Kudos to Sooperrescue on his thread on Synthetic Oils. But the fact still remains that a lot of us still use 20W50 on our vehicles due to factors ranging from Cost to knowledge gap.

The aim of this thread is for us to know the best 20W50 engine oil we can use for our vehicles. I personally use Total Quartz 5000 20W50 which has served me quite well for almost 10 years. I had a situation last year where my mechanic trying to cut corners used Seahorse 20W50 for me. After a week of driving, I noticed the coarse sound coming from my engine.

Alot of us have had bad experiences with some of these Oils which have misleading labels. Let's share them here to help others learn.

Calling on the "Demeanors", Sooperrescue and Gazzuzz for their advice.

P.S. 20W50 is usually meant for older cars which are in the majority in Nigeria.

Frankdamaxx:
Kudos to Sooperrescue on his thread on Synthetic Oils. But the fact still remains that a lot of us still use 20W50 on our vehicles due to factors ranging from Cost to knowledge gap.

The aim of this thread is for us to know the best 20W50 engine oil we can use for our vehicles. I personally use Total Quartz 5000 20W50 which has served me quite well for almost 10 years. I had a situation last year where my mechanic trying to cut corners used Seahorse 20W50 for me. After a week of driving, I noticed the coarse sound coming from my engine.

Alot of us have had bad experiences with some of these Oils which have misleading labels. Let's share them here to help others learn.

Calling on the "Demeanors", Sooperrescue and Gazzuzz for their advice.

P.S. 20W50 is usually meant for older cars which are in the majority in Nigeria.

Which make is that car you are punishing?

Shalomc:


Which make is that car you are punishing?

Lol. The oil I use is okay for it. 2001 Civic. Never changed engine. I bought it from someone who bought it brand new. Still idles quietly.

Frankdamaxx:


Lol. The oil I use is okay for it. 2001 Civic. Never changed engine. I bought it from someone who bought it brand new. Still idles quietly.

Ok. Nice to know.

Frankdamaxx:


Lol. The oil I use is okay for it. 2001 Civic. Never changed engine. I bought it from someone who bought it brand new. Still idles quietly.

Has nothing to do with oil you are using. 2000-2005 Honda Civc are equipped with the best rugged and durable engine Honda ever built, the only issue it has is the TDC sensors, apart from that, it is a strong Honda range.

I am thinking of changing to sae 5w40 or 5w30.
Been using using fort 20w50 for 1yr plus and am sure the former user used 20w50 too for only God knows when

luvinhubby:




Has nothing to do with oil you are using. 2000-2005 Honda Civc are equipped with the best rugged and durable engine Honda ever built, the only issue it has is the TDC sensors, apart from that, it is a strong Honda range.

Are you saying if I use a low quality engine oil,there would be no effect?

Frankdamaxx:


Are you saying if I use a low quality engine oil,there would be no effect?

If you like use base oil on the engine, what you see is what you get.

Frankdamaxx:
Kudos to Sooperrescue on his thread on Synthetic Oils. But the fact still remains that a lot of us still use 20W50 on our vehicles due to factors ranging from Cost to knowledge gap.

The aim of this thread is for us to know the best 20W50 engine oil we can use for our vehicles. I personally use Total Quartz 5000 20W50 which has served me quite well for almost 10 years. I had a situation last year where my mechanic trying to cut corners used Seahorse 20W50 for me. After a week of driving, I noticed the coarse sound coming from my engine.

Alot of us have had bad experiences with some of these Oils which have misleading labels. Let's share them here to help others learn.

Calling on the "Demeanors", Sooperrescue and Gazzuzz for their advice.

P.S. 20W50 is usually meant for older cars which are in the majority in Nigeria.

^^^
I used 20w 50 oil for 6 to 8 years on my vehicles - both used and new vehicles. Brands of choice were Mobil XHP and Castrol GTX (both API SL). I used them based on very clear instructions in the owners manual. As you are well aware, there is a big debate on here about how these instructions from the manufacturer are utter nonsense. More on that later.

I used the 20w 50, SL grade oil without problems for almost a decade, servicing at 5000km intervals. Apart from a harsh smell (of burnt oil?) on opening the oil filler cap (and sometimes even without opening the cap) there were no incidents. No oil shortages (except for 1 vehicle), nothing. However, after reading through the various oil war threads on here, I decided to try another viscosity early last year since the engines were still relatively low mileage. By the way, at least one of my vehicles was classed as 'inferior' by the 'expert' on the other oil thread because there are no instructions (about oil grade and viscosity) on the oil filler cap. Anyway, I went for 5w 30 which seemed to be the most suitable choice (but only locally available (at least then) as an expensive 'fully synthetic' oil from Mobil).

What I can report is that fuel economy improved dramatically after I started using the local Mobil 1. I saw fuel economy figures I hadn't seen since 2009! (11.9 litres per 100km compared to 15+ litres per 100km pre-Mobil 1 use). I will continue using 5w 30 oils because of the persuasive argument made by some former members of this forum on yet another oil war thread. But in the end, each owner has to make the call - what works for motorist A may not work for motorist B. Almost all auto forums on the web have a majority of members saying 20w 50 oil is not suitable for modern engines. But some car manufacturers approve the use of this viscosity in cars made as recently as 2012 and sold new here! Some of our resident experts on the other thread then counter by claiming the cars sold here are not up to spec So who is to be believed - a faceless online 'guru' or the car maker? Or is it a question of picking and choosing what and when to believe in the owners manual?

