I went to wallmart and found 5w30 is about 20% cheaper on the 5gt container!
What’s so different in the oil?
Would 5W30 is ok to use in California weather?
Is it ok to use on high mileage cars too?
Look at your manual. I am not sure where you are in CA, I am Southern and use 5-30 all year long. Today it was 80 degrees (sorry East coast folks) where I am, and 2 days ago it was 32 in the morning. Older cars require the same weight, unless you have a lot of seepage or burning a lot of oil, then you could try 10-40. Where I am the prices are all the same.
Your manual will specify the correct weight of oil for your vehicle.
Having said that, high mileage cars tend to have more clearance between (worn) moving parts, and thus 10W-30 could be a better choice for old/worn engines, especially in warmer weather.
If your car uses 5W30 it doesn’t matter what brand you buy, or how large the container is.
Check the owner’s manual to find out the correct viscosity. Sometimes it’s also printed on the oil fill cap.
The viscosity recommended in the owner’s manual is for year-round use in any climate.
If you have higher miles on the car the wear in the engine would dictate a thicker oil…5W-30 is THIN oil. It is good for new engines. NOT good for higher mileage engines due to the wear of the internal components…and it will be more likely to find its way outside of your engine due to leaking past the seals…it is more prone to getting past your valve cover or worse your front and rear crank seals because it is so THIN. If you have no leaks now then it prob will not leak if you use the 5W-30 it just has a better chance of doing so because of how thin it is. Just keep in mind when you have more miles on an engine is is bette rto use a thicker oil 10W-30 is still thin…In CA I would use 10W-40 and even 20W-50 in the summer…this is because the oil will take up the extra space tolerances that your engine will have with more miles…or at least your engine has the propensity to have more clearance in the bearings from normal wear. I dont like the idea of 5W-30 in an older engine… I use the manufacturers reccomendation as just that reccomendation…I usually use what I want depending on weather and mileage of my engines…My 2cents
Price is based on marketing concerns and does not indicate the quality of the oil or the cost of production.
Read your owner’s manual. Different cars have different needs. Makes sure the oil that you use meets the specifications in the owner’s manual.
As far as the weight oil to use, again, look in the owner's manual.Sounds to me like price per quart is less in a bigger container. That happens. Maybe you can find your normal weight in larger container???
In my opinion, high mileage engine is the same as low mileage engine, until it starts deteriorating. It’s the condition, not the mileage that counts. My 2002 Sienna with 173,000 miles on it is about the same condition as it was when it was low mileage, maybe a quart in 5,000 miles. So, I have changed nothing. If it starts burning oil, then I will look into it for a different oil.
Let me add that using other then the optimum oil for your car, whatever that is, to save a few bucks is very unwise.
My dad used to say, “Penny wise and pound foolish.” And, I never met anyone more so than he was.
Clarification:
Price of 5W30 is 20% cheaper than 10W30 (5quart container) - apple to apple comparison. Maxlife syn blend.
I buy valvaline.
It doesn’t matter if you use 5W30 or 10W30 oil. Once the engine reaches operating temperature both oils will have the same 30 weight viscosity. The difference between the two oils is the 5W30 oil will provide quicker lubrication during a cold start than the 10W30 oil.
Tester
Disagree, you’re thinking in a 30 year old mindset. I’d use whatever the manufacturer specs. If the Scion a 2004-2006, then 5W-30 is the appropriate oil. If it’s 2007 or newer then correct oil either 5W-20 or 0W-20 per Scion’s FAQ. For a newer scion using 10W-40 or 20W-50 would be folly.
Unless the car is leaking or burning excessive amounts oil of oil, stick with whatever weight is recommended. For what it’s worth, My Bronco got 5W-30 (the recommended oil) it’s entire life and when I sold it at around the 280k mile mark, it used about 1/3 a quart between oil changes.
Agree. Whether reasonable or not, I just could not use Walmart oil in my cars or lawn mowers. I don’t care how cheap it is. You wouldn’t even be able to calculate the additional cost per mile difference. Make sure you check the specification ratings on the oil and compare that to your owners manual. Walmart has been on a campaign to get the very very cheapest of everything regardless of quality. You sure its not recycled oil?
Don’t you think the better lubrication at the cold start would improve engine life?
For the older engine argument, my dodge with 120+K Miles, still does not loose a drop of oil when using the 5-30, so I believe engines are getting better. If only the electronics would last as long.
???
Tester
Will all due respect, this is what I am referring to;
“The difference between the two oils is the 5W30 oil will provide quicker lubrication during a cold start than the 10W30 oil.”
Okay! What part of that don’t you understand?
Tester
It’s all OK to use if it is the right oil for the engine and its operating condition. Te owner’s manual will tell you if you should switch to a different multi weight oil. If nothing is mentioned about oil weight options, the choice is yours to make. Do or don’t, 5W or 10W isn’t a lot of difference.
WalMart’s oil has been packaged by various companies over the years. I don’t know who is packaging it right now, but at one time the oil was was Castrol, and at another it was Pennzoil. Personally I prefer the former, but that’s a topic for another thread. That said, note that there is VERY little difference between oil brands. There is a local formulator that packages oil for several different brands. I know people who work there. They use slightly different additive formulations, and plastic bottle colors, but it all comes from the same dinosaurs.
Just my experience I had great luck with Walmart’s “supertech” brand of oil. At 100k miles in my Civic I moved more rurally and the closest oil change/garage was Walmart. For a car I could care less about the $15 supertech change was performed every 4-5k miles and I sold it 225k perfectly running. I simply was sick of looking at, sitting in, driving my reliable Civic and moved on.
I believe galant is pointing out the inconsistency in your statements. To wit;
You stated- “It doesn’t matter if you use 5W30 or 10W30 oil.”
Then you went on to say- “The difference between the two oils is the 5W30 oil will provide quicker lubrication during a cold start than the 10W30 oil”
To which galant replied- “Don’t you think the better lubrication at the cold start would improve engine life?” which points out the contradiction between your two statements.
Back to the OP’s question about cost- 5W30 is cheaper because it is specified and produced in greater volume than 10W30. Very few applications specify 10W30 anymore. It’s simply an economy of scale. The trend continues, some specify 0W30 now and likely that will someday be the most prevalent viscosity and therefore cheapest for the consumer.
Bing, Why do u say "[i]just could not use Walmart oil in my cars or lawn mowers. I don’t care how cheap it is. You wouldn’t even be able to calculate the additional cost per mile difference[/u] "?
It seems to me you are saying that the Walmart oil is bad???
For example, the Valvoline oil that I was after is 5qt and had all the typical Valvoline labeling. At the very bottom it had additional customized writing “Walmart … bonus 1qt…”
I do Not think that Valvoline would have allowed bad quality oil be sold at Walmart with Valvoline label on it. Pls correct me if I am wrong.
Appreciate feedback. Thanks.