Keep you cooling system in perfect working order. Keep a close eye on you temps. Do whatever you can to keep you car running a little on the cool side.
Oldsmobile Aurora 'Best' 10w30
- Thread starter sallc5
- Start date
- Status
I run M1 5W-30 in my 99 Aurora. Mine always runs on the hot side - 220 water normally, pushes 250 water in the summer. I wouldn't run anything but synthetic in a Northstar personally. On the plus side, at least it has a big sump - 8 quarts.
An 8 quart sump means you will need two jugs instead of one. That could make the conventional more desirable.
Yes, I keep my two Auroras well maintained. I am aware of cooling system issues and pulled head bolts and the likes.
They are a warm running engine. However, there there are some things you can do get the fans to turn on at a more desirable temp. Settings are too high IMO from factory. One option is disconnecting coolant level sensor which makes low speed on all the time and an annoying DIC message LOW COOLANT(not my cup of tea there). De-pinning PCM pin for low and high. Switch pin high to pin low and make low speed on when engine is running. Lastly the best way get the PCM tuned and change the settings.
As for the synthetic. It seems with my experience synthetics caused my 17 year old pan gasket to leak a bit more than convention and blends. A common problem with all N*. Not gonna drop the subframe to fix it or hack through exhaust crossover for an 'easier' fix and weld it back in. When that time comes I will drop in one of the 4.6L variations, stud, and re-seal.
So, how much oil do you lose on your Aurora between changes bigt61?
Thanks for the input guys! It was just a question out of curiosity and you guys are some knowledgable folks. Will switch to 5w-30 for this winters oil change.
They are a warm running engine. However, there there are some things you can do get the fans to turn on at a more desirable temp. Settings are too high IMO from factory. One option is disconnecting coolant level sensor which makes low speed on all the time and an annoying DIC message LOW COOLANT(not my cup of tea there). De-pinning PCM pin for low and high. Switch pin high to pin low and make low speed on when engine is running. Lastly the best way get the PCM tuned and change the settings.
As for the synthetic. It seems with my experience synthetics caused my 17 year old pan gasket to leak a bit more than convention and blends. A common problem with all N*. Not gonna drop the subframe to fix it or hack through exhaust crossover for an 'easier' fix and weld it back in. When that time comes I will drop in one of the 4.6L variations, stud, and re-seal.
So, how much oil do you lose on your Aurora between changes bigt61?
Thanks for the input guys! It was just a question out of curiosity and you guys are some knowledgable folks. Will switch to 5w-30 for this winters oil change.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
0w30 would have better cold crank viscosity when the temperature start to go negative, but realistically in W. Virginia you will be well served by a 5w30 synthetic. A 0w doesn't have much benefit around your climates temperatures depending on which one were talking about.
Mobil 1 0w30 is a fine product however and i wouldn't hesitate to run it in any 5w30/10w30 application.
I haven't seen a bad recommendation in this thread yet if your wondering.
Yes, that is why I said to use/try the M1 0W-30 for a winter OCI.
It also depends on what altitude he is at in the 'Mountain State', as it CAN get plenty cold during winter in them thar hills!
0w30 would have better cold crank viscosity when the temperature start to go negative, but realistically in W. Virginia you will be well served by a 5w30 synthetic. A 0w doesn't have much benefit around your climates temperatures depending on which one were talking about.
Mobil 1 0w30 is a fine product however and i wouldn't hesitate to run it in any 5w30/10w30 application.
I haven't seen a bad recommendation in this thread yet if your wondering.
Yes, that is why I said to use/try the M1 0W-30 for a winter OCI.
It also depends on what altitude he is at in the 'Mountain State', as it CAN get plenty cold during winter in them thar hills!
Lots of great advice in this thread so I'll add my 2 bits.
Those engines run hot. Hot enough to make me lean towards using M1 0w-40. And use it year round. In the states its 26 bucks a jug at Walmart and its among the most certified oils on earth.
