# GM DEXOS 2 spec oil



## Z71 (Jan 1, 2019)

What is your opinion on fully syntehtic DEXOS 2 spec 5W30 oil sold by GM dealers for use in diesel vehicles? is this decent quality oil to be used in Cruze diesel engine? In terms of maintaining the engine warranty, this oil is what GM prefers that we use. The price from my local GM dealer with the discount I get is not bad for this oil - under $ 6/quart. Because this engine eneds just over 5 quarts with the oild filter change, you need to get 6 quarts of oil per oil change. I used this oil for my first oil change. The total cost of 6 quarts of oil and the AC oil filter was about $ 45.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

I didn't like how the dealer oil change acted in my gas. It went bye bye in 200 miles. 

You can buy Pennzoil at walmart cheaper. 5 quart jugs. I'm not seeing dexos2 on their websight though.


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

The individually bottled Dexos2 5w30 is a decent quality oil.I believe it's a Castrol bottling. It meets numerous desirable diesel oil specs. 

But Pennzoil Euro L does too, and it's almost always less than $5qt at Walmart if bought in 5qt jugs. If you want a Dexos2 oil, and want to keep the cost low, it's probably the best, most widely available oil.

Other products like Amsoil, and a select few others are likely far more capable of running extended oil change intervals....But you need to be willing to run them long intervals to make the cost work.


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## coalminer (Oct 31, 2018)

I have been looking everywhere for the Dexos2 oil and have not been able to find it anywhere, I need to change my oil next week, will probably have to go the dealer route to get the oil.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

You can purchase the Pennzoil Euro oil on Walmart Website and get it delivered to your door in a couple days if it is not in your local store


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

coalminer said:


> I have been looking everywhere for the Dexos2 oil and have not been able to find it anywhere, I need to change my oil next week, will probably have to go the dealer route to get the oil.


https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=pennzoil euro l&cat_id=0&typeahead=pennzoil euro l


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## coalminer (Oct 31, 2018)

Ugh Pennzoil...... Im a Castrol guy, Mobil 1 would even be ok. I called the dealer, they are having a special, 3 oil changes and tire rotations for 189, an individual oil change would be 65 plus 20 for the rotation. I think I am going to just go with the package. I like to change my own oil but really dont have a place to do it, the park I live in would probably not like it if I changed it in my driveway.


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

Castrol web site recommends Castrol Edge C3. Make sure "your guy" uses the correct oil. I've had "That Guy" put crap in when he said "Sure it's DEXOS2". I've had no problem with the Pennzoil. Those old favorite companies has been outdated BS for years now. 


Castrol Edge Professional OECastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2C0919082GlobalCastrol Edge Professional OECastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2C0919082GlobalCastrol Edge Professional OE-XCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2C1120082GlobalCastrol GTX MPCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20789IB082GlobalCastrol Magnatec C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0109082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20635HI082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional MPCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0110082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional MPCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0110082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional MP DXCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0112082GlobalCastrol Magnatec SN/C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20637HI082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Stop-Start C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2E0131082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Stop-Start C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2E0131082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Stop-Start SN/C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20636HI082Global


Castrol Edge C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2E0209082Global


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

coalminer said:


> Ugh Pennzoil...... Im a Castrol guy, Mobil 1 would even be ok.


I have to ask: Why do you care?

I'm always an amateur study of people's brand preferences. One area where I just can't figure out why people care is motor oil. So, serious question: Why do you care?


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> I have to ask: Why do you care?
> 
> I'm always an amateur study of people's brand preferences. One area where I just can't figure out why people care is motor oil. So, serious question: Why do you care?


You should care. We all care. Because different oils act differently. 

I won't use dealer oil because the car takes too long to cool down and mileage was 6 lower then what I use. 

Then there's fuel dilution. Do you want your oil filled with gas?

How good does it clean the engine. Quaker used to be notorious for going 3,000 miles and still looking fresh while Pennz would be black. Black means it's cleaning the insides. While still looking fresh wasn't doing anything to clean. 

So you might wanna rethink that comment as to why people care what oil they use. Although most of you don't know to look for those little idiocies. Some of us do.

I drove one semi that only liked delo400 or mobile delvac. Anything else caused the motor to sound like a tank blowing up. Ran hotter. Lowered economy. Longer to cool down. And leaked through the gaskets. One oil I used was REALLY bad at gasket leaks. It was also good for blowing heads because the engine ran hotter. And couldn't make that climb from Phoenix to Flagstaff.


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## coalminer (Oct 31, 2018)

Barry Allen said:


> I have to ask: Why do you care?
> 
> I'm always an amateur study of people's brand preferences. One area where I just can't figure out why people care is motor oil. So, serious question: Why do you care?


