Valvoline High Mileage Full Synthetic 0W20 Oil

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This horse has been whipped to death but, since it's that time of year again, it's time for the poor guy to make his appearance again.

I was shopping for some oil at my local Walmart and found Valvoline High Mileage Full Synthetic 0W20 is now an option. My 2008 Commander is equipped with the 4.7 V8, which calls for 5W20. Since it's got upwards of 154,000 I figured I might transition to high mileage oil. Here in North Dakota, it's not unusual to spend several weeks per winter at 0°F down to -30°F. Since I know just enough about oil to be dangerous and have looked for a definitive opinion (which I haven't found) whether I can substitute this oil for the 5W20 called for, I thought I'd bug you guys. I know that it should improve cold temperature flow upon start up, but the same weight at operating temp. I imagine the base oils for this and the 5W20 are of similar quality, so only real drawback I can think of is whether the 0W20 might lead to a small amount of consumption. Since I haven't had this truck long enough to know if it has an issue with consumption or not, I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. Is there any reason I'm overlooking why this 0W20 oil shouldn't be in my truck during winter or year round?
 
Your truck will tell you. If it isn't currently burning oil and it burns 0w-20 you know the answer. No one else here can honestly answer your question. But we may have some that will venture an uneducated guess!
 
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What is your understanding of the 4.7 health at this stage? Noise, consumption, leak, cylinder balance etc.

I will say the Valvoline regular 0w20 was the best option used in the Subaru FB after trying most of the store brands; close behind was QSUD.
 
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If you don't have a reason to use a HM oil then I wouldn't. My Fusion has 217K and I have never used HM oil. Have no reason to. Yet.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
What is your understanding of the 4.7 health at this stage? Noise, consumption, leak, cylinder balance etc.

I will say the Valvoline regular 0w20 was the best option used in the Subaru FB after trying most of the store brands; close behind was QSUD.
Based on the rest of the truck, I'm under the impression it was well-maintained for the most part. I have no complaints, it runs well, has good power but I haven't had it long enough to confirm or deny any possible consumption. The only real noise I hear on cold start is maybe a little valve noise, but nothing extraordinary for something of that mileage (IMO). I'm a classic "over maintainer" and the truth of the matter is, this truck is no spring chicken anymore. High mileage oil may not be necessary but I don't see how it would necessarily do harm either.

Originally Posted By: tig1
If you don't have a reason to use a HM oil then I wouldn't. My Fusion has 217K and I have never used HM oil. Have no reason to. Yet.
I think I might have answered this a little bit in my reply above.
smile.gif
 
I agree on not using a "High Mileage" oil unless you need to. What does that mean? If you need to? Well I will give you an example on one of my cars.

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 V6 155k miles. I was getting oil seepage out of the valve cover gaskets, among other small seepage in other areas. Nothing major, but the cost to get all the gaskets replaced would have been allot.

I tried out the M1 HM 5w30 figuring had nothing to lose. After the 2nd Oil Change with the M1 HM 5w30 the seepage has stopped. I now change the oil every 5k miles with this oil and have no issues.

If your car has no seepage issues, or no other minor issues that are oil related I would not use a HM oil.

Keep in mind too in your climate, HM oils tend to have a higher HTHS rating which may affect the pour point. Not a big deal where I live in California, but if its -30F out? It might.

Just a thought.

If it aint broke. Dont fix it.


Jeff
 
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
I agree on not using a "High Mileage" oil unless you need to. What does that mean? If you need to? Well I will give you an example on one of my cars.

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3 V6 155k miles. I was getting oil seepage out of the valve cover gaskets, among other small seepage in other areas. Nothing major, but the cost to get all the gaskets replaced would have been allot.

I tried out the M1 HM 5w30 figuring had nothing to lose. After the 2nd Oil Change with the M1 HM 5w30 the seepage has stopped. I now change the oil every 5k miles with this oil and have no issues.

If your car has no seepage issues, or no other minor issues that are oil related I would not use a HM oil.

Keep in mind too in your climate, HM oils tend to have a higher HTHS rating which may affect the pour point. Not a big deal where I live in California, but if its -30F out? It might.

Just a thought.

If it aint broke. Dont fix it.


Jeff
Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Jeff. The only real seepage issue I have on my 4.7 is I think the front crank seal is starting to let go, but that's something big enough it probably won't be fixed with a HMO.

This is all interesting to me. For the longest time, I used PP High Mileage Full Syn on other older cars I've had in times past. Never kept them long enough to know it was good or not. Anyway, this brings me to a different question. If there's not necessarily a need for HMO in this truck, should I stick with OEM specced 5W20 or go with 0W20? I'm leaning toward the 0W because of our climate. If I pass on the whole HMO thing, what is the best full synthetic oil I can dump in the crank case that isn't Pennzoil Ultra?
 
This is where things are going to get sketchy. When anyone asks for the "Best" of anything punches get thrown around BITOG. Debates for days.

I would go with what the manufacturer recommends and if that is a 5w20 and its worked for you this long?

Any of the "Big" names will be fine. A good place to start is Mobil 1. Really is tough to beat and can be bought pretty much anywhere. Wallyworld has great deals on it too in the 5qt jugs.