Or if cost isn't a concern I'd use redline. Their use of esters will help prevent the common gasket leaks and the add pack is just awesome.
Those engines run hot. Hot enough to make me lean towards using M1 0w-40. And use it year round. In the states its 26 bucks a jug at Walmart and its among the most certified oils on earth.
Or if cost isn't a concern I'd use redline. Their use of esters will help prevent the common gasket leaks and the add pack is just awesome.
And that does lead to next question lol.
I see a lot of people running 10w-40 and 15w-40 in these engines. Most say they do it to keep the oil pressure in tip top shape on a high mileage N*.
So, what about 5w-40 for winter or even as the above poster states 0w-40...?
I see a lot of people running 10w-40 and 15w-40 in these engines. Most say they do it to keep the oil pressure in tip top shape on a high mileage N*.
So, what about 5w-40 for winter or even as the above poster states 0w-40...?
Last edited:
If that's true about the oil running hot I too would use M1 0w40, which is great for a winter oil. You could also use shell Rotella T6 5w40
I'll give you my personal experience with my charger.
Backstory
I had an 04 hemi ram til last summer when I totalled it. The hemi in that truck never got oils temps hot and the only time it broke 200f I had a 6000 pound trailer on driving into a 70 mph headwind. The trailer was similar in aerodynamics to a garage door. I was doing 70mpg with overdrive off. It was revving over 3500rpm for hours.
That engine called for a 20 grade. In common day to day driving with no trailer or load 180f oil temps were the norm.
My charger also calls for a 20 grade however the oil temps are closer to 220f at 70mph.
One can assume that the 20 grade oil specified will be much thinner at 220f than at 180f and film thickness and strength will also be higher with oil temps at 180f.
Now take into consideration your engine is older and may have lost a few pounds of oil pressure over the years so stepping up a grade will of course increase pressure and because the n* does experience higher oil temps oil film thickness and film strength will be higher than a 30 grade at those oil temps.
I put liqui-moly 0w-40 in my charger this time instead of a 20 grade.
Why?
Because bitter winter temps are here and I knew that the car would be idling for much longer periods of time which leads to fuel dilution coupled with slower drives that won't evaporate the fuel out a quickly,and I wanted to try a 40 grade because I've read so much junk about the mds not working right if one deviates from the specified 20 grade.
Instantly my cruising oil temps dropped to 200f on the highway. In the city I can't get it to 210f. The engine was less noisy and when I floored it it felt like it pulled harder at 4000+rpm.
The mds operates fantastic however its less rev happy,basically when light on the gas pedal its not as snappy.
The 0w is ideal in my province because -40 isn't unheard of in the winter.
I wouldn't use any other 40 grade other than the M1 0w-40. Its a light 40 grade. So light it's almost a 30 grade which is what your engine calls for anyways.
Backstory
I had an 04 hemi ram til last summer when I totalled it. The hemi in that truck never got oils temps hot and the only time it broke 200f I had a 6000 pound trailer on driving into a 70 mph headwind. The trailer was similar in aerodynamics to a garage door. I was doing 70mpg with overdrive off. It was revving over 3500rpm for hours.
That engine called for a 20 grade. In common day to day driving with no trailer or load 180f oil temps were the norm.
My charger also calls for a 20 grade however the oil temps are closer to 220f at 70mph.
One can assume that the 20 grade oil specified will be much thinner at 220f than at 180f and film thickness and strength will also be higher with oil temps at 180f.
Now take into consideration your engine is older and may have lost a few pounds of oil pressure over the years so stepping up a grade will of course increase pressure and because the n* does experience higher oil temps oil film thickness and film strength will be higher than a 30 grade at those oil temps.
I put liqui-moly 0w-40 in my charger this time instead of a 20 grade.
Why?
