Re: Conflicting Advice. Who's right?

["therealdmcvegas" <DMCVegas@xxxx>]

Pretty much, the manual states to use whichever oil wieght nessisary 
depending upon the temperature in your area. That is the absolute 
best answer that anyone can give you. However, I can tell you *NOT* 
to use 20w50 in your area. The manual says that it's "Acceptable" to 
use it if the temperature is constantly above 60°F. But that is 
only "acceptable", and not the best choice. I would only reccomend 
using 20w50 in temperatures that are constanly above 90°F both day 
AND night! When the temp cools down to below 90 in the mornings here, 
my engine is noticeably a bit more hesitant to start. Below 80°F, and 
the motor practily strains.

Due to the extreme climate I live in, and the fact that it doesn't 
snow here (no winter storage), I've experimented quite a bit with 
various motor oils the past 3 years that I've owned my car. And even 
now, I never run the same weight oil in my motor for more than 2 oil 
changes, because of the enviornment here.

So, if you're asking for what type of oil to use (and believe me, you 
are going to get many more answers than you ever wished for), the 
only person who can really decide that is you. People can really only 
give reccomendations. Knowing the temperature in you area, the only 
other variable here is going to be you. So what you'll need to do is 
answer this question honestly: How hard do you drive your car? If 
it's conserative, low revs, then I'd reccomend a quality 10w40. If 
you're a lead-foot like me, and drive the car hard, and rev it up 
allot, then for your area, a great compromise is going to be 15w40. 
I've found that it's a great all-around oil. Flows quite easily when 
50°F, and holds up great when cruising around in the high 90°'s+.

But even then, my reccomdation is just that. The results that I have 
found were on my engine, so your's may have a totally different 
temperment. If nothing else, try experimenting with various weight 
oils (within manufacturer guidelines) to see which one(s) you prefer. 
You may find that another type of weight runs better. Expreience is 
better than advice, although manufacturer reccomendations are best. 
Using an oil type just because someone says to isn't always the best 
idea. I've had people tell me to use 20w50 in a Ford Explorer motor 
which clearly states in both the manual, and on the filler cap 5w30 
only! Yes, even the people behind the counter at the auto parts store!

And as far as reccomendations go for brands, that's a whole new 
discussion. You'll find that people are even more religous about the 
brand, than the weight! Me personally? I use regular Castrol. I don't 
know anything about Synthetic brands, but I can tell you to stay away 
from "Synthetic Blends". The extra $ is wasted. It's just regular 
oil, with a minute amount of Synthetic mixed in. It's like distilling 
tap water, and then pouring a bit of distilled water into a glass of 
tap water, and then calling it a "distilled blend". A total waste!

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Rustproof" <Rustproof@xxxx> wrote:
> O.K. guys, I've spent quite a bit of time looking through the 
archives regarding the correct weight oil to be used in our cars. The 
overwhelming majority of experts in our midst recommend using 10w-30 
under most conditions. Even the majority of Volvo guys say exactly 
the same thing with regard to the PRV. However, I was cruising 
through my copy of the DMC Workshop Manual and found a disturbing 
disclaimer under "Recommended Lubricants, Fluids and Capacities" 
(Section A:05:01) It states: "THE USE OF 10W-30 MULTIGRADE OIL IS NOT 
ADVISABLE UNLESS THE TEMPERATURE WARRANTS IT." The average 
temperature up here in Boston during the summer months can vary from 
65 to 95 degrees. They suggest in the manual that the 10w-30 only be 
used in the event of hard cold weather starting. I've been 
considering using the 20w-50 synthetic in accordance with their 
recommendation. Anyone want to shed some light on this?
> Thanks,
> Rustproof
> Vin 1559
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]