3.0L duramax 0w20 vs 5w30

[djsr2015]

2021 Sierra 3.0 owner. First truck.

 

Just wondering if there would be any reason/advantage to use 5w30 dexos D oil instead of the 0w20 dexos D.

 

had a ‘09 vw jetta tdi, and a 2018 cruze with the 1.6L diesel. I was surprised to see the 3.0L duramax called for 0w20. Just seems a little thin to me.

would the thicker oil sacrifice some fuel economy but provide better engine protection without restricting oil flow to the turbo and other critical components?

 

thanks.

[Z45]

Question: If  0W20 oil is recommended for my vehicle’s engine, do I have to use it?

Answer: Yes. Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 pickup trucks, were designed, engineered, validated and EPA certified using  0W20 oil. This is the ONLY oil approved for these engines.

[newdude]

There is no 5w30 Dexos D oils.  There are 5w30 Dexos 2 oils for use in Colorado/Canyon/Cruze/Equinox/Terrain diesels.

 

3.0 Duramax is 0w20 only.  dexos®1 Gen 2 | GM (gmdexos.com)

[diyer2]

If you want better protection use a 100% synthetic 0W20 oil. 

Amsoil

Redline

[Grumpy Bear]

https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/databulletins/g3467.pdf

 

All squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares. Not all diesel oils a DEXOS D but if protection is key.....

 

This link is a 5W30 Diesel oil that will meet the needs for proper detergent types and levels. (Soot control) Yes it will sacrifice a 'hint' of fuel economy vs a 0W20. Yes is will increase protection from wear. Has a HTHS of 3.5, high enough to meet the 0/5W40 specs for the API.  Has a very low sulfonate ash content. (resist sludge formation due to ash) Will tolerate the heats turbo's generate. Very low NOACK. (Lower consumption, lower inlet and compressor build up) Can even be used in your GDI gas motors SN+.

 

No it is not DEXOS D licensed. During the warranty period do not extend the OCI.   

[Black02Silverado]

Here is more information and the data sheet for the dexos D oils from AMSOIL

 

Run the 0w-20 and stay in the warranty of the manufacture.  AMSOIL's 100% synthetic will provide superior protection.

 

If you are interested in using AMSOIL. Let me know and I can  help.

Edited June 1, 2021 by Black02Silverado

[Black02Silverado]

3 hours ago, newdude said:

There is no 5w30 Dexos D oils.  There are 5w30 Dexos 2 oils for use in Colorado/Canyon/Cruze/Equinox/Terrain diesels.

 

3.0 Duramax is 0w20 only.  dexos®1 Gen 2 | GM (gmdexos.com)

AMSOIL offers a dexos D 5w-30.  See my link above for the data sheet.

[Z45]

0W-20 engine oil can reduce the startup load by making it easier to turn over a cold engine and the impact is felt at higher temperatures than most consumers would think,  not simply to what feels cold to humans - warm summers days are cold to an parked engine.  Also these newer engines operate at peak efficiency with the oem recommended viscosity.

 

[Grumpy Bear]

7 hours ago, Black02Silverado said:

Here is more information and the data sheet for the dexos D oils from AMSOIL

 

Run the 0w-20 and stay in the warranty of the manufacture.  AMSOIL's 100% synthetic will provide superior protection.

 

If you are interested in using AMSOIL. Let me know and I can  help.

 

7 hours ago, Black02Silverado said:

AMSOIL offers a dexos D 5w-30.  See my link above for the data sheet.

 

My bad Nick. I forgot about this oil series in the current catalog. 

 

 

[djsr2015]

Thanks for all the helpful responses.  It’s a lot to digest.  I’m guessing at the very least I should stick with a dexos D certified oil just so I won’t void my warranty.
 

Definitely want longevity of the engine, turbo and dpf though.
 

i wouldn’t have thought twice about the oil weight, but a friend of mine enlightened me that in North America the manufacturers tend to run thinner oils for the slight advantage on mpg, where over in Europe and other parts of the world a thicker oil is run to provide better protection for the engine.

 

does anyone know of anybody owning/operating a 3.0L duramax Europe or somewhere else in the world to confirm?

 

I also didn’t realize how big of a brand Amsoil is.  Total quartz is another brand I’m familiar with, they won’t have a dexos D formula until the first quarter of next year though.  Interesting how amsoil has a dexos D to offer now, because I thought acdelco and exxonmobile had an exclusivity agreement on the recipe until the end of 2021.

[djsr2015]

So amsoil does have a 5w30 dexos D.  I can’t imagine a slightly thicker oil would hurt engine.  It has a block heater too, for those cold starts. Southern Ontario, Canada.

[Black02Silverado]

I understand that it is hard to accept a 0w-20 will protect your investment. But realize GM has developed the 3.0 diesel from the ground up and the oil was part of that R&D.  Run it with confidence.

 

Also 0w-20 has been out for a long time in gas engines with hundreds of thousands of miles with no issues.  Oil has come a long way and a true synthetic like AMSOIL will provide superior protection.

[Grumpy Bear]

It isn't that*w20, can't do a great job; Honda proved that decades ago. But....GM isn't Honda and has no interest in becoming so. FWIW Honda pioneered the modern piston ring and pretty much what the rest of the world knows about it they learned from Soichiro Honda. GM hasn't got a ring set right since the Vortec and/or 3800. 

 

As far as "modern oils". They have actually gone backward about 30 years in the last 15. You run a 'modern' oil in a 65 Chevy 350 and you won't have a cam or rings left in it. They are also struggling to just keep pace. Every time they make a 5% improvement in base oils and add packages the OEM's push the requirement 10%. We have about four GM engine series now holding awful reputations for collapsed rings, failed timing chains and PCV issues and...and...and....

 

As far as viscosity is concerned the requirement is at the mercy of operating temperature and surface finish. You can build a Y block Ford to run 5W20. 

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by Grumpy Bear

[Grover67]

Does Amsoil have a oil filter for the 3.0l to replace  the A/C PF66 out yet?

 

-Grover67

[Black02Silverado]

5 hours ago, Grover67 said:

Does Amsoil have a oil filter for the 3.0l to replace  the A/C PF66 out yet?

 

-Grover67

Not yet, they only list the Wix WL10351 oil filter.   You can look up what all is available here.