'11 ranger 2.3L calls for 5w-20, shop installed

[Ramblin Fever]

5w30...does it matter?

this is a company truck, I have coupon maintenance rituals I have to follow...truck currently has 10k miles.

First OCI, Greasemonkey put in exact viscosity requirement of 5w-20

2nd OCI, went to Goodyear because Greasemonkey doesn't rotate tires; they installed 5w30

Shop manager said the engine calls for either viscosity and they prefer 5w30 for summer use?

What do you guys think?

I can tell you, it feels like the engine has a tad more drag to it; but it could all be in my mind too.

 

[Rob Taggs]

My employer, the State of Kansas uses a no name brand of 5w30 in all our pickups that call for 5w-20. Pointed this out to the mechanics. The State just does not seem to care about warranty concerns, guess cause its the taxpayers dollar they don't care.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

so the act of feeling less HP is all in my head?

Honestly, if the engine's fine with either oil, I'm not concerned, but if this engine is to have strict 5w-20, I will run it over to Greasemonkey and have them redo it.

Even though this is a company truck, it IS under the Ford warranty for bumper/bumper warranty, and a truck that I will be driving for 200k or so.

 

[RF Overlord]

Does it matter to the engine? Doubtful. Does it matter to your employer? Do they have a contract or fleet deal with Goodyear that requires the use of factory-recommended fluids?

 

[Ramblin Fever]

They have a contract with a fleet management company that allows us to use most tire/oil change places, i.e. goodyear, big o, etc.

We do not have to use Goodyear in general, it's just a place that was closest to me at the time and had time to get me in.

I have no idea what the contract is for regarding specific fluids.

 

[Trav]

Quote:
so the act of feeling less HP is all in my head?


I believe it is. Don't loose any sleep over this, drive it and correct the situation at the next OCI.

 

[yonyon]

Originally Posted By: Rob Taggs
My employer, the State of Kansas uses a no name brand of 5w30 in all our pickups that call for 5w-20. Pointed this out to the mechanics. The State just does not seem to care about warranty concerns, guess cause its the taxpayers dollar they don't care.


Or maybe they make a fleet purchase deal that includes no warranty but comes with a per unit discount on the price that they could drop 20% of these trucks off a cliff without using them at all and still come out ahead. Fleet purchase deals like that happen.

 

[clarklawnscape]

it wont matter, i often run 5w30 in my 4.6 speced 5w20 and im very picky of my truck. in late late 90's or early 00's was when ford switched from 5w30 to 5w20.

 

[TFB1]

Most 5W-20 oils are around 8.7 cSt and 5w30 are generally in the mid 10 to maybe 11 range(of course there are exceptions to both)... You are are talking a cSt difference of maybe 2.3 points, that's gonna make zero difference in the butt dyno...

 

[chainblu]

Originally Posted By: Ramblin Fever
2nd OCI, went to Goodyear because Greasemonkey doesn't rotate tires; they installed 5w30

Shop manager said the engine calls for either viscosity and they prefer 5w30 for summer use?



Just reading between the lines here; but it doesn't sound like Goodyear would be opposed to running 5W20, just that "they prefer 5w30 for summer..".

Seems to me if you told them to use 5W20 they would if they wanted to keep your business.
Just my 2 cents...

 

[JTK]

Some garages that manage fleets will put 15w40 in everything, gas or diesel. These little Ranger 2.3's probably wouldn't notice the difference there either.

Joel

 

[The Critic]

The firestones/goodyear/wheelworks/midas etc around here seem to use synblend 5w30 in everything, and do not pay much attention to the oil cap. Not saying it is OK, but it appears to be common practice.

OTOH, the Jiffy Lube actually uses the correct grade, go figure.

 

[yonyon]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
The firestones/goodyear/wheelworks/midas etc around here seem to use synblend 5w30 in everything, and do not pay much attention to the oil cap. Not saying it is OK, but it appears to be common practice.

OTOH, the Jiffy Lube actually uses the correct grade, go figure.


If you know of a Firestone that is putting 5w30 in everything it's time to make a phonecall. They have hard policy against that and a single phone call should be enough to put a stop to it. If that doesn't work and you can prove it then a second phonecall should be enough (in the case of a corporate store) to get the store manager fired or (in the case of a franchise) to get the shop disenfranchised. If they're still putting 5w30 in everything, well, don't go there for an oil change unless you want 5w30.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

ok....if it's not an engine actual issue then I'm not gonna fret over it.

Personally there's not a single vehicle in my house that's effected by viscosity difference, so I'm not otherwise too concerned.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: Rob Taggs
My employer, the State of Kansas uses a no name brand of 5w30 in all our pickups that call for 5w-20. Pointed this out to the mechanics. The State just does not seem to care about warranty concerns, guess cause its the taxpayers dollar they don't care.


More likely they know they will never have a warranty claim over using 5W30.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: yonyon

If you know of a Firestone that is putting 5w30 in everything it's time to make a phonecall. They have hard policy against that and a single phone call should be enough to put a stop to it. If that doesn't work and you can prove it then a second phonecall should be enough (in the case of a corporate store) to get the store manager fired or (in the case of a franchise) to get the shop disenfranchised. If they're still putting 5w30 in everything, well, don't go there for an oil change unless you want 5w30.


Let's just say that an individual who works at one told me they were told that their 5w30 is "sufficient" for most applications.

 

[Stephen_G]

Originally Posted By: Rob Taggs
My employer, the State of Kansas uses a no name brand of 5w30 in all our pickups that call for 5w-20. Pointed this out to the mechanics. The State just does not seem to care about warranty concerns, guess cause its the taxpayers dollar they don't care.


That is a good oil to standardize on imho, not too off in either way, Not too viscous, or not viscous enough. It is wrong that they dump that into everything, but at least they are not using HDEO in 15W40 or just plain 10W30 oil.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
Most 5W-20 oils are around 8.7 cSt and 5w30 are generally in the mid 10 to maybe 11 range(of course there are exceptions to both)... You are are talking a cSt difference of maybe 2.3 points, that's gonna make zero difference in the butt dyno...



Thats odd, because I noticed a definite difference in my RX switching to 5W-20.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: TFB1
Most 5W-20 oils are around 8.7 cSt and 5w30 are generally in the mid 10 to maybe 11 range(of course there are exceptions to both)... You are are talking a cSt difference of maybe 2.3 points, that's gonna make zero difference in the butt dyno...



Thats odd, because I noticed a definite difference in my RX switching to 5W-20.


You should contract to NASA...

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: TFB1
Most 5W-20 oils are around 8.7 cSt and 5w30 are generally in the mid 10 to maybe 11 range(of course there are exceptions to both)... You are are talking a cSt difference of maybe 2.3 points, that's gonna make zero difference in the butt dyno...



Thats odd, because I noticed a definite difference in my RX switching to 5W-20.


You should contract to NASA...



What?