I’ve switched over to 5w30 synthetic. The car was using some oil with the 0w20. Not like a sieve but noticeable. Much better now. I must have gotten one of the slightly imperfect engines.
I’ve switched over to 5w30 synthetic. The car was using some oil with the 0w20. Not like a sieve but noticeable. Much better now. I must have gotten one of the slightly imperfect engines.
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View my fuel log 2014 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 43.1 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.8 mpg (Imp)
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
Amen. You’d have to be out of your damn mind to put 0w20 in a cast iron Ford engine.
My 1985 F150 with a straight 6 engine always gets Shell Rotella 15w40. Zinc is very important in an old engine.
I can't find the report where the old engine was driven on 0W-20, so I must have made that up. However, I did find this article that focuses on thinner oils.
Blackstone Labs | The Oil Report February 2017
Follow the link to read the entire contents.Originally Posted by Blackstone Labs | The Oil Report February 2017
Ryan, the author of the article, sees good results of trying thinner oil, and he's seen thousands upon thousands of samples.
Another helpful source of information on engine oil is Motor Oil University at the BITOG forum. There viscosity is discussed, particularly the importance of flow and thin(ner) oils. Emphasis is placed on cold viscosity. Read the series for yourself, as it will do a better job explaining than I can.
It's your car, and your decision on what to fill the engine with. I'm only posting this information to illustrate that the belief that thin oil is bad ain't necessarily so. If you are curious, follow up with some regular testing to see how a different oil works.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
I'll credit that viscosity recommendation to the temperatures the car will be operating in, as found in the Owner's Manual. But I'm curious - which countries are recommending 5W-30 for the Mirage? I would be surprised if they experience regular cold temperatures as we have here in North America.
For stevedmc, I'm sure it will work out just fine. He doesn't experience as many cold starts for all the highway miles he puts on his Mirage. For someone in Wisconsin who may have shorter commutes, that thicker oil might not be the best choice.
Because little details can make a big difference.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
What type of oil do you think people have been using in Wisconsin for decades?
According a source (2012 Consumer Reports article) that I read (quote below), 0W-20 synthetic oil made up less than 1% of the oil market in 2012. I've been changing my own oil for multiple decades, & I never even heard/noticed 0W-20 oil until 2013. That was when I bought my used 2011 Forester.
"While such low-viscosity oil had been limited to high-end and European cars just a few years ago, Linden says Japanese automakers have recently approved the use of ultra-thin motor oils, spreading the requirement to more popular cars. Even still, 0W-20 currently makes up less than 1 percent of oil sales according to George Morvey, an energy project manager at Kline consulting, up from almost nothing three years ago."
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...cars/index.htm
I am not saying 0W-20 synthetic is not a great winter oil. It may be the best, but I've only been using it for the past 5-6 years.
I have never had a problem with 5W-30 oil used year round in Wisconsin in any of my past vehicles. I wish that I could say the same about my first 0W-20 vehicle. It's had more issues than all the others combined. I do have more confidence in my Mirage, but that confidence is not based on the use of 0W-20 synthetic oil.
At this point, I am not convinced car companies are cranking out spectacular products. I would pick a 2000-05 model Honda/Toyota over anything on the market today. Not because they are necessarily better, but because they are proven!
There is a lot junk being sold on the market, & people are paying a lot of money for it. Just the other day someone told me they only have 55,000 miles on their Dodge Ram (Hemi engine) pickup, & it's already on its third transmission. Its most difficult job is hauling a cattle trailer to town a couple times a year. It's not an overworked truck.
I'm just not really impressed with much these days, but I do like my cheap little Mirage!
Last edited by Mark; 04-18-2019 at 03:47 AM.
In reference to the original posting in this thread, I really don't think it matters what type of oil you use (0W-20, 5W-20, 5W-30, synthetical, conventional, etc...). You apparently don't drive much. I would be more concerned about changing your oil more regularly than what you decide to put in it.
If you purchased your Mirage new, your 10-year/100,000 powertrain warranty is most likely voided by waiting 3-years to do an oil change anyways. Most conventional/synthetic oils on the market today are pretty good. If replacing your oil with an expensive synthetic is going to make you feel like it has to stay in there for an extended period of time (year or more), I would go with something you're more willing to change out more frequently.
I am not trying to be critical of the time period of first oil change. I just feel reducing that time period may be way more important than your oil choice.
Steve is doing OK (no engine leaks or burning oil) with 5W-30 conventional oil changed every 5,000 miles.
Just curious? Anyone else have anywhere near 245,000+ trouble-free miles on their Mirage using 0W-20 synthetic changed every 7,500 miles? If so, how's your Mirage doing?