Cross Country Oil Choice ?

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Looking to take a cross country trip and back early June in the '07 Sedona 3.8L (driving will be ALL interstate from Georgia to Idaho and back ) . Kia recommends 5W20 , 5W30 or 10W30 oil grades for this engine . I was thinking either M1 5W30 HM or maybe 5W30 QSUD for such a trip ? Also , due to a June trip and all interstate driving I believe a 30 weight oil would be better than 20 weight for sustained high speed interstate driving ?
 
Interesting that Hyundai recommends 3 different oil weights. I would review the owners manual again. Those different weights are probably recommended for different climates and driving conditions. As for brand, I am one of those people who believe that branding does not make much of a difference. The most important thing is to make sure that your choice of oil meets your OEM spec.

Why do you think that the 30 weight is better than 20 weight?

5W-20 goes into the fleet vehicles at work, Ford V8 engines, and we drive those around the clock, every day, under severe conditions. I offer you no chemistry charts. Nor provide any science. Just eye witness account that 5W-20 oil works fine in the conditions which I observed. Quite different than a Hyundai Kia cruising at highway speed.

Same way you can watch an online video of how "brand X" was used for a year in a Las Vegas taxi company - it means nothing to you. Same way it means nothing when someone refrigerates motor oil, to see how it pours when refrigerated. It's not a 12 year old Hyundai going across the country on the route you are planning.

Keep that in mind, as everyone offers an opinion. None of what anyone tells you is science. Anything they might refer to or quote is not their research - just something they found online. The only real science, in relation to you & your vehicle, would be if they had a control group of 2007 Kia Sedona w/ the same engine and in the same condition. Then they use the 3 oil weights, from different brands, and drive those on the same course across the country, repeatedly. This experiment is not likely to happen, so you will not have access to factual research data relevant to your planned outing.
 
You'll be doing sustained high speeds but, not high RPMs.
Either a 5W20 or 5W30 should be just fine. And since you will be using a synthetic oil, it won't matter much especially since oils are built so much better today than ever before. Interstate driving is easier on oil than the norm.

I'm kind of a QSUD 5W30 guy myself.
 
Any of them including the 5W-20 would be more than fine. Plenty of trucks pulling heavy loads in high temperatures running xW-20 for hours on end with zero issues.

You are driving at normal speeds for sustained periods of time-which is what the car is designed to do.
 
I'd go with whatever you normally run. If it was me it would be the 5W-30 simply because it is in the recommended list and the 30 may offer some slight advantage in protection. Plus, it's one of the most common oils everywhere so you could purchase a top-up quart at any gas station, though if you had to add some 5W-30 to a load of 5W-20 it wouldn't make any difference.
 
If you're ok with the HM stuff, consider M1's 10w-30 HM. It's stout stuff.

Then again, any quality synthetic will serve you just fine. I currently have QSUD 5w-30 in our Kia Rio 1.6L and I am satisfied with it.
 
I'd lean towards an xW30 myself if the car was loaded to the gills. Otherwise I don't think it would matter, xW20 or xW30. Pick any and drive away. Highway miles tend to be easy miles. I'd be more worried about tires, as in, picking up a nail or something (which is something you have no control over). A full size spare (or two!) might be good, esp if you plan on going through some of the more sparsely populated areas.
 
Mini Van has 230K miles on it and had synthetic oil all it's life except the first 20K miles - yes , the van will be loaded to the gills also ... Kia recommends 30W according to higher ambient temp conditions the vehicle will be running in during the OCI (in this case Summer) .
 
I use M1 0-20 for all driving conditions. Short trips, long drives across the country, or summer high heat conditions, or cold winter temps. My 2007 Ford Fusion has 21 trips to Florida and 1 trip to Maine. My 2017 fusion has 5 trips to Florida, 1 trip to Colorado and 1 trip to Maine. Both still perform great.
 
Originally Posted by dippschtick
Go with the 5W20. Eke out as many MPGs as you can.


Spoken like a true CAFE fan !

smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by ka9mnx
How many miles on the vehicle?



What I was wondering ?

Does it use any oil between oil / filter changes ? What is the " normal oil change interval ?
 
I have driven several 1000+ miles trips in 100°F temps in a fully loaded Dodge Grand Caravan with the 3.8 using 5w-20. Never had an issue with it.
I would just keep using whatever you are using.
Only reason to go to a 30 wt is if there is trailer towing involved.

I would be more worried about the transmission fluid condition, and just overall vehicle condition.

Originally Posted by OnTheRocks
Interesting that Hyundai recommends 3 different oil weights. I would review the owners manual again. Those different weights are probably recommended for different climates and driving conditions. As for brand, I am one of those people who believe that branding does not make much of a difference. The most important thing is to make sure that your choice of oil meets your OEM spec.
...

Hyundai recommends oil based on the old style temperature chart, but does have a little caveat of the "for best fuel economy use xw-xx oil" depending on the motor, it could be 5w-20 or 5w-30.
 
Originally Posted by AuthorEditor
I'd go with whatever you normally run. If it was me it would be the 5W-30 simply because it is in the recommended list and the 30 may offer some slight advantage in protection. Plus, it's one of the most common oils everywhere so you could purchase a top-up quart at any gas station, though if you had to add some 5W-30 to a load of 5W-20 it wouldn't make any difference.


Agreed -- it's only 5000 miles (give or take) back and forth and highway miles are easy miles so your usual oil is up to the task.

I'd go 5w-30 or even 10w-30...Northern Idaho's average lows in June = 47°F / 8°C so the xxw really won't make a difference.
 
10w30 all the way, any brand full-synthetic you find at walmart.
Why use VII chemicals in the summer? Those create more piston deposits. They are polymers that are a little fragile at high heat.
 
Originally Posted by ChrisD46
Mini Van has 230K miles on it and had synthetic oil all it's life except the first 20K miles - yes , the van will be loaded to the gills also ... Kia recommends 30W according to higher ambient temp conditions the vehicle will be running in during the OCI (in this case Summer) .



This is what I'd go with

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Havoline...3_1104294_1072084&wpa_bucket=__bkt__
 
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