Because bitter winter temps are here and I knew that the car would be idling for much longer periods of time which leads to fuel dilution coupled with slower drives that won't evaporate the fuel out a quickly,and I wanted to try a 40 grade because I've read so much junk about the mds not working right if one deviates from the specified 20 grade.
Instantly my cruising oil temps dropped to 200f on the highway. In the city I can't get it to 210f. The engine was less noisy and when I floored it it felt like it pulled harder at 4000+rpm.
The mds operates fantastic however its less rev happy,basically when light on the gas pedal its not as snappy.
The 0w is ideal in my province because -40 isn't unheard of in the winter.
I wouldn't use any other 40 grade other than the M1 0w-40. Its a light 40 grade. So light it's almost a 30 grade which is what your engine calls for anyways.
It is true. They run anywhere from ~200*+ at operating temperature. Low speed fans doesn't turn on until 229" and high speed at 234* from factory!
Probably due to the limited air flow over the radiator? At least you know your condensation is boiling off!
Originally Posted By: bigt61
I run M1 5W-30 in my 99 Aurora. Mine always runs on the hot side - 220 water normally, pushes 250 water in the summer. I wouldn't run anything but synthetic in a Northstar personally. On the plus side, at least it has a big sump - 8 quarts.
. Hopefully my experience can save you guys some money: The temp issue is not to be taken lightly. Most of the Northstars (that I researched) with the Stretched head bolt issue, displayed high operating temps for a period prior to the Heads "lifting" off the Block from the Stripped/stretched head bolts. My 98 Aurora did just that and within 3-4k miles my Head-bolts were toast. Off to my mechanic. Engine pulled, Purchase the time sert kit with tap and drill tools. Machine shop to tap and drill the block etc.. Etc... $3200.00 later I'm cruzing again. My Advise: Do whatever is necessary to bring your temps down. Back flush the cooling System / Consider a High quality head gasket sealer / Auxiliary fans/switchs / Engine ice / Redline or Syn oil. Whatever you can. My neighbor is nursing a 99 Northstar that was running hot. He learned from my debacle. So far he's doing good. Keep in mind this happened to me 7 years ago. The fix today is prob. Over $4k Be proactive, don't wait around for the "Stretch"
I run M1 5W-30 in my 99 Aurora. Mine always runs on the hot side - 220 water normally, pushes 250 water in the summer. I wouldn't run anything but synthetic in a Northstar personally. On the plus side, at least it has a big sump - 8 quarts.
. Hopefully my experience can save you guys some money: The temp issue is not to be taken lightly. Most of the Northstars (that I researched) with the Stretched head bolt issue, displayed high operating temps for a period prior to the Heads "lifting" off the Block from the Stripped/stretched head bolts. My 98 Aurora did just that and within 3-4k miles my Head-bolts were toast. Off to my mechanic. Engine pulled, Purchase the time sert kit with tap and drill tools. Machine shop to tap and drill the block etc.. Etc... $3200.00 later I'm cruzing again. My Advise: Do whatever is necessary to bring your temps down. Back flush the cooling System / Consider a High quality head gasket sealer / Auxiliary fans/switchs / Engine ice / Redline or Syn oil. Whatever you can. My neighbor is nursing a 99 Northstar that was running hot. He learned from my debacle. So far he's doing good. Keep in mind this happened to me 7 years ago. The fix today is prob. Over $4k Be proactive, don't wait around for the "Stretch"
Interesting thoughts. Would probably steer me from getting one of those engines in any car now. On the plus side your heat in the cabin when fully warmed up must kick!
K. I know this experience should be opposite but here it goes.
I bought my charger this summer. I established a mpg baseline using M1 5w-20. My oil temps on the highway at their lowest was 213f at 70mph. I established my baseline mpg's averaged over 3000 miles.
Just to comment on oil condition it wasn't yet blackened however I had just got the car so I was high rpm driving for a lot of the interval and I saw oil temps as high as 265f and I decided that was my cut-off temp and quit driving hard once that temp was reached. I got the oil that hot on a daily basis over 3000 miles.
