Recommending the best synthetic oil

[RSPEC429]

What spec(s) does Hyundai call for anyway?

 

[RSPEC429]

Nevermind, I found it.

From the owner's manual: API Service SM (although they say SL can be used as well) & ILSAC GF-4 or above.

 

[homeofstone]

What spec(s) does Hyundai call for anyway?

API Service SM*3,
ILSAC GF-4 or above

5w20 or 5w30 or 10w30 depending on temperature. 5w20 is recommended for best fuel economy.

 

[mtrot]

Sheesh, what a confusing thread! Question for you oil gurus: I just bought my used 2012 Genesis 4.6, with 3500 miles on it, from a dealer. I did look at the oil on the dip stick, and it looked clean and had good color to me. But I have no idea what oil it is. If it were you, would you go ahead and have the oil changed right away? And what oil would you choose, considering that I live in East Texas where the highs will soon be approaching 100 degrees, and that I have a rather heavy right foot? Based on this thread and the heat here, I am leaning toward Mobil 1, 5W-30. Thanks in advance.

 

[homeofstone]

Sheesh, what a confusing thread! Question for you oil gurus: I just bought my used 2012 Genesis 4.6, with 3500 miles on it, from a dealer. I did look at the oil on the dip stick, and it looked clean and had good color to me. But I have no idea what oil it is. If it were you, would you go ahead and have the oil changed right away? And what oil would you choose, considering that I live in East Texas where the highs will soon be approaching 100 degrees, and that I have a rather heavy right foot? Based on this thread and the heat here, I am leaning toward Mobil 1, 5W-30. Thanks in advance.

Good choice. or Penzoil ultra Platinum 5w30 or Valvoline Synpower 5w30. Just choose one and stay with it.

 

[RSPEC429]

So with this info in mind, I will be using Mobil 1 AFE 0W-30 or any other similar oil from other manufacturers.

 

[RSPEC429]

Sheesh, what a confusing thread! Question for you oil gurus: I just bought my used 2012 Genesis 4.6, with 3500 miles on it, from a dealer. I did look at the oil on the dip stick, and it looked clean and had good color to me. But I have no idea what oil it is. If it were you, would you go ahead and have the oil changed right away? And what oil would you choose, considering that I live in East Texas where the highs will soon be approaching 100 degrees, and that I have a rather heavy right foot? Based on this thread and the heat here, I am leaning toward Mobil 1, 5W-30. Thanks in advance.

That's a good choice. I like the AFE Mobil 1 however because from what I have read, any "0W" oil utilizes better base stocks.

 

[Mark_888]

That's a good choice. I like the AFE Mobil 1 however because from what I have read, any "0W" oil utilizes better base stocks.

Toyota now requires 0W-20 oil in almost all new vehicles. They have shied away from specifying synthetic (they did a few years ago) but as you mentioned I don't think there are any 0W-20 or 0W-30 non-synthetic oils. Some customers are put-off by synthetic due to extra cost of oil synthetic oil changes.

 

[RSPEC429]

I also like the fact that at start-up, even in the Texas weather, an 0W-xx oil will provide quicker protection than a 5W-xx oil will. Admittedly, any additional protection is likely negligible.

 

[mtrot]

That's a good choice. I like the AFE Mobil 1 however because from what I have read, any "0W" oil utilizes better base stocks.

So, I'm still having trouble deciding between 0 and 5 on the first number, and between 20W and 30W on the second number. I am in Texas and will be driving in 100+ degree weather at least some of the time for the rest of the summer, and the morning temps will be 70 degrees or higher. Now, I may also be taking a trip up north next week, and the lows may dip into the 50s.

I do want to achieve the best fuel mileage I can, without compromising engine protection for when I do "shower down" on it. How much difference in fuel economy can there be between 20W and 30W?

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[Mark_888]

How much difference in fuel economy can there be between 20W and 30W?

The only way to know is to test it. You might try Mobil 1 0W-30 AFE (Advanced Fuel Economy) synthetic oil. You can get this in 5-quart jugs at Walmart for an attractive price (but sometimes the shelves are empty late in the day on weekends).

