What is going to ditch 0W-20 for 5W-30?

As the subject says. For Legacy Turbo models who will ditch the 0 weight and go with 5W-30 SYNTHETIC? In overseas manuals they list 5W-30 as an option (not just a stop gap if 0w is unavailable). It is only in the US the government is telling us what we need so we can give up longevity and get .00003 miles more per gallon.

In my 08LGT I have almost 100K on the clock and purely used 5W-30 conventional as that was the factory recommended oil until 2011 when they stopped fighting with Mobil 1 about cooked turbos and synthetic oil. I never switched to synthetic and my engine is as clean as the day I got her. I do not burn a single drop of oil to this day! I change oil every 3K miles. It's cheap.

I was looking to change at 1K miles over to 5W-30 synthetic in the new XT and wondering if anyone else had this thought. Oil consumption on a new vehicle b/c of skinny oils is a bunch of crap. Save .00003 mph but burn oil? How is that better?

If you go with 0W30 if you can find it then it should solve most issues.

See also this thread: https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/clearing-up-all-oil-info-79800.html

If you go with 0W30 if you can find it then it should solve most issues.

 

 

See also this thread: https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/clearing-up-all-oil-info-79800.html

pretty old thread and lots of people talking Rotella. Engines have changed a lot since these days not only with clearances but also composition such as compressed powder valves. Rotella was originally the gold standard for flat tappet cams b/c of it's high zinc content and thus low chances of wiping a cam lobe. These days engines are so well balanced and metals are different the high zinc isn't as important. A few years back rotella changed their formula to actually decrease zinc content so I won't personally use it in some of my older motors. I actually went w/ royal purple HPS 5W-30 or 40 in flat tappet applications b/c of the zinc content...and no it doesn't sludge up like one internet article wrote once upon a time. I would run RP but have a feeling if subaru saw it they would instantly void any warranty.

Rotella changed their formula to meet API-SN almost a decade ago.

Your OP makes it seem as if you don't know what the numbers in XW-XX mean. "ditch the 0 weight"?

I think you mean who will ditch the 20 weight and go with an XW-30 instead of 0W-20. Personally, if I had a newer XT (currently own a '14 FXT) I'd stick with what the manual says, UNLESS there was an out. Does your manual state that 5W-30 is acceptable? If so, I'd stick with a quality 5 or 0W-30.

Rotella changed their formula to meet API-SN almost a decade ago.

 

Your OP makes it seem as if you don't know what the numbers in XW-XX mean. "ditch the 0 weight"?

 

I think you mean who will ditch the 20 weight and go with an XW-30 instead of 0W-20. Personally, if I had a newer XT (currently own a '14 FXT) I'd stick with what the manual says, UNLESS there was an out. Does your manual state that 5W-30 is acceptable? If so, I'd stick with a quality 5 or 0W-30.

yes it says in a pinch you can use 5w-30. japanese manuals for the ascent say you can use 5w-30. all this stupid CAFE stuff in america, despite being the same engine, dictates 0w-20 to get .0000005 more mpg.

pretty old thread and lots of people talking Rotella. Engines have changed a lot since these days not only with clearances but also composition such as compressed powder valves. Rotella was originally the gold standard for flat tappet cams b/c of it's high zinc content and thus low chances of wiping a cam lobe. These days engines are so well balanced and metals are different the high zinc isn't as important. A few years back rotella changed their formula to actually decrease zinc content so I won't personally use it in some of my older motors. I actually went w/ royal purple HPS 5W-30 or 40 in flat tappet applications b/c of the zinc content...and no it doesn't sludge up like one internet article wrote once upon a time. I would run RP but have a feeling if subaru saw it they would instantly void any warranty.

Even if the thread is old the principles around viscosity and film strength are valid.

The 0W provides better cold start conditions than the 5W, easier to crank less fuel consumption on a cold engine. It's the figures to the right of the W that's interesting for a warm engine.

Even if the thread is old the principles around viscosity and film strength are valid.

 

 

The 0W provides better cold start conditions than the 5W, easier to crank less fuel consumption on a cold engine. It's the figures to the right of the W that's interesting for a warm engine.

i disagree. most fuel dilution happens on startup when the rings are at their smallest. this is why a lot of people see issues with increasing oil levels when their primary usage is around town driving.

0W-20 is rated for -31F to 86F

5W-30 is rated for -22F to 95F

when was the last time you drove your car below 0F?

when was the last time you drove your car above 90F?

Here in the "south" as in carolinas right now every day we are 91-96 in the summer and on really hot days we can see up to 100-102.

so again I argue that the more important number is the one to the right, especially on a turbo vehicle. if i could get away with it i would run 5W-40 based on my climate in summer. in winter i would happily go back to a 0W-30 or 5W-20 or 5W-30.

i disagree. most fuel dilution happens on startup when the rings are at their smallest. this is why a lot of people see issues with increasing oil levels when their primary usage is around town driving.

 

0W-20 is rated for -31F to 86F

 

5W-30 is rated for -22F to 95F

 

 

when was the last time you drove your car below 0F?

 

when was the last time you drove your car above 90F?

 

Here in the "south" as in carolinas right now every day we are 91-96 in the summer and on really hot days we can see up to 100-102.

 

 

so again I argue that the more important number is the one to the right, especially on a turbo vehicle. if i could get away with it i would run 5W-40 based on my climate in summer. in winter i would happily go back to a 0W-30 or 5W-20 or 5W-30.

Not sure what oil dilution has to do with what I wrote, that is a problem regardless of viscosity and impacts film strength on any viscosity. The piston rings aren't really preventing oil dilution anyway. The only anti-dilution action that works is to make sure the engine gets thoroughly warm so that the fuel evaporates from the oil again. So a long drive now and then to make sure that not only the water but also the oil goes up to full working temperature for a longer time is good. It's even better if the gearbox also gets a good warm-up since that takes a lot longer to get warm and it drives out humidity from it.

The upper temperature in the climate is rarely an impact on the oil unless you live in Death Valley or something. The engine is, when up to working temperature, a lot warmer than what the climate zone you live in will provide.

The low end viscosity (0W or 5W) is both the factor of lower cold start fuel consumption and get a good oil flow early. A low viscosity is also good to avoid unnecessary bypass of the oil filter when the engine is cold.

Here's a good recent video on the subject on oil viscosity (that some incorrectly call "weight"):

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKdhgKUZhPA]Will Thinner Oils Damage Your Engine? - YouTube[/ame]

Where are you getting those upper temp “ratings”!?

From the Petroflo manufacturer, temps are Celsius’s and far exceed anything we see here in this country both at the high and low temp.

PETROFLO-Synthetic-0w20-5w20-Motor-Oil-Spec-Sheet.pdf

From the Petroflo manufacturer, temps are Celsius’s and far exceed anything we see here in this country both at the high and low temp.

I'm not sure why you're quoting me, since the person I qouted used wildly different temps.

Also, oil temps vary wildly depending on where the oil is in the engine. Bulk and pan temperature will be MUCH lower than at the ring-pack or turbo outlet.

I'm always happy to see manu's provide technical data, but only the physical properties of the oil should matter, not anything else they post as marketing.