Dont make it complicated. For me? I like the Castrol products. I use 5w20 Edge Gold Bottles in my Hyundai's. Much quieter engines to the point the woman even noticed
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Jeff
 
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Valvoline Full synthetic with Maxlife tech is a good oil and I have used it in different weights in many vehicles. Very happy with it so far in all the vehicles I have used it in.
 
Valvoline is a excellent oil and they state that the Maxlife version can be used in newer vehicles with no problems.

I just picked up a jug of the Valvoline Advanced Synthetic for the 1000 mile change out.
 
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
Valvoline Full synthetic with Maxlife tech is a good oil and I have used it in different weights in many vehicles. Very happy with it so far in all the vehicles I have used it in.

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Valvoline is a excellent oil and they state that the Maxlife version can be used in newer vehicles with no problems.

I just picked up a jug of the Valvoline Advanced Synthetic for the 1000 mile change out.
That's the impression I was under, too. IMO, I think the seal-sweller thing is a bit overblown. If it was detrimental to seals, the manufacturers would not suggest using it in vehicles of any mileage. I think the phrase is that its properties are beneficial to high mileage vehicles, but can be used in any vehicle. I just noticed Castrol Edge HM and the VOAs on that look really good. I'm going to have to compare that with Valvoline Maxlife and see which route to go, possibly.
 
Just my thinking but the engines of today have different seal and gasket materials. Most are just squirted out by robots. It is different from the older methods that these oils worked on. I would imagine the oil companies adapted their formulations along the way.
 
My Ford 150 has 155k and was weeping oil from front and rear seals. It stopped when I used Mobil 1 HM oil and hasn't leaked since. Why not try it and 0-20 for winter. Next spring you may not have any leaks.
 
Originally Posted By: tig1
If you don't have a reason to use a HM oil then I wouldn't. My Fusion has 217K and I have never used HM oil. Have no reason to. Yet.


+1 Only reason I'd ever use HM oil is to stop oil leaks-usage.
 
This is all interesting food for thought. I've done a lot of checking and M1 AFE 0W20 looks like a really good non-HM oil. It has really low cold viscosity, pretty good TBN, NOACK and some good anti-wear additives. I'm starting to lean this way. I think my perception of it was painted negatively when I used it in a new 2013 Subaru Outback that drank the stuff like no tomorrow (which really was a flaw on the engine's part).
 
older higher mileage engines generally leak a bit + have wider clearances, so a xxW-30 would be more suitable IMO
 
The idea behind a High Mileage (HM) oil is to condition (keep flexible) the seals to prevent leaks, not swell them too much. In fact, we know Valvoline MaxLife 0w20 does NOT swell the seals too much becuase its a dexos1 Gen2 oil which has tests for that! Proven to not swell seals to any excess. ....
Therefore, use a HM oil to prevent future leaks. It doesn't hurt, and might indeed help.

And 0w20 will work great in an engine spec'ed for a 5w20, no problem, as the critical important parameters for oil film thickness are kv100 and HTHS, which are the same for a 0w20 vs. a 5w20. The 0w20 will flow better during very cold weather, which is always a good thing, so yes, Valvoline Maxlife 0w20 is a very good idea here. Excellent choice. You are right.

Then choose the bitog favorite Fram Ultra oil filter for best performance there, another walmart product too.
 
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
The idea behind a High Mileage (HM) oil is to condition (keep flexible) the seals to prevent leaks, not swell them too much. In fact, we know Valvoline MaxLife 0w20 does NOT swell the seals too much becuase its a dexos1 Gen2 oil which has tests for that! Proven to not swell seals to any excess. ....
Therefore, use a HM oil to prevent future leaks. It doesn't hurt, and might indeed help.

And 0w20 will work great in an engine spec'ed for a 5w20, no problem, as the critical important parameters for oil film thickness are kv100 and HTHS, which are the same for a 0w20 vs. a 5w20. The 0w20 will flow better during very cold weather, which is always a good thing, so yes, Valvoline Maxlife 0w20 is a very good idea here. Excellent choice. You are right.

Then choose the bitog favorite Fram Ultra oil filter for best performance there, another walmart product too.
Funny enough, I already picked up my XG2. I feel pretty confident with that filtration device. That said, I'm kind of torn between Maxlife, PPHM, M1HM, Castrol HM or QS Defy. Best as I can tell, Maxlife has the best flow rate and pretty good NOACK/TBN. Normally, I'd go with PPHM, for its additive package, but it has a notably worse cold flow rate.
 
Originally Posted By: mphilleo
I'm kind of torn between Maxlife, PPHM, M1HM, Castrol HM or QS Defy. Best as I can tell, Maxlife has the best flow rate and pretty good NOACK/TBN. Normally, I'd go with PPHM, for its additive package, but it has a notably worse cold flow rate.
Those are all comparable GroupIII full syn oils, all good. However, I'd pick Valvoline Maxlife because it carries the dexos1 Gen2 rating and the others don't. With that, you know it passes a lot of very tough, extra performance tests that the others might not pass in certain areas. Its added assurance of performance.
 
Run a 0w20/5w20 high mileage oil if you want to this winter and see what happens. If you use a block heater or have a heated garage for the first start of the day, I would just leave it as is.
 
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