GDI Engine Owners - What Oil ?

[Just a civilian pilot]

9-year-old Honda Fit with GDI engine ( tiny, 3.5-quart sump )

12,000-mile OCI, the engine hasn't blown up yet.

Amsoil SS 0w30 most of its "abused" life (Amsoil CVT fluid in case anyone is curious ).

Going to try 15,000 miles with UOA ( experiment with Amsoil SS versus HPL for UOA fun )

140,000 miles on the car.

 

[dubber09]

Things that make you go hmmm.

I had two MB's in 2018--GLC43 with a 3.0TT DI and a C300 with a 2.0T and DI. From a fuel dilution "resistance" standpoint, I tried 3 different brands in each--Pennzoil Euro 0W-40, Mobil 1 Euro 0W-40, and Castrol Euro 0W-40.

Castrol worked best in the 3.0TT and Pennzoil worked best in the 2.0T. The 3.0TT made 2HP per cubic inch so it was a high-performance engine and the Castrol held up well.

I would want to see data that definitively shows that Castrol is a poor performer...

I ran Castrol Euro 0w-40 in both my cars and think the oil is great but was a little too thick for the engines. And I despise Castrol. Imho, that Castrol is better than Mobil 1.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I ran Castrol Euro 0w-40 in both my cars and think the oil is great but was a little too thick for the engines. And I despise Castrol. Imho, that Castrol is better than Mobil 1.

Both my MBs specified 0W-40. Castrol appears to be in the middle range of viscosity of the 3 oils that I tried and is at the lower edge of the overall range of 12.5 - 16.3 for xW-40 oils:

13.0 = Amsoil cSt @100°C
13.0 = Pennzoil cSt @100°C
13.2 = Castrol cSt @100°C
13.8 = Mobil 1 cSt @100°C

Not sure what viscosity your engine specified or the typical operating temperatures, but overall, Castrol Euro is on the thin side for an xW-40.

 

[dubber09]

Both engines are supposedly spec'd for 5w-20 according to manuals and oil cap. They both run great on 5w-30 while Forte seems to like 10w-30 best.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

GDI engine owners : Let’s hear what your oil choice is and especially what your OCI is ? I’m particularly interested in anybody with a GDI engine who exceeds 5K miles for an OCI ?

Never pushed over 5k had a 2016 scion ia ran 0w20.

 

[ChrisD46]

GDI engines and best oils (over all) are still being refined : Lowest NOACK , least VI additives and then you move into other areas like the impact on GDI engines of dirty injectors , less than optimal PCV valves , etc. best reserved for other forums .

What is this based on? I would like to read more info about how these brands are rated in regards to their formulations. I do not want to recommend Castrol to anyone if it is surprisingly poor.

Thanks
[QUOTE="I How many threads does it take to learn and communicate when you make the same thread over and over again?

Stop skulking around my posts and write something helpful.
What are you, the post police?
Grow up.

One may consider that “I [/QUOTE]

 

[bluesubie]

GDI engines and best oils (over all) are still being refined : Lowest NOACK , least VI additives and then you move into other areas like the impact on GDI engines of dirty injectors , less than optimal PCV valves , etc. best reserved for other forums .

I would not state something as a fact based on a couple of metrics from a data sheet.

 

[CarbonSteel]

GDI engines and best oils (over all) are still being refined : Lowest NOACK , least VI additives and then you move into other areas like the impact on GDI engines of dirty injectors , less than optimal PCV valves , etc. best reserved for other forums .

Where is the data to support your statement that is bolded?

While lower NOACK means less loss through evaporation which theoretically could contribute to fewer deposits (though there are many factors which contribute to deposits), what data supports less viscosity improvers equates to less deposits?

 

[Jetronic]

Where is the data to support your statement that is bolded?

While lower NOACK means less loss through evaporation which theoretically could contribute to fewer deposits (though there are many factors which contribute to deposits), what data supports less viscosity improvers equates to less deposits?

Less VI means they used higher viscosity base stock to reach the SAE grade, which has less tendency to evaporate off the cylinder walls or get flung inside the combustion chamber. Deposits are a side show here, oil vaporising and lowering octane is a prime source of LSPI.

Coking on the piston top isn't good either, and could provide an additional ignition source, but that's not specific to GDI

 

[TiGeo]

2013 Ford Focus GDI had since new now 130K mi. Lots of 7.5K changes on Motorcraft syn blend 5W20. Now 3-5K/ annually because low miles.

