5W-20 oil update

[Whelan]

Well the car def. idles quieter and I can accelerate faster that's for sure. On the highway today (I was being a little dumb) I was accelerating and where I was usually at 90, I looked down to be at 100+. I let off and came back to 80 but was amazed, driving the same way I do everyday when I first get on to get up to speed and get over to the left lane.Not to mention my first tank of gas which was put in right before I changed the oil yielded 280 miles to the tank 05 XR AWD. I typically get 240-260 average. More closer to 240 because my driving style is mixed city/highway, commuting, hard driving, cruising. So figure that is a 10-17% increase in fuel economy. I will see what this second tank yields and keep you posted.

[zionzr2]

looking forward to the updates....Still curious about longterm effects

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by zionzr2 »looking forward to the updates....Still curious about longterm effectssame here... Ford used that oil on their Focus to meet emmissions standards... I'd never use it personally.

[2006_Salsa]

So.....What brand of 5W-20 did you use ?

[Whelan]

Castrol GTX

[Altus]

Daimler-Chrysler specs 5W-20 for their 3.3 litre V6's now, so that's what I've been living with in the van since we got it. With the exception of it being a little hard to find sometimes, it's good oil. I just switched from the Castrol GTX over to Penzoil Platinum (synthetic), and definitely liking the cold starting and lack of sound from the engine.

[Cougar Vibe]

"same here... Ford used that oil on their Focus to meet emmissions standards... I'd never use it personally."Ford is spec'ing this oil for most non-diesel Ford engines going back at least ten years; there is a '06 TSB for my '98 Ranger which states 5w20 should now be used. Yeah, like I'm going to run out and buy a different oil for my Ranger while I've still got 100+ qts of xw30 on the shelf. BTW: I doubt...SERIOUSLY DOUBT...that changing to a 5w20 from a 5w30 would see any measurable performance gains in most climates. On the flipside, I would think 5w20 oils would offer better wear protection...especially since many 5w20's are blends (ie, Ford Motorcraft/Conoco Phillips' brands).

[Whelan]

Maybe not so much in performance as the viscosity of the oil allows for the engine to have less friction and like I said, it idles very quietly now.

[Cougar Vibe]

The 1ZZFE engine can get a little chatty with certain oils/grades...I've read more than one Corolla owner's account of engine noise w/Mobil 1, only to have it go away with "brand-X" oil. IME, I've never noticed any measurable sound difference when switching between M1, PP, and ST Synth (all 5w30). BTW: You could always give 0w-30 German/Belgian Castrol a try. There is at least one GenViber here running it and it has a BIG following over at BITOG.