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What brand of oil are you using in your Colorado Diesel?

130K views 95 replies 34 participants last post by  Lester C Rodan  
#1 ·
I always fill my vehicles with Penzoil Ultra Platinum because of all the real world tests/analysis I've seen on it. It holds up and protects extremely well even after some crazy extended drain times.

What brand do you use and why?
 
#16 · (Edited)
It looks like the Castrol Edge Turbo Diesel 5w-40 is now claiming to meet the Dexos2 standard so for all the talk of of a '40' weight this may be the one that shouldn't void anything.

EDIT: I ordered the Castrol Edge 5w-40 from iDParts and they sent "Castrol Edge Professional 505 01" which does carry the ACEA C3 specification but not specifically the Dexos2 rating. They said the supplier no longer carries the Turbo Diesel (that specifically had the dexos2 spec listed) and it's been superseded by the Edge Professional - but since I'm still under warranty I really need the dexos2 listed else it must go back...

Looks like Pennzoil Euro L or Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30 for me again.
 
#68 ·
My son bought that stuff.
Supposed to be made from propane ?
Anyway there was big chunks of dirt at the bottom of the bottle.
Sent them an email and they didn’t give a crap. Told them I wasn’t looking for anything free. Just thought they needed to know that’s not the way to gain public trust....

Also I used pen syn in my Suzuki Grand Vitara and it was always using oil.
I switched to Amsoil and no more oil usage.
So personally I don’t think it’s top tier stuff and will never use it again....
 
#8 ·
If you have not already heard on them, I recommend Idparts dot com. They are carrying more Duramax compatible parts and pieces. I have used them for all of my current and previous diesels. Good crew there and great service. Not a paid endorsement either. They started life supporting the VW/Audi/Mercedez diesels and grew as other manufacturers entered the diesel fray.
 
#11 ·
I still have my 2 free oil changes from the dealer. After that, I was going to go with Penzoil Platinum Euro L Full Synthetic 5w-30. It is one of the cheaper, Dexos3 approved Low Ash oils that you can buy I mean, you can put anything in there that is a full synthetic 5w-30 or whatever oil the truck takes, but I don't have money to delete the truck yet, so I have to keep my DPF. Which means I don't want it to plug up anytime soon so I'll use their approved oils for now.
 
#17 ·
Castrol 5w-30 Edge SLX dexos2 in quarts, p/n 06159 from Amazon in 6qt case. Can't find 6qt. bottles though. The Castrol website oil finder didn't have a clue. I wrote them and told them if they want this market then get on it. They actually wrote back and passed my feedback onto their website team.
 
#19 ·
I would be cautious about using a 5w-40 at the moment until more information is available. The engine was designed to use a 30.

My f150 5.0 used 5w-20 which I thought was odd. After some research the engine was designed to run on a 20 and the use of a 30 could cause problems with flow, increasing wear.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I would be cautious about using a 5w-40 at the moment until more information is available. The engine was designed to use a 30.

My f150 5.0 used 5w-20 which I thought was odd. After some research the engine was designed to run on a 20 and the use of a 30 could cause problems with flow, increasing wear.
The LWN 2.8 is designed to run on 5w30 or 0w40. Check your owners manual or supplement.

A 5w40 and 0w40 are both 40w oil at operating temp. A 5w40 is more stable and will have a higher viscosity index and should be superior unless you live in extremely cold climate and need the 0w for startup.
 
#21 ·
I pulled this off one of the 2.8 forums. It's more or less the same description as to why I didn't run a 5w30 in my 5.0. Newer engines are designed much differently than 5-6 years ago.

"5W-40 synthetic is an excellent oil but, one should never use a higher viscosity than recommended in todays engine. There are a number of reasons, one being VVT is dependent on proper pressure for proper operation. Another is the precision of oil delivery to cam lobes and followers, bearing races, etc. The higher viscosity does not flow the same as the recommended (lower) viscosity. You may not notice a difference, but over time, your engine wear does.
This is not to say if your rating permits you should not use the highest viscosity permitted for specific conditions."

Now the 0w40 is fine to run and there is actually a debate if it's not really the better oil. The flash point between the 0w40 and 5w30 is within 20-30 degrees Celsius IIRC.
 
#22 ·
I pulled this off one of the 2.8 forums. It's more or less the same description as to why I didn't run a 5w30 in my 5.0. Newer engines are designed much differently than 5-6 years ago.

"5W-40 synthetic is an excellent oil but, one should never use a higher viscosity than recommended in todays engine. There are a number of reasons, one being VVT is dependent on proper pressure for proper operation. Another is the precision of oil delivery to cam lobes and followers, bearing races, etc. The higher viscosity does not flow the same as the recommended (lower) viscosity. You may not notice a difference, but over time, your engine wear does.
This is not to say if your rating permits you should not use the highest viscosity permitted for specific conditions."

Now the 0w40 is fine to run and there is actually a debate if it's not really the better oil. The flash point between the 0w40 and 5w30 is within 20-30 degrees Celsius IIRC.
Flash Point and Pour Point are indicative of the quality of base stocks used to manufacture the brand, not the viscosity. Group V oils (Esters) usually have the highest flash point and lowest pour point of all synthetics. They are also very stable and have low volatility. Esters also are expensive to manufacture and usually found in premium brands like Amsoil
 
#23 ·
Update: 5W-30, 5 qt. Castrol EDGE p/n 03559 now available through Amazon.