So I drained the oil,changed the filter and used an identical filter and oil except this time I added mos2.
I ran the mos2 additized oil for over 5000 miles. I noticed that the oil temps dropped to 213f steady cruising at 70mph and I found that it took much longer for the oil to reach the 265f oil temp cut-off point,which pleased me because I could play harder,longer.
So I drained that oil fill and I had liqui-moly 0w-40 in stock so I used it with a quart of pp 0w-20 I had in stock and added a can of liqui-moly cera-tec.
Immediately my 70mph cruising oil temp dropped to 200 and maintained that temp. And when I beat on it I found it very difficult to attain my 265f oil temp cut-off point. I could only heat it up to that temp if I drove highway speeds in second gear for 15-20 minutes.
Ambient temps have no bearing on my oil temps. It was -26c here last week and when I drove I to the city my oil temps maxxed at 200f at 70mph and when I first changed the oil and added cera-tec our ambient temps were still 15-20 degrees Celsius.
So to conclude straight oil ran at 220f at 70mph
Mos2 treated 5w-20 ran at 210-213f at 70mph
Cera-tec treated 0w-40 with 1/6th 0w-20 ran at 200f
In all the literature I've read about oil I learned that thinner oil dissipates heat faster,so I took that to mean lower oil temps as the grade decreases which I confirmed on my Harley when going from motul 10w-60 to rotella 15w-40.
My I/R temp gun displayed a 12f oil temp reduction and my dipstick thermometer displayed a bit more than a 15f temp reduction going from a 10w-60 ester based bike oil to a conventional 15w-40 hdeo,so I was mystified as to how my charger's oil temp decreased even though I went 2 grades thicker.
I have to assume the additives reduced the oil temps because they reduced the friction in the rotating assembly of my hemi.
It's the only explanation because after the first oil change the only difference was mos2 and the second change should have actually gotten hotter oil temps yet they dropped another 10 degrees.
Cera-tec isn't cheap but go the the liqui-moly site. It's some seriously high tech stuff. Mos2 is much cheaper and easy to find. Napa carries it.
After reading the posts from previous owners I think in this application it may be the prudent to buy the best oil you can find,regardless of cost.
However I am still cheap so if I was in your shoes I'd run devlac elite 0w-30 or the 0w-40,then the M1 0w-40 and redline 0w-30 and have each one analyzed then make a decision based on the data acquired.
Then you can establish drain intervals and factor in cost and see which is the most cost effective while still providing the best protection available.
OP. It's already been mentioned that some owners already use an hdeo so it's not uncharted territory however I'd lean towards a 0w simply because at all temps the oil will flow faster and not completely peg oil pressure,lowering the possibility of the filter going into bypass.
Just thought I'd share my experiences. I find that real experience is far more valuable than opinions based on a guess at best(I expect to be flamed since there are a few members whom insist these additives do nothing even though there are countless threads where members praise these products,so don't listen to people who've never even used the stuff)
Flame away
I bought my charger this summer. I established a mpg baseline using M1 5w-20. My oil temps on the highway at their lowest was 213f at 70mph. I established my baseline mpg's averaged over 3000 miles.
Just to comment on oil condition it wasn't yet blackened however I had just got the car so I was high rpm driving for a lot of the interval and I saw oil temps as high as 265f and I decided that was my cut-off temp and quit driving hard once that temp was reached. I got the oil that hot on a daily basis over 3000 miles.
So I drained the oil,changed the filter and used an identical filter and oil except this time I added mos2.
I ran the mos2 additized oil for over 5000 miles. I noticed that the oil temps dropped to 213f steady cruising at 70mph and I found that it took much longer for the oil to reach the 265f oil temp cut-off point,which pleased me because I could play harder,longer.
