What weight oil do you use in the South?

[blondie70]

5-w40 Euro in South Mississippi. Mileage is 199,000 or thereabouts....can't tell any difference except oil pressure stays a lil bit higher.

 

[15burban]

Not in the south but 5w30. There's plenty of people that have done repeated uoa's that show more wear when using 0w20 compared to when they used the same oil but in 5w30. Now how much does that matter? Will your engine last an extra 20 miles or 200k on 5w30? Who knows. I plan to keep my vehicles for as long as possible and since 99% of the time 0w20 and 5w30 are the same price for the same brand I'll stick with the 5w30.

The whole 0w20 gets better mileage then 5w30 to me is a bunch of bs. You're trying to move a what 5500-6500 pound "brick" after all. The wind will have way more of an impact then the weight of oil.

Also different types (brands) of oils vary in weights. Some 30 weight oils can be a "light" 30w almost 20w. Just like some can be a "heavy" 30w almost a 40w. I just used 30 weight for generic purposes.

In the end use whatever makes you feel better. You can do everything right and still have an oil related problem. Some make it 200-300k with the cheapest oil and filter while getting the p!ss beat out of them. Others get top notch oil and have cam, lifter, or bearing failure before they're even out of warranty. You either get lucky or you don't.

 

[Marky Dissod]

The whole 0w20 gets better mileage then 5w30 to me is a bunch of bs.

How is it humbug, if nearly every car sold in america is now spec'ing 0W20, 0W16, 0W12 ... ?
The minuscule MpG improvements get multiplied by MILLIONS of vehicle sales for carmakers.
It's not worth the increase in wear FOR INDIVIDUAL OWNER / USERS, granted.

The wind will have way more of an impact then the weight of oil.

That's what air curtains, air dams, canards, active grille shutters, etc. are for.

In the end use whatever makes you feel better.

If you use what GM specs, keep in mind, they'd REALLY like it if you buy another one,
sometime between 160,000 - 175,000 miles.
That's why I'll be using Valvoline 5W30 Restore & Protect Full Synthetic.
Maybe those of you with Cylinder Confusion should try it in 5W20.

 

[Congtoid]

How sure are you that the oil filter had nothing to do with this improvement?
Asking because plenty of people have noticed some oil filters run quieter than others, especially at startup.

Hmmm…
I was not aware of the filter phenomena. I figured it was the oil itself that made the noise go away since it’s viscous and not thin.
I am using Amsoil OE 5w-30 100% pure syn and filter #EAO17. Do you know if Amsoil filters run quieter?

 

[Marky Dissod]

... was not aware of the filter phenomena. I figured it was the oil itself that made the noise go away since it’s viscous and not thin.
I am using Amsoil OE 5W30 100% pure syn and filter #EAO17. Do you know if Amsoil filters run quieter?

Never used Amsoil filters myself.
Purolator BOSS PBL25288 is so much easier to come by in NYC.

Both oil & filter have something to do with how quickly the motor oil gets
from the pan to the top of the heads to lubricate the valvetrain, especially when cold.

For the record, when I read 'Do you know if Amsoil filters run quieter?'
I'd prefer to be able to answer WHICH Amsoil filter runs quieter.
I typically avoid the 'most basic' version of whatever oil filter.
Fram is trying to confuse the hell outta me with two different names for what looks like the exact same oil filter though.

 

[15burban]

How is it humbug, if nearly every car sold in america is now spec'ing 0W20, 0W16, 0W12 ... ?
The minuscule MpG improvements get multiplied by MILLIONS of vehicle sales for carmakers.
It's not worth the increase in wear FOR INDIVIDUAL OWNER / USERS, granted.

It's humbug because like you stated. It's not worth the increased wear for individuals. None of us or at least anyone I know has enough vehicles where running the thinner oil will make a big in enough difference in fuel savings in their wallet. I totally understand for the carmakers why they do it, but for the average Joe....

 

[Marky Dissod]

For whatever it's worth, I do think that CAFE MpG tests are the main issue here.
They're why engines are getting smaller / turbocharged,
they're why 8- 9- & 10-speed transmissions are a thing,
they're why drive axles are usually undergeared in V8 vehicles,
and they explain motor oils that don't protect as well as 5W40, in the hope of 1 more MpG.

 

[mountie]

'05 Yukon Xl 5.3
Mobil 1 syn, 5w-30w.. For the last 5 years, all my gauges have never changed, no matter what I do or what the weather is. Even at oil changes, the oil still looks very clean.