Kia / Hyundai Engines - Better Protected On 5W30 ?

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I've had up to 3 different late model Kia and Hyundai engines which primarily state to run 5W20 - but 5W30 and 10W30 oils allowed if ambient temps warrant using . I have no scientific proof - but I question if Kia / Hyundai 4 and 6 cylinder engines were designed for OR merely back spec'd to run 5W20 ? Not to start a thin vs. thick oil argument here , I just am beginning to lean towards a 5W30 being better for Kia / Hyundai engines where the manual states a 5W30 can be used . Conversely , for Honda or Toyota engines I wouldn't have the same reservations using a 0W20 or 5W20 in their engines ... Your thoughts ?
 
If it makes you sleep better, it's accepted by the manufacturer, and you are not trying to squeeze every drop of gas from your tank, use the 30-grade.

5W-30 is to NA as 40-grade is to Europe. We have 30-grade oils available with some pretty impressive specs. Recent weather not withstanding, your climate is fine for any 30-grade oil.

Then again, a quality 20-grade will serve you just fine.
 
IF I lived in the Georgia heat, I'd be using Mobil 1 0W-40 or a synthetic that is a heavy 30-weight.

FYI:

My 2005 Kia Sorento with the 3.5L V-6 was originally spec'd for a 5W-30 conventional oil.

Mobil still recommends their 5W-30 synthetic for it and Pennzoil's website suggests 5W-20 PU or PP.

Amsoil currently recommends their top tier 10W-30 Signature oil as being preferred.

For the first 97,000 miles, I used Amsoil 0W-30 Signature and their synthetic oil filter.

This past winter I went with PU 5W-20 and will go back to a 30-weight (PU 5W-30) this summer in conjunction with Fram Ultra XP9688 oil filter.
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
5w30 would be my choice in GA if it meets warranty requirements.


I agree.
 
I am now of the opinion that the 5w20 spec in the Hyundia/KIA engines was/is more of a "me too" CAFE kinda thing. From my reading it is apparent they will run near forever on 5w20 but I am not convinced 5w20 is "optimal" for them. Wear numbers appear to be a little higher to me on the 20 grades with Hyundai/KIA.

I did one UOA on 5w20 and wasn't all that impressed with the wear numbers either however the engine was new enough it wasn't really definitive in my mind. Running Ultra 5w20 now too. But I'm 900 miles from an OCI on the KIA and I am shopping for a 5w30 for it. Will be interesting to see the results.

Looking at a Dexos blend (Pennzoil/Quaker State or Castrol) which I will run for 5k or I'll do another Edge Gold Bottle run for 7k all 5w30. I still have an OCI's worth of PP 5w20 on hand but I'm not going to run it till next winter.
 
which 5w20 vs which 5w30

the difference is not as big as expected with some oils.

for example pennzoil ultra 5w30 is about 22% thicker than 5w20
at 100C
 
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I have a sonata 2012 with 2.4 gdi.I have read in hyundai forums people saying 5w30 made their engine sound more refined and quiet.However I am thinking about using a different approach. I mo itor my oil temps and I live in Toronto and have a short 12 km commute to work in sub zero temps in winter. at the end of the commute my oil barely reaches 60c. This means I would be best served by a high VI 0w20 oil in winter and a light 5w30 in summer like ultra or platinum which are closer to a 20 weight.

Fuel dilution is also an issue in winter but the oil is still quite thick in cold startups and yes ethanol free gas like shell vpower would help a lot. ehtanol is particularly bad for di engines.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
If it makes you sleep better, it's accepted by the manufacturer, and you are not trying to squeeze every drop of gas from your tank, use the 30-grade.

5W-30 is to NA as 40-grade is to Europe. We have 30-grade oils available with some pretty impressive specs. Recent weather not withstanding, your climate is fine for any 30-grade oil.

Then again, a quality 20-grade will serve you just fine.


40 grade has been getting rarer and rarer since around 06

A much more common grade of oil is 5w30.

I would personally use 5w30. Maybe 0w30 in Winter. But i suspect 5w30 would be fine all year round.
 
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We are a Hyundai dealer, and our only bulk oil is 5w30 semi-synthetic. Our reasoning is that all the turbo cars, the Azera, and the Genesis Sedan and Coupe call for 5w30, while 5w30 is acceptable for all the same climate conditions as the 5w20. Even up here in Northern NY, 5w30 is running great in all of our motors. No issues even though we have had a very cold, sub-zero winter.
I would prefer 5w30 for Hyundais and Kias, especially with the newer GDI and turbo engines. In fact, my preference would be for a Euro-style 5w30, A5/B5, C3, A3/B4, etc...
 
My wife and I live a few miles from the Florida state line and own/have owned 5 KIA/Hyundai vehicles.

Use 5W20 Quaker State Ultimate Durability oil year around.

We see long hot Summers here. For their Turbo engines a thicker oil is recommended.
 
To clarify - I have been running PP 5W20 year round ... May now try PP 5W30 for Spring / Summer OCI and save remaining stash of PP 5W20 for my Fall / Winter OCI .
 
Warning - anecdotal evidence ahead:
In my 2010 Elantra Touring (2.0L Beta II) I have found that 5W20 clacks and ticks like crazy on startup (summer and winter, so -30*C to +30*C startup temperatures) while switching to a heavier oil such as 5W30 or 5W40 has kept it much quieter. I tried the 5W40 since 5W30 was quieter than 5W20 so I sort of thought "let's keep going!" however I couldn't perceive any difference in startup noise, fuel economy or performance between the 5W30 and 5W40, and since it wasn't explicitly recommended I haven't gone back to it after the 1 OCI. I haven't done any UOA on this car yet as it's only at 46,800km and in my opinion it's still settling in.
 
I'm using 5w20 in the winter and 5w 30 in the summer both pennzoil platinum. The owners manual for my elantra supports this.
 
Originally Posted By: zero10
Warning - anecdotal evidence ahead:
In my 2010 Elantra Touring (2.0L Beta II) I have found that 5W20 clacks and ticks like crazy on startup (summer and winter, so -30*C to +30*C startup temperatures) while switching to a heavier oil such as 5W30 or 5W40 has kept it much quieter. I tried the 5W40 since 5W30 was quieter than 5W20 so I sort of thought "let's keep going!" however I couldn't perceive any difference in startup noise, fuel economy or performance between the 5W30 and 5W40, and since it wasn't explicitly recommended I haven't gone back to it after the 1 OCI. I haven't done any UOA on this car yet as it's only at 46,800km and in my opinion it's still settling in.


Hmm...interesting. So you are saying 5w30 was better than 5w20 in terms of quietness/smoothness for first few miles after startup even in winter?
 
My 11 Elantra runs slightly quieter and smoother on 5W30 over 20. I ran 5W20 for the first 25K then switched because I got both vehicles on the same oil and schedule.
 
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Just like You ChrisD46, I'm going to keep using PP 5W-20 in winter and put PP 5W-30 in summer. Just buyed four 5L Jugs of PP with Pure Plus for 22$ before taxes at Canadian Tire.

I feel like engine in my girlfriend Elantra are going to get better wear protection on long term using heavier oil especially on summer time.
 
Hyundai/Kia have smoothed out their auto transmissions in recent years so you will have less shift shock load on the engines. It would probably be fine on 5w20 but I would use a conventional and not a synthetic...You get better film strength with a G2 oil. Personally, I would use a 10w30 in GA...Especially with a lead foot.
 
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