The manual calls for 5w-30, can I put 5w-20 without harming the motor?
Thanks
Thanks
2011 Malibu 2.4 5w-20
- Thread starter tangojetta
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Probably not going to hurt, but I wouldn't. IF you had a problem, why risk your warranty? Stick to what's recommended.
If it wants a 30w use it. I wouldn't go thinner than the manual. I have heard of going up but you could increase your oil consumption with 20.
That being said it would run just fine but could effect iron wear or oil pressure negatively
Edit. Forgot it was new. Stick with the manual 5_30 for warranty sakes if nothing else. Also keep your receipts
That being said it would run just fine but could effect iron wear or oil pressure negatively
Edit. Forgot it was new. Stick with the manual 5_30 for warranty sakes if nothing else. Also keep your receipts
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
If it wants a 30w use it. I wouldn't go thinner than the manual. I have heard of going up but you could increase your oil consumption with 20.
That being said it would run just fine but could effect iron wear or oil pressure negatively
Edit. Forgot it was new. Stick with the manual 5_30 for warranty sakes if nothing else. Also keep your receipts
Agree!!!
If it wants a 30w use it. I wouldn't go thinner than the manual. I have heard of going up but you could increase your oil consumption with 20.
That being said it would run just fine but could effect iron wear or oil pressure negatively
Edit. Forgot it was new. Stick with the manual 5_30 for warranty sakes if nothing else. Also keep your receipts
Agree!!!
During the warranty you may want to use the recommend 5W30 and change the oil when OLM is down to no less than 10-15%. After warranty, you may want to try xW20 if your driving distance is less than 10-15 miles for most trips, specially during winter months.
i would stay with 5w30 in that engine.... 5w20 is a great weight but in that engine use 5w30
Sometimes you hear about manufactures recommending 5w-20 in place of 5w-30 to get better fuel mileage for CAFE, but you will not get a recommendation very often for the opposite because if the engine was probably built to have the 30w running through it.
If you want to experiement, i would wait until your warranty is up and do a UOA of the 5w-30 then an exact mileage UOA of the 5w-20 to compare iron and aluminum wear. Also you want to check your oil pressure with both visc.
If you want to experiement, i would wait until your warranty is up and do a UOA of the 5w-30 then an exact mileage UOA of the 5w-20 to compare iron and aluminum wear. Also you want to check your oil pressure with both visc.
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Probably not going to hurt, but I wouldn't. IF you had a problem, why risk your warranty? Stick to what's recommended.
+1 Stick to what GM recommends for the engine.
Probably not going to hurt, but I wouldn't. IF you had a problem, why risk your warranty? Stick to what's recommended.
+1 Stick to what GM recommends for the engine.
It's certainly not bad advice to just stick with the manufacturer's recommendation, at least through the warranty period. Can't go wrong.
Do a search for AEHass' experimentations with xW-20 weight oils in his Ferraris (or is it the Maybachs or Lambos?), good UOAs in engines that call for xW-60 (I think).
I ran 5W-20 in my xW-30 spec'd 2000 Honda Civic a few times, no ill effects and perfectly good UOAs.
jeff
Do a search for AEHass' experimentations with xW-20 weight oils in his Ferraris (or is it the Maybachs or Lambos?), good UOAs in engines that call for xW-60 (I think).
I ran 5W-20 in my xW-30 spec'd 2000 Honda Civic a few times, no ill effects and perfectly good UOAs.
jeff
Originally Posted By: greenjp
Do a search for AEHass' experimentations with xW-20 weight oils in his Ferraris (or is it the Maybachs or Lambos?), good UOAs in engines that call for xW-60 (I think).
Driven VERY lightly. If his cars were driven as intended, the 20wt would not hold up, IMO.
Do a search for AEHass' experimentations with xW-20 weight oils in his Ferraris (or is it the Maybachs or Lambos?), good UOAs in engines that call for xW-60 (I think).
Driven VERY lightly. If his cars were driven as intended, the 20wt would not hold up, IMO.
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
I would run a Dexos oil, or any off the shelf syn. The 2.4 in the Malibu is a DI engine. I have not seen many UOA's on the 2.4l DI, but the 3.6L DI has been pretty tough on oil.
The good UOA's on Ecotecs are the non VVT, no EGR models. I am guessing the DI versions are much tougher on oil.
The good UOA's on Ecotecs are the non VVT, no EGR models. I am guessing the DI versions are much tougher on oil.
