Is 5w-30 mobil 1 safe to run for a 2014 5.3L Sierra?

[Black02Silverado]

It will run fine. As you already know it isn't what is called for by the manufacture.

[KARNUT]

I would not "buy their" recommendation either, I got enough bills. Lol.

 

What GM does know is CAFE. That, above all else, is what is driving the trend to thin oils.

[KARNUT]

I remember when the Ford came out with the 4.6 with the hydraulic timing chain adjusters. They recommended different oil than what people were use to. But of course people knew better and put the oil they were used to in the engines. Then the timing chains got stretched out and started rattling from using the wrong oil. Make sure you double check my spell check.

 

 

I would not "buy their" recommendation either, I got enough bills. Lol.

 

What GM does know is CAFE. That, above all else, is what is driving the trend to thin oils.

[Cowpie]

GM isn't lame in their recommendations, but the cards they have been dealt are a little skewed. They are under a heavy hand to play within a politically directed fuel economy game. And 0w20 is one of the cards they play with. There is no dispute, that a 20w is less viscous and therefore does reduce energy needed to make the engine operate.

 

But that doesn't preclude that 0w20 is the only thing that can be used. Outside of engines that the typical vehicle owner buys, OEM's offer a wide latitude on oils selections. A 2017 engine in a commercial vehicle or piece of equipment for instance is built on the same technology as a 2017 5.3 or 6.2. Yet, that commercial engine OEM will allow a wide choice is oil selection. Commercial semi trucks for instance, one can use anything from a 5w30 to a 15w40 with no effect on warranty. The only difference is that the consumer vehicle is tied up in all the gooberment fuel economy nonsense that make a 0w20 oil become the recommendation. The car and pickup OEM has to recommend the same viscosity oil that got them thru the fuel economy testing protocol. But in reality, that is not the only oil that will work just fine in that engine. There is nothing earth shaking about the technology of the 5.3 or 6.2.

 

But even 0w20 is overkill. A 5w20 would work just as well for all but those users that are in some very serious, blistering cold temperatures. And a 5w20, generally, would be more resistant to shearing forces and a lower burn off rate due to needing fewer viscosity modifiers. A better situation for any engine that calls for a 20w oil. And there is not a dealership on the planet that can tell the difference in testing a oil from an engine if it is a 0w20 or a 5w20.

[KARNUT]

It's ok to change your own oil. If you have a engine warranty issue they will expect you to come up with receipt , I sure wouldn't want to hand them a receipt with anything other than what the manual recommended. I was an amsoil dealer for 40 years and go extended, but only after my warranty expires.

 

 

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[Cowpie]

I guess that is one area I don't really concern myself with. I order all my oil for my personal use along with the oil orders I put in for my commercial stuff. A order of oil for my pickup will take 2 years to use up. And even if a oil viscosity that is recommended is on the invoice, that doesn't mean it was actually used in the engine in question. I have friends that will ask me to order oil for them when I put in my commercial order so that they can take advantage of commercial discounts and such. So, sure, I can turn an invoice over the dealer, but it means absolutely nothing. And after over 4 decades of both personal and commercial vehicle ownership, dozens of vehicles, including some getting warranty repairs, I have never had a dealership ask for a receipt or even directly heard of anyone being required to ante up a receipt for a dealer. I suppose it could happen, but I am not going to let my paranoia gland get so enlarged as to worry about it.

[sdeeter19555]

It's ok to change your own oil. If you have a engine warranty issue they will expect you to come up with receipt , I sure wouldn't want to hand them a receipt with anything other than what the manual recommended. I was an amsoil dealer for 40 years and go extended, but only after my warranty expires.

 

 

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I had an engine failure once, lost #4 rod bearing in a Subaru 2.5l...they didn't care what oil, what viscosity, nothing. They only asked when I last changed it, which I have documented in a notebook in the glove box. They scanned my notebook, and told me that was as good as a printed receipt.

 

I was worried about a warranty fight because I was running a synthetic 5w40 in a application calling for conventional 5w30...the service guy could have cared less, only that it was changed and they could tell that buy pulling the pan.

 

It would be really hard for a warranty denial because of oil...it's not something you can look at and go, "oh yeah, that's 10w30, not 5w30". How many people have their oil changed at Jiffy Lube and toss the receipt?

 

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[Spurshot]

A lot of passion about oil. From what I've read, the lower viscosity oils reduce wear at low temps during the start up, where a high percentage of wear is touted to occur.

 

If I lived in Wisconsin and wanted to run a single oil throughout the year, I'd go with the 0-20w. The low temperatures get into the limits of protection. I'd also get a oil pan heater for the trans and engine, probably fill the diff with synthetic at least, maybe put a heater on it too.

