Kia Picanto 5w30 or 5w20

[bigjl]

So got this little Kia Picanto for local use.

I have looked in the handbook and they advise 5w20 or 5w30 (SM)

Annoyingly the Kia dealers all seem to supply 5w30 but I want to make sure economy is as good as possible I want the 5w20

I intend to change the oil and oil filter at 5k and have main dealer servicing at 10k.

The car does lots of town driving with some trips less than a mile and others four or five miles in traffic.

Am I just being fussy about insisting on the 5w20?

I have a couple of possible 5w20 oils in mind

But thought I would ask for some opinions on here first, next OCI not due for approx 2700 miles but it is doing 6/700 miles a week at the moment so best to be prepared!

My current favourite is Shell Helix Ultra Professional 5w20 but it's an SN not SM, I am not familiar with API but would that be a problem or is SN simply an improvement on SM and meets similar specs? (£35 for 5 litres)

Left field consideration is Red Line 5w20 Fully Synthetic, pricey at £58 for 3.78 litres. (Sump is only 3 litres)

As usual all feedback appreciated.

 

[UltrafanUK]

http://liqui-moly.lubricantadvisor.com/a...d1942cddc0fcca4

Not sure of your exact engine type, but that oil guide lists a lot of different oil types and SAE groups, so it's not a fussy engine in Lube terms.
The list goes from an 0w20 Synthoil to a 15w40 HM conventional.
Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice. I would pick a long life Synthoil Longtime 0w30 in winter, but switch to a 10w40 part synthetic in summer IF I did more than X miles. Where X equals 15,000km in the EU, which is not a long MAX OCI, as my Twingo 1.2 16v just did a 50,000km OCI just before I bought it. Back to using a 30K km MAX now.

 

[bigjl]

There are only two engines fitted to the Picanto

A 1.0 and 1.25.

I am liking the look of the Liqui Moly Special Tec AA 5w20

I want to go as thin as Kia specify rather than thicker, car doesn't have a lot of power and will be getting serviced by Kia every 10k.

As the dealers seem to be unable to supply 5w20 I have to make sure it fulfills the specs exactly.

In my experience Kia dealers are a bit strange

My Kia had the first service done by an independant dealer which is OK under Block Exemption, when I had the second service done at 8k (1st at 2.5k) the garage used a non Kia filter (Bosch I think), the dealer tech called it "Non Standard" as if it had the filter of a Volvo.....

It was 2years old at purchase and comes with a 24months battery warranty, it was in stock for 3months (I think it was handed back part way through a lease) and it had a new battery fitted by the dealer. A Lion branded one. The same dealer tech said that was "Non Standard" because it didn't say "Kia" on it.

It would seem to me that Kia dealers don't want owners to avail themselves of their legal right to maintain their cars outside the dealer network.

If they want people to use them they should at least have the good grace to know which oils can be used in their cars!

I don't believe in extending OCI to be perfectly honest.

Have never heard of a car suffering issues due to shorter OCI.

And the vehicles usage is what I would consider "Severe Service"

Lots of idling, short trips, stop start and in use for most of the day.

I will have this car for likely 5/6 years and it shall be given to my daughter in about 2 years I suspect, or she will be the main user, so longevity and achieving the best MPG posssible are my main goals.

 

[toneydoc]

Can you get Castrol 0w30 where you are? If so, that would be my oil of choice.

 

[UltrafanUK]

Originally Posted By: bigjl
There are only two engines fitted to the Picanto

A 1.0 and 1.25.
The 1.0 needs pedals!

I am liking the look of the Liqui Moly Special Tec AA 5w20
It's a good basic oil, just check the API/Acea specs match.

I want to go as thin as Kia specify rather than thicker, car doesn't have a lot of power and will be getting serviced by Kia every 10k.
Agreed, thin but top quality base stocks and additives.