Where I worked previously, one of my tasks was to make sure all of the company vans were taken care of, we would take it to a little Castrol oil change place in town and after watching these vehicles rack up the miles and notice that after 200 or 300k they still didnt use any oil between changes, I was convinced, I use Castrol whenever I can in my vehicles. Well except for the ones that would burn or leak oil, then I would just use whatever I could find that was cheap.....


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## coalminer (Oct 31, 2018)

sailurman said:


> Castrol web site recommends Castrol Edge C3. Make sure "your guy" uses the correct oil. I've had "That Guy" put crap in when he said "Sure it's DEXOS2". I've had no problem with the Pennzoil. Those old favorite companies has been outdated BS for years now.
> 
> 
> Castrol Edge Professional OECastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2C0919082GlobalCastrol Edge Professional OECastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2C0919082GlobalCastrol Edge Professional OE-XCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2C1120082GlobalCastrol GTX MPCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20789IB082GlobalCastrol Magnatec C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0109082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20635HI082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional MPCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0110082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional MPCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0110082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Professional MP DXCastrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2D0112082GlobalCastrol Magnatec SN/C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20637HI082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Stop-Start C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2E0131082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Stop-Start C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30GB2E0131082GlobalCastrol Magnatec Stop-Start SN/C3Castrol Ltd.dexos2™5W-30D20636HI082Global
> ...



Oh yeah, some of those little oil change places were known for saying they had the correct oil and just put whatever they had in their tank. That little place I took our company vans specially ordered a Castrol oil for a 2005 Sprinter I personally had and I seen the box it was in so I know it was the correct oil, but they sold that place to another person and when I went in there to get my Sprinter oil changed, they said oh that takes regular oil, thankfully they still had enough in that box to change it, never went there again after that. 

I will have to try to find a place I can order the Edge C3 oil from.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

snowwy66 said:


> I won't use dealer oil because the car takes too long to cool down


Cool down like what? Engine temperature?


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> snowwy66 said:
> 
> 
> > I won't use dealer oil because the car takes too long to cool down
> ...


Yep

When you park your car at work for 10 hours+ in 60 degrees and your temp gauge reads 130. 

I seen one brand in the semi that the temp gauge only dropped 20 degrees over night.


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## Jondaytona (Apr 26, 2018)

Z71 said:


> What is your opinion on fully syntehtic DEXOS 2 spec 5W30 oil sold by GM dealers for use in diesel vehicles? is this decent quality oil to be used in Cruze diesel engine? In terms of maintaining the engine warranty, this oil is what GM prefers that we use. The price from my local GM dealer with the discount I get is not bad for this oil - under $ 6/quart. Because this engine eneds just over 5 quarts with the oild filter change, you need to get 6 quarts of oil per oil change. I used this oil for my first oil change. The total cost of 6 quarts of oil and the AC oil filter was about $ 45.


I have used Amsoil for most everything in the last 10+yrs. Since I bought my Cruze a year ago I've been using the Amsoil, but have recently decided to purchase through the Chevy dealer now. It sounds like I get the same deal as you and since I deal with a specific Chevy dealership through work, it's more convenient than the Amsoil for me and cheaper too. I can't say I noticed a difference and really didn't think I would with a little diesel like this. I think it's personal preferences and what exactly you want out of it. All Dexos 2 approved oils will have the bare essentials to meet Dexos 2 specs, but some brands (like Amsoil) will have more properties that will appeal to those that might say it will make the engine last longer or they use it to prolong their oil change intervals. I'm fine with changing my oil exactly as the information center tells me to with dealer oil/filter. JMO


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Jondaytona said:


> I have used Amsoil for most everything in the last 10+yrs. Since I bought my Cruze a year ago I've been using the Amsoil, but have recently decided to purchase through the Chevy dealer now. It sounds like I get the same deal as you and since I deal with a specific Chevy dealership through work, it's more convenient than the Amsoil for me and cheaper too. I can't say I noticed a difference and really didn't think I would with a little diesel like this. I think it's personal preferences and what exactly you want out of it. All Dexos 2 approved oils will have the bare essentials to meet Dexos 2 specs, but some brands (like Amsoil) will have more properties that will appeal to those that might say it will make the engine last longer or they use it to prolong their oil change intervals. I'm fine with changing my oil exactly as the information center tells me to with dealer oil/filter. JMO


We can all get into a huge can of worms here, but there are many differences between oils that can be explained on a technical level that some might just chalk up as "the engine not liking it." 

