GC a poor choice for short trips?

[Lorenzo]

I was all set to choose GC as my next fill instead of Mobil 1 0w40 for my Subaru 2.0 liter WRX. Then I started reading posts here and on NASIOC.com that GC is very thick and therefore it may not appropriate for a short trip driver like myself.

The FAQ at the top of this forum says “At cold temps, the 0w weight correlates to cold cranking viscosity. That means GC will still flow at cold temps. (Which is a good thing!)”

Could someone please help me understand this? Should I stick with Mobil1 0w40 or be looking at a different fill like Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 for my application?

 

[AndyH]

Compared to M1 0W-40, GC is likely no better or worse as far as viscosity under short-trip driving conditions. If you were to compare GC to PP 5W-30, then I'd say you might be better off with the thinner PP 5W-30 for short-trip driving as it's more likely to allow the engine to come up to operating temperature faster versus the thicker GC.

 

[FD777]

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The FAQ at the top of this forum says “At cold temps, the 0w weight correlates to cold cranking viscosity. That means GC will still flow at cold temps. (Which is a good thing!)”

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This statement is true, but it's referring to very cold temperatures - in the range of -25c (-13F) and below.

Yes, GC is "thick", but that's with respect to other 30 weights. A 40 weight will generally be thicker than a weight.

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Could someone please help me understand this? Should I stick with Mobil1 0w40 or be looking at a different fill like Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 for my application?

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The best way to determine this is to get a UOA. Not everyone has fuel dilution with thicker oils and short trips.

 

[Ugly3]

Quote:

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Compared to M1 0W-40, GC is likely no better or worse as far as viscosity under short-trip driving conditions. If you were to compare GC to PP 5W-30, then I'd say you might be better off with the thinner PP 5W-30 for short-trip driving as it's more likely to allow the engine to come up to operating temperature faster versus the thicker GC.

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This is correct. GC 0w30 is "thick" when cold, thicker than most 5w30 oils conventional or synthetic. I poured some GC and Citgo 5w30 conventional oil at +10F and the GC was much thicker and I mean much.

That said, GC is not so thick that the car won't start but it will not be the best oil you could use for short trips when the oil does not get to full temp.

 

[Jim 5]

My drive to work is 6.5 miles. I think that this would qualify as short trip use. I'll have a GC UOA coming out in a few more months on my chev 5.3L v8 and we'll see.

My previous fill in this engine was a petro-canada 5w-30 which thinned to a borderline 20wt. I suspect this was due to fuel dilution from cold Canadian winter conditions.

Stay tuned in the UOA section, it will be interesting to see how GC does in a short trip application. It did quite well for the same type of use in my BMW 3.0L inline six.

 

[bluesubie]

My trips is 5 miles each way and every winter my fuel is always high. Here's my UOA from last winter.

I think most oils thin out with fuel dilution but the GC did not. I prefer to go 7 - 7.5k for my OCI and that's also something to consider.

-Dennis