I've always..always used 10w-30..It's just the standard for me and my family. The other day I was getting my oil changed..and figured..what the hell..I'll try something different...So I put 5W-30 in my Miata. I know the first # is the viscosity of the oil cold..and the second number is that at operating temperatures. It seems to me that a lower weight oil would always be better...because it would very quickly lubricate the system...but I know that's not always the case...
I normally have high oil pressure in the car..so was wondering if I should drop to a slightly less viscous oil. I've heard of guys doing the opposite in old V8's...running higher viscosity oils to up their oild pressure..does it work the same way? Not going to do this..staying very close to Mazda recommendations..but just thought.
Anyway, long story short...now my check engine light is on in the car...and I know it's just coincidence...But damn I hate it when stuff like that happens. Now I need to have the damn thing scanned so I can figure out what's going on. I have heard of people running different weights of oils and having this happen...But I'd like to be sure...car has been running rich due to a idle control valve being messed up..cat is probably shot.
----What do you run in your car(s)?
Will race for food
..check out my miscellanous mods
Whatever the manufacterer recommends which has been 5w30 for most the cars the wife and I have owned. Castrol Syntec, Synthetic blend or High Mileage seem to work the best in ours, Valvoline and amsoil the cars really didn't like especially the Cutlass we had.
manufacterer is best. i personaly use mobile one. dig on the protection of synthetic
Silly ricer, useless wings are for penguins.
Some people I know like to use 10W30 in the summer time because it's alot hotter, and the oil gets thinner the hotter it gets. Some vehicles, like my Camaro, run alot hotter in the summer. And, in the wintertime they might switch to 5W20 or 30, just to make the initial cold start a little easier on the car, so the oil is not as thick and works around the engine a little quicker.
From my experience, very rarely have I seen a car that recommends 10W30, manufacturers recommend 5W30 on a normal basis.
1983 Camaro Z28
ive always used 10w30 in my cav and i use it year round with no problems. i change it every 3000-3500 miles. i use the castrol high milage type in the cav and i never had a problem at all with it.
5W30 in the Z24 and the tC, 10W30 in the g/f's Grand Prix. OEM recommendations. Coincidence? No.
1989 Z24 Convertible - Dust Covered
2006 tC - Dust Covered, but driven more
Mobile Clean 5000 5W30 in the Sunfire
5w30 always in my dailies
10w30 in the mustang
i guess im one of the few that doesnt need to get name brand synthetics, i just get the store brand stuff (usually advanced) or whatever is cheap. Oil is oil to me, hell, the Exxon brand oil i got one time was WAY less than the mobil oil, and its the same damn company!
Have any of you heard of people using heavier weight oils for engines with low oil pressure? I swear I remember reading it in an article. Seems like it could be rough on an engine.
Will race for food
..check out my miscellanous mods
0w30 Castrol Syn in the LS1
10w30 in the Impala
10w30 in the Baby Blue Bentley (dyno)
Depends... if I'm working out, and want a good burn then I use about 20-30 pounds of 40 weight oil...
Okay, seriously, I use whatever the manufacturer says to use, and I use the prescribed amount. I prefer to use Mobil 1 in my Olds, but the Altima will likely get either Royal Purple or Redline oil.
0w30 in the 1.8t
5w30 in the Jeep's 258.
Always Mobil 1 either way though
Hellion yes using a higher weight oil like 10w40 ver 10/30 can make some change but not for the good.If the oil pressure is low it's prob bc of the rings are worn and not doing the job.U can use a can of (restore) or lucas oil stabiler to help blow by to make the difference.If it's using oil like bad lucas is the choice at least for me,but my old cav uses no oil and its 22yrs old.And climate does affect the oils ability to lubricate the top side depending on temps.I always use valvoline 5w30 no issues.There are some many additives on the market it really depends on the car and wear etc to what will buy time or help.Hope this helps.