One big advantage to AMSOIL lubricants is low volatility. The volatility of the oil matters a lot when we are talking about oil consumption through the PCV system. That oil will clog the DPF over time and result in emissions-related issues. A lower volatility oil will reduce the chance of emissions-related problems. 

Another big advantage is shear stability. All else ignored, you'd probably be fine with just about any dexos2 spec synthetic oil, but the big difference is how well those oils handle conditions beyond the norm. Conditions like an injector leaking that you didn't know about before, causing high fuel dilution in the oil. Diesel oils especially can only stand so much fuel dilution before their ability to protect is severely compromised. With AMSOIL, we see the oil protecting with fuel dilution clear past 5%. Same for other high end diesel oils like LE (Lubrication Engineers). 

At the end of the day, you have to make the decision if it's worth the nominal price increase to get the peace of mind and protection AMSOIL offers or if you are fine with just using something that's "good enough" like Pennzoil Euro or GM's dealer oil.

Brad tested AMSOIL's 5W-30 Improved ESP Euro Spec oil out to 100k miles without pulling the drain plug. Changed filters, had oil analysis done, and topped off a total of 5 quarts in that time. If that's not a proof of performance, I don't know what is.


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## Jondaytona (Apr 26, 2018)

XtremeRevolution said:


> We can all get into a huge can of worms here, but there are many differences between oils that can be explained on a technical level that some might just chalk up as "the engine not liking it."
> 
> One big advantage to AMSOIL lubricants is low volatility. The volatility of the oil matters a lot when we are talking about oil consumption through the PCV system. That oil will clog the DPF over time and result in emissions-related issues. A lower volatility oil will reduce the chance of emissions-related problems.
> 
> ...


I agree with ya for the most part. Like I said, I have an Amsoil dealer that I work with and have been a customer for over 10yrs. As far as "nominal price increase", from $5/quart for GM dealer oil to $9/quart Amsoil Euro is more than nominal in my opinion.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Jondaytona said:


> I agree with ya for the most part. Like I said, I have an Amsoil dealer that I work with and have been a customer for over 10yrs. As far as "nominal price increase", from $5/quart for GM dealer oil to $9/quart Amsoil Euro is more than nominal in my opinion.


I wouldn't trust the OEM oil to protect the engine till the oil life monitor reaches 1%. I would trust AMSOIL to do that. On that basis alone, even ignoring "extended" service intervals, the cost factor becomes far less. 

Between $5 a quart and $9 a quart is a difference of $20 on a single oil change. The percentage increase is high, but in the context of the cost of most automotive repairs and the cost of the vehicle itself, the difference is negligible. However, we go back to the question, "how long do you plan on keeping it?" If I wasn't a dealer, and I was leasing a car, I'd just run the cheapest oil possible and run the oil life monitor down to 1% and make it someone else's problem once the lease gets turned back in. However, I see cars as long-term investments, and plan accordingly for the future when I purchase them. My 2012 Cruze is still running excellently. I even go so far as to spray MPHD on any surface rust I find when I'm working on it so I can maximize the return on that investment. 

I'm just pointing out here, for owners that plan on keeping these vehicles a while, there are worthwhile benefits that will provide long-term savings over using the cheapest option possible.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

snowwy66 said:


> When you park your car at work for 10 hours+ in 60 degrees and your temp gauge reads 130.
> 
> I seen one brand in the semi that the temp gauge only dropped 20 degrees over night.


Ideally, you want engine/oil temperature to be at operating temperature as soon as possible. Cold starts cause the most wear to engines. An oil that magically keeps your engine warm overnight is the best oil to have.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I wouldn't trust the OEM oil to protect the engine till the oil life monitor reaches 1%.


Why not? Engine oil life monitors are notoriously conservative in their estimations.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> Ideally, you want engine/oil temperature to be at operating temperature as soon as possible. Cold starts cause the most wear to engines. An oil that magically keeps your engine warm overnight is the best oil to have.


So, you want your engine cylinders to be cooking while the car is parked. 

An oil that stays hot is also an engine that runs hot. HOTTER then normal. Which also causes lower oil pressure. 
Come summer time. I want my engine running cool. Not hotter then normal. 

Cold starts are meaningless to the imports. While chev cold idle is 1000. Imports cold idle is 2000. 

You can have heat. The rest of us want to cool down. 

BTW. Engine wear is more of a problem in winter then summer.

If cooking your engine with poor lubicrating qualities was supposed to be good. ALL oils would be there way. Instead of just poor quality oil.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Barry Allen said:


> Why not? Engine oil life monitors are notoriously conservative in their estimations.