 

But I live in southern California. I may not be able to get a carry permit and can't have a magazine with more than 10 rounds, can't hunt with lead, don't get a grocery bag at the store, pay the highest gas tax in the nation, cant modify my engine, heck CARB probably made it illegal to fart here, but I can run damn near any oil weight without worry. Whoohoo.

[KARNUT]

I had an engine failure once, lost #4 rod bearing in a Subaru 2.5l...they didn't care what oil, what viscosity, nothing. They only asked when I last changed it, which I have documented in a notebook in the glove box. They scanned my notebook, and told me that was as good as a printed receipt.

 

I was worried about a warranty fight because I was running a synthetic 5w40 in a application calling for conventional 5w30...the service guy could have cared less, only that it was changed and they could tell that buy pulling the pan.

 

It would be really hard for a warranty denial because of oil...it's not something you can look at and go, "oh yeah, that's 10w30, not 5w30". How many people have their oil changed at Jiffy Lube and toss the receipt?

 

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Its would say on a receipt. It does make a difference in some engines. Saying not could give a person looking for advice on here warranty problems on their engine. I've run power adders on 90 per cent of my rides, never an issue. Even had a warranty claim on my trailblazer ss, I got lucky they didn't check. Doesn't mean everyone would be so lucky.

 

 

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[mookdoc6]

A lot of passion about oil. From what I've read, the lower viscosity oils reduce wear at low temps during the start up, where a high percentage of wear is touted to occur.

 

If I lived in Wisconsin and wanted to run a single oil throughout the year, I'd go with the 0-20w. The low temperatures get into the limits of protection. I'd also get a oil pan heater for the trans and engine, probably fill the diff with synthetic at least, maybe put a heater on it too.

 

But I live in southern California. I may not be able to get a carry permit and can't have a magazine with more than 10 rounds, can't hunt with lead, don't get a grocery bag at the store, pay the highest gas tax in the nation, cant modify my engine, heck CARB probably made it illegal to fart here, but I can run damn near any oil weight without worry. Whoohoo.

I lived in WI and you don't need any of those heaters? Not even on diesel anymore plus you can't even hang your deer outside anymore it's just plain to warm...............

[thetruck454]

To add fuel to the fire the C7 Corvettes owner's manual allow 5W30 and the 6-2 in my truck is the same long block. The operating temperature range is narrower than 0-20 but it is allowed

[Sierra706]

Straight out of the corvette manual for 2017. 5w30 for normal driving, 15w50 for track use. Seems to point to CAFE regulations regarding the trucks rather than some bogus tolerance reason.

 

 

 

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[Grumpy Bear]

The SAE sets the FEDERAL standards for viscosity in document J300. (Chart provided)

 

Referece points. 40 C = 104 F, 100 C = 212 F & 150 C = 302 F

 

The viscosities in this chart are the Kinematic numbers reported in centistokes. (cSt). The time it takes a measured volume of fluid to flow through and specific orifice at a particular temperature. A measure of absolute viscosity.

 

The only one on this chart you can directly viewable in comparison is the 20W to 20 and you will note in that view the low temp (40C) numbers are identical.

 

A 5W-30 meets the 5wt specs at low temperatures and the 30wt specs at high temperatures. How is that done? Chemistry. And I will leave it at that to stay on task.

 

What’s my point? Point is, viscosity is a function of temperature. Well, yea!

 

Now here’s the catch young ones. A function of the actually RUNNING temperature not the temperature of the oil in the bottle or in some test equipment but in your motor, on that day, under those conditions. Thus the recommendations GM sets in the ‘book’ provided by bigleaguechew in post #27. The hotter the expected service the higher the required rating.

The API sets the standards for oils actual service rating. There’s that little circle on the bottle which includes this rating like SJ, SL, SN & SM to name a few. It means the oil meets the API standard which includes things like film strength and oxidation rates and total additive package contents and minimum levels. A Dexos certification is GM’s shorthand for ‘it’s been prescreened and approved by us’. “May cause engine damage” is…come on…a CYA move required by the legal department.

 

A fella that calls himself 540 Rat has undergone a one man crusade to show that while an oils film strength is directionally tied to its viscosity that it is not universal in nature. It’s common sense actually. Room temperature milk and hot motor oil can have the same viscosity but only an idiot would argue they have like film strengths. Film strength (covered under the API standards) is sufficient if it meets the API standard called out by your manufacture for that viscosity under that service. What he has shown is the huge variations between like viscosities at preselected temperatures that fall within the API and SAE framework.

 

What is deemed sufficient by the ‘masses’ is the/a major subject of debate on any board and in any thread on this topic.

 

​The question you want to really ask is, "What is my oil temperature and what range of ambient temperatures do I expect?"

 

Click on the chart to enlarge.

[qwank]

All the tolerance specs for the trucks are the same as the LT1 and LT4. The all have VVT actuators and solenoids and AFM lifters. I'm using 5w30 also.