing from dirty used componants/cleaned, but not gauantteed some metals would come lose that were not clean out properly. Hyundai chose to use them again to try to save them money.

"But I digress".
 
You are right, WHERE is the metallurgy data where Hyundai/Kia has that tells them they are choosing the wrong metal choice for the engine components ? They don't seem to be looking at it............ Hyundai is the world' largest metals company. It's been 12+ years now Hyundai/Kia have "completely failed" to get their engine from failing from engine design and their biggest problem metallurgy choice on engine components. They are trying to screw up, it is clearly that bad. My hypothesis is top level board members own multi private to them, engine rebuilding company's and use their "soft metals choice" to funnel cash their way legally, but unethically. You just can not be this stupid and that large of company for this long. A pot head/gear head high school drop out could fix their problem in 1 day. Even he could correlate why the other manufactures who are using the same designed engines are NOT having the engine destruction problem like Hyundai/Kia are having. Yes, it is that easy to fix Hyundai/Kia's engine's from destroying them self's. It is almost all a metallurgy choice issue.

Hyundai/Kia are part of a Global Engine Alliance with Stellantis/Chrysler/Dodge and Mitsubishi Automotive. They use the same designed engines, BUT the auto manufacture can choice their own metallurgy specs, and they do. You don't see crates and crates of engines lining the walls of these other dealerships like you do at a Hyundai/Kia dealership. 12 to 13 years of this crap. It will be interesting to see if their new line of engines will have the same old "soft" metals choice as the last 13 years.

As for using X-20 oil if I owned a NEW Hyundai/Kia. Not a chance, warantty be dammed. I am in the USA so I can bump off the Magnusen-Moss Warranty Act, while not a guarantee at all, it has some gravitas to use against a manufacture of using a "sweeping generality" on you, with a "SORRY!!! we are not warranting your engine because you did not follow our "Grade recommendations" I would use a large oil manufacture oil that clearly holds certs for BMW/VW/Porsche in 5w-30 and call it a day. Any issue on warranty, I guess I am fight it. Clearly I was using a certified oil, that exceeds your specs and these spec are the highestquality in the autmotive industry world wide.

Just another way Hyundai puts FUD into towing in North America. My 1.6T AWD Kona in other countries can tow 2,800 lbs with brakes and 1,200 without. "Not Recommended" in Noth America. This keeps 95% of the people from towing with it because of FUD ( fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Same witth oil choice/and grade. They bark and throw FUD around and when my Hyundai tanked a motor with another manufacture oil filter on it (Fram Ultra). They came back and said they might not warranty it, and within 500 millaseconds of them saying tha,t I BARKED back and said sorry you have to adby by the Magnussen-Moss Warranty Act, as long as my oil filter is the one speced for the car (which it was) you can't deny my warranty for you badly designed motor, and your soft metals you choose to use. Never heard another word about denying a thing, after I barked back. I even demanded a long block and not the normal short block they do over 1/2 the time because Hyundai doesn't seem to "watch their data" when motors were dieing from dirty used componants/cleaned, but not gauantteed some metals would come lose that were not clean out properly. Hyundai chose to use them again to try to save them money.

"But I digress".
Out of all the manufacturers I have worked for, we have never denied a warranty for viscosity. Mater of fact they don’t care what oil is in it, we take the valve cover off to see if it has been CHANGED. If it has sludge or heavy varnish, that’s the tell tale sign. Only manufacturer I have seen warranty denied for bc of oil is VW. It was for a TDI, it kept having DPF issues left and right needed a constant regen. Tech couldn’t get the filter cleaned down to 10%. Tech ended up looking at the oil change sticker and it said Valvoline 5w40 from a Valvoline quick line facility. It needed a new exhaust system that was not covered. The customer was irate.
 
You are right, WHERE is the metallurgy data where Hyundai/Kia has that tells them they are choosing the wrong metal choice for the engine components ? They don't seem to be looking at it............ Hyundai is the world' largest metals company. It's been 12+ years now Hyundai/Kia have "completely failed" to get their engine from failing from engine design and their biggest problem metallurgy choice on engine components. They are trying to screw up, it is clearly that bad. My hypothesis is top level board members own multi private to them, engine rebuilding company's and use their "soft metals choice" to funnel cash their way legally, but unethically. You just can not be this stupid and that large of company for this long. A pot head/gear head high school drop out could fix their problem in 1 day. Even he could correlate why the other manufactures who are using the same designed engines are NOT having the engine destruction problem like Hyundai/Kia are having. Yes, it is that easy to fix Hyundai/Kia's engine's from destroying them self's. It is almost all a metallurgy choice issue.

