Oil opinions

[Flying_Lavey]

I need some opinions on what oil I should run for the summer in my '09 Escalade with the 6.2.

I never thought there would be much of any difference between the seasons in oil, but after the 4th of July weekend the engine developed a weird tick. Sounded a lot like a lifter tick but it would come on after the car warmed up instead of go away like most LS lifter ticks do. So I was freaking out and figured at a minimum I was going to have to drop the pan and relapse the pick-up O-ring. But the drop off in pressure as it heated up didn't make sense for an O-ring. I figured if nothing else I'd do an oil change to see how the oil looked and all.

Well, drained the oil (only had about 2k miles or so on it) and all looked great. No metal at all on the plug, color was good for an engine woth 170+k miles on it, level was good, etc. So I dropped in some new 5w-30 Synthetic and a new filter and son of a bitch..... the tick was gone. Drove it around a couple days now..... no tick.

Then I thought about it and read up some and 5w-30 synthetic is generally rated for only 95 degrees ambient. Well this all started when I launched my buddies pontoon at Naci over the 4th when it was reading 115 on the thermometer. I am pretty sure the load and Temps broke down the oil so much that it wasn't able to maintain sufficient operating pressure in the engine when warmed up.

So for all you oil geeks out there... what grade oil would you suggest I go to in order to avoid this in the future?

 

[oldman]

You can send an oil sample to blackstone for health I do it periodically, what filter are you running?

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

I need some opinions on what oil I should run for the summer in my '09 Escalade with the 6.2.

I never thought there would be much of any difference between the seasons in oil, but after the 4th of July weekend the engine developed a weird tick. Sounded a lot like a lifter tick but it would come on after the car warmed up instead of go away like most LS lifter ticks do. So I was freaking out and figured at a minimum I was going to have to drop the pan and relapse the pick-up O-ring. But the drop off in pressure as it heated up didn't make sense for an O-ring. I figured if nothing else I'd do an oil change to see how the oil looked and all.

Well, drained the oil (only had about 2k miles or so on it) and all looked great. No metal at all on the plug, color was good for an engine woth 170+k miles on it, level was good, etc. So I dropped in some new 5w-30 Synthetic and a new filter and son of a bitch..... the tick was gone. Drove it around a couple days now..... no tick.

Then I thought about it and read up some and 5w-30 synthetic is generally rated for only 95 degrees ambient. Well this all started when I launched my buddies pontoon at Naci over the 4th when it was reading 115 on the thermometer. I am pretty sure the load and Temps broke down the oil so much that it wasn't able to maintain sufficient operating pressure in the engine when warmed up.

So for all you oil geeks out there... what grade oil would you suggest I go to in order to avoid this in the future?

Why does an oil rated to 600+F in metal temps care what the ambient temperature is? ( For example Mobil 1)

I’ve had a 2009 Yukon with the 6.0 and a 2016 Yukon with the 6.2 and I’m at Mohave at the end of July nearly every year. Just driving the vehicle around in 123F air temp doesn’t do anything. I’ve towed in that temp as well.

If oil gave up at 95F air temp no one could live in Phoenix in the summer.

If you want a recommendation stick with full synthetic in any brand that makes you happy, and meets the oil spec set forth in your owners manual.

 

[SoCalDave]

Mobil 1 in everything I run and never had any issues...JM02

 

[lbhsbz]

Use an oil that meets the specs called out in the owners manual…likely dexos 1 in the specified grade. It doesn’t matter what else is written on the bottle, as long as the spec is met (not the API star bullshit, the actual GM spec)

Ambient temperature has fuck all to do with anything.

 

[Pkcf09]

I use Mobil 1 every time, I think you should try it out. Thanks

 

[Racey]

I need some opinions on what oil I should run for the summer in my '09 Escalade with the 6.2.

