# Mechanic put in conventional oil



## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Puhffy said:


> 2011 cruze rs gas
> 
> Turbo blew, went to get fixed
> 
> ...


Fix it elsewhere, tell him he’s cheap and dumb for doing that, find a new mechanic


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## Puhffy (Aug 23, 2020)

100% get it changed ?

Or get or changed at say...2500km ?


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

It's the end of the world as we know it,
It's the end of the world as we know it,
It's the end of the world as we know it,
And I feel fine.

Give him the opportunity to make it right. Let him change the oil for free. Then find a new mechanic that knows what Dexos is.


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## Puhffy (Aug 23, 2020)

Cheers I appreciate it guys


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Your welcome


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

I don’t see any valid reason he would have put in conventional unless you told him to do so.


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## Puhffy (Aug 23, 2020)

Maqcro1 said:


> I don’t see any valid reason he would have put in conventional unless you told him to do so.


Of course I did not. I did 100% assume he would have known, as he had 500 reviews locally and a 4.8/5 star rating.

He offered to make it right, tomorrow I'll do that. The turbo is fine, just a bit smelly still from install.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Maqcro1 said:


> I don’t see any valid reason he would have put in conventional unless you told him to do so.


Remember he lives in Canada.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

JLL said:


> Remember he lives in Canada.


explains it


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Maqcro1 said:


> explains it


... what does Canada not have modern cars that need synthetic oil?


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Canada needs synthetic almost more than anyone, thanks to extreme cold weather. Need synthectic to flow for cold startups and need it still to protect the turbo internals and prevent sludge. 

Prety much nobody uses conventional oil anymore.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Thebigzeus said:


> ... what does Canada not have modern cars that need synthetic oil?


Of course they do.  
I was referring to a lot of Canada being rural.
At least where I'm from, in rural areas you get a lot of shade-tree "mechanics" who think they know just enough to be dangerous.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

It’s winter. You’re in Canada. Like, a Canadian winter. That means synthetic.

And by the way, all Dexos1 oil is synthetic. So whatever was put in your car does not meet the manufacture’s minimum specifications.

Tell me again why you didn’t bring your car to a Chevrolet dealer?


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Thebigzeus said:


> ... what does Canada not have modern cars that need synthetic oil?


it was only a joke. I used to live 3 hours from Canadian border. I’m sure Canada has good and bad mechanics like everywhere else.


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## Cruzing12 (Oct 10, 2020)

Tomko said:


> It’s winter. You’re in Canada. Like, a Canadian winter. That means synthetic.
> 
> And by the way, all Dexos1 oil is synthetic. So whatever was put in your car does not meet the manufacture’s minimum specifications.
> 
> Tell me again why you didn’t bring your car to a Chevrolet dealer?


The asinine cost of doing so vs the average mechanic. Theres about a $20-40/hr premium on shop time plus pricey oe parts around my way.

Rock auto and diy please


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Cruzing12 said:


> The asinine cost of doing so vs the average mechanic. Theres about a $20-40/hr premium on shop time plus pricey oe parts around my way.


You also get what you pay for......
Whenever I pay someone else to do my automotive service, personally I prefer to pay a little extra for quality OE parts and a knowledge technician to perform the labor.


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## Puhffy (Aug 23, 2020)

20-40hr?

Lol guys. 

In Canada it's 90 an hour.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Puhffy said:


> 20-40hr?
> 
> Lol guys.
> 
> In Canada it's 90 an hour.


I don’t think he was saying it like that. Where I live shops charge $160 per hour. It’s based on where you live.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

$90/hr is cheap nowdays for shop labor. Most are well over $150/hr. 

It's part of why I try and diy as much as possible.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

You guys gotta remember we're talking about 2 different currencies. USD$1.00 = CAD$1.27


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## thebac (Jul 29, 2017)

Good lord guys, running conventional oil for one change interval isnt going to kill the car or wreck the engine. Sheesh.

O/P, if youre THAT worried about it, have the guy change it out. If not, he owes you the next oil change in 3000mi/5000km for free.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

thebac said:


> Good lord guys, running conventional oil for one change interval isnt going to kill the car or wreck the engine. Sheesh.
> 
> O/P, if youre THAT worried about it, have the guy change it out. If not, he owes you the next oil change in 3000mi/5000km for free.


