Living the MaxLife

[Beagle2000]

Just made the switch from Castrol HM 10w30 to MaxLife 10w30 tonight in my nice low mileage Buick Lesabre 3.8 with 293,000 kms!!! Just bought the car a month ago and made a nice long trip of 5200kms on it over Christmas. It used NO oil on the trip at all, in fact the level on the dipstick was the same when I took the castrol out as it was when I put it in.
Hope the Maxlife lives up to all the hype.
It's mighty cold here right now with temps in the -20 Celsius range.

 

[qdeezie]

Out of plain curiosity.......why aren't you using at least 5w30 oil? If it's minus 20 Celsius, wouldn't you want to have a little bit better startup protection?

 

[tinmanSC]

Originally Posted By: qdeezie
Out of plain curiosity.......why aren't you using at least 5w30 oil? If it's minus 20 Celsius, wouldn't you want to have a little bit better startup protection?

+1

 

[Beagle2000]

I work at a GM dealership and those 3.8 motors have a service bulletin stating that 10w30 is the recommended all season oil. The car is always garaged and never sits outside for more than 6 to 8 hours max at anytime.

 

[chubbs1]

Out of plain curiosity...if Castrol HM worked so well why change? The only thing I would have changed was to a 5W (or less). I'm not trying to bash you and I know it is cool to try new oils but if you have a good thing going stick with it. Maxlife will do nothing better than the Castrol if it worked that well in your car. Remember 5W/0W adds more protection at startup in cold temps. A lot of HM oils are thick so just something to keep in mind. I use 0w and I live in Florida

 

[chubbs1]

Originally Posted By: Beagle2000
I work at a GM dealership and those 3.8 motors have a service bulletin stating that 10w30 is the recommended all season oil. The car is always garaged and never sits outside for more than 6 to 8 hours max at anytime.


I've been schooled.

 

[Beagle2000]

Believe me I thought of the 5w30 option as well but the shop foreman suggested sticking with the 10w30.
I absolutely appreciate the advice as always. You guys do know your stuff on this site. I do a lot of driving and will likely need another change in 30 days. If the beast continues to use no oil I will definitely take your advice and try the 5w30 Maxlife.
The reason Itried the Maxlife was that I picked it up on sale at a small parts store for $15.00 for 5 litres and the best price I could find on the Castrol HM was $25.00.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

Originally Posted By: Beagle2000
You guys do know your stuff on this site.
There are very few that know their stuff that post here anymore. Most just read "motor oil 101" and then start throwing out recommendations.

 

[HTSS_TR]

10W30 was more shear stable than 5W30 20 years ago, but 5W30 is very shear stable now with SM and newer SN. If I was you I would use 5W30 in winter when temp can be below freezing.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
10W30 was more shear stable than 5W30 20 years ago, but 5W30 is very shear stable now with SM and newer SN. If I was you I would use 5W30 in winter when temp can be below freezing.


+1 Yup. 5w30 in Canada for sure! It's -10F here tonite.

 

[Stu_Rock]

Beagle2000, that service bulletin is from the days of API SJ/ ILSAC GF-2. Since API SL/ILSAC GF-3, GM allows for 5w30 and--hold on to your seat--0W-30 in the 3800s.

Remember that switch that GM made to 5w30 in 2004 3800s? It's not engine design updates. It's the oil.

Somewhere in Alberta, a whole bunch of owners of hard-starting 3800s will rejoice when their dealership joins the 21st century. Thank goodness GM forces the K05 engine block heater on Canadian models.

 

[pavelow]

Maxlife is a good oil...nice and robust.

 

[SLCraig]

GC would work great in that 3.8 if it burns no oil.
Thick at temp but flows great when cold.

 

[addyguy]

I love the way on this site we are so two-faced about stuff....

A person asks what oil they should use in their car - a lot of responses will be 'What does the manufacturer call for? Use that".

Here, the guy is using exactly what the manufacturer calls for, and everyone is telling him he should second-guess that and run something else!

What, are we all suddenly engineers with an intimate knowledge of the GM 3.8 V-6???

Use the 10w30, like the manufacturer calls for!!!

 

[Beagle2000]

Keep in mind that the -20 is not the norm here where I live. Typical daytime high is -2 to -5 and typical low at night is
-12 to -15. Next week the forecast is for plus 2 daytime highs so the -20 is a small blip on the radar.

 

[Stu_Rock]

addyguy, in 2011, GM calls for an Energy Conserving 0W-30, 5w30, or 10w30 for that car. MaxLife does not meet that specification. It's a fine oil, but it's definitely not "exactly what the manufacturer calls for."

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
I love the way on this site we are so two-faced about stuff....

A person asks what oil they should use in their car - a lot of responses will be 'What does the manufacturer call for? Use that".

Here, the guy is using exactly what the manufacturer calls for, and everyone is telling him he should second-guess that and run something else!

What, are we all suddenly engineers with an intimate knowledge of the GM 3.8 V-6???

Use the 10w30, like the manufacturer calls for!!!



Dude! You've been here long enough to know better! C'mon don't you know Maxlife is a bit thicker than an energy conserving oil in the same weight. If it is constantly below freezing and your engine is way past warranty wouldn't you want the right oil for the situation. In the climate the OP is driving in I would definitely be running a modern energy conserving 5w30. Maybe a synthetic 5w30 or 0w30 if I could afford it...

And if you think the 5w30 or 0w30 wouldn't hold up at higher temperatures like the 10w30 you are recommending after all the UOA's we have seen on this board...then I cain't help you. Lo Siento.

 

[addyguy]

"wouldn't you want the right oil for the situation"

So Camu, the manufacturer is completely wrong?

I'm playing DA here...yes, a modern 5w30 would be better than an older 10w30 for cold weather.

...but then WHY do we recommend that people follow the manufacturer's recommendation in a whole host of other posts?

I'm just saying we shold be consistent - if we are oil experts, and know more than the manufacturers of cars, we should state that very clearly when someone asks for advice - "First do NOT use what the manufacturer recommends...."

 

[rclint]

wow just look at all the BITOG users that know much much more than the manufacture so much so that they call him how as being schooled, and other various things in this thread for not going outside what the manufacture recommends.. and states very very plain in the owners manual... I have worked on the 3800/3.8 changing oil etc on them for years as that's what my mother drives, I assure you the 10w30 gives this engine all it needs in the winter or the summer...

Or maybe someone is thinking GM does not know what they are talking about.. heck maybe GM has been schooled... the forum with uninformed users can cause more problems at times than any help offered. I'm glad the OP knew his stuff before coming to the opinion of posting something here I say good for the OP

 

[Beagle2000]

Geez, I didn't mean to start WW III here with a simple OCI.
I certainly did consider 5W30, but the techs and friends that iI have known and relied on for many years suggested the 10W30 as a best all around solution. I am a wee bit past the warranty so at the end of the day what goes in the crankcase doesn't really matter as far as warranty. I just want the best protection I can find.
It was -22 this morning outside and -3 in my garage so the hard starting issue is not really an issue.