Originally Posted By: tangojetta
The manual calls for 5w-30, can I put 5w-20 without harming the motor?
Thanks
No it won't hurt anything but as others have mentioned during the warranty period it's always prudent to stick with OEM approved lubricants.
As a compromise you could run M1 AFE 0W-30 which is approved and is about the lightest 30wt oil on the market. In fact it is lighter than most 5W-20 oils at temp's as high as 40F on start-up where it matters most.
The manual calls for 5w-30, can I put 5w-20 without harming the motor?
Thanks
No it won't hurt anything but as others have mentioned during the warranty period it's always prudent to stick with OEM approved lubricants.
As a compromise you could run M1 AFE 0W-30 which is approved and is about the lightest 30wt oil on the market. In fact it is lighter than most 5W-20 oils at temp's as high as 40F on start-up where it matters most.
Originally Posted By: cchase
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
+1
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
+1
Originally Posted By: 3311
Originally Posted By: cchase
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
+1
20wt oil is anything but "ridiculously thin" oil.
Since more than half of the cars in NA now spec' the grade your lubrication ignorance is showing.
As far as Dr. Haas is concerned, he doesn't run a 20wt oil in his Ferrari but a heavy 0W-30.
He does run a very heavy boutique 0W-20 in his other toys but for those familiar with the RLI 0W-20 lubricant, with it's HTHS vis of over 3.0cP it really is a light 0W-30.
Originally Posted By: cchase
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
+1
20wt oil is anything but "ridiculously thin" oil.
Since more than half of the cars in NA now spec' the grade your lubrication ignorance is showing.
As far as Dr. Haas is concerned, he doesn't run a 20wt oil in his Ferrari but a heavy 0W-30.
He does run a very heavy boutique 0W-20 in his other toys but for those familiar with the RLI 0W-20 lubricant, with it's HTHS vis of over 3.0cP it really is a light 0W-30.
Originally Posted By: cchase
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
I think you protest too much. The OP asked if he would "hurt" his engine. There's a lot of evidence out there indicating he won't, AEHass' Ferraris and my old Civic included. Nobody's saying anything about running "ridiculously thin" oils, and besides considering how frequently a 30 shears to 20 over the course of an OCI a lot of people effectively doing it already.
jeff
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
I think you protest too much. The OP asked if he would "hurt" his engine. There's a lot of evidence out there indicating he won't, AEHass' Ferraris and my old Civic included. Nobody's saying anything about running "ridiculously thin" oils, and besides considering how frequently a 30 shears to 20 over the course of an OCI a lot of people effectively doing it already.
jeff
PP 5W30 would work well in your car...
Originally Posted By: greenjp
Originally Posted By: cchase
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
I think you protest too much. The OP asked if he would "hurt" his engine. There's a lot of evidence out there indicating he won't, AEHass' Ferraris and my old Civic included. Nobody's saying anything about running "ridiculously thin" oils, and besides considering how frequently a 30 shears to 20 over the course of an OCI a lot of people effectively doing it already.
jeff
Running a 20 in a vehicle specced for a 60 seems "ridiculously thin" to me.
In any case, just because in one application a UOA came out okay doesn't mean it's good to tell people to run 20 weights in a vehicle specced for a 30 weight.
At best it does nothing at all and at worst it could cause elevated levels of wear.
The argument that many 30's shear to 20's has some significance perhaps, but typically it takes 5000 miles or more to shear to that level, which isn't the same as running a 20 weight from the start.
Originally Posted By: cchase
AEHaas and running 20-weights in Ferraris is quoted far too frequently on this board as an "excuse" for people to always recommend that it's okay to run ridiculously thin oils in vehicles. His experiments are hardly representative of the "real world" masses... in my opinion.
I think you protest too much. The OP asked if he would "hurt" his engine. There's a lot of evidence out there indicating he won't, AEHass' Ferraris and my old Civic included. Nobody's saying anything about running "ridiculously thin" oils, and besides considering how frequently a 30 shears to 20 over the course of an OCI a lot of people effectively doing it already.
jeff
Running a 20 in a vehicle specced for a 60 seems "ridiculously thin" to me.
In any case, just because in one application a UOA came out okay doesn't mean it's good to tell people to run 20 weights in a vehicle specced for a 30 weight.
At best it does nothing at all and at worst it could cause elevated levels of wear.
The argument that many 30's shear to 20's has some significance perhaps, but typically it takes 5000 miles or more to shear to that level, which isn't the same as running a 20 weight from the start.
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