just wondering if anyone is running 0w30 and if so what's your climate like?

 

Yes, I do. And I live along the usually-blazing hot gulf coast (I live in Pensacola and work in New Orleans, about 200 miles apart). I use the German-made version of Castrol Syntec 0w-30, and it has produced outstanding results in my previous car (a V-6 Camry) and in my present car, a VQ35 powered G35 sedan. Here is a link to my first used oil analysis. Especially for a very young VQ, these results are really pleasing.

When I discuss my use of GC ("German Castrol"), I get a lot of the "gee, that's too thin" malarky from those who really don't understand viscosity ratings, especially as used with synthetic oils. This oil happens to be a relatively thick 30 wt (SAE grades are defined by viscosity ranges, not absolute values), and in fact, is almost a 40 wt. Since it's shown itself to be very shear stable, there's no issue, as there might be with a dino oil (actually, I've never seen a dino 0w-30) with the vis dropping toward the low end under stress. In fact, this oil qualifies for the ACEA "A3" rating, which means it has a HT/HS (high temp/high shear) viscosity of over 3.5. The Mobil syn 30 wt products, by comparison, don't quite reach 3.0.

This stuff sounds good in the VQ and I get good UOAs with it. I'm sold on it (for now, at least. . .).

 

I am also running the German Made Castrol Syntec 0w-30 for the reasons mentioned above. The GC is very similar to the Amsoil Series 2000 0w-30 ($8+) which is a thick 30 weight oil but cost the same as Mobil 1 ($4.75). I would consider using the Amsoil S2k 0w-30 if it were priced the same as their excellent ASL 5w-30. I was using the ASL 5w-30 prior to the GC and had good results.

I would not use the Mobil 1 0w-30 because it is full of viscosity improvers and not necessary for my climate; the Mobil 1 10w-30 would be more approriate since it has no VIs.

 

Amsoil Series 2k 0w-30.

 

I am currently using the M1R 0w30. Testing it to see what it is all about. So far, I am impressed. No start-up rattle and the engine seems to get and go with this oil. Will get a UOA at the 8-9K mark to see how it holds in the long run. Will keep you posted.

Pedro

 

By all accounts I've read, M1R seems like a good oil, at least from an immediate performance perspective. The only concern I have about it is its longevity. Keep in mind, this is a light 30 wt racing oil, not designed for sustained street use (note its lack of API cert). Its add pack is certainly robust, but plainly focussed at severe loading anti-wear. That said, it may hold up fine, but who knows. At least on a first run of this stuff, I'd recommend an intermediate UOA well before the 8k mark to ensure that it can go the distance. Good luck with the test, and please let us know how it goes.

 

I'm playing around with what to use right now. I used Amsoil S2k 0W30 before my last oil change. Got an oil analysis that showed great wear characteristics and enough additives left to go longer. I drained it after approx. 5k. The only thing that was potentially negative is that the viscosity was increasing on the oil.

 

Torkaholic, almost all of the Amsoil oil's don't have the API cert either. API cert means absolutely nothing and Mobil didn't put it on the bottle because they didn't want to pay the royalty fees for such a small audience of people. The API cert is a joke and 99.9% of all the oils on the market pass their easy specs.

 

I'm aware of Amsoil's practices with regard to API certification. You're incorrect, however, with respect to the lack of API cert on the M1R. M1R contains waaaay too much zinc and phosphorous to qualify for the standard ratings. The ZDDP is great for the oil's anti-wear properties, but puts Mobil at odds with the oil regulatory police. Its use won't automatically void your warranty or anything like that, but if you do end up with an engine problem while using M1R, you're more likely to find yourself in a fight than if you stick with the API stuff (same would apply to the non-API Amsoil).

And yes, I'd heartily agree that the API cert is a joke.

 

The VOAs on M1R show it in the 10.5 - 10.7 cst range, so it is comparable to the other top performance oils (Redline, Synergyn, Torco). Also, I haven't seen one incident where an engine problem has been attributed to these oils, so I don't worry about it. Your engine will last longer then the body and all the other parts of your auto.

Pedro

 

API isn't worried about zinc damaging your engine, but rather damaging the cat converter. I really don't see why they continue to think this way when it's never been proven to hurt the catalytic converter.

 

In my mind, viscosity isn't the issue; it's a thin 30, but so are many other fine oils (BTW, my purely subjective impression is that German Castrol, at around 12.5 cSt runs smoother than thin 30s, at least in my VQ). The potential problem with this product is that it's a racing oil. ROs tend to heavily emphasize heavy-duty wear protection rather than TBN longevity or adequate detergency (remember that typically, AW compounds "compete" with detergents). I'm not saying don't use the stuff, I just recommend you watch it carefully at first to make sure it's holding up for the full OCI.

