20W or 30W for long interstate drive ?

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The '10 Elantra in my signature is going up I-95 to PA. and back end of June ... Oil cap says 5W20 but was considering a 5W30 synthetic for the summer long distance drive .
*I forget if a constant interstate drive is easier or harder on a vehicle in the summer - what would you use ?
 
Use 5W-20 like it wants. Highway driving is a piece of cake for a car. Nothing special needed.
 
Lets see. With about 490K using almost all M1 0-20 I have extensive mileage on long trips in my Fords. My 2007 Ford Fusion 2.3 has made 21 trips to Florida from Illinois. and 1 trip to Maine. My 2017 Ford Fusion 2.5 has 5 trips to Florida, I trip to Maine, and 1 trip to Colorado. If your engine calls for a 20 wt oil, use it with no worries.
 
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*That's a lot of interstate trips ... Looks like the 20W synthetic did a good job for you !
Originally Posted by tig1
Lets see. With about 490K using almost all M1 0-20 I have extensive mileage on long trips in my Fords. My 2007 Ford Fusion 2.3 has made 21 trips to Florida from Illinois. and 1 trip to Maine. My 2017 Ford Fusion 2.5 has 5 trips to Florida, I trip to Maine, and 1 trip to Colorado. If your engine calls for a 20 wt oil, use it with no worries.
 
look in your owners manual!! girlfriends just purchased 18 optima with 2.4L has 5-20 on the cap as well but owners manual states 5-20, 5-30 or 10-30 SN or above. i dumped the 5-20 cheap semi-syn the car lot put in + went with 10-30 full-fake synthetic quaker state. direct injection is hard on oil + i see 7500 or 6 mo for normal driving in her owners manual. the 1/4 mpg you get from xxW20 is a waste especially if you keep your past 100 thou IMO
 
Don't quote me on this but I thought I once read it's a 10:1 ratio when it comes to engine wear and hwy miles v. stop n go city miles.

That said, I just switched over to 10w30 the other day. My manual allows for 5w20/30 and 10/30 with the low starting temp being the lone caveat. But since it's summer here, that's not a concern. I know I'll take a slight hit on the mpg using the heavier oil but like the previous poster said, it's a trade-off for better wear protection for the long summer road trips (at least that's my thought process, right or wrong)

I'm sure someone will say a quality 5w30 would do just fine as well, and they're likely right, but it's just what I want to do and I'm ok with it.
 
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Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Don't quote me on this but I thought I once read it's a 10:1 ratio when it comes to engine wear and hwy miles v. stop n go city miles.

That said, I just switched over to 10w30 the other day. My manual allows for 5w20/30 and 10/30 with the low starting temp being the lone caveat. But since it's summer here, that's not a concern. I know I'll take a slight hit on the mpg but like the previous poster said, it's a trade-off for better wear protection (at least that's my thought process, right or wrong)


My 2004 Corolla summer OCI is Havoline Pro DS 10w-30 MPG hit ZERO! So far I haven't noticed any change.
 
Whatever makes you sleep better at night. I have liked PP 5w30 in our Kia GDI, it's hardly thicker than some 20 weights. But like tig1, there are tons of folks who use 20w with great results. In GA, you could even go 10w30 no problem if you want

Just go with your gut and pick your favorite brand that is dexos licensed
 
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Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson


My 2004 Corolla summer OCI is Havoline Pro DS 10w-30 MPG hit ZERO! So far I haven't noticed any change.


That's the sweet spot, no? ðŸ‘

And this will be the first summer that I'm going to actually track that/put the theory to test. I suppose it boils down to each person's driving style, actual speeds driven blah blah blah. as to whether or not they see a noticable hit to mpgs. But gas prices around here are typically at their lowest in the summer months so I don't expect a huge hit to the pocket book, if any.
 
Originally Posted by dave1251
That is such easy duty for a engine I would not worry about the grade of the oil.
Besides, I-95 is generally less hilly than other long Interstates in the East.
 
The best choice would be an oil change right before the trip to 5W30, but only if you switch back to 5W20 before winter, and the difference isn't worth the bother of changing the oil again that soon unless the mileage dictates it.

Interstate/hwy miles are much easier (if driving sanely not in the high rev range) and yet, it's an extended period at full temperature on a ~9 yr old vehicle.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Use 5W-20 like it wants. Highway driving is a piece of cake for a car. Nothing special needed.



I agree ^^^^^

Just watch out for the numerous state troopers in NC and Va...

