General GM Chat When starting new posts, please specify YEAR, MAKE, MODEL, ENGINE type, and whatever modifications you have made. Chat about all things GM (and related cars). Off-topic stuff should be in the Lounge, and all Model specific mechanical problems should be posted in the proper forum.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

HELP PLEASE!!! WRONG OIL???

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 11-03-2002, 02:54 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Posts like a 4 Banger
Thread Starter
 
jasonapr78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
jasonapr78 is on a distinguished road
Default HELP PLEASE!!! WRONG OIL???

Bonny owners,

Question? I own a 2001 Black SSEi with about 38,600 miles. I usually go about 7K miles in between oil changes since I always use synthetic oil. At my last oil change, the guys put in Castrol Syntec 5W-50!!! My manual says to only use 5W-30 or 10W-30 and specifically says to stay away from oils like 20W-50 or any other oil not recommended in the manual. I'm in Los Angeles but getting ready to travel up to Minneapolis to visit my mom for Thanksgiving. Is the 5W-50 going to hurt my car??? Why did he put 5W-50 in the car?? PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!! THANKS!!

Jason
Old 11-03-2002, 02:59 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
True Car Nut
 
Drifter420's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Bedroom, Ontario
Posts: 3,266
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Drifter420 is on a distinguished road
Default

5w-30 ???

As far as I know.. 3.8'* are suppose to use 10W-30.

5W is the weight or thickness of the fluid ( how watery it is, in a sense )

I personally only use 5w-30 to break in new motors or if its rice.
5w-30 would be too thin in my personal opinion, and after such a long haul that you wanted.. everytime you turn off the car.. since the fact that it'* more liquidy in a sense.. it will flow down onto the oil pan a lot quicker then 10W...

I personally also don't trust Castrol Syntec either.. they've done studies on the oil and actually doesn't perform or protect as well as other synthetic oil ( and even some castor normal oil ). ( Unlike what they claim on their tv commercial )
Old 11-03-2002, 03:43 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
Posts like a Turbo
 
Azwed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Azwed is on a distinguished road
Default

Bold= my response


Originally Posted by Drifter420
5w-30 ???

As far as I know.. 3.8'* are suppose to use 10W-30.

My older 3.8 says to use 5W-30 but it really does not matter which one you use since both are all season oils.

5W is the weight or thickness of the fluid ( how watery it is, in a sense )

I personally only use 5w-30 to break in new motors or if its rice.
5w-30 would be too thin in my personal opinion, and after such a long haul that you wanted.. everytime you turn off the car.. since the fact that it'* more liquidy in a sense.. it will flow down onto the oil pan a lot quicker then 10W...

For synthetic it does not matter since the synthetic molecules are designed to stick to the head and valvetrain when the motor shuts off. 5W-30 is better because the oil will get to the upper portion of the motor faster then 10w-30. Once the oil reaches operating temp then it acts like a straight 30 oil so at operating temp there is no difference between 5W-30 or 10W-30. There is no difference between 5W-30 and 10W-30 at opperating temp.

If you live in an area that can get fairly cold, say north of VA on the east coast, then just run 5W-30 all the time. The 5W-30 flows better in the cold and will reach those critical valvetrain parts faster. Another thing to remember is that in OHC engines the camshaft is twice as far away from the oil pan as in OHV engines. I have had people in my shop telling me they want to put in 10W-40 or even worse 20W-50 in brand new motors, because those are high performance oils, and I just cringe to think what that is doing to the camshafts of a brand new motor.



I personally also don't trust Castrol Syntec either.. they've done studies on the oil and actually doesn't perform or protect as well as other synthetic oil ( and even some castor normal oil ). ( Unlike what they claim on their tv commercial )
Syntec is crap because it pretends to be a true synthetic but is actually just a highly refined petro oil. Go back to where you had the work done and demand they put the right type of oil, both by type and brand, back into the motor. They should do it for free and if they start to bitch tell them you will go to the better business bureau abou them.

That 5W-50 will kill your gas milleage on a long trip because what that thicker oil really does is create more friction.
Old 11-03-2002, 03:47 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
Posts like a Turbo
 
Azwed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Azwed is on a distinguished road
Default

Sorry to do this but i have to ask this question.

What does the W in the 5W-30, 10W-30 etc stand for?

