- Jul 1, 2001
- 25,134
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I have a 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco with 105,000 miles and a pretty nasty oil leak due to a leaking rear main seal. It's a piece of crap, and my local stealership wants $2,000 to replace the seal. I told them to pound sand, obviously. I can get a lot of oil for $2,000.
Thanks to the leak, I lose about a 1/4 of a quart of oil every 2 or 3 weeks. I always keep a jug of oil in the trunk to keep it topped off every oil change.
I noticed that I have 6 quarts of new Mobil 1 "High Mileage" Synthetic 10W-40 motor oil in my workshop from the prior owner, which I was wondering if I could use in the Cruze in a pinch. It looks like quality stuff, but the recommended oil for the Cruze is a 5W-30 synthetic blend.
I tried Googling the question of using this oil in my Cruze, and got back mixed results. Their results came down to the same conflicting statements:
Don't do it:
1) Chevrolet and their oil suppliers all say that you should Only use the recommended oil from the manufacturer. OK, sure, but I'd imagine that their lawyers and their marketing department make them say that.
2) A few mechanics said that using a thicker oil than what's recommended could cause lower gas mileage, and/or shortened engine life due to increased wear.
Doesn't matter:
3) Many mechanics said that putting 10W40 motor oil in a car that's supposed to have 5W30 in it isn't a big deal, since they are almost the same viscosity. Unless you live in an area with extreme weather, it shouldn't matter.
Do it:
4) A few mechanics actually recommended using thicker oil in high mileage engines (like the one I have), as the engine now has looser tolerances due to wear. The "high mileage" oils also supposedly have additives that help to condition the engine seals and reduce leakage. Again, I think that their marketing department made up that last statement. Besides, the seals in my engine were beyond "conditioning" months ago.
Either way, I don't think that it really matters what kind of oil I put in this car at this point, since this oil will just be adding to the oil spots on my driveway before it can do any serious damage.
What do you guys think?
Thanks to the leak, I lose about a 1/4 of a quart of oil every 2 or 3 weeks. I always keep a jug of oil in the trunk to keep it topped off every oil change.
I noticed that I have 6 quarts of new Mobil 1 "High Mileage" Synthetic 10W-40 motor oil in my workshop from the prior owner, which I was wondering if I could use in the Cruze in a pinch. It looks like quality stuff, but the recommended oil for the Cruze is a 5W-30 synthetic blend.
I tried Googling the question of using this oil in my Cruze, and got back mixed results. Their results came down to the same conflicting statements:
Don't do it:
1) Chevrolet and their oil suppliers all say that you should Only use the recommended oil from the manufacturer. OK, sure, but I'd imagine that their lawyers and their marketing department make them say that.
2) A few mechanics said that using a thicker oil than what's recommended could cause lower gas mileage, and/or shortened engine life due to increased wear.
Doesn't matter:
3) Many mechanics said that putting 10W40 motor oil in a car that's supposed to have 5W30 in it isn't a big deal, since they are almost the same viscosity. Unless you live in an area with extreme weather, it shouldn't matter.
Do it:
4) A few mechanics actually recommended using thicker oil in high mileage engines (like the one I have), as the engine now has looser tolerances due to wear. The "high mileage" oils also supposedly have additives that help to condition the engine seals and reduce leakage. Again, I think that their marketing department made up that last statement. Besides, the seals in my engine were beyond "conditioning" months ago.
Either way, I don't think that it really matters what kind of oil I put in this car at this point, since this oil will just be adding to the oil spots on my driveway before it can do any serious damage.
What do you guys think?
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