Just want some opinions on this. I've had my car for five months and I'm about to put some oil in it. It's not my daily driver, although I am 3000 over the recommended 3000 miles per oil change. Mileage snuck up on me while I was taking my time doing something to my other car. Anyway, this is the first oil change and I don't know what they had in it previously. What else do I need to make a decision? Temperatures are high in the summer and they can be around freezing early in the morning in the winter. I'm not a rough driver. I try not to take it over 3500 RPM.

'04 6MT sedan. Thanks!

Oh, and I'm sorry for this thread. I know that for sure this has to have been answered before, but I couldn't find an exact answer.

 

Is that what you put in your car? How much is that stuff? Ten bux a quart? I reckon I'll just put in a 5w-30 for the next 33K. Can't go wrong with that.

 

IMO 0W-40 is not necessary. Why would you run anything different than 5W-30? Ambient temps here run from -30F (rarely) to 90F and I have no issues running 5W-30.

 

Any oil in the 5w 30 range would work. Dino or synthetic.

 

Your owner's manual will have the recommended weight and temps.

 

I would recommend synthetic 5w30 and 5000 mile or so change intervals.

 

5W - 30 Synthetic - change every 7,000 miles

 

for me.... 5w 30 in winter, 10w 30 summer

 

That makes sense. BTW, I wonder if the weather is as nice there as it is here. I'm in ATL and it's friggin 77F here. I'm loving it, but I know it's wholly unnatural. I might go with that scheme you got, though.

 

I live not too far south from you, in Orlando FL. Last oil change I use Castrol Syntec 10W-30 synthetic. I've seen improved fuel economy (+2-3 mpg) with this type of oil more than the 5W-30 conventional.

 

Hmmm. There must have been something else you did.

 

i know this is off-topic, but you can't attribute the entire 3mpg gain to switching to a heavier synthetic (10W30) as opposed to a lighter conventional (5W30). that switch may account for a fractional difference (if any), but nothing close to +3mpg.

several other conditions must have changed to see a gain like that.

 

I have always used 5W-30 Mobil 1. My interval is 5000 miles but I'm sure you can go longer with synthetic. I also have 67000 miles

We broke the record high temp in Raleigh by 9 degrees yesterday. More of the same today and tomorrow with highs of 80. These will break not only daily records but monthly records as well.

 

I use 10w-30 (but thinking of going 10w-40) and I live in south texas where we see temps in the 100-110 summer and maybe 50s winter temps,, but not many. I have 32k miles and think I shouldn't go to a heavier weight but the temp down here seem to worry me a bit.