5w30 or 10w30 for winter

[simple]

What do you people run in the Winter? My owners manual says that I can run either as long as it's 0 degrees or above. I live in Wisconsin so sometimes it gets pretty cold.

 

1998 Z71

5.7L

[RyanZ71]

Given where you live, you might consider running 5W30 in the winter time and 10W30 in the months when it's warmer

[RyanbabZ71]

5W

[JayMan]

I live in Canada, so it's colder here. I run Mobil 1 0W-30 in winter and Mobil 1 10W-30 in summer. My Vortec 5.3 used to give that infamous "knock-knock" when new and cold. Mobil 1 0W-30 cured it.

 

2000 GMC Sierra Extended Cab, 4WD, Z71, Sportside, 4.10 gears, G80 Gov-Lok, Z82 towing package

 

Jerry

[99silveradoz71]

5-30 year round here.

[points]

0W30 in winter and 15W40 in summer...

[k1500chevy97]

10 30 year round

[Black02Silverado]

Either one will be fine. Just the extra benefits of running 5w-30 in the colder months out weigh the rest with 10w-30. Running 5w-30 gives you the easier starting, which helps reduce wear and tear on your battery, and starter. When the oil gets up to operating temperature they are both the same, a 30 weight oil.

 

I would go with the 5w-30 year round, the choice is yours.

[Red2500HD]

Why not just follow GM's recommendations.... 5W-30, 10W-30, or for us up North, 0W-30 (in the winter only). They make it pretty clear, "DO NOT USE OTHER VISCOSITY OILS".

[Elwood 2000]

I have run 10-30 since new, year around. I have thought about switching to 5-30 in the winter, but have never done it.

 

My "engine knock" at start up in the winter is not bad at all with the 10-30 and my truck lives outside all the time.

[Lance Link]

I run 10W/30 year-round here in Maine, although all the vehicles stay in a heated garage at night.

[Butch 02 Denali]

I ran 5-30 M1 for the first winter after I got the truck for break-in, now I run 10-30 M1 year round. I like the extra cold protection of the 10-30 over the 5-30. I noticed absolutly no difference in cold cranking between the two oils, and my truck lives outside in New England.

 

Butch 02 Sierra Denali

[chevy4x4trucks]

I'm from Wisconsin too and I run 5w in the winter months since we drop below 0 quite a bit during winter.

[JayMan]

As far as the Vortec "knock knock" I only noticed it before my first oil change. The dealer claims the motor was factory filled with a mineral-based 5W-30.

 

A few times, it has dropped to 0 with Mobil 1 10W-30, and I didn't notice the valvetrain knock/rattle. With Mobil 1 0W-30, I've never had valvetrain knock/rattle even at -42, and that was parked outside a chilly motel room in BFE.

 

FYI: Mobil claims their M1 10W-30 is safe to -42, and the M1 0W-30 is safe to -58.

[Nick2000Gmc]

5w-30 ( Canada here too ), I found it's better for the cold start knock as well, Also all you guys with cold start knock ever look under the hood for it, I get a lot of noise from the fan clutch ( I think you might be hearing it too eh ) . Just my canadian thought. Ooh One more thing JEAN CHRIETIEN is a **** , should help the americans when They asked ( I remember 911 **** the taliban ) Bush should have killed saddam when he had a chance