Not sure what part of Canada the OP is in, but it was -42F yesterday morning at my house.

Try starting your car with conventional oil at that temp. The oil won't reach the crankshaft for about  10 seconds. 

The aweful sound of a cold engine running dry waiting for oil is not nice. So, I would say it could damage the car. 

Synthetic oil only for me.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

thebac said:


> Good lord guys, running conventional oil for one change interval isnt going to kill the car or wreck the engine. Sheesh.
> 
> O/P, if youre THAT worried about it, have the guy change it out. If not, he owes you the next oil change in 3000mi/5000km for free.


It sure can, coke up that turbo oil feed line and its toast. It happens at around 230 with conventional and 270 with synthetic. But believe what you’d like.


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## thebac (Jul 29, 2017)

I come from the Duramax world, and have run 15w40 Rotella conventional oil for 17 years in my truck, which would see far more abuse than a 1.4 ever would. This is INCLUDING drag racing and sled pulling, with EGT's reaching 1700* at the end of the track in some cases.
I also have never had any problems running that oil in winter, and thats with starting the truck in -10 or worse temps, even when the truck has sat for over a week. 
Under regular use, I change the oil at 7500 mile intervals, and shortening those back when I was competing. 219,000 miles on it now, no issues.
So yeah, I believe one conventional oil change interval isnt going to hurt that 1.4.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

Got it, so we’re comparing Apples and Oranges now. At least we have duramax advice now. 😄


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Thebigzeus said:


> Got it, so we’re comparing Apples and Oranges now. At least we have duramax advice now. 😄


They look like the same engine to me:  

6.6L LB7 Duramax









1.4L LUJ/LUV


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## thebac (Jul 29, 2017)

Thebigzeus said:


> Got it, so we’re comparing Apples and Oranges now. At least we have duramax advice now. 😄


Im curious why you and others have to be such jerks, all the time? Seems to me, there's a cadre of guys on this forum that like to act like the "information police", who run down any opinion that doesnt match theirs, on any topic. Sad, really. No point in sticking around here if thats how its going to be. 

Dmax is the world I came from....and to me, EGT's, oil temps, oil flow...its all the same, whether its a 6.6 turbodiesel in a crewcab truck or 1.4 turbo gas in a little car. In my experience, Ive run my truck far harder for longer than anyone has run a Cruze, thats for **** sure, so thats where my opinion comes from. Sorry you dont like it.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

thebac said:


> Im curious why you and others have to be such jerks, all the time? Seems to me, there's a cadre of guys on this forum that like to act like the "information police", who run down any opinion that doesnt match theirs, on any topic. Sad, really.
> 
> Dmax is the world I came from....and to me, EGT's, oil temps, oil flow...its all the same, whether its a 6.6 turbodiesel in a crewcab truck or 1.4 turbo gas in a little car. In my experience, Ive run my truck far harder for longer than anyone has run a Cruze, thats for **** sure, so thats where my opinion comes from.


What we're trying is say is that your Duramax is designed to be a workhorse. It's designed to be used and abused. It's 1000 times the engine that the 1.4L is. We're not bashing your Duramax. We're trying to point out that just because it's ok for you Duramax doesn't mean it's ok for the tiny, econobox that is the 1.4L.

Does this make sense?


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

thebac said:


> Im curious why you and others have to be such jerks, all the time? Seems to me, there's a cadre of guys on this forum that like to act like the "information police", who run down any opinion that doesnt match theirs, on any topic. Sad, really. No point in sticking around here if thats how its going to be.
> 
> Dmax is the world I came from....and to me, EGT's, oil temps, oil flow...its all the same, whether its a 6.6 turbodiesel in a crewcab truck or 1.4 turbo gas in a little car. In my experience, Ive run my truck far harder for longer than anyone has run a Cruze, thats for **** sure, so thats where my opinion comes from. Sorry you dont like it.


I’m not a jerk. Your “opinion” as you have even called it is just that. It it not based on facts. Mine is. Sorry you take offense to that. Have a good day.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

15w40 conventional oil is definily not recommended for winter weather in my area as it flows terribly slow when cold. Its recommended useage is between 0F and 100F, but even then it is not as good as a full synthetic of the same rating.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

15w40 is the main weight for semis.

I'm not sure if there's anything else for big Diesels.

