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Gonzo Cruze Dad

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hello Cruze forum members,

I have an 18 Cruze L 1.4T and an 11 Cruze Eco 1.4T. The manual calls for 5W-30 for the 2011 and 0W-20 for the 2018. We live in S. Fla and the temps are rarely below 50’s. I would assume the 0W-20 for both since it’s the later recommended oil for the same engine, after some trial & error. Thanks in advance for for input.
 
#2 ·
O boy, hold on. Prepare for the gambit on this. 😉

The best answer is run what the manual calls for on each, ensuring it is dexos 1 Gen 3 oil.

If you wanted to pick 1 viscosity for both, I'd pick 5W-30 it will protect the engine better especially in the summer heat.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Johnny B said:
O boy, hold on. Prepare for the gambit on this. 😉

The best answer is run what the manual calls for on each, ensuring it is dexos 1 Gen 3 oil.

If you wanted to pick 1 viscosity for both, I'd pick 5W-30 it will protect the engine better especially in the summer heat.
Click to expand...
Yeah it would be easier to keep one on hand m…. Thanks
 
#4 · (Edited)
You'll probably notice a very small MPG drop if not running the 0W-20 (they are after small fractions at this point in economy decisions, maybe .5%-1%) in the ECO, but you should be fine with 5W-30 if you just want one viscosity. You could also run 0W-30 in both.

You'll want to get something that is Dexos 1 Gen 2 or Gen 3 (to help with LSPI). As for the brand, I think it's worth paying slightly extra for better oil. If you own a car for 200,000 miles it would cost you around $300 more over the life of the vehicle to buy something like Pennzoil Platinum over Costco or WalMart. That's such a insignificant amount that having better quality oil for very little difference, long term is very cheap insurance. Named brand oils like Pennzoil or even Mobil1 are better than Warren Oil and other distributors that fill the generics now days.
 
#5 ·
Increasing viscosity was a thing people did back in the day when oil quality was so poor that the oil would shear down in viscosity before it was time to change it. Think 80s and 90s. We're past that point.

Running a 5W-30 where a 0W-20 is recommended does nothing but create parasitic drag and generates more heat due to the resistance to flow and frictional losses. If your car specs a 0W-20, then use the best quality 0W-20 you can find and stick with it.
 
#6 ·
The proper spec is just as important as weight and less about brand. There are always several weights of oil that meet the needed spec.

I believe you need Dexos oil for a Chevy Cruze. Weight depends on year of vehicle and climate. The newer engine went lighter weight to squeeze out a bit more fuel economy to help the brand federal CAFE numbers.

For my Audi I need VW502 spec and I can get that with a 5W40 or 0W40 or 10W40 or even in 50 or 60 weight oils.

Same with our Wrangler. MS6395 and weight will vary on model year and climate.

Every engine wears a bit differently than others and it’s natural that each engine will like or dislike different weights. My Audi engine seems to run better on LiquiMoly 5W40 over Mobil 1 0W40. Have not found a HAPPIEST oil for the Wrangler yet. My GM engines seem fine on Mobil 1 5W30.

And there is a whole other part of the equation with the oil filter. Many will swear by only AC DELCO and will bash FRAM and swear they are junk and never use them. Here’s a little secret: if you are using AC DELCO then you are using a filter made by Fram. They make STP and the K-N filter and a few others. I try to use the AC if I can find them only because they cost a bit less and with 5 engines to maintain in the home fleet it adds up.
 
#7 ·
Valpo Cruze said:
The proper spec is just as important as weight and less about brand. There are always several weights of oil that meet the needed spec.

I believe you need Dexos oil for a Chevy Cruze. Weight depends on year of vehicle and climate. The newer engine went lighter weight to squeeze out a bit more fuel economy to help the brand federal CAFE numbers.

For my Audi I need VW502 spec and I can get that with a 5W40 or 0W40 or 10W40 or even in 50 or 60 weight oils.

Same with our Wrangler. MS6395 and weight will vary on model year and climate.

Every engine wears a bit differently than others and it’s natural that each engine will like or dislike different weights. My Audi engine seems to run better on LiquiMoly 5W40 over Mobil 1 0W40. Have not found a HAPPIEST oil for the Wrangler yet. My GM engines seem fine on Mobil 1 5W30.

And there is a whole other part of the equation with the oil filter. Many will swear by only AC DELCO and will bash FRAM and swear they are junk and never use them. Here’s a little secret: if you are using AC DELCO then you are using a filter made by Fram. They make STP and the K-N filter and a few others. I try to use the AC if I can find them only because they cost a bit less and with 5 engines to maintain in the home fleet it adds up.
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Oil brand doens't matter as much...if you're sticking with the majors. Between oils like Valvoline, Castrol, Mobil 1, Pennzoil/Quaker State, and just about anything else on a Walmart, AutoZone, or other auto parts store shelf is going to be very close in quality to its competitors. They're all formulating for the same specifications and competing for the same price point. The difference is much more pronounced once you go away from the majors and into high end oils like AMSOIL, Driven, HPL, etc. Whereas the majors are primarily making group 3 based oil with a fairly high volatility (~1 quart consumption every 5,000-7,000 miles in a Cruze), a low volatility oil like AMSOIL SS will consume in the range of 1/4 of a quart in 15,000 miles. That's a substantial differnce, and the difference is just as substantial in longevity and oxidation stability.
 
#8 · (Edited)
For the poster from Florida, I'd stick with the 5W-30 weight for both, especially after the newer car has many thousands of miles on it. The difference in resistance to the oil film being violated is much better with the high external temps of summer perhaps allowing the engine metals to run slightly hotter.

The quest for higher rating for mileage on the test engines has driven the 20 weight rage, although there may be some physico-chemical improvements in the polymers used in the chemistry.

Interesting info might be not using the owner manual for the older vehicle, but rather checking what the dealer puts in per GM's recommendations now. It may have changed from what's printed in the 10-year old manual. Maybe check online at ACdelco.com to see what oil they recommend in their parts search.

The most important aspect of the two oils is that what you use meets the Dexos rating.

A container of oil at Walmart's display that shows the proper rating by Dexos suits me whether it's Pennzoil, Supertech, Mobile 1. The oils that claim extra sizzle from their advertising and high prices are selling the sizzle rather than the steak for drivers using their vehicles in regular day-to-day use.

An interesting article based on the science is Motor Oils - Fuel Economy vs. Wear
 
#9 ·
Gonzo Cruze Dad said:
Hello Cruze forum members,

I have an 18 Cruze L 1.4T and an 11 Cruze Eco 1.4T. The manual calls for 5W-30 for the 2011 and 0W-20 for the 2018. We live in S. Fla and the temps are rarely below 50’s. I would assume the 0W-20 for both since it’s the later recommended oil for the same engine, after some trial & error. Thanks in advance for for input.
Click to expand...
I use what the manual says. The vicosities have less to do with your local climate and more to with bearing clearances. All cars have hydrodynamic bearings, which are sort of like an airplane wing. If you know anything about airplanes, you know lift and drag forces are intimately connected. Anyway, the result is the rotated part is lifted away from the stationary part. The higher the viscosity, the more work it takes to shear the oil (more drag). So, they went to a lot tighter clearances, mostly because of fuel mileage regulations, to reduce drag by using “lighter” oil. Use the recommended viscosity is the bottom line, doesn’t have much do with climate anymore, although it used to when they used to use huge clearances and single viscosity oils.
 
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