 

[427435]

There would be little difference between 0w or 5w but I sure would use an oil where the last number is 30 in Texas. And that is what I'm using here in Minnesota as well (5w-30 Mobil 1 to be exact).

 

[Philth]

This. Thread. Won't. Die.

 

[RSPEC429]

So, I'm still having trouble deciding between 0 and 5 on the first number, and between 20W and 30W on the second number. I am in Texas and will be driving in 100+ degree weather at least some of the time for the rest of the summer, and the morning temps will be 70 degrees or higher. Now, I may also be taking a trip up north next week, and the lows may dip into the 50s.

I do want to achieve the best fuel mileage I can, without compromising engine protection for when I do "shower down" on it. How much difference in fuel economy can there be between 20W and 30W?

A 20 weight will be fine in our Texas weather. Next oil change, I'm going to go with a 5W-20, likely Pennzoil Ultra. The only reason why I won't go with the 0W-20 is because in the temps we see here in Texas this time of the year, both oils will be nearly the same viscosity. With the temps we see here in Texas, we just can't take advantage of the lower cold start viscosity that M1's AFE 0W-20 offers.

 

[Mark_888]

A 20 weight will be fine in our Texas weather. Next oil change, I'm going to go with a 5W-20, likely Pennzoil Ultra. The only reason why I won't go with the 0W-20 is because in the temps we see here in Texas this time of the year, both oils will be nearly the same viscosity. With the temps we see here in Texas, we just can't take advantage of the lower cold start viscosity that M1's AFE 0W-20 offers.

If you are talking about a synthetic, I don't think it has to do so much with the weather as with the engine (talking about 20 vs 30 weight). Some engines (perhaps including the Genesis V8 5.0 GDI) prefer a higher viscosity oil (to prevent excess oil consumption, etc).

The lower number in the oil viscosity rating (0W or 5W) does depend on the weather, but it doesn't hurt to run a 0W in hot weather. A 0W oil is sometimes a better quality synthetic since it needs more group IV (PAO) and group V (Esters) in the oil to achieve that rating (as opposed to group III hydrocracked mineral oil which can be labeled as synthetic in the USA).

Toyota used to specify synthetic oil in almost all their engines, but because they were getting beat up by competitive sales people saying a Toyota costs more money to maintain, they now just specify that only 0W-20 oil is acceptable. The trick is that all 0W-20 oils are synthetic since a conventional oil (at least for now) does not exist with a 0W-20 viscosity rating.

 

[427435]

A 20 weight will be fine in our Texas weather. Next oil change, I'm going to go with a 5W-20, likely Pennzoil Ultra. The only reason why I won't go with the 0W-20 is because in the temps we see here in Texas this time of the year, both oils will be nearly the same viscosity. With the temps we see here in Texas, we just can't take advantage of the lower cold start viscosity that M1's AFE 0W-20 offers.

You need to read the thread on oil consumption. Besides lower oil consumption (in at least some instances), a 0w-30 or 5w-30 oil will provide better lubrication strength (read longer engine life) under hot temps and "spirited" driving.

 

[RSPEC429]

Hyundai recommends either a 20 weight or a 30 weight. They also recommend a 20 weight to maximize fuel efficiency. Will there be a measurable difference? Who knows. Just like how there will not be a measurable difference in engine wear when running a 20 weight over a 30 weight.

 

[RSPEC429]

The lower number in the oil viscosity rating (0W or 5W) does depend on the weather, but it doesn't hurt to run a 0W in hot weather. A 0W oil is sometimes a better quality synthetic since it needs more group IV (PAO) and group V (Esters) in the oil to achieve that rating (as opposed to group III hydrocracked mineral oil which can be labeled as synthetic in the USA).
.

