Matt_Jr
Platinum Member
I too switched from 5-30 to 0-30. Switched from Mobil 1 to BG Hi-Low for a while then switched to Amsoil signature series. The Amsoil is supposed to be good for 35,000 miles. Yeah, that's right. Not an extra zero and that comma is in the right place. The Amsoil filter is made by Wix to Amsoil's specification with Amsoil's own filter media. The filter is good for 25,000 miles. Crazy, huh? Any how when I made my switch from Mobil 1 5-30 to BG Hi-Low 0-30 the mileage in my '04 Silverado went from a steady 14.9 mpg to 15.8 mpg. No change was found when switched to the Amsoil. I did the same thing in my '03 Prius. It has it's own mpg calculator that has never been correct but makes a great guide. After switching from Mobil 1 to BG Hi-Low and then to Amsoil I couldnt get consistent enough calculations to say how big the differance is consistently in the Prius but they fall between 1-3 better depending on the weather. Running the A/C during hot weather drops the mileage but at temps around 50F I usually get 43-47 depending on weather. No doubt living on a Mountain lowers my mileage from what it would be if I lived on level ground. Even headlight usage causes mileage to drop. More on the Prius than the Silverado.
I've taken off many valve covers, oil pans, etc. while being an auto tech as many of you have I'm sure. But seeing what bad habbits, poor maintenance and wrong oil types have done to the insides of these machines makes me very diligent in maintaining my vehicles properly. The carbon, sludge, cam wiping, sticking valves, prematurely worn timing chains and piston rings, seal failure due to oil starvation and so forth all could have been prevented with proper maintenance. That includes proper oil viscosity. Sure, using 5-30 instead of 5-20 probably won't hurt anything. Might even get 200k miles out of that vehicle. But to me using the 5-20 would be real cheap insurance. Not a sermon, just a thought
. -Matt
I've taken off many valve covers, oil pans, etc. while being an auto tech as many of you have I'm sure. But seeing what bad habbits, poor maintenance and wrong oil types have done to the insides of these machines makes me very diligent in maintaining my vehicles properly. The carbon, sludge, cam wiping, sticking valves, prematurely worn timing chains and piston rings, seal failure due to oil starvation and so forth all could have been prevented with proper maintenance. That includes proper oil viscosity. Sure, using 5-30 instead of 5-20 probably won't hurt anything. Might even get 200k miles out of that vehicle. But to me using the 5-20 would be real cheap insurance. Not a sermon, just a thought
. -Matt