Semis go everywhere from Florida to Alaska.


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

5w30 conventional is not gonna harm a 2011 Cruze. Not even in a Canadian winter. 

When the 2011 Cruze came out Dexos1 wasn't full synthetic. There were even Dexos certified conventionals.

The owners manual should tell you that if Dexos1 isn't available you may use any API Starburst carrying 5w30 oil. You can use 0w30 in places were temps go below -29C per manual

Conventional 5w30 isn't necessarily thicker or thinner than synthetic 5w30

I'd honestly be running a Dexos2 or even a 5w30 diesel oil in my 10yr old Cruze. But that's a whole other conversation.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

snowwy66 said:


> 15w40 is the main weight for semis.
> 
> I'm not sure if there's anything else for big Diesels.
> 
> Semis go everywhere from Florida to Alaska.


Most of the time semis aren't doing true cold starts. Usually, they are preheated with engine or auxiliary heaters of some sort. 

Once warm in a running engine oil doesn't care much about ambient temperature. Just its temperature. 

Only matters what the oil temp is at cold startup. 15w40 at -40 is not going to pump well. Thats why I like oil pan heaters almost more than block heaters.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

TDCruze said:


> Most of the time semis aren't doing true cold starts. Usually, they are preheated with engine or auxiliary heaters of some sort.
> 
> Once warm in a running engine oil doesn't care much about ambient temperature. Just its temperature.
> 
> Only matters what the oil temp is at cold startup. 15w40 at -40 is not going to pump well. Thats why I like oil pan heaters almost more than block heaters.


Semis do cold starts every day.
Us locals don't leave em running overnight. 
And there's no electricity to plug in.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

snowwy66 said:


> Semis do cold starts every day.
> Us locals don't leave em running overnight.
> And there's no electricity to plug in.


Probably not -40 though.


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## Ricj c (Jan 7, 2020)

Puhffy said:


> 2011 cruze rs gas
> 
> Turbo blew, went to get fixed
> 
> ...


not much of a mechanic he should have known synthetic is the only type to put in the car.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Wow this thread got out of control fast 😂


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

Ricj c said:


> not much of a mechanic he should have known synthetic is the only type to put in the car.


Except that it's NOT the only type of oil you can put in it.


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Ma v e n said:


> Except that it's NOT the only type of oil you can put in it.


Would you put conventional oil in the LUJ Maven?


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

JLL said:


> Would you put conventional oil in the LUJ Maven?


Sure why not?

I wouldn't run JimBobs Backyard Dino Brew....but Mobil Super, Castrol GTX, or some other modern certified oil...of course. 

Mobil Super is API SP certified. It's a tougher standard than Dexos1 was when it this car was made.

And I wouldn't run it out to 7500 miles either. But I don't do that even when I use synthetic so...


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## turbobob_01 (Mar 20, 2013)

No biggie. Have him change it out and consider it a flush. Assuming you are happy with his work, if you get your oil changed at his shop make sure to remind him...synthetic only!


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## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Ma v e n said:


> Sure why not?
> 
> I wouldn't run JimBobs Backyard Dino Brew....but Mobil Super, Castrol GTX, or some other modern certified oil...of course.
> 
> ...


I would think that conventional oil would eventually gum up the turbo and VVT with the added heat of force induction?


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Ma v e n said:


> Sure why not?
> 
> I wouldn't run JimBobs Backyard Dino Brew....but Mobil Super, Castrol GTX, or some other modern certified oil...of course.
> 
> ...


Are you saying you got a problem with jimbobs backyard Dino brew? 😂


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

Again. Current oil


JLL said:


> I would think that conventional oil would eventually gum up the turbo and VVT with the added heat of force induction?


Like I said....if the oil being used is SP certified there's a really good chance it's better than the oil the car was intended to use. SM was the available spec when these cars came out and they are fully capable/"allowed" to run on that oil and be happy and healthy. The current oil available is 3 generations newer. 

Like with so many things, the way the cat is used and maintained are far more important than the exact commodities used to maintain it


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## Ma v e n (Oct 8, 2018)

Maqcro1 said:


> Are you saying you got a problem with jimbobs backyard Dino brew? 😂


No, it's pretty solid, bit James just doesn't keep up with the newest specs I still run JBBYDB 5w30 in my old truck though.


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