 

[Azimuth]

2013 Ford Focus GDI had since new now 130K mi. Lots of 7.5K changes on Motorcraft syn blend 5W20. Now 3-5K/ annually because low miles.

Do you ever run an intake cleaner (e.g. CRC) in any of your GDI vehicles?

 

[TiGeo]

Do you ever run an intake cleaner (e.g. CRC) in any of your GDI vehicles?

I actually did once in the last year or so...you can look up my post here using the search feature.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Less VI means they used higher viscosity base stock to reach the SAE grade, which has less tendency to evaporate off the cylinder walls or get flung inside the combustion chamber. Deposits are a side show here, oil vaporising and lowering octane is a prime source of LSPI.

Coking on the piston top isn't good either, and could provide an additional ignition source, but that's not specific to GDI

Yet, if the oil meets specifications (which is touted ad nauseum here), how can there be that much difference between the performance despite the VI deltas?

Here is the viscosity index from the PDS documents of a few 5W-30 oils which all meet API SP:

172 = M1 5W-30
170 = Pennzoil Platinum
168 = Amsoil OE
165 = Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic
164 = Castrol Edge

Curiously enough, the oil that supposedly performs the worst in GDI engines (Castrol) has the least VI. With that said, in this example, are we saying there is that much MEASURABLE/QUANTIFIABLE difference between Mobil 1 and Castrol in a GDI engine?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Don't confuse VM (VII) treat rate and VI - though the effects are interrelated.

A 5W30 GF-6A (unless ultra premium formulation - are there any?) will typically be more prone to % off and "thinning"
than a quality 10W30.
I am amazed at the performance of QS FS 10W30 in my pesky 2 liter Ford/Mazda direct injection motor. Highly recommended.

 

[Jetronic]

Yet, if the oil meets specifications (which is touted ad nauseum here), how can there be that much difference between the performance despite the VI deltas?

Here is the viscosity index from the PDS documents of a few 5W-30 oils which all meet API SP:

172 = M1 5W-30
170 = Pennzoil Platinum
168 = Amsoil OE
165 = Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic
164 = Castrol Edge

Curiously enough, the oil that supposedly performs the worst in GDI engines (Castrol) has the least VI. With that said, in this example, are we saying there is that much MEASURABLE/QUANTIFIABLE difference between Mobil 1 and Castrol in a GDI engine?

I don't know if one performs better than the other but I wouldn't look at the Viscosity index in isolation. I would want a high Flashpoint to go with it at the very least. I haven't used any of those products for years now

I can tell you I chose an ester blend with relatively high ZDDP and Moly content, with no VII for my car.

 

[ChrisD46]

10W30 QS FS for low VM treat rate - and just a nice oil overall. But now you ain't in Georgia!

I frequently short trip (8 to 12 mi one-way) and I change the oil Spring and Late Fall. That works out to be only about a 2500 mile OCI.

The oil looks like well used kerosene parts washer fluid when it comes out. Colourful bubbles. Sooty and thin.

I have Valvoline advanced 5W30 in there now. It was on sale where QS was not. it had been a good oil. Not happy with full warmed engine noise with this batch. Runs like a 5W20 compared to the QS FS.

But, the engine may be done for after seeing some severe fuel dilution a few OCI ago. Sounds like rod bearing rap when you lift off the throttle.
Oh well, I have two more years of engine warranty.

p.s: From where did you get the "info' on VM and NOAK and who stated they are "key" to prevent intake deposits?
Oil is whipped into a mist and fog in the crankcase - it's going into the PCV and the intake regardless, IMHO.
Some may propose a Baffled Catch Can? I dislike adding "junk appendages" like that to a modern engine. Any such contraptions would have to be quickly dispatched if the engine went kablooey.

- Ken - in his drafty old log cabin on a hill

*Seems like a number of posters want the source of my information : They came from member / former member: "GOHKIN" (Sp?)

 

[CarbonSteel]

I don't know if one performs better than the other but I wouldn't look at the Viscosity index in isolation. I would want a high Flashpoint to go with it at the very least. I haven't used any of those products for years now

I can tell you I chose an ester blend with relatively high ZDDP and Moly content, with no VII for my car.

That is my point...trying to take VI and NOACK (which is not typically published) as the deciding factor for what constitutes the "best" GDI oil is guesswork at best.

The design of the GDI engine is going to dictate oil performance much more than the oil itself will. I would opine the range of VI in the 5 oils listed is so close, it would take someone with far more analytics than all of us combined to see the difference.

 

[CivicFK2TypeR]

Thats it. VI and Noack are not as decisive as the engine design. Everything that remains within the specification is good