If you can't answer that correctly don't talk about what different types of oil do.
Old 11-03-2002, 03:56 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
Posts like a Corvette
 
speedyguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Cali
Posts: 1,587
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
speedyguy is on a distinguished road
Default

If your really worried take it back get 10w 30 and then get a pre-luber installed if you are really worried about wear and tear.

Ty
Old 11-03-2002, 03:59 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
Posts like a 4 Banger
Thread Starter
 
jasonapr78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
jasonapr78 is on a distinguished road
Default Wrong Oil

So basically I need to get the 5W-50 out of there ASAP? It will do damage to my car is what everyone seems to be saying? Esecially since I'm heading to Minneapolis from LA? Also, what is a pre-luber?
Old 11-03-2002, 04:21 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
Posts like a Turbo
 
Azwed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Azwed is on a distinguished road
Default

Originally Posted by jr's3800
Originally Posted by Azwed
Sorry to do this but i have to ask this question.

What does the W in the 5W-30, 10W-30 etc stand for?

If you can't answer that correctly don't talk about what different types of oil do.
Winter..... :?
whopee someone really did know.

That is how i end oil arguments at my shop. I ask the guy what the W stands for and if he does not stay winter then i just walk off because the guy is obviously clueless.
Old 11-03-2002, 04:30 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
Posts like a Corvette
 
speedyguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Cali
Posts: 1,587
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
speedyguy is on a distinguished road
Default

Pre luber is what it sounds like it pre-lubes the engine before it starts. It will keep your engine alive longer. Just so you know it is not necessary it’* just an option for the fanatic who wants it. It’* also not a gimmick it is a real product that does work.

Ty
Old 11-03-2002, 05:46 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
Posts like a Camaro
 
99BonnevilleSE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 971
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
99BonnevilleSE is on a distinguished road
Default

5W-30 is used either if you are in colder climates or got a brand new car with a brand spankin new engine. 10W-30 is used in older engines like after perhaps 50k miles to help seal better or if you live in warmer climates like you do jasonapr78 (in LA like myself). But if you are taking a trip to a colder climate, I would have the oil changed immediately to 5W-30 again. And my recommedation is not to run 7k miles between oil chagnes with synthetic, I know its more expensive, but 5k would be better since even synthetic oils wear down a little slower than regular motor oil.
Old 11-03-2002, 06:22 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
Posts like a Turbo
 
Azwed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Azwed is on a distinguished road
Default

Yes, people wanting to put 10W-40 and to a lesser extent 20W-50 into modern new motors is a frequent problem I have to deal with.

Normaly it is 50 plus year old white men but sometimes their children come in requesting the same oils because thats what their parents tell them to do.

I have a couple of good examples of old guys wanting to put 20W-50 in their new cars.

First one is a guy in his mid 40'* who had a 98 or so ford E-150 conversion van. This van came with the 4.6 L Single OHC modular motor. This is the same motor that goes in the Crown Vics, Mustangs, F-150s and so on.

Ford recomends 5w-30 in all of these motors made before 2002. Ford recomends 5w-20 in all of its 2002 and up vehicles. This guy has always wanted to put in 20W-50 into his van. He has been running 20W-50 in this van since he got it new and at around the 50,000 mile mark something happend to the motor.

He brought it an turns out the camshafts had become so worn that they were completly out of round and could not longer actuate the valves properly anymore. He buys a brand new Ford taurus with the 24 valve DOHC 3.0 V6 and the first time he brings it in he asks for high performance motor oil. My boss things he means synthetic and starts showing him all the various types we have(Amsoil, Mobil 1, Valvoline ans so on) the guy gets all mad and says he wants 20w50 since that is real high performace oil and those synthetics are worthless.

He brought in that Taurus for more then a year before i finaly managed to convince him that 20W-50 was a bad idea and that he should go with 5W-30. The guy still won't use synthetic because he says, "that fake oil isn't any good."

I had another problem with a guy who had a Pontiac Trans Am with the ram air package. He only drove it a few hundred miles a year and always wanted to put in 20W-50 because he said, " I have been building race motors for years and 20W-50 is the best oil for a high performance motor." He puts 5W-30 valvoline synthetic in his Lexus SC400 because that is a different kind of motor and does not put as much stress as the LS-1 motor does. He just ignores the fact that all LS-1s come from the factory with mobil 1 synthetic.


Quick Reply: HELP PLEASE!!! WRONG OIL???



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:50 PM.