Hyundai/Kia are part of a Global Engine Alliance with Stellantis/Chrysler/Dodge and Mitsubishi Automotive. They use the same designed engines, BUT the auto manufacture can choice their own metallurgy specs, and they do. You don't see crates and crates of engines lining the walls of these other dealerships like you do at a Hyundai/Kia dealership. 12 to 13 years of this crap. It will be interesting to see if their new line of engines will have the same old "soft" metals choice as the last 13 years.

As for using X-20 oil if I owned a NEW Hyundai/Kia. Not a chance, warantty be dammed. I am in the USA so I can bump off the Magnusen-Moss Warranty Act, while not a guarantee at all, it has some gravitas to use against a manufacture of using a "sweeping generality" on you, with a "SORRY!!! we are not warranting your engine because you did not follow our "Grade recommendations" I would use a large oil manufacture oil that clearly holds certs for BMW/VW/Porsche in 5w-30 and call it a day. Any issue on warranty, I guess I am fight it. Clearly I was using a certified oil, that exceeds your specs and these spec are the highestquality in the autmotive industry world wide.

Just another way Hyundai puts FUD into towing in North America. My 1.6T AWD Kona in other countries can tow 2,800 lbs with brakes and 1,200 without. "Not Recommended" in Noth America. This keeps 95% of the people from towing with it because of FUD ( fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Same witth oil choice/and grade. They bark and throw FUD around and when my Hyundai tanked a motor with another manufacture oil filter on it (Fram Ultra). They came back and said they might not warranty it, and within 500 millaseconds of them saying tha,t I BARKED back and said sorry you have to adby by the Magnussen-Moss Warranty Act, as long as my oil filter is the one speced for the car (which it was) you can't deny my warranty for you badly designed motor, and your soft metals you choose to use. Never heard another word about denying a thing, after I barked back. I even demanded a long block and not the normal short block they do over 1/2 the time because Hyundai doesn't seem to "watch their data" when motors were dieing from dirty used componants/cleaned, but not gauantteed some metals would come lose that were not clean out properly. Hyundai chose to use them again to try to save them money.

"But I digress".
If the engines are this bad, why do some folks keep buying them? And if the engines are this “soft” - although I have never heard that term used with a motor - it seems engine oil viscosity is almost not an issue, they are going to have a short service life no matter what.

I dont own a Kia or a Hyundai so I have no dog in this fight and they are not really on my radar but it sounds like we are drifting into conspiracy theories. FWIW my brother in law has a Tuscon that recently hit 300k miles. He services it carefully by the book because that is his personality type generally. I do not know what oil he uses but he is not a car guy so I doubt he gives it much thought.
 
Cingrats on a very nice Van. We wanted one of those but couldn't find stock when we needed it. Instead, we bought a Palisade.

Our '22 Palisade Smartstream V6 (3.8 GDI only) recommends 5w30. Its gotten 5w30 and 5w40(clearanced Edge). My wife drives it as her daily in city traffic and it gets in 90°+ for long stretches here. We've also used it on very long road trips (Miami to Toronto). I can't say I've noticed a difference between the viscosities. Now that this platform has been proven reliable, I'll probably stick to the rebommended 5w30.

It sounds like the 3.5 is significantly different. However, being in MI, I'd stick to what the manual recommends. The HTHS difference between an API 20 and 30 is as miniscule as will be your MPG difference between the two. Both wear and MPG between them will be determined more so by the thousands of variables associated with your commute than any HTHS 2.6 to 2.9.
 
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I honestly don’t think it’s a metallurgical issue, or a manufacturing issue, for that matter. It’s not much of a surprise to me that everywhere else in the world, Hyundai (and Kia, for that matter) are actually pretty reliable cars. I say it’s not much of a surprise because most of what the rest of the world gets are the MPI versions of Hyundai’s engines, which tracks with the results from North America’s experience where the MPI engines are actually quite reliable. My theory is that the problem is with their use of GDI. There’s something about the implementation of GDI that is ruining these engines, I just don’t know what it is exactly.
 
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