I never thought there would be much of any difference between the seasons in oil, but after the 4th of July weekend the engine developed a weird tick. Sounded a lot like a lifter tick but it would come on after the car warmed up instead of go away like most LS lifter ticks do. So I was freaking out and figured at a minimum I was going to have to drop the pan and relapse the pick-up O-ring. But the drop off in pressure as it heated up didn't make sense for an O-ring. I figured if nothing else I'd do an oil change to see how the oil looked and all.

Well, drained the oil (only had about 2k miles or so on it) and all looked great. No metal at all on the plug, color was good for an engine woth 170+k miles on it, level was good, etc. So I dropped in some new 5w-30 Synthetic and a new filter and son of a bitch..... the tick was gone. Drove it around a couple days now..... no tick.

Then I thought about it and read up some and 5w-30 synthetic is generally rated for only 95 degrees ambient. Well this all started when I launched my buddies pontoon at Naci over the 4th when it was reading 115 on the thermometer. I am pretty sure the load and Temps broke down the oil so much that it wasn't able to maintain sufficient operating pressure in the engine when warmed up.

So for all you oil geeks out there... what grade oil would you suggest I go to in order to avoid this in the future?

Supposedly the deal with some of the new motors that require these dumbass light weight oils is you gotta run an SN Plus rated oil.

Lucas makes one, in fact i just bought some for the ecoboost. It came in a bag . The bag is inside a box and it has a little tap you pull out like the old Franzia wine your mom would keep in the fridge in the 90s

 

[GreenEnergy28]

Owning a Hemi, I thought ticking is normal. Is it not?

 

[Runs2rch]

Supposedly the deal with some of the new motors that require these dumbass light weight oils is you gotta run an SN Plus rated oil.

Lucas makes one, in fact i just bought some for the ecoboost. It came in a bag . The bag is inside a box and it has a little tap you pull out like the old Franzia wine your mom would keep in the fridge in the 90s

Mobil 1 EP is SN Plus.

MMMMMMMM Franzia hahaha

 

[77charger]

I just run regular conventional oil. Did so in work trucks they were still going at over 300k

My personal truck same deal but only 269k although I have a small oil leak may have to drop pan.

 

[Mikes56]

Mobil 1 in everything. 4 cars, boat with a Merc. 525, CanAm, golf cart, Harley. I use whatever weight is recommended in the owners manual. Walmart has the best price at about $26 for a 5 qt. jug.

 

[MonkeyButt70]

If you want to nerd out over motor oils watch this guys YouTube channel

@themotoroilgeek

 

[Desert Whaler]

My Pops 2003 Silverado 100K miles with a 4.8 had the infamous 'Tick' . . . .
I ran the Seafoam treatment routine through the oil. (1 ounce per quart of oil, for 300 miles or a full tank of gas.)
Dumped the oil & did a standard oil change . . . 'Tick' was gone.
That was last year.
His truck was due for another oil change a couple months ago so I did the same thing 1 more time.
Still no tick and going on 2 years now.

I've heard several different opinions on what the 'tick' is . . . but it's gone in his truck.

Might be worth a try.

 

[TimeBandit]

If you want to nerd out over motor oils watch this guys YouTube channel

@themotoroilgeek

or Project Farm on youtube

I think he liked Penzoil ultra platinum in his last tests

go to "Bob is the oil guy" forum for endless discussions on oil

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

I run the Lucas oil stabilizer. My engine builder showed me some with and withouts and it made a lot of sense.

Everyone raves about Amsoil and I know it is good. Some like Schaeffers as well.

 

[Flying_Lavey]

Use an oil that meets the specs called out in the owners manual…likely dexos 1 in the specified grade. It doesn’t matter what else is written on the bottle, as long as the spec is met (not the API star bullshit, the actual GM spec)

Ambient temperature has fuck all to do with anything.

Ill have to look up the GM spec and check that out. It does state Mobil1 synthetic 5w-30, but not sure what the GM spec is (i'm sure its in there, I jsut dont remember seeing it).

