Here is a very informative interview with a Valvoline engineer discussing oil viscosity, additives, oxidation, carbon build-up, shelf life, oil color, hot and cold engine wear, etc. Well worth the read. Valvoline Engineer: oil changes, Carbon Buildup w/ Restore and Protect (youtube.com)
Yeah, I agree. Pennzoil seems like the best choice. But I’m having trouble finding 5w-40 in a 5qt jug. Anyone have a good source for that?
5-quart jugs are hard to find, but E-Bay has a two-pack for $53. Pennzoil Platinum Euro Full Synthetic 0W 40 Motor Oil 5qt. for sale | eBay
Thanks, Tom, that really is a bargain for 2 5qt jugs. However, and we been through this before, my owner’s manual (for a 2010) calls out 5w-40 oil, and I know yours (for a 2009) calls out 0w-40. I still can’t figure out why, since the only difference I can see between our two cars is the paint color! I guess the real takeaway from this, based on posts by many of us, is that it’s way more important to regularly change the oil than it is to worry about small differences in viscosity.
Maybe they go with the lighter oil to get the fuel mileage up on a cold start. We have a Toyota that uses 0w-16 because the tolerances are close.
Here are 3 5qt. jugs of 5W-40 for $131. 5w40 Pennzoil Platinum Euro Full Synthetic Motor Oil(pack of 3)5qrts | eBay
I highly doubt weather you use 5-40 or 0-40 is going to make any difference. The key here is oil change interval.