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True, cat poisoning isn't much of an issue, at least IMO, although I did just read a thread over on Toyota Nation by a Camry owner (94 or 96 model) who had a bad cat. Especially in a healthy engine that's not burning any oil, there's no Z or P going down the exhaust stream to kill the cat anyway. I suspect that the rulemakers are considering the long-term and worrying about what the car will do when it's in its later years and then perhaps sending some burned oil down in the exhaust.

 

If you will check out another thread in this section, lube control will help keep the Amsoil from thickening out of grade. It is not "snake oil"; it is a powerful anti oxidant that lowers insolubles. Fuel Power is the other part of the equation that keeps your fuel injectors clean and increase the potential energy in the fuel hence keeping the combustion chamber clean.

http://www.lubecontrol.com/

 

One note I forgot to mention. I did use the Amsoil S2K 0w30 during the summer last year (6200 miles). Wear numbers, gas mileage were great and the viscosity was kept in check with the use of Lube Control midway during the OCI. The vis was 11.7 from the original 11.3. If I would have used the Lube Control from the begining, I am sure it would have stayed in grade.

Pedro

 

AMSOIL Series 2000 0w-30 very successfully for the past 5 years or more. South Texas environment...very hot summers. Using 6-mos drain intervals regardless of mileage...normally ~9,000 miles. Zero oil consumption and no filter changes between changes. No leaks or seepage anywhere. Engine is remarkably quiet, smooth and fuel efficient. UOA's all within normal limits.

 

Uhhhhh.... If I remember correctly, 10w-30 is what you'd want to use for hot climates.... 0w-30 is meant for cold weather because its not as thick. Correct me if im wrong, but im 99% sure thats how it goes, but im running 10w-30 for the summer/spring and 5w-30 for the winter/fall.

 

The weights you are using will serve you well. This topic has been discussed in this forum at length, but the first number in the viscosity rating is the maximum standard viscosity the oil must meet at 0 degrees C (the winter weight) the second number is the minimum viscosity standard the oil must meet at 100 deg C. Many people look at these numbers and right away think the oil is thinner when cold...not true. These numbers are representative of the fact that the oil will fall within the industry-standard viscosity range of a lubricant at the temperature established by the test. A 0w-30 will be comparatively "thinner" than a 10w-30 in the cold, but it might actually be marginally "thicker", offer better protection and hold up longer than the 10w-30 in the heat...much depends on the quality of the oils you're comparing.

Generally speaking, as long as an oil meets the viscosity specs of a 30 weight when hot and can resist breakdown, then you are okay. As in the case of AMSOIL Series 2000 0w-30, this is actually a racing quality oil designed for use in passenger car applications. It offers much better wear protection than competing oils of higher viscosity and it is the most fuel efficient oil in the AMSOIL line-up. http://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/tso.aspx

There is really no need for you to switch back and forth between 5w-30 and 10w-30 oil between seasons, but if it works for you it certainly won't hurt anything.

 

Currently using Valvoline Synthetic 0-30w.

BTW, although the lower first number applies to winter viscosity, having the extra slip really helps in the Summer if you start your car often during the day.

 

I use amsoil 0w-30. It's only a thinner oil when cold. This is a very good thing. On startup you need oil to flow as quickly as possible and get up to pressure.

When it heats up, it thickens up to a 30 weight oil just like a 10w-30 would.

 

You have to remember that the owner's manual is written with the assumption that most owners will use ****ty *** dino oil in which case the above recommendations should be followed. The more viscosity modifiers used in a dyno oil, the less base stock there is. This is why 10w-40 is not recommended. Dino 10w-30 has less additives than 5w-30 and you don't need the flow characteristics of 5w-30 in the summer, so 10w-30 will lubricate better.

Syn oil needs little or no viscosity modifiers so the above recommendation is pointless.

 

Switching to Esso XD-3, 0W30 full synthetic, when finished AutoRX clean and rinse in about 3,200 miles.

 

All PCMO's need some VM's " viscosity modifiers " to help performance under 104F " 40c " while the engine is in the warm up phase .

Thinning , thickening and shearing has to do with the molecular weight of the polymers , not amounts of them .

Performance balances are established by the additive pack makers and through testing . You will see some 0w-30's do not give the cold performance and fuel mileage of others do to this .

I like the ACEA A5 /B5 type 0w-30's myself .

 

Are we talking about friction modifiers or viscosity index improvers (FMs or VIIs)? If the latter, then this is only partly true. One of the goals of the designers of synthetic fluids is to achieve high viscosity indexes as an inherent characteristic of the fluid, apart from additives. Again, the higher the VI, the less the fluid thins as it heats. Therefore, the typical synthetic base oil needs far less "help" to qualify as a multi-grade oil. Narrow spread oils (a 10w-30, for example) may well need none at all. If you ask Redline, for example, they will tell you that only one of their PCMO products, their 5w-40 oil, uses VIIs. All of the others meet their multi-grade requirements because of the basic characteristics of the base oil combination used. So, while some grades and brands of syns surely do include VIIs, many don't, so you can't say that they "all" use VIIs.