There is just a lot of discussion online on various sites I have seen (like Bob the Oil Guy) talking about viscosity sheer of 5w-30 at higher ambient temps and it makes sense for what I was seeing and experiencing in the car.

 

[lbhsbz]

It's made it 170K miles on probably whatever random 5W30 it's been getting. Just keep doing what you've been doing.

 

[Bigbore500r]

I need some opinions on what oil I should run for the summer in my '09 Escalade with the 6.2.

I never thought there would be much of any difference between the seasons in oil, but after the 4th of July weekend the engine developed a weird tick. Sounded a lot like a lifter tick but it would come on after the car warmed up instead of go away like most LS lifter ticks do. So I was freaking out and figured at a minimum I was going to have to drop the pan and relapse the pick-up O-ring. But the drop off in pressure as it heated up didn't make sense for an O-ring. I figured if nothing else I'd do an oil change to see how the oil looked and all.

Well, drained the oil (only had about 2k miles or so on it) and all looked great. No metal at all on the plug, color was good for an engine woth 170+k miles on it, level was good, etc. So I dropped in some new 5w-30 Synthetic and a new filter and son of a bitch..... the tick was gone. Drove it around a couple days now..... no tick.

Then I thought about it and read up some and 5w-30 synthetic is generally rated for only 95 degrees ambient. Well this all started when I launched my buddies pontoon at Naci over the 4th when it was reading 115 on the thermometer. I am pretty sure the load and Temps broke down the oil so much that it wasn't able to maintain sufficient operating pressure in the engine when warmed up.

So for all you oil geeks out there... what grade oil would you suggest I go to in order to avoid this in the future?

You have a lifter "plunger" bleeding down, likely due to old age and high mileage. When your oil gets some miles on it and begins to lose some viscocity, its causing it to lose enough pressure to lose sufficient preload and introduce lash into the valvetrain when operating the valve.

With our climate in So Cal, and the miles on your motor - I would run 10W40 to keep viscocity up a bit when your oil has miles on it and it's warm. Won't hurt anything in that motor, and its a common practice for LS motors that are run hard, tracked in road cars, etc. As oils age, the additive package gets used up (including friction modifiers in multi-weight oils) and that can cause the warm viscosity (30W rating) to reduce to lower levels. Switching to an oil with a slightly higher viscocity base stock (the 10W portion of 10W40) will help fight this, and the 40w viscocity rating wont sheer to as low of a value when "worn" as a 30w.

 

[NIKAL]

What’s scary and freaks me out is my new 2024 Silverado with 5.3 requires a 0-20wt oil. Yeah 0-20. Then when cold start up the truck revs up to 1500rpms and after a 10-15 seconds it drops down to 500rpms. WTF!

Dealer said that’s right and there is nothing wrong with the truck or computer. Main thing I’m told on these new Chevys is make sure the oil your using meets the Dexos 1 specs. I have no idea what Dexos is or why it’s different, but that was made very clear to me by GM to run a Dexos 1 certified oil.

Also I don’t care what anyone says I’m doing my oil changes at 5K mile intervals. I don’t think these 7500-10K oil changes are good. On my old 2001 Silverado I continued to run Valvoline 10-30 conventional oil and did 3K oil changes. That engine went 300K. When we pulled it to rebuild and freshen it up, the inside looked nowhere near 300K. The engine builder said it looked great for 300K and could have gone allot longer.

 

[Bigbore500r]

What’s scary and freaks me out is my new 2024 Silverado with 5.3 requires a 0-20wt oil. Yeah 0-20. Then when cold start up the truck revs up to 1500rpms and after a 10-15 seconds it drops down to 500rpms. WTF!

Dealer said that’s right and there is nothing wrong with the truck or computer. Main thing I’m told on these new Chevys is make sure the oil your using meets the Dexos 1 specs. I have no idea what Dexos is or why it’s different, but that was made very clear to me by GM to run a Dexos 1 certified oil.