As the dealers seem to be unable to supply 5w20 I have to make sure it fulfills the specs exactly.
They will try and use something real cheap from a drum if you don;t supply the oil or ask them to get it. The latter method is best in warranty terms.

In my experience Kia dealers are a bit strange.
So are their cars!

My Kia had the first service done by an independant dealer which is OK under Block Exemption, when I had the second service done at 8k (1st at 2.5k) the garage used a non Kia filter (Bosch I think), the dealer tech called it "Non Standard" as if it had the filter of a Volvo.....
Genuine Bosch or Mann filters (Stamped made in Germany only) are just as good as OEM ones.

It was 2years old at purchase and comes with a 24months battery warranty, it was in stock for 3months (I think it was handed back part way through a lease) and it had a new battery fitted by the dealer. A Lion branded one. The same dealer tech said that was "Non Standard" because it didn't say "Kia" on it.
Never heard of that brand, BUT I'm sure the warranty allows non Kia parts for used cars.

It would seem to me that Kia dealers don't want owners to avail themselves of their legal right to maintain their cars outside the dealer network.
All stealerships are the same.

If they want people to use them they should at least have the good grace to know which oils can be used in their cars!
Nah, one recent survey of dealer maintained cars showed that 20% of them had the wrong oil in use (Wrong SAE groups or type of oil), BUT they all had the most expensive oil listed on the bill.

I don't believe in extending OCI to be perfectly honest.
Agreed, it's a very Iffy thing to do without doing a few UOA's to figure the interval out.

Have never heard of a car suffering issues due to shorter OCI.
And the vehicles usage is what I would consider "Severe Service"
Lots of idling, short trips, stop start and in use for most of the day.
Severe service is difficult to define, even though RENAULT did define it and half the max OCI. The big issue is either dust (Ultra fine Si), fuel contamination OR lack of a once a month serious WOT (Sunday on a Highway might be OK). With older cars it's small HG failures, bad injectors (Gummed tips in particular) or excessive blowby.
Lots of owners think their car or truck is subject to severe use, BUT very few are.


I will have this car for likely 5/6 years and it shall be given to my daughter in about 2 years I suspect, or she will be the main user, so longevity and achieving the best MPG posssible are my main goals.


Great post covering a lot of different issues, so I've put a few comments afterwards in blue.
Castrol Edge 0w30 is a good oil, but if you have a diesel, try and avoid Castrol Edge Turbo Diesel (Acea C3 for early model DPF afficted owners).

 

[KCJeep]

The SN exceeds/supercedes the SM spec and is superior. No problems there.

I would go with the 5w30. You want to do long drains and you are likely to gain at most a quarter mile per gallon if that. Value protection over a gnat hair of fuel economy. That little engine has to work hard you know.

 

[UltrafanUK]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
The SN exceeds/supercedes the SM spec and is superior. No problems there.

I would go with the 5w30. You want to do long drains and you are likely to gain at most a quarter mile per gallon if that. Value protection over a gnat hair of fuel economy. That little engine has to work hard you know.


Yeabut, one good reason for using an 0w30 is that the base stock has to be a better (Closer to a G4 synthoil) mix.

Oversight of engine oil performance is far better when it has an API spec, but it is worth mentioning for the GenPub that it is a long way from perfect, so stick to the major brands like Shell, Liqui Moly, Castrol and Mobil. The LM oil finder/guide can be set to the US, BUT it refuses to list xw20 grades unless the German standards are the same and at present only a few new petrol jobs and the hybrids list any xw20 grades.
The Iffy lubes don't even stock them in the EU, although cars under warranty have to use the book figures and often have dealer only service contracts.

 

[bigjl]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
The SN exceeds/supercedes the SM spec and is superior. No problems there.

I would go with the 5w30. You want to do long drains and you are likely to gain at most a quarter mile per gallon if that. Value protection over a gnat hair of fuel economy. That little engine has to work hard you know.

No I don't want to do long drains.

5k miles due to the usage as described, lots of short trips, idling, on the go most of the day.