Really? Because on the GM oils, the oil life monitors have been notoriously liberal. In fact, they were SO liberal on the Cruze, that in 2013, GM had to recalibrate the oil life monitor to significantly reduce the interval because the oil was causing failures when people were running them out to the entire oil life monitor duration. The minimum quality specification is only really designed to get you through the warranty period, after which GM will be more than happy to take your money on a trade-in or repair.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Barry Allen said:


> Ideally, you want engine/oil temperature to be at operating temperature as soon as possible. Cold starts cause the most wear to engines. An oil that magically keeps your engine warm overnight is the best oil to have.


There's no such thing as a magical engine oil that keeps your engine warm overnight. Variations in engine oils don't have that big of a difference in thermal transfer abilities, so if the engine cools down, the oil does as well. 

What you should have, however, is an oil that flows well enough in cold conditions so as to lubricate the critical components on start-up. If want warm engine oil on start-up, slap an oil pan heater on the car and plug it in overnight. I don't think it's necessary and neither do my oil analysis reports.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

I'd buy the oil pan heater if I lived in the extreme north during winter.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

snowwy66 said:


> I'd buy the oil pan heater if I lived in the extreme north during winter.


I'd buy the oil pan heater if I had somewhere to plug it in. My apartment at home doesn't have an external plug and my workplace doesn't, either.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

XtremeRevolution said:


> There's no such thing as a magical engine oil that keeps your engine warm overnight.


I agree. I do not believe that anyone has ever seen a semi tractor engine shut down overnight and only experienced a 20 degree temperature drop. Even if this were true, it doesn't matter because a warm start is the next best thing to a cold start with a proper multi-grade oil that has a good low-temperature viscosity index.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

XtremeRevolution said:


> We can all get into a huge can of worms here, but there are many differences between oils that can be explained on a technical level that some might just chalk up as "the engine not liking it."
> 
> One big advantage to AMSOIL lubricants is low volatility. The volatility of the oil matters a lot when we are talking about oil consumption through the PCV system. That oil will clog the DPF over time and result in emissions-related issues. A lower volatility oil will reduce the chance of emissions-related problems.
> 
> ...


Do you happen to have the oil analysis for the pennzoil? Im now done with free GM oil changes on the cruze. if i can at least get 5k miles out of the pennzoil safely ill be quite happy. we car pool to work and use her spark (100% of our driving is now in her car). My CTD is claybared waxed and under a car cover for the last 6 months.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

pandrad61 said:


> Do you happen to have the oil analysis for the pennzoil? Im now done with free GM oil changes on the cruze. if i can at least get 5k miles out of the pennzoil safely ill be quite happy. we car pool to work and use her spark (100% of our driving is now in her car). My CTD is claybared waxed and under a car cover for the last 6 months.


I don't have any oil analysis reports from that oil. I inferred from their base oil quality and volatility of other products they make with that base oil that it's better than most things you'll find on a store shelf. Not as good as AMSOIL, but one of the better "locally sourced" options.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> XtremeRevolution said:
> 
> 
> > There's no such thing as a magical engine oil that keeps your engine warm overnight.
> ...


You don't seem to believe in much.

Recycled oil won't have the proper multi grade

Cheap oil won't either.


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I don't have any oil analysis reports from that oil. I inferred from their base oil quality and volatility of other products they make with that base oil that it's better than most things you'll find on a store shelf. Not as good as AMSOIL, but one of the better "locally sourced" options.


LOL, well played.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

snowwy66 said:


> You don't seem to believe in much.


Having a background in physics, what you say defies reality. You'd have to have an engine sealed inside a vacuum flask to say you park it for 10 hours with only a 20 degree temperature drop.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> Having a background in physics, what you say defies reality. You'd have to have an engine sealed inside a vacuum flask to say you park it for 10 hours with only a 20 degree temperature drop.


What if I told you, PHYSICS doesn't have an answer for everything. 

I have a background in reality. I worked for that company almost 2 years. That was a LOT of gaskets and cylinder heads that got replaced from the cheap oil. 
My truck got the good stuff. It performed better and never once needed a head. I was buying that truck too so I got the say in what happened.


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

snowwy66 said:


> What if I told you, PHYSICS (can we says science) doesn't have an answer for everything.


I'd say you're giving God(s), Intelligent Design, The Creator, etc... Far more more credit for control of day to day life than they deserve. 


One of three things is going on here..

An act of spiritual faith is required to understand what goes on in your trucks...

Physics(or science as a whole) can explain it...

Or you're wrong in the data that you presented.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Lubrication is a science, and a very complex science at that. Tribology is the technically correct term. Everything that happens inside an engine can be explained, but getting the knowledge to understand that is very difficult. I've been trying for years and some of the best resources I've found were people who have worked in the industry as highly decorated specialists. I keep those friends close and regularly thank then and appreciate them for their time. They've passed on knowledge you simply won't get in a classroom or textbook.


