What Would You Run ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

ChrisD46

Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
4,544
Location
PNW
Hyundai Elantra oil cap says 5W20 , the owners manual says "Depends on the temp conditions - 5W20 , 5W30 or 10W30 is acceptable - choose correctly to avoid problems ". Sure is a hot summer ! ... OK , some would say run 5W20 year round from Alaska to Arizona , some would say run 5W20 in winter / spring and 5W30 or 10W30 in summer / fall , others might stay with 5W30 year round .
I ended up with a 50% / 50% mix of 5W30 QSAD and 5W20 QSUD yesterday for this oil fill for a syn blend of 5W25. I need to pick a weight and standardize on it - What would you do ? * Key side note is that the 2010 DOHC 4 cyl. engine (not GDI) has newly revised internal surface coatings to cut down on friction and new transmission gearing to improve gas mileage ...does the edge then go to 5W20 ?
 
It's been north of 30C here now for the last week and the entire next week also calling for 30+ celsius. Because of this I actually put 5w30 in my Honda even though I know 5w20 would be "fine". I do plan on running 5w20 all other times of the year except for the dead of summer (July+Aug)
 
I'd go with the thinnest oil you can, or 5w-20. Our Honda calls for 5w-20, and runs like a top on 0w-20 year-round. Cold flow is cold flow, regardless if it's 94*F or -10*F out. We see both depending on the time of year.

Hyundai has probably torn down a few dozen of those Beta engines running 5w-20, found nothing remarkable, and spec'd it in the owner's manual.
 
Hyundai dealer in Charlotte NC area specs bulk 5w20 syn blend, fairly sure it's Conoco/Kendall product. I'd say run 5w20 year round in Ga. with no worries. 5w20 what I'm running and plan to continue running in my Genesis. No DI, so no worries about that.

Just follow the OM for OCI's.
 
I agree with Sciphi, use the thinnest oil you have year round. Hyundai and other manufactures test their cars/SUV's at Death Valleys in summer, if 5W20 is in owner's manual then no worry about it's too thin for GA in summer.

I had been using xW20 in my E430 for more than 3 years now, the spec'ed oil is M1 0W40 or other syn oil with HTHS of 3.5 or higher. The engine is much quieter with thinner oil.
 
My 2011 Elantra has the same listing in the manual but also says this

For better fuel economy, it is recommended to use the engine oil of
a viscosity grade SAE 5W-20 (API SM / ILSAC GF-4). However, if
the engine oil is not available in your country, select the proper
engine oil using the engine oil viscosity chart.

I'm using 5W-20 for this reason and I ran it for 8 years in my Focus year round. There is no reason to use thicker oil in the summer in these little 4 bangers.
 
man i dont know about you but we are having the hottest summer on record here. its been 104 for a month straight! i drove 1 block the other day and changed my oil and let me tell ya it was hot! i cant imagine how hot it is after a few miles in town. makes me wonder if a 5/20 will hold up. i personally run a 5w30 year round in my 5/20 speced truck, i suggest you do the same, at least in summer. if all else fails consult the dealership
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
I'd go with the thinnest oil you can, or 5w-20. Our Honda calls for 5w-20, and runs like a top on 0w-20 year-round. Cold flow is cold flow, regardless if it's 94*F or -10*F out. We see both depending on the time of year.

Hyundai has probably torn down a few dozen of those Beta engines running 5w-20, found nothing remarkable, and spec'd it in the owner's manual.



oil dont turn to grease at night down south, we are more worried about heat breaking it. if it only gets down to 85 deg at night you dont need any cold flow. but when oil temps can hit 180 you need somethin that will stand up. if it makes ya feel any better at 200 deg a 30w is prolly more like a 20w
smile.gif
 
180 F is not hot for an oil temperature. Once the oil goes over 240 F, that is hot. 5w20 is fine to use in normal stop and go traffic in an engine that has been designed for it. Even in a hot Georgia summer.
 
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
180 F is not hot for an oil temperature. Once the oil goes over 240 F, that is hot. 5w20 is fine to use in normal stop and go traffic in an engine that has been designed for it. Even in a hot Georgia summer.


im sure it will keep running but what would the advantage be over a 5w30 in that climate? i can think of none, only dis advantages of high heat and thin oil. the manufacturer says depending on climate, not like ford who says all climates. i can only think of one place in the us that gets hotter than the south in summer, so its pretty reasonable that they intended on him running a 5/30.
and to tell ya the truth im kinda jealous that your chilling in 80 deg weather and we are stuck in 105 deg heat lol!

back on topic i really think a 0/30 syn would be the best compromise dont you? excellent cold flow and good visc at temp. im not sure but i would bet a 0/30 syn might have even better cold flow at any temp we will see(25 deg at worst maybe) than a dino 5/20
 
Originally Posted By: electrolover


im sure it will keep running but what would the advantage be over a 5w30 in that climate? i can think of none, only dis advantages of high heat and thin oil.


Your oil is still much thicker than ideal until it's up to operating temperature, unless your ambient temps are over 180 degrees. If it reaches 180 down there, you probably need to worry about other things besides your oil's viscosity...

The easy way to answer this question is to check you oil's temperature. I have, and I know that driving over mountain passes in 100 degree temps, my oil temp is about 1C higher than normal, and in traffic it's the same from 60-100F degrees. In other words, my cooling system works well enough to keep my vehicle's oil temperatures in line.

Another advantage is that thinner oil is going to run cooler in high temperatures, and one of the oil's jobs is to cool the engine. Film strength is NOT the only parameter that matters when it comes to an oil's characteristics.
 
Originally Posted By: JOD
Originally Posted By: electrolover


im sure it will keep running but what would the advantage be over a 5w30 in that climate? i can think of none, only dis advantages of high heat and thin oil.


Your oil is still much thicker than ideal until it's up to operating temperature, unless your ambient temps are over 180 degrees. If it reaches 180 down there, you probably need to worry about other things besides your oil's viscosity...

The easy way to answer this question is to check you oil's temperature. I have, and I know that driving over mountain passes in 100 degree temps, my oil temp is about 1C higher than normal, and in traffic it's the same from 60-100F degrees. In other words, my cooling system works well enough to keep my vehicle's oil temperatures in line.

Another advantage is that thinner oil is going to run cooler in high temperatures, and one of the oil's jobs is to cool the engine. Film strength is NOT the only parameter that matters when it comes to an oil's characteristics.
Well said!!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
What would you recommend to raise VRP oil viscosity?
2
Replies
24
Views
1K
userfriendly
D
Clearing up common misconceptions with Oil weights
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
Hohn
K
Valvoline R&P + VR1 - Seasonal/Mixing
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
Triple_Se7en
A
Stick with what works or change it up…
2 3
Replies
40
Views
3K
Rogueman2016s
V
0w20 in my Ford Fusions, should I switch to 5w30 and run all my others vehicles on one oil? Expert advice needed please
Replies
11
Views
8K
Hermann
Back
Top Bottom