Turbo engine - what oil properties are best

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dla

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Hello,

I have an 09 Cobalt SS that has a 2.0L Ecotec engine that is turbocharged and has direct injection. In selecting an oil for this car what properties of the oil are important to consider. I've heard that the turbo can "cook" the oil when the engine is shut off and the oil isn't circulated through the turbo. I'm not sure what impact the direct injection has on the oil either. Does a lot of gas get into the oil on that type of engine. Another feature of the engine is an inject that sprays oil on the bottom of the piston to help cool them.

The car is daily drive with a 16 mile commute each way to work mainly stop and go driving.

What brand, weight and oil change interval would you recommend? Should I listen to the oil monitor or change it in advance of that at a set schedule of x number of miles?
 
Direct injection, you mean into the cylinder? I always thought any kind of injection was better as it more precisely metered the fuel amount vs carburators which were very good (or bad) at putting fuel in the oil.

For oil, the ability to withstand heat is very important with a Turbo. I would run Redline oil in that thing. Redline uses a base oil that can take the heat of jet turbine engines, so it is well suited to a turbo app. There are other oils of the same caliber as Redline, but that is what I am familiar with . Youi can call (number at redlineoil.com) and talk to their chemist, Dave, about your particular application. Redline will cost you about nine bucks a quart, but worth every penny of it, and should be able to run extended OCI (another aspect to discuss with Dave).
 
My Mazda CX7 requires 5w30 oil, Dino or synthetic. After reviewing UOAs from other DI turbo engines, I chose 5w30 Pennzoil Platinum and a 6,000 mile OCI. I did several UOAs and PP seems to work very well, so well I may go out to 7,500 (manufactures maximum). Most of my driving is 3-8 mile runs in suburbia. Cape Coral FL weather. Mazda suggests two OC scheduals, 5.0 & 7.5K. I changed out the factory oil at ~ 3,000 miles to PP as best I can reember and never looked back. Now at 27,500 miles and running strong without any issues.
 
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A high HT/HS viscosity is IMO the most important property. IUf it falls within your warranty requirements, Id look to run M1 0w-40, as it works great in saab ecotec turbo engines. Id use the OLM, which seems to be good, but Id verify with UOA...

Otherwise if you cant do 0w-40, Id look for an ACEA A3 5w-30 rating.
 
Redline all the way. This is the sort of thing it's made for.

With it's extremely low NOACK it should help keep intake deposits to a minimum on this DI engine. With it's extremely high HTHS it should protect well against the stresses of turbocharging. With the ester base, coking in the turbo should be non-existant.
 
Check the specifications in your manual, use a high quality Syn that is turbo rated. If you can afford it, I would use Redline.

POE based oils do best in Direct Injected engines and help to keep valve buildup away. Because the gas isn't flowing over the intake valve, the valve doesn't get the cleaning agents in Gasoline and therefor doesn't get cleaned. Oily residue then builds up and nasty repairs are a result.

POE based oils have super cleaning abilities and are excellent for this application as their vaporous gases which would normally collect on intake valves via the PCV/Breather won't stick to the valves in the same way traditional oils would.
 
I've had a turbo car for almost 13 years and I say just run a good synthetic. Redline, Amsoil, or Royal Purple would work fine, but if you looking for oil that can be obtained locally for less money, I would look into Mobil 1 EP, Penzoil Platinum, Valvoline Synpower,or even German Castrol Syntec. I have ran Synpower, Castrol Syntec, and Mobil 1 (EP) for the entire time I've owned my car. I'm trying Royal Purple next change. I would invest in a turbo timer. Make sure you let your car run for a while before you shut it down. That will lengthen the life of your turbo. Your owners manual should mention it. A friend of mine has a Mazda 2.3 direct injection turbo engine and has been using Synpower with good results.
 
Thank you for the feedback. I for got ask if there also was any preference on the oil filter? Not sure if this makes a difference or not but this engine has a cartridge style filter.
 
Originally Posted By: 94supraonchrome
Redline, Amsoil, or Royal Purple
Off hand I'd rate these in same order as Very Best, Very Good, and Run of the Mill. Can't see grouping RP with the other two. It is more like off the shelf synthetic IMO.

Yeah, Redline has very good HTHS. Their 5w20 has HTHS of typical 10w30! Now that is protection in the bearings.
 
After reading all your responses I'm leaning towards Redline. The owners manual calls for 5W-30. Stick with that for year round use or go with something different for the up coming winter months?
 
Just as a precaution before going straight to Redline is that it is not API SM rated...(recommended is not the same). So I don't know how this may affect warranty on an 09 but if your dealer is a [censored] about something you may have an issue if you need warranty engine work.
 
Originally Posted By: dla
Thank you for the feedback. I for got ask if there also was any preference on the oil filter? Not sure if this makes a difference or not but this engine has a cartridge style filter.


OE for the saabs is hengst energetic. I'd go with hengst (you can buy them as hengst-branded and save a few dollars), or go for a purolator pure 1.

I dont think there is an Amsoil EAO out for the ecotec cartridge...
 
