2012 Silverado 5.3L - Kirkland 5w30 5,000 miles (8,000km)

[AS]

Just did my first UOA with Blackstone. I've had the truck since 2013 and bought it with around 15,000km on it. Truck is data tuned and cylinder deactivation turned off. I've always used 5w30 synthetic at 8,000-10,000km intervals. For this particular oil change it was 8,000 so i could do it before winter. Filters are usually Wix XP, though I did use Fram US and TG occasionally. Oil I used Mobil1 when i first got it, i've used Penn UP, Castrol Edge, Rotella Gas Truck, but have been using Kirkland the past few changes. I was towing our boat a fair bit this summer (around 1,500km) which would have been on this sample oil

With the iron a bit high I've read this is common/normal on these engines, true?

 

[fantastic]

Not too bad. Visc is still in good shape. How much does your boat weight?

 

[wemay]

Good looking UOA.

 

[AS]

Not too bad. Visc is still in good shape. How much does your boat weight?

Boat is around 3200lbs with trailer. I'll sometimes also have my ATV in the bed of the truck, plus gear and another adult in the truck, so pretty near max payload with everything.

 

[AS]

Good looking UOA.

Good to hear, as it's my first UOA, and the truck near 150,000 miles/12 years old, wasn't sure how that iron content looked.

 

[twX]

With the iron a bit high I've read this is common/normal on these engines, true?

Well it's on the high side of normal based on the universal averages, but that might be expected with the towing. Your oil might be getting hot enough while towing in the summer to warrant a thicker grade.

 

[fantastic]

Good to hear, as it's my first UOA, and the truck near 150,000 miles/12 years old, wasn't sure how that iron content looked.

Fe is double the universal avg but w/your towing & possible hilly terrain along with mileage it's not out of line.

 

[Soft Cars]

I'd bump up to 10W-40 if it were me. That's me though; meaning, that's NOT a recommendation for Valvoline Maxlife 10W-40.

 

[wemay]

The Fe is a direct result of the towing. I haven't a doubt.

 

[AS]

I'd bump up to 10W-40 if it were me. That's me though; meaning, that's NOT a recommendation for Valvoline Maxlife 10W-40.

10w in just the summer? i'm in Canada with morning cold starts at -5 to -10F.

 

[Popsy]

0W40/5W40 year round, and call it a day

 

[Soft Cars]

10w in just the summer? i'm in Canada with morning cold starts at -5 to -10F.

Yes just for summer. I'm in California. At -10F I'd be hibernating somewhere with multiple blankets.

 

[twX]

10w in just the summer? i'm in Canada with morning cold starts at -5 to -10F.

A 10W would be pushing it at -10 F. A Euro 5W-30 or 5W-40 will have a much higher HTHS than an API 5W-30, while having good cold flow performance.

I wouldn't use a 0W-40 since it would generally perform worse than a Euro 5W-30 at high temperatures and high shear rates, and will have more permanent shear thinning and higher volatility. Best to stick with a lower VI oil since you don't need a 0W in your climate. I'd use a Euro 5W-30. Any oil meeting one of the stringent MB 229.5x standards would be a good choice.

 

[AS]

A 10W would be pushing it at -10 F. A Euro 5W-30 or 5W-40 will have a much higher HTHS than an API 5W-30, while having good cold flow performance.

I wouldn't use a 0W-40 since it would generally perform worse than a Euro 5W-30 at high temperatures and high shear rates, and will have more permanent shear thinning and higher volatility. Best to stick with a lower VI oil since you don't need a 0W in your climate. I'd use a Euro 5W-30. Any oil meeting one of the stringent MB 229.5x standards would be a good choice.

I’ll keep an eye on Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5w30 sales.

Edit: looks like Penn Plat Euro L is for diesels?

 

[addyguy]

I’d definitely go to a 40-weight; that iron is high for the miles and shows the engine parts need more oil film between them.

 

[Soft Cars]

I’d definitely go to a 40-weight; that iron is high for the miles and shows the engine parts need more oil film between them.

That's what I wanted to say but didn't have the fortitude to say it.

 

[AS]

I’d definitely go to a 40-weight; that iron is high for the miles and shows the engine parts need more oil film between them.

This is what I’m looking for?

Pennzoil Platinum 5W40 Euro 5L, Pzl Syn Euro 5W40 - Walmart.ca

Buy Pennzoil Platinum 5W40 Euro 5L, Pzl Syn Euro 5W40 from Walmart Canada. Shop for more Synthetic Motor Oil available online at Walmart.ca

www.walmart.ca

 

[tasch72]

I’ll keep an eye on Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5w30 sales.

Edit: looks like Penn Plat Euro L is for diesels?

Yes PP Euro L is for Diesels.

Quaker State has a European 5w-40 that is on the thin end of the spectrum for a 40-grade that is approved for Porsche A40 and Mercedes-Benz 229.5

 

[dkryan]

A 10W would be pushing it at -10 F. A Euro 5W-30 or 5W-40 will have a much higher HTHS than an API 5W-30, while having good cold flow performance.

I wouldn't use a 0W-40 since it would generally perform worse than a Euro 5W-30 at high temperatures and high shear rates, and will have more permanent shear thinning and higher volatility. Best to stick with a lower VI oil since you don't need a 0W in your climate. I'd use a Euro 5W-30. Any oil meeting one of the stringent MB 229.5x standards would be a good choice.

I’m trying to continue to learn, not start an argument.

Your bolded comment above: how do you know that to be true?

It seems to imply there isn’t a 0w-40 that can match the performance of the Euro 5w-30 under most conditions.

I have the M1 FS 0w-40 in mind as I type this reply.

 

[twX]

It seems to imply there isn’t a 0w-40 that can match the performance of the Euro 5w-30 under most conditions.

The standard viscosity measurement that's most relevant to engine protection at operating temperature is HTHS. A Euro 5W-30 and 0W-40 have the same minimum HTHS requirement of 3.5 cP, so based on HTHS alone, they will have the same performance, all else being equal.

Why did I say that the 5W-30 will perform better then? It's because higher VI oils like the 0W-40 will thin out more at very high shear rates (higher shear rates than used for the HTHS test). Here's what that looks like for low-VI vs high-VI oils with the same HTHS (viscosity at 1.E+06 in the figure):

The difference in high-shear viscosity between a Euro 5W-30 and 0W-40 will be quite small on average and many 0W-40 oils would remain thicker than many 5W-30 oils, so I was being a bit nitpicky in saying the 5W-30 would perform better. There would be a much larger difference between a 0W-40 and a 10W-30 or 15W-40 for instance.

Higher VI oils will also tend to experience more permanent shear-thinning, so while those two oils may perform almost identically at the start of the OCI, the 5W-30 may perform better when the oil is aged. Higher VI oils will usually have higher NOACK volatility as well, but again, this is a generalization.