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Ma v e n said:


> I'd say you're giving God(s), Intelligent Design, The Creator, etc... Far more more credit for control of day to day life than they deserve.
> 
> 
> One of three things is going on here..
> ...


Engine sounded like a tank, leaky gaskets. 7 gallons oil consumed on a 750 mile trip. Fuel bill was 25% higher for the same trip. 
On the way back. Engine was quieter. 1 gallon oil consumed. Fuel economy improved. 
There's a label on the frame that says ONLY DELO400 APPROVED. And that label does not lie. 

NOW. Throw in the rest of the fleet constantly getting new cylinder heads. 

NOW. Let's switch the topic back to the cruze. 
I did the first free oil change at 500 miles. My fuel average DROPPED from 33 to 28. And wouldn't cool down. Switch to Pennz and we're back up to 35 and cooling down. 
Most of the stories about blown pistons on here. Were dealer oil changes. 

You guys can argue all you want. The bottom line is. Oil's act differently. And if you'd pay attention to the little details. You'd all know that by now. 

Back in the day. Quaker was the brand everyone bragged. WHY? Because it was still fresh after 3000 miles. A fresh oil means it's not cleaning the engine. Why would anyone want an oil that doesn't clean the engine?

Now some of you guys brag that there's no reason to switch oil sooner then 7500 miles. Problem with that idea is fuel starts dropping at the 4000 mile mark and gets worse for every 1000 miles. 

Extreme has brought up the subject of fuel dilution. I can't tell you all how many cars I've made pass emissions. With a simple oil change. The writing is right there in the sniffer test. Stick the probe in the valve cover and watch the machine max out. 

I pay attention to details. There's a reason I've stayed with Pennz my whole life. It's all in the DETAILS. 

I"m trying out the AMZ now.


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

Snowwy, now you're changing the topic from your comment that illicited the responses of incredulity from some of us. The anecdotes regarding temperature drop aren't possible. A Cruze that sat for 10hrs at 60degree ambient temp, but still was at 130F coolant temp is unbelievable. As is a truck that only dropped 20degrees over night if it was operating temp.

No one is debating that various oils act differently, can affect the sound and fuel economy of an engine, and the durability, but your temp claim data is unbelievable.

No idea why you're bringing up old Quaker State oil and why people likes it back then. it's not relevant.

Claiming engine don't like hot (within normal operating temp) temp oil is silly.

Claiming fuel buildup starts at 4000miles and gets worse every 1000 miles thereafter is also silly, and wrong.

Fuel dilution can and does start at any mielage, and it doesn't always get worse. Most healthy engines have a point where they get to and they no longer pollute the oil with fuel to any greater a degree. Think equilibrium, with fuel in and fuel out matching. Now whether this equilibrium point is at a level your oil and engine are okay with and at what mileage you reach this is a whole different topic.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

snowwy66 said:


> Engine sounded like a tank, leaky gaskets. 7 gallons oil consumed on a 750 mile trip. Fuel bill was 25% higher for the same trip.
> On the way back. Engine was quieter. 1 gallon oil consumed. Fuel economy improved.
> There's a label on the frame that says ONLY DELO400 APPROVED. And that label does not lie.
> 
> ...


Oil approvals don't have anything to do with what you're referring to. Delo is a minimum performance spec oil made by the lowest bidder. With 7 gallons burned in 750 miles, something else was going on with the truck. No oil that meets basic API specs will do that. In addition, oil specifications change and oil formulations do as well. Guarantee delo isn't the same every 3 years. The only reason they had it on the frame is due to a marketing contract. Same reason GM uses Mobil 1 and FCA uses Pennzoil. Not because one is better than the other. 

I believe you to an extent. Nobody would believe just how differently my old Toyota Pickup ran after I drained out 1500 mile old valvoline semi-synthetic and put in AMSOIL SS. However, there are a ton of external factors when you talk about fuel economy. 

As for the notion that fuel gets worse after 4000 miles, oil analysis simply doesn't back that up. It might be true for cheap conventional oils but not of decent Synthetics. 

As for emissions, volatility makes a big difference. The rate of volatility of an oil directly affects emissions and consumption. You can drop volatility by going with a smaller multigrade viscosity gap or using a higher quality oil. Pennzoil Platinum happens to have a decently low volatility, for a group 3 oil at least. About 10% better than Mobil 1. 

Pennzoil wasn't using that base oil till 2014 though...