So I drained that oil fill and I had liqui-moly 0w-40 in stock so I used it with a quart of pp 0w-20 I had in stock and added a can of liqui-moly cera-tec.
Immediately my 70mph cruising oil temp dropped to 200 and maintained that temp. And when I beat on it I found it very difficult to attain my 265f oil temp cut-off point. I could only heat it up to that temp if I drove highway speeds in second gear for 15-20 minutes.
Ambient temps have no bearing on my oil temps. It was -26c here last week and when I drove I to the city my oil temps maxxed at 200f at 70mph and when I first changed the oil and added cera-tec our ambient temps were still 15-20 degrees Celsius.
So to conclude straight oil ran at 220f at 70mph
Mos2 treated 5w-20 ran at 210-213f at 70mph
Cera-tec treated 0w-40 with 1/6th 0w-20 ran at 200f
In all the literature I've read about oil I learned that thinner oil dissipates heat faster,so I took that to mean lower oil temps as the grade decreases which I confirmed on my Harley when going from motul 10w-60 to rotella 15w-40.
My I/R temp gun displayed a 12f oil temp reduction and my dipstick thermometer displayed a bit more than a 15f temp reduction going from a 10w-60 ester based bike oil to a conventional 15w-40 hdeo,so I was mystified as to how my charger's oil temp decreased even though I went 2 grades thicker.
I have to assume the additives reduced the oil temps because they reduced the friction in the rotating assembly of my hemi.
It's the only explanation because after the first oil change the only difference was mos2 and the second change should have actually gotten hotter oil temps yet they dropped another 10 degrees.
Cera-tec isn't cheap but go the the liqui-moly site. It's some seriously high tech stuff. Mos2 is much cheaper and easy to find. Napa carries it.
After reading the posts from previous owners I think in this application it may be the prudent to buy the best oil you can find,regardless of cost.
However I am still cheap so if I was in your shoes I'd run devlac elite 0w-30 or the 0w-40,then the M1 0w-40 and redline 0w-30 and have each one analyzed then make a decision based on the data acquired.
Then you can establish drain intervals and factor in cost and see which is the most cost effective while still providing the best protection available.
OP. It's already been mentioned that some owners already use an hdeo so it's not uncharted territory however I'd lean towards a 0w simply because at all temps the oil will flow faster and not completely peg oil pressure,lowering the possibility of the filter going into bypass.
Just thought I'd share my experiences. I find that real experience is far more valuable than opinions based on a guess at best(I expect to be flamed since there are a few members whom insist these additives do nothing even though there are countless threads where members praise these products,so don't listen to people who've never even used the stuff)
Flame away
Originally Posted By: sallc5
So, how much oil do you lose on your Aurora between changes bigt61?
It doesn't get driven much - maybe 300-400 miles a year. It loses no oil between changes, maybe because of the lack of mileage, but I usually OCI about every 4 years. No drips from the pan. Last time I changed oil in it was April of 2010. I've had it for about 10 years - always used M1 oil. It ran for a while with some 15W-50 leftover from the race cars.
So, how much oil do you lose on your Aurora between changes bigt61?
It doesn't get driven much - maybe 300-400 miles a year. It loses no oil between changes, maybe because of the lack of mileage, but I usually OCI about every 4 years. No drips from the pan. Last time I changed oil in it was April of 2010. I've had it for about 10 years - always used M1 oil. It ran for a while with some 15W-50 leftover from the race cars.
So, what are the thoughts about running the Rotella T6? 5w-40 all year long and extending my OCI.
That could be another viable option, but for basically the same price per jug (once you consider 4 qts. vs. 5.1 qts.), I also prefer the M1 0W-40 which everyone else touts, especially for a winter OCI with it's higher VI, and better (??) MRV rating.
0w-40 all year...? I would be looking to majorly increase OCI. No way I would get that kind of mileage before winter is up.
Don't let these guys talk you out of the factory recommended viscosity. Stick with it.
QS Defy 5w30
- Status
