I needed to change the oil in my ‘14 Diesel and was hoping to not pay dealer prices for the oil. At the Autozone site I put in my vehicle, and got a hit for Mobil 1 ESP Dexos2 5W-30. I ordered it for in-store pickup and when I got there they handed me a jug of Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30. Ummmmm… NO. It’s not Dexos2. In fact, not only did they have no Dexos 2 oil at all, they had no clue that you can’t use Dexos1 in its place and their system shows only one part number for Dexos1 and Dexos2. They did have a DexosD 0W-20, but I’d never heard of DexosD and the weight was wrong. I ended up getting my oil at a dealer because Dexos2 is nearly impossible to find elsewhere. Yes, the owner’s manual says that if you can’t find Dexos2 you can use an oil meeting the ACEA C3 standard, but it’s implied that it’s not ideal.
I’ve been an engineer for a long time, there are particular reasons why I have specific ideas about a few things (including oil) and I know a few people (I'm being vague on purpose, but I do live and work in Michigan if you want to guess about what that might mean). I asked a couple of them for confirmation and further explanation, and this is a summary of what I know:
A lot of folks have been talking about going to lighter weight oils (like the 0W-20 I found), or thinking that the difference between the HTHS viscosities of ACEA C2 vs C3 (2.9 vs 3.5 mPa*s) is not significant. Both of those are bad ideas for long term durability in this engine. I strongly suggest sticking with the oil spec'd out in the owner's manual if you want to maximize engine life.
GM Dexos
General Motors Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org
ACEA Engine Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org
I’ve been an engineer for a long time, there are particular reasons why I have specific ideas about a few things (including oil) and I know a few people (I'm being vague on purpose, but I do live and work in Michigan if you want to guess about what that might mean). I asked a couple of them for confirmation and further explanation, and this is a summary of what I know:
- Dexos1 is for gas engines only, DO NOT use it in diesels.
- Dexos2 is for diesels. There are gas engines for which it was spec’d. The Dexos 2 spec started with ACEA C3, but has additional criteria for improved protection against varnish, sludge and foaming. Yes, you can use ACEA C3 if you have to, but for longetivity it’s best to use Dexos2.
- DexosD is a new standard that will be replacing Dexos2 for diesel applications.
- DexosR is a new standard that will be replacing Dexos2 for gasoline applications. It can also be used on applications that call out Dexos 1.
A lot of folks have been talking about going to lighter weight oils (like the 0W-20 I found), or thinking that the difference between the HTHS viscosities of ACEA C2 vs C3 (2.9 vs 3.5 mPa*s) is not significant. Both of those are bad ideas for long term durability in this engine. I strongly suggest sticking with the oil spec'd out in the owner's manual if you want to maximize engine life.
GM Dexos
General Motors Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org
ACEA Engine Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org