Sent from my BlackBerry Key2 using Tapatalk


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Ma v e n said:


> Snowwy, now you're changing the topic from your comment that illicited the responses of incredulity from some of us. The anecdotes regarding temperature drop aren't possible. A Cruze that sat for 10hrs at 60degree ambient temp, but still was at 130F coolant temp is unbelievable. As is a truck that only dropped 20degrees over night if it was operating temp.
> 
> No one is debating that various oils act differently, can affect the sound and fuel economy of an engine, and the durability, but your temp claim data is unbelievable.
> 
> ...


To add to your post, engines actually do "like" hot (normal temp at 200-220F) oil temps as hot oil allows the engine oil to better release low pressure vapor liquids like fuel and water. 

Also to add to your post, I had an analysis come in with 4.4% fuel dilution at 950 miles. 2015 WRX. 

Sent from my BlackBerry Key2 using Tapatalk


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Oil approvals don't have anything to do with what you're referring to. Delo is a minimum performance spec oil made by the lowest bidder. With 7 gallons burned in 750 miles, something else was going on with the truck. No oil that meets basic API specs will do that. In addition, oil specifications change and oil formulations do as well. Guarantee delo isn't the same every 3 years. The only reason they had it on the frame is due to a marketing contract. Same reason GM uses Mobil 1 and FCA uses Pennzoil. Not because one is better than the other.
> 
> I believe you to an extent. Nobody would believe just how differently my old Toyota Pickup ran after I drained out 1500 mile old valvoline semi-synthetic and put in AMSOIL SS. However, there are a ton of external factors when you talk about fuel economy.
> 
> ...


Mobil-delvac and Delo were the only 2 oils that engine liked. Shell and Valvoline were ok. 
I have no idea what the shop was using but it was the cheapest anyone can find anywhere. Not your typical stuff sold on the shelf. NONE of the trucks liked it. 

As for the emissions. These were oils ran in the car MUCH longer then the standard 3,000 miles at that time. Keep in mind that I retired from wrenching almost 19 years ago. The fuel injection population was just starting to outnumber the carb population. 

As for the cruze. 34 mpg on whatever it had and 13 months sitting before being sold. 500 miles dealer and 28 mpg, 700 miles back to Penz and 36 at the start with a drop to 32. 5,000 Penz and 36 at the start, drop to 31, and 10,000 switch to amz. Just when the brutal winter was kicking in.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

snowwy66 said:


> Now some of you guys brag that there's no reason to switch oil sooner then 7500 miles. Problem with that idea is fuel starts dropping at the 4000 mile mark and gets worse for every 1000 miles.


The best fuel economy I achieved with my Cruze was driving to Florida in summer weather. I achieved 54.9 mpg with all highway driving, about 75-80 mph, with the air conditioning on all the time. And this was when the car was at the tail end of the factory fill oil lifespan - I ran the car down to 1% before I arrived in Florida and had the oil changed at a Chevy dealership there.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

XtremeRevolution said:


> With 7 gallons burned in 750 miles, something else was going on with the truck.


Yeah, something else was going on there. 

The worst car I owned for oil consumption was a 1986 Mazda RX-7. This was a rotary combustion engine that had an oil injection pump to purposely burn oil as part of the operation (lubricating the apex seals of the rotors) and it was also consuming oil from a lot of other high-mileage wear. I used Castrol 20W-50 and it would use a quart of oil every single tank of fuel (200-250 miles). It was almost like clockwork to where you could stop for fuel and when you checked the oil level it was exactly 1 quart low. This is the car that I never once changed the oil in about 80,000 miles of ownership because it didn't matter with the oil consumption and constant refilling. I'd just change the filter every 3,000 miles and kept it filled up.


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## Cruz15 (Mar 17, 2016)

Snowy is talking about Tractor Trailers and the amount of fluids are very very large not to mention everything else that holds heat. If you sleep for 5 hours all those fluids could keep alot of the heat. My car still has heat after my 8 hour shift in 60 degree heat and Its an 2018. So its very small in comparison.
Tractor Trailers are very different beasts.
I had a 3.0 v6 that hated some oils and loved others.


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## CruzeRO (Aug 26, 2018)

I use Shell to Cruze 2L


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

I was going to order some 5 qt. jugs of Pennzoil Platinum Euro L 5w-30 from Walmart.com, but I see they are "out of stock". 
I hope this is temporary. I am going down to the US in a couple weeks and wanted to get some once my free oil changes are done. 

It seems very hard to figure out which Walmart's carry this in store. I checked some a couple weeks ago while touring part of the US and none of the stores I visited had any dexos 2 oil on the shelf. I even tried a few Auto Parts stores, such as Autozone and O'Riley's and didn't find anything. 