As I said, the benefits of running an 0W oil M1 AFE will not be realized in hot weather. At warmer temperatures, there will not be a measurable difference in viscosity between a 5W and an 0W oil. If we're talking about Toyota's 0W-20 with its very high viscosity index however, that is a different story as it will be thinner than a comparable 0W-20 such as M1's AFE. As far as base stocks go, oil companies do not provide us with such information so to say that one oil uses a better base stock is pure conjecture. If you go BITOG, there is ongoing debate regarding base stocks and whether one is better than the other. The general consensus on that thread is that if there is a measurable difference, the average driver will never notice. Additionally, when looking at an oil, one must take in to consideration the oil as a whole and not look simply at one attribute.

 

[Mark_888]

As I said, the benefits of running an 0W oil M1 AFE will not be realized in hot weather. At warmer temperatures, there will not be a measurable difference in viscosity between a 5W and an 0W oil. If we're talking about Toyota's 0W-20 with its very high viscosity index however, that is a different story as it will be thinner than a comparable 0W-20 such as M1's AFE. As far as base stocks go, oil companies do not provide us with such information so to say that one oil uses a better base stock is pure conjecture. If you go BITOG, there is ongoing debate regarding base stocks and whether one is better than the other. The general consensus on that thread is that if there is a measurable difference, the average driver will never notice. Additionally, when looking at an oil, one must take in to consideration the oil as a whole and not look simply at one attribute.

Not sure where you got the information that Toyota's 0W-20 is different than Mobil 1 AFE 0W-20. To the best of my knowledge, Toyota does not specify which brand of 0W-20 oil must be used, they just specify and API certified 0W-20 (knowing full well that the only such oils are synthetics).

I used to participate on BITOG forum, but it has turned into nothing more than a rumor mill with wildly inaccurate information. I would not advise anyone to give any credence to what is posted there. I am sure there are "some" accurate things posted there, but the accurate ones are in the minority, and there is no way to know which is which unless you know the answer in advance (in which case, why even ask the question?).

There are several ways I know what is in the oil:

• We know that Castrol Syntec uses 100% group III synthetic (hydrocracked mineral oil) as its base stock (not counting small amounts of additives) since Mobil sued them in an attempt to not allow them to use the "synthetic" moniker for doing so. Mobil, which at that time used only Group III (PAO) and Group V (Esters) in their Mobil 1 product, lost the lawsuit which caused a major upheaval in the synthetic oil market.
• We also know that Pennzoil Platinum is a Group III synthetic, since a former Pennzoil employee who used to post on that forum (I believe since deceased) said point blank it was 100% Group III hydrocracked mineral oil (not counting small percent of additives). Same applies to Valvoline SynPower, and many others, but I don't have a source for that handy.
• We also know that after the Mobil vs Castro lawsuit, Mobil 1 starting using a blend of Group III, IV, and V components, instead of Group IV and V only. There was no way to compete against Castrol if they had not done so.
• The reason we know for certain that Mobil 1 is not a 100% Group III synthetic like those mentioned above is that some countries require on their MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) that the amount of mineral oil be disclosed (which includes Group III hydrocracked mineral oil). Japan is the country MSDS that I found for Mobil 1 0W-20, and it shows that it has 30-40% mineral oil (which in this case is Group III hydrocracked mineral oil) and the rest (60-70%) is Group IV (PAO) and Group V (Ester). Other motor oils that are a mixture of Group III/IV/V include Castrol Edge, Pennzoil Ultra, and a few others (but I don't have the exact percentages like I do for Mobil 1).
• Companies like Amsoil actually market three different levels of synthetic, which includes various different amounts of Group III, IV, and V components.
• As a result of the ruling in the above mentioned lawsuit between Mobil vs Castrol (now owned by BP), the judge ruled that a motor oil can only be called full synthetic if it has Group III, IV, or V components only (no group I or II components, as are found in conventional motor oil).

So there you have it--more accurate information than you will ever find in that BITOG cesspool. Obviously, I disagree that the information about what is in these oils is pure conjecture, although admittedly it can be a bit hard to find out accurate information.

 

[Giant Robo]

I've used Mobile1 in all my previous vehicles and have never had any issues with Mobile1