Originally Posted By: dla
After reading all your responses I'm leaning towards Redline. The owners manual calls for 5W-30. Stick with that for year round use or go with something different for the up coming winter months?
I would run the Redline 0w30 year round. It's a heck of an oil according to their spec sheet. I have just ordered some for myself.
 
Originally Posted By: 09rexwagon
Just as a precaution before going straight to Redline is that it is not API SM rated...(recommended is not the same). So I don't know how this may affect warranty on an 09 but if your dealer is a [censored] about something you may have an issue if you need warranty engine work.
They have to prove it is the fault of the lubricant in use according to your M.M. act that you have in the US. Yes using an API certified oil makes warranty claims easier in the event of an engine related failure but it's not impossible to get the work done should you choose a non licensed product like Redline. Also the chances of an engine related failure are extremely rare today especially with the OP's engine. So a claim is highly unlikely.

Now using a regular oil in that engine which is API certified could cause him to have a warranty claim because all manufacturers with this newer Direct Injection technology seem to be having problems with valve buildup.

Those who use a POE based oil like Redline or BioSyn aren't.

Redline will also stand behind their product not to harm your engine if used properly so you have that protection too.

I use Amsoil which most of their oils are also non-licensed and have had no issues. In my next new car I will be running it or Redline after break-in during the warranty period because I have every confidence those oils do a super job and don't fear the big bad manufacturers who always look for ways not to pay out.

You have the M.M. act and we have something similar in Canada so I'm not worried in the least.
 
Originally Posted By: dla
I have an 09 Cobalt SS that has a 2.0L Ecotec engine that is turbocharged and has direct injection. In selecting an oil for this car what properties of the oil are important to consider.

- High flashpoint, so it won't cook off as easily.
- Low volatility, ditto.
- High HTHS viscosity, so it won't thin out as much under high temperatures and physical stress.
- Minimum viscosity index improver (VII) content, because VIIs sometimes shear and leave deposits in turbos.

Good third party approvals are a bonus. Some examples are ACEA A3, BMW LL-01, Mercedes-Benz 229.3/229.5, Porsche, Nissan GT-R, and Honda HTO-06. There are plenty of great oils without those approvals (e.g. Red Line, Motul 300V, RLI), but they are good to have.

Consider this stuff a good starting point. There's actually a lot more to it, but it's hard to get good info on oil formulations...

What does your owner's manual say?


Originally Posted By: dla
I've heard that the turbo can "cook" the oil when the engine is shut off and the oil isn't circulated through the turbo.

Yes. Many modern cars have built in "turbo timer" systems to get around this by continuing to circulate oil and/or coolant through the turbo for a few minutes after you shut off the ignition. If your car has a system like this, you should be fine.


Originally Posted By: dla
I'm not sure what impact the direct injection has on the oil either. Does a lot of gas get into the oil on that type of engine.

Direct injection doesn't work the way it should for US market cars, and it often does produce fuel dilution. Your oil will have to stand up to that. That's not easy.

The main problem with direct injection is that there is no fuel on the backs of the intake valves to keep deposits from forming. Since oil vapors from the crankcase are recirculated through the intake, this can be a problem. It is doubly important for your oil to have minimum volatility, a high flash point, and excellent deposit control.


Originally Posted By: dla
Another feature of the engine is an inject that sprays oil on the bottom of the piston to help cool them.

That won't be a concern as far as oil selection.


Originally Posted By: dla
The car is daily drive with a 16 mile commute each way to work mainly stop and go driving.

Ouch. Direct injection, turbo, and short trips. Tough combo!


Originally Posted By: dla
What brand, weight and oil change interval would you recommend? Should I listen to the oil monitor or change it in advance of that at a set schedule of x number of miles?

First, let us know what your manual specifies -- not just weight, but whether it specifies certain API or GM certifications. Also, let us know how concerned you are about keeping your warranty. There are plenty of good candidates.

Second, double- and triple-check with Chevy to make sure your oil monitor will account for the extra wear-and-tear from short trips.
 
16 miles of stop and go isn't really short tripping it. That should be a 20+ minute drive.

As for filters, I would go for filtration over flow. Turbos are sensitive to filtration and I doubt you can get a filter that doesn't flow enough these days.

Just something to think about, most aftermarket turbo manufacturers make you buy their inline filtration kits for the warranty to be valid.

The combo of turbo and DI clearly points to Redline over the others.
 
Go for shear stability and higher HTHS to deal with potential turbo "coking" and fuel dilution. Go for low Noack and high detergents/cleaning properties such as ester base stocks to deal with DI-common valve deposits. Of course high anti-wear additives are always good!

M1 0W40 and castrol syntec 5W40 have some of the highest shear rates and iron levels in the turbo, direct injection 2.0 FSI database. M1 TDT 5W40 and German Castrol would be better choices for those two brands IMO. I use Redline 5W40 because I haven't found anything better yet for the oil-destroying 2.0 FSI (doesn't mean it doesn't exist, I just haven't found it yet ha ha). Amsoil DEO, Motul X-lite 0W30, Rotella Synthtetic 5W40, and RenLube Biosyn 5W40 may also be good choices for a turbo direct injection engine IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
16 miles of stop and go isn't really short tripping it. That should be a 20+ minute drive.

Good catch. I stand corrected.
 
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