Also I don’t care what anyone says I’m doing my oil changes at 5K mile intervals. I don’t think these 7500-10K oil changes are good. On my old 2001 Silverado I continued to run Valvoline 10-30 conventional oil and did 3K oil changes. That engine went 300K. When we pulled it to rebuild and freshen it up, the inside looked nowhere near 300K. The engine builder said it looked great for 300K and could have gone allot longer.

The new oil spec is due to them being direct injected, and supposedly the new oil somehow helps with preventing detonation when the motors are cold and placed under load. Di motors can blow pistons apart if they experience low speed detonation. Not sure how the oil contributes to helping this, but that's they there is a new spec.

The 0W-20W is for fuel economy and isn't an issue, so long as the engine's oiling system is designed to provide enough pressure with that weight oil.

Definately change the oil every 5K (MAX) on these motors.....extended intervals contribute to issue with the AFM system, you want that oil clean and in good shape at all times.

 

[NIKAL]

The new oil spec is due to them being direct injected, and supposedly the new oil somehow helps with preventing detonation when the motors are cold and placed under load. Di motors can blow pistons apart if they experience low speed detonation. Not sure how the oil contributes to helping this, but that's they there is a new spec.

The 0W-20W is for fuel economy and isn't an issue, so long as the engine's oiling system is designed to provide enough pressure with that weight oil.

Definately change the oil every 5K (MAX) on these motors.....extended intervals contribute to issue with the AFM system, you want that oil clean and in good shape at all times.

What’s your opinion or thoughts of possibly running a Dexos 1, 5-30wt in the new Silverado. I have not seen a 5-20 in Dexos. I’m in the San Diego area. Do you think this could also help the AFM and GM lifters?

 

[Flying_Lavey]

It's made it 170K miles on probably whatever random 5W30 it's been getting. Just keep doing what you've been doing.

I've put about 70k on it myself and have always used either mobil1 or the kirkland brand synthetic 5w-30 since I had read so many good things about it. Now I may be doubting those glowing reviews (thats what was in it when it started the ticking at only about 2k miles on that oil).

 

[Flying_Lavey]

You have a lifter "plunger" bleeding down, likely due to old age and high mileage. When your oil gets some miles on it and begins to lose some viscocity, its causing it to lose enough pressure to lose sufficient preload and introduce lash into the valvetrain when operating the valve.

With our climate in So Cal, and the miles on your motor - I would run 10W40 to keep viscocity up a bit when your oil has miles on it and it's warm. Won't hurt anything in that motor, and its a common practice for LS motors that are run hard, tracked in road cars, etc. As oils age, the additive package gets used up (including friction modifiers in multi-weight oils) and that can cause the warm viscosity (30W rating) to reduce to lower levels. Switching to an oil with a slightly higher viscocity base stock (the 10W portion of 10W40) will help fight this, and the 40w viscocity rating wont sheer to as low of a value when "worn" as a 30w.

This is kinda what I was thinking and reading.

The amount of clatter I had at initial cold start with the bad oil was astonishing. After the oil change (I just put in some O'reily brand 5-30 synthetic high mileage with a bit of ATF to hopefully help clean up some of the smaller passages due to the age) the clatter at start-up is gone. I'm sure the viscosity was broken down that it just ran right back out of that lifter when sitting.

 

[Bigbore500r]

What’s your opinion or thoughts of possibly running a Dexos 1, 5-30wt in the new Silverado. I have not seen a 5-20 in Dexos. I’m in the San Diego area. Do you think this could also help the AFM and GM lifters?

I wouldn't mess with the oil weight in a newer silverado, they have a variable speed oil pump and it's programmed to switch between low and high mode depending on RPM range and pressure. Most important thing to do is run the proper spec oil for the newer DI motors, and change the oil religiously - don't go farther than 5k intervals, dirty oil wreaks havoc on the AFM cylinder deactiviation system.