There are a couple options available in Canada now on the shelf, but regular price is quite a bit higher than US options I have seen. 
Dexos 2 still seems hard to find, I expect with the Corvette now requiring dexos 2 0w-40 this oil should become more easy to find.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

CruzeRO said:


> I use Shell to Cruze 2L


Where can you purchase this from?


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## CruzeRO (Aug 26, 2018)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00BARO6U2/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A3B5SW5SOXGEY2&psc=1


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

TDCruze said:


> I expect with the Corvette now requiring dexos 2 0w-40 this oil should become more easy to find.


Why would Corvette use Dexos2 oils? Dexos2 is a specification designed for diesel engines, basically only for diesel engines. I mean, you can use it in gasoline engines, but there are better gasoline engine oils out there.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Barry Allen said:


> Why would Corvette use Dexos2 oils? Dexos2 is a specification designed for diesel engines, basically only for diesel engines. I mean, you can use it in gasoline engines, but there are better gasoline engine oils out there.


It is because the low saps apparently reduces carbon buildup on the intake valves of the direct injection engines. 

https://mobiloil.com/~/media/amer/u...vette mobil 1 esp formula 0w-40 one pager.pdf


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## CruzzieQ (Dec 26, 2014)

I care because my Cruze 1.4 runs hotter and I like to keep my engine alive longer


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

CruzzieQ said:


> I care because my Cruze 1.4 runs hotter and I like to keep my engine alive longer/forum/images/smilies/smile.png


NM.


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

Dexos2 also has higher ZDDP levels.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Well, today I was at my local Canadian Tire store and found 5L Pennzoil Platinum Euro L 5w-30 on sale for $30.99 (CAD)
Which puts this on par with the US Walmart regular pricing for a 5 qt jug. 
So, I grabbed 5 jugs, should be good for a while now!


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## Woodencanoe (May 30, 2019)

$19.00 a quart. Yikes


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## Woodencanoe (May 30, 2019)

$19.00 bucks


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## plano-doug (Jul 1, 2015)

Woodencanoe said:


> $19.00 a quart. Yikes


But it's got free shipping  

Seriously, I'm not sure, but I wonder if motor oil requires hazmat labeling to ship.

Doug

.


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## [email protected] (Mar 16, 2017)

plano-doug said:


> But it's got free shipping
> 
> Seriously, I'm not sure, but I wonder if motor oil requires hazmat labeling to ship.
> 
> ...


It does not surprisingly. Even coolant and fuel additives don't require any special labeling. The only car products that are tough to ship are aerosols if you are trying to ship them via an "air" service.


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## Thebigzeus (Dec 2, 2018)

[email protected] said:


> It does not surprisingly. Even coolant and fuel additives don't require any special labeling. The only car products that are tough to ship are aerosols if you are trying to ship them via an "air" service.


Can confirm, amazon just plastic wrapped my AC Delco ATF and threw it in an empty box with no padding.


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## //oilburner (Mar 9, 2019)

The RX-7 injects oil into the rotary combustion chamber to lubricate the apex seals - as you mentioned. I still have an FC RX-7 and FE-S2 RX-8 and my dealer RX-8 purchase - they went through this fact with me prior to purchase. The oil light illuminates when the oil sump requires refilling but if you check the oil every 4 fill ups, only about 0.5L is required on the Series ][. One of the best cars I've owned from a pure driving dynamics standpoint.


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## //oilburner (Mar 9, 2019)

Does anyone have an oil analysis from their GEN2 oil after an oil change?


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Is the AC Delco synthetic oil from the dealership decent? 

I'm on vacation and when time for an oil change I found none of the oil change shops had the dexos 2 spec oil. I found one Jiffy Lube that had the oil in stock, but not the filter (and they would not let me pick the filter up from one nearby JL location and drive to the other to get the change done). I ended up at the Chevy dealer because they at least had the filter and oil.

Also, that was a $95 oil change! I haven't paid for or had an oil change done at a shop in about two decades because I usually do them at home. And when I was in high school, working at a Wal-Mart doing oil changes, we were selling them for $13.88 and $18.88 (LOF, and full-service, respectively) with bulk Pennzoil conventional oil. I understand good synthetic oil is a firm requirement for many modern cars, but this was sticker shock.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

I was at Walmart today.
I noticed that they had their standard oil change for about $30, and they had Dexos semi synthetic for a few dollars more, and Mobil 1 for about $50.

I don't know what they use for filters, but there appears to be no direct equivalent to the Delco UPF64R and I'm sure they don't use that, probably use a Supertech equivalent to PF48 or PF64.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Taxman said:


> I was at Walmart today.
> I noticed that they had their standard oil change for about $30, and they had Dexos semi synthetic for a few dollars more, and Mobil 1 for about $50.
> 
> I don't know what they use for filters, but there appears to be no direct equivalent to the Delco UPF64R and I'm sure they don't use that, probably use a Supertech equivalent to PF48 or PF64.


