GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi,Well temperature here already started to go down around here... About 40f or 4-5c on some morning. I did a oil change about a month ago.. The guy used 5w50 synthetic castrol i think.. Was a bit suprise by the 50 but nway.. seems to work well .. so no problem to have a oil that support higher temperature. But now with the colder temperature i get some "clicking" or knocking sound for about 1 minute when i start on the morning. For what i read.. the first 5w is pretty important for winter country but normally the w50 at the end should do the trick or at least not cause problem until real cold temperature..?Was wondering if anyone had experience this behaviour with a "bad" oil choice... or is it my engine that is running bad...?

WOW... thats totally the wrong oil in there. 5w30 is recommended and does just fine in alaska here in the winter.Change out that oil with the correct weight and see what happens.

What Mavrik said is right. Switched to 0W-30 myself.

right.... i've done further reading and i think the mechanics was impress with my Short ram and Magnaflow (...?...) and thought... hmmm this guy will love this special grade... But seems that the good old 5w30 is perfect for the engine. Maybe if i was in hot area (florida... texas.. beats me...) but Quebec... that may not be Alaska but lets say it can be cold... Must admit i'm a bit suprised by the fact that even before the 0c mark the oil didnt react ok.Nway will do that this week end ... hopefully it will return to normal...thanks

Some interesting reading......if interested.http://63.240.161.99/motoroil/

well I'm from ontario (lived there 25 years) and I don't think we ever used anything thinner then 5w30 there either.Your running oil thicker then truck oil in your Vibe

5w30 is good for all of us- synthetic or not is up to you5w50 synthetic is good for a hot day at the track... racing... not drag, or generally beating the snot out of your car.0w30 is good for santa10w30 is not good for anything anymore

Quote, originally posted by CAN-AWD-VIBE »5w30 is good for all of us- synthetic or not is up to you5w50 synthetic is good for a hot day at the track... racing... not drag, or generally beating the snot out of your car.0w30 is good for santa10w30 is not good for anything anymoreI don't even know what comes from the factory with that 10w30. I used to run it in my 89 Cavalier Z24. For some reason the car ran better/cooler on it in the summer time. Didn't start well on it in winter.But a 4 cylinder Vibe engine isn't designed for 5w50. I wouldn't even run it in my Vibe when I do take it to the track. I'll stick to mobil 1 synthetic 5w30

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »well I'm from ontario (lived there 25 years) and I don't think we ever used anything thinner then 5w30 there either.Your running oil thicker then truck oil in your Vibehmmmm that's kind of scary when you present it like that...

And the new 0W-30 is even better for cold starts but still is 30 weight @ 212F.

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »But a 4 cylinder Vibe engine isn't designed for 5w50. I wouldn't even run it in my Vibe when I do take it to the track. I'll stick to mobil 1 synthetic 5w30 agreed!!! You would literally have to be above 5000 RPM for most of your track day to have any benefit at all. You can't really beat up our car enough to make it worth it.You would also have to change the oil to drive home.5w30 synthetic is more then ample and just right for a high reving 1.8... or just about any 4 cylinder car. 5w30 conventional is all you NEED though.If you ever want the simple demo... when its cold (0f or -20c) take a bottle of 10w30 and try to pour it... compare that to 5w or 0w. Big difference. But know that once warmed up they act the same.

>10w30 is not good for anything anymore5w30 and 0w30 exist primarily for fuel economy reasons. I see nothing wrong with running 10w30, at least in the summer. The owner's manual appears to support this.

i've always run 10w30 in all my cars in the summer. switch to 5w30 around now...before mid november at least around here.

Some really good reading here.http://63.240.161.99/motoroil/What we've always done may not be the best for our modern engines.

5w50? That's rediculous...If I lived up there, I'd be using German Castrol (Green or Gold) 0w30. BTW: The first stop you should make is BITOG! Search the forums for Vibe/Matrix/Corolla UOA's from Canada to see what people are using and what kind of success (or lack of) they are having.

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Some really good reading here.http://63.240.161.99/motoroil/What we've always done may not be the best for our modern engines.GREAT link...i'm enjoying the read right now during lunch! thanks...i recommend others take the time to go through it.

Living down here in the Las Vegas heat, I use 5w30 in the winter and 10w30 in the summer. 50 is definitely the wrong oil, and probably the cause of the knocking sound. I am guessing here though.

Quote, originally posted by Atomb »GREAT link...i'm enjoying the read right now during lunch! thanks...i recommend others take the time to go through it.I've always read that 90+% of engine wear occurs at start-up, so to me it really makes good sense to pay close attention to the first number in a multi-viscosity oil. The lower the first number is, the quicker the oil will get to the top of the motor at start-up. 30 is still 30 at 212F, regardless of what the first number is.

I have been having some knocking noise lately after the car is warm, and it is at idle. The noise is barely noticeable, but definately something going on that probably shouldn't be. Do you guys think it's probably just the wrong oil or something?

The valve train of virtually all OHC engines is mechanical, not hydraulic, therefore some noise will always be present and is normal. The larger the mechanical valve lash numbers, the more noise. Hydraulic valve trains have ZERO lash, and much less noise. You say the noise is "barely noticeable" so what you are hearing is probably normal.The OE oil requirement for the Vibe is 5W-30 so stay with a name brand 5W or 0W-30 oil and check the level often along with your coolant level and all other fluids.

the only time you should run a 5w50 in any 4 cyl. is if it's hot(summer) and possibly pulling a heavy load(trailer). Also your valve clearance(s) may be off. Even with thicker oil. And the engine sitting for hours...There is a a puddle of oil on top of the lifter assy. So the ticking is not a 100% the oil's fault. Depending on mileage... It's just pointing to a potential valve adjustment needed. Do you guys remember "CP" and his noises. It was simply a valve adjust. But everyone told him to change oils. I don't think he ever had them adjusted and lived with it... . Which did not help. I come from a DOHC background. If you don't know what DOHC means....then you don't know the Vibe. If you can here it inside the car...valves clearances need checking. If only outside...then it's nothing to worry about...till Spring.