We have a company provided home care to the elderly and those with physical disabilities.

Hence why I consider the usage as severe service.

UltrafanUK is the fellow doing extended drains. I have never been a fan of extending OCI, I had looked into it with the info from here, but just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Call me an addict!!!

 

[FCD]

i'd consider giving it a good run down the motorway driving aggressivelt once in a while

 

[bigt61]

At 5k OCI I'd use whatever is cheap and available without hassle. 5W-30 or 5W-20 - fuel economy difference is negligible, probably nonexistent if you're paying extra for a 20.

 

[bigjl]

Originally Posted By: toneydoc
Can you get Castrol 0w30 where you are? If so, that would be my oil of choice.



I have never seen Castrol 0w30 for sale locally. I would suspect you can get it from OpieOils

 

[Jetronic]

Originally Posted By: bigjl
So got this little Kia Picanto for local use.

I have looked in the handbook and they advise 5w20 or 5w30 (SM)

Annoyingly the Kia dealers all seem to supply 5w30 but I want to make sure economy is as good as possible I want the 5w20

I intend to change the oil and oil filter at 5k and have main dealer servicing at 10k.

The car does lots of town driving with some trips less than a mile and others four or five miles in traffic.

Am I just being fussy about insisting on the 5w20?

I have a couple of possible 5w20 oils in mind

But thought I would ask for some opinions on here first, next OCI not due for approx 2700 miles but it is doing 6/700 miles a week at the moment so best to be prepared!

My current favourite is Shell Helix Ultra Professional 5w20 but it's an SN not SM, I am not familiar with API but would that be a problem or is SN simply an improvement on SM and meets similar specs? (£35 for 5 litres)

Left field consideration is Red Line 5w20 Fully Synthetic, pricey at £58 for 3.78 litres. (Sump is only 3 litres)

As usual all feedback appreciated.


They're not the most economical car to begin with...

redline is a very heave 20... it can replce 30s in a lot of cars

SM was likely the current spec when the model was released. I wouldn't worry about SN.

 

[Vuflanovsky]

I say this with no experience with a 1.0 liter engine, but I can anecdotally say that my 1.6 GDI Hyundai runs noticeably better on 5w-20 than on 5w-30. I used both as a comparison for the first couple years of its life.

Personally, if I was doing a 8000-9000km OCI, I'd have no issue using the 5w-20 and I like the idea of the Ultra Helix. It doesn't seem like the engine is stressed very much other than the short trips and idling.

 

[bigjl]

Originally Posted By: Vuflanovsky
I say this with no experience with a 1.0 liter engine, but I can anecdotally say that my 1.6 GDI Hyundai runs noticeably better on 5w-20 than on 5w-30. I used both as a comparison for the first couple years of its life.

Personally, if I was doing a 8000-9000km OCI, I'd have no issue using the 5w-20 and I like the idea of the Ultra Helix. It doesn't seem like the engine is stressed very much other than the short trips and idling.



Thanks for the info.

Thinking back to our old Clio DCi, it was specced for 0w40 or 5w40 (probably 10w40 aswell to be honest) but later ones specced a 5w30, the only difference that was obvious with the engine was the later ones had a Diesel Particulate Filter.

I think I will pull the pin on Shell Helix 5w20 at 13000 miles, leaving it in situ for 5000miles till the next Service Interval at 18000 miles.

Service Interval is 10k or 12months. So I will be basically doing 5k or 6months.

In reply to the above post about economy, in mostly urban driving with stop start, idling etc it is showing 44.1mpg today. The vehicle has two trip MPG meters, the second one is reset when you fill the tank.

Tank is pretty small, takes £31/32 to fill up just after the fuel light comes on.

When I was using it for going to work, two trips a day, light traffic I was getting 57 mpg, but I have a drive that has a large section with average speed cameras and a 40mph or 50mph speed limit which helps with economy.

Engine is only a 3 cylinder but has a camchain so one less job to be concerned with in future.