Every Walmart I have visited has the filter for the gen2 diesel engine (either a Mobil 1 filter, a K&N filter, or both) and then I see a FRAM option there as well. I'd rather pay the extra couple dollars and go up in quality from what FRAM usually offers, but the FRAM filters I see are the "Tough Guard" filters that are a step up from the "Extra Guard" so maybe the FRAM option isn't bad.

What I don't ever see is any Dexos 2 oils on the shelf at Walmart. Not so much as a single quart is stocked. I see plenty of standard diesel engine oils (Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo400, etc.) but nothing for Dexos 2.

If your local Walmart is offering a Mobil 1 oil change for $50, ask if they have the Mobil 1 ESP oil that is the Dexos 2 rated oils. I've never seen it on the shelf at any Walmart so they can probably order it. But since Walmart has the Pennzoil Euro L oil available shipped to the store, you might as well uses that. It's what I intend to use in the future.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> Every Walmart I have visited has the filter for the gen2 diesel engine (either a Mobil 1 filter, a K&N filter, or both) and then I see a FRAM option there as well.


As MAVEN pointed out a while back, none of those are the duplicate of the UPF64R filter made for the LE2. They're just filters that fit, hopefully made to replace PF64 and not PF48. Bypass pressure on the 64R is well over 30psi, I'm pretty sure the M1-113A is less than 25psi. (but I admit my 2016 has a M1-113A in it right now, before that it had a dealer installed PF64)

I went to Rock Auto the other day to pick up a carton of bulk pack UPF64RF, and found out they no longer sell them by the case for $4.32x12, they sell them individually for over $6. 
Phooey. I may end up putting another 113A in this month.

IIRC, the M1-113 was a PF48 replacement and the 113A is made to match the PF64, which has a 22psi bypass.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Taxman said:


> As MAVEN pointed out a while back, none of those are the duplicate of the UPF64R filter made for the LE2.


Don't care, I drive a diesel (LH7) and use a different, cartridge filter. For cartridge filters I was under the impression that the pressure relief valve is integral to the engine.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> Don't care, I drive a diesel (LH7) and use a different, cartridge filter.


Oops, I didn't notice this was in the Diesel forum. 
Not many filter options for LH7, but at least they're all made for the LH7 specifically.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

The other nice problem I dealt with this weekend was the oil change at the dealership on Saturday. They apparently left the skid plate loose. On Monday I was driving to Olympic National Park and it was flapping and rattling in the wind to the point that a bunch of the front ground off the plate from scraping on the road. Another Chevy dealership in Port Angeles removed it for me. Today I went back to the original dealership from the oil change and they said they reattached the plate... only for it to be rattling again at freeway speeds. Went back promptly and they swear they put another bolt to hold it in place and then some insulation to keep it from making noise. It's holding on so far but still cheeses me off a bit that I've got a car that's a year old and one dealership has broken/destroyed the skid plate that provides oil change access.

I'll take the issue up with my dealership at home but I don't want to stick them with any costs. I'm basically going to ask if they can get GM to approve one as a warranty replacement.


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> The other nice problem I dealt with this weekend was the oil change at the dealership on Saturday. They apparently left the skid plate loose. On Monday I was driving to Olympic National Park and it was flapping and rattling in the wind to the point that a bunch of the front ground off the plate from scraping on the road. Another Chevy dealership in Port Angeles removed it for me. Today I went back to the original dealership from the oil change and they said they reattached the plate... only for it to be rattling again at freeway speeds. Went back promptly and they swear they put another bolt to hold it in place and then some insulation to keep it from making noise. It's holding on so far but still cheeses me off a bit that I've got a car that's a year old and one dealership has broken/destroyed the skid plate that provides oil change access.
> 
> I'll take the issue up with my dealership at home but I don't want to stick them with any costs. I'm basically going to ask if they can get GM to approve one as a warranty replacement.


Don't be concerned with the dealership eating warranty costs. They get paid from GM. Let them do their job, and if they are a good dealership they will be happy to do it!


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Z71 said:


> Because this engine eneds just over 5 quarts with the oild filter change, you need to get 6 quarts of oil per oil change.


The specs list 5.3 quarts as the oil quantity needed with a filter change. Instead of buying that extra quart to break it open and use a partial, I've found that telling them to fill with 5 quarts is fine. 

Oh, wow, it's 1/3 of a quart low on oil now.

That's zero consequence in the scope of things.


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