And if you go up 295 around Richmond Va do not speed over 79 mph near or in Hopewell... The city of Hopewell police are out there like gangbusters... During daylight hours... It is near exit 9 through the Appomattox river bridge when heading northbound if coming up from the southward direction. And from the north coming back towards the south the Hopewell city police massive presence starts has soon as you cross the Appomattox river bridge.... They sit right in the median as soon as you cross that bridge heading south bound 295 into Hopewell.
 
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Originally Posted by tig1
Lets see. With about 490K using almost all M1 0-20 I have extensive mileage on long trips in my Fords. My 2007 Ford Fusion 2.3 has made 21 trips to Florida from Illinois. and 1 trip to Maine. My 2017 Ford Fusion 2.5 has 5 trips to Florida, I trip to Maine, and 1 trip to Colorado. If your engine calls for a 20 wt oil, use it with no worries.


Funny enough I'm road tripping to Florida in my 2011 Fusion 2.5 SEL next week. An 1,100 mile speed run, six days on the beach, then return trip.

I installed Mobil 1 AFE yesterday.

Some folks say 1 mpg isn't a good enough reason to run a 20wt. I look at it the other way. Since my engine will run happily for as long as I care to own it on 0w20, why wouldn't I take the extra 1mpg?
 
Originally Posted by AlienBug
Originally Posted by tig1
Lets see. With about 490K using almost all M1 0-20 I have extensive mileage on long trips in my Fords. My 2007 Ford Fusion 2.3 has made 21 trips to Florida from Illinois. and 1 trip to Maine. My 2017 Ford Fusion 2.5 has 5 trips to Florida, I trip to Maine, and 1 trip to Colorado. If your engine calls for a 20 wt oil, use it with no worries.


Funny enough I'm road tripping to Florida in my 2011 Fusion 2.5 SEL next week. An 1,100 mile speed run, six days on the beach, then return trip.

I installed Mobil 1 AFE yesterday.

Some folks say 1 mpg isn't a good enough reason to run a 20wt. I look at it the other way. Since my engine will run happily for as long as I care to own it on 0w20, why wouldn't I take the extra 1mpg?

An extra 1 mpg? Interesting, I switched two vehicles from "20wt" to 30wt and have been unable to calculate any difference in mpg.
 
Interstate driving is super easy on a car. Think about it.. Constant and low RPM's, no warm ups and excessive idling etc.

You could easily use just about anything in your car. I'd prefer a 5w30 personally but that's just me.
 
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Originally Posted by ChrisD46
The '10 Elantra in my signature is going up I-95 to PA. and back end of June ... Oil cap says 5W20 but was considering a 5W30 synthetic for the summer long distance drive .
*I forget if a constant interstate drive is easier or harder on a vehicle in the summer - what would you use ?


You car is fine with 5w20 and your car is even better with 5w30 and .. long drives and interstate or not, your always better with the 5/30.
Your choice!

(btw oil temperatures are at their highest on the interstate, most people do not know that (one just needs to measure it), yes highway mileage is good for a car, but many also forget that the engine is pushing a 2 ton lump of metal at 75MPH with wind resistance eating up alot of that power along with pressures on the drive train and bearings which create heat, also, remember many engines also spray the bottom of the pistons with oil at high speeds in order to cool the pistons, further heating the oil)
 
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*Good points ! ... Yes , 5W20 synthetic will work but MAY be the better play for drives / commutes of less than an hour or two ... Factor in driving at 75MPH in 90 degree heat THEN get hit with interstate construction / or an accident where everything gets funneled down to one lane with stop and go at 5 ~ 10MPH ? This always seems to happen around large cities during summer trips !... In these types of scenarios do you want 5W20 or 5W30 ?
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Originally Posted by ChrisD46
The '10 Elantra in my signature is going up I-95 to PA. and back end of June ... Oil cap says 5W20 but was considering a 5W30 synthetic for the summer long distance drive .
*I forget if a constant interstate drive is easier or harder on a vehicle in the summer - what would you use ?


You car is fine with 5w20 and your car is even better with 5w30 and .. long drives and interstate or not, your always better with the 5/30.
Your choice!

(btw oil temperatures are at their highest on the interstate, most people do not know that (one just needs to measure it), yes highway mileage is good for a car, but many also forget that the engine is pushing a 2 ton lump of metal at 75MPH with wind resistance eating up alot of that power along with pressures on the drive train and bearings which create heat, also, remember many engines also spray the bottom of the pistons with oil at high speeds in order to cool the pistons, further heating the oil)
 
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