Oil Weight Change - Mid Production Cycle

[PolarisX]

We have a 2016.5 and 2017 second generation Chevrolet Cruze. Both of our 1.4Ts call for Dexos 1 Generation 2 5w30.

Some people with 2018s are reporting manuals and oil fill caps calling for 0w20. Some are saying that the cap is being swapped out for a 5w30 replacement cap at the first dealer change, even some 17 owners are saying they originally had a 0w20 cap that got swapped at the first dealer change. The 2017 manuals call for 5w30 as well.

The engine code is the same (LE2)

Very bizarre stuff. Unless the wrong caps got put on two wrong years and the dealers are actively and randomly swapping fill caps something is very odd.

 

[Realtech214]

I saw a video of under the hood on a 2019 Sierra and they are coming with 5W30 caps now instead of the 0W20 they have been specced for since 2014. Still waiting to hear why from someone. The one in the video was the 6.2L

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: PolarisX
Very bizarre stuff.

And interestingly, if you use Mobil's oil selector tool, it'll tell you 0w-20 is the recommended grade for a 2018 Cruze, but it's 5w-30 for prior years.

 

[PolarisX]

I know the new Honda turbo engines call for 0w20, I'm thinking maybe GM is reaching to keep its mileage claims? Considering the little hyper active turbo, and hot running engine I feel better with the 5w30 in this engine. Could be totally off base though.

 

[The_Nuke]

The Dexos Gen 2 part is the required spec to follow. The Xw-X0 part is going to basically be a suggestion that will change based upon and should not be viewed as a requirement.

 

[PolarisX]

Originally Posted By: The_Nuke
The Dexos Gen 2 part is the required spec to follow. The Xw-X0 part is going to basically be a suggestion that will change based upon and should not be viewed as a requirement.


Right, but if they are changing the advised oil, and the one needed to maintain the powertrain warranty, it raises question.

The only spread in the older manual was 0w30 for very cold startups or 5w30.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted By: PolarisX
I'm thinking maybe GM is reaching to keep its mileage claims?

Why the switch back? The chance of having an oil related failure during warranty has to be minimal.
Reverse planned obsolescence! All hail GM!

 

[The_Nuke]

Originally Posted By: PolarisX
Originally Posted By: The_Nuke
The Dexos Gen 2 part is the required spec to follow. The Xw-X0 part is going to basically be a suggestion that will change based upon and should not be viewed as a requirement.


Right, but if they are changing the advised oil, and the one needed to maintain the powertrain warranty, it raises question.

The only spread in the older manual was 0w30 for very cold startups or 5w30.


They can’t hinge powertrain warranty on 0w-20 vs 5w-30 vs whatever, only on whether or not it was a Dexos 1 Gen 2 oil.

I’m not saying no attempts will ever be made to deny a warranty claim based upon oil weight, but I am saying such actions would be in violation of federal statutes and would be treated accordingly if they were pursued far enough and long enough to be ruled upon by a governing body.

 

[demarpaint]

Maybe they rolled off the line with the wrong cap? Or maybe they did what Ford did a while back with some of their engines to reduce warranty claims as some stated here? I doubt the truth will ever come out.

 

[mx5miata]

I'd feel better with 5w30 for a turbo, but manufacturers know best "so I guess."

Seems like every manufacture is on the 0w20 fuel economy bug.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: mx5miata
I'd feel better with 5w30 for a turbo, but manufacturers know best "so I guess."

Seems like every manufacture is on the 0w20 fuel economy bug.

They know best until they have a problem and change a spec.

 

[zfasts03]

I suspect:

The Cruze 1.4T , GM went to 0w-20 to get more fuel economy. Which with GM validation seemed fine. Then in real world use, problems became apparent and now going back to a 5w-30.

With the 2019 GM truck going to a 5w-30 from the 2014-2018's 0w-20 in the V8, that may be because the 2019 is a redesign/update with dynamic skip fire.

 

[IndyFan]

Honda and Toyota, who many seem to worship, is now using a 0w-16 in some applications. I doubt they'd do that without significant testing. How about 0w-8? That might be coming soon. That makes me feel good about the thick 0w20 in my JL Wrangler! Lol!

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
And interestingly, if you use Mobil's oil selector tool, it'll tell you 0w-20 is the recommended grade for a 2018 Cruze, but it's 5w-30 for prior years.

https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam/gmo...ners-manual.pdf
https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam/gmo...uze1stPrint.pdf
What the Owner's Manuals say:
2017 1.4T: 5w30 or 0w30 dexos1
2018 1.4T: 0w20 dexos1 Mobil1 or AC-Delco oil, or 0w20 dexos1 Gen2 for all other brands.

2018 1.5T Equinox: same as 2018 1.4T
2018 2.0T Equinox: same as 2017 1.4T

Originally Posted By: The_Nuke
The Dexos Gen 2 part is the required spec to follow. The Xw-X0 part is going to basically be a suggestion that will change based upon and should not be viewed as a requirement.
No. ... The Owner's Manual is quite explicit about what weight to use. Sure, dexos1 Gen2, but weight is specified. If GM applies engineering sense to this, they would deny warranty coverage only if the oil put in was too thin compared to what the Owner's Manual said to use. Going a little thicker isn't a wear or durability problem, but going thinner than the spec is a potential problem.

 

[ENGINEER60]

The mandatory use of 0w-20 is 100% EPA driven
...........
Millions of 5w-30 engines became 0w-20 engines while
in the warehouse.
......
Use 5w-30 and ignore the EPA lies

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted By: ENGINEER60
The mandatory use of 0w-20 is 100% EPA driven Use 5w-30 and ignore the EPA lies

The EPA hasn't lied to anybody. 0w20 is not mandated by the EPA.

Car makers have chosen to raise their fleet average CAFE MPG & peak horsepower performance by lowering viscosity, similar to the reason serious racers lower viscosity to the minimum they can get away with.

They can advertise a higher peak horsepower when they use a lower visc oil. MPG up too.

Sure, engine makers might have put even more fuel dilution margin into their recommended visc specs, and you'd see everything running 0w40 these days instead of so much 0w20. The margins for minimum running visc may seem thin, yet if you've seen all the fuel diluted UOAs here you would see wear performance being just fine even in the fuel thinned engine cases. Engine makers know this. They don't want warranty claims.

If you're going to whine about 0w20, at least have some real world facts.

 

[KCJeep]

Not impressed with 20 grades in general, Ford has backed off them and now GM it appears. Hmmm....

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted By: Realtech214
I saw a video of under the hood on a 2019 Sierra and they are coming with 5W30 caps now instead of the 0W20 they have been specced for since 2014. Still waiting to hear why from someone. The one in the video was the 6.2L


Might need to get me one of those caps …