In the end its a judgement call.

VolvoS60:


^^^
I used 20w 50 oil for 6 to 8 years on my vehicles - both used and new vehicles. Brands of choice were Mobil XHP and Castrol GTX (both API SL). I used them based on very clear instructions in the owners manual. As you are well aware, there is a big debate on here about how these instructions from the manufacturer are utter nonsense. More on that later.

I used the 20w 50, SL grade oil without problems for almost a decade, servicing at 5000km intervals. Apart from a harsh smell (of burnt oil?) on opening the oil filler cap (and sometimes even without opening the cap) there were no incidents. No oil shortages (except for 1 vehicle), nothing. However, after reading through the various oil war threads on here, I decided to try another viscosity early last year since the engines were still relatively low mileage. By the way, at least one of my vehicles was classed as 'inferior' by the 'expert' on the other oil thread because there are no instructions (about oil grade and viscosity) on the oil filler cap. Anyway, I went for 5w 30 which seemed to be the most suitable choice (but only locally available (at least then) as an expensive 'fully synthetic' oil from Mobil).

What I can report is that fuel consumption improved dramatically after I started using the local Mobil 1. I saw fuel economy figures I hadn't seen since 2009! (11.9 litres per 100km compared to 15+ litres per 100km pre-Mobil 1 use). I will continue using 5w 30 oils because of the persuasive argument made by some former members of this forum on yet another oil war thread. But in the end, each owner has to make the call - what works for motorist A may not work for motorist B. Almost all auto forums on the web have a majority of members saying 20w 50 oil is not suitable for modern engines. But some car manufacturers approve the use of this viscosity in cars made as recently as 2012 and sold new here! Some of our resident experts on the other thread then counter by claiming the cars sold here are not up to spec So who is to be believed - a faceless online 'guru' or the car maker? Or is it a question of picking and choosing what and when to believe in the owners manual?

In the end its a judgement call.

Is the car a Volvo or a Mercedes? Are you still using the Nigerian made Mobil1 oils?

Shalomc:

Is the car a Volvo or a Mercedes? Are you still using the Nigerian made Mobil1 oils?

^^^^
Toyota.

Still using the Nigerian sold Mobil 1 in one vehicle and Castrol Magnatec in another. Using the US Mobil 1 in the vehicle of a relation.

VolvoS60:


^^^^
Toyota.

Still using the Nigerian sold Mobil 1 in one vehicle and Castrol Magnatec in another. Using the US Mobil 1 in the vehicle of a relation.

Can you kindly share your experiences on the three vehicles...

Shalomc:

Can you kindly share your experiences on the three vehicles...

^^^
Experience with engine oil used or something else?

VolvoS60:


^^^
Experience with engine oil used or something else?

Yes...of the oils...the noticeable differences and MPG.

castro Gtx 20w 50 on my toyota sienna 2000 recomended by some guru here on nairaland .... Though just buy the van ...pls im i not mistake by choosing that...pls i need the best to make my new car run smooth ...thanks

Shalomc:

Yes...of the oils...the noticeable differences and MPG.

^^^^
2007 Toyota Corolla US spec bought used in 2010. Used Mobil XHP (20W 50, SL) from 2010 without any (visible) problems for years. Fuel consumption was good but probably would have been better with oils that met the manufacturer's recommended viscosity of 5W 30 (stamped on the oil filler cap). Also used Castrol GTX (20W 50, SL) from South Africa a couple of times without any visible problems.

Vehicle has thrown up a couple of codes for the catalytic converter, O2 sensor and charcoal canister but this doesn't have anything to do with motor oil as far as I am aware. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5W 30, SN - in the old days, the container stated the oils were made in Egypt but this info is no longer there) in late 2016 or early 2017 and been running that since. Not sure if fuel consumption has really improved significantly with the use of Mobil 1 - will confirm figures.

2008 Toyota RAV 4 bought new locally in 2008. I can confirm that the dealer used 20W 50 oil for the first few services while vehicle was still under warranty. I continued to use Mobil XHP (20W 50, SL) for several years, again without any visible trauma. Used Mobil 1 (0W 40) once in 2010 - my first contact with imported synthetic oil. Also used South African Castrol Edge? (15W 40, SN) once in late 2016. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5W 30, SN) in 2017 and paid really close attention - that was when I noticed a big improvement in fuel economy - 11.9litres per 100km compared to prior 15+ litres per 100 km. Currently running Nigerian sold Castrol Magnatec (5W 30, SN). No DTCs.

2012 Camry bought new locally in 2012. Dealer most likely used 20W 50 oil for the first few lube services. I then used Mobil XHP for several years with a few Castrol GTX appearances. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN) IN 2017 and then US Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN) in 2018. I will provide fuel econ figures later. No DTCs.

At least two of the vehicles had an acrid 'burnt oil' smell upon opening the oil filler cap. That's no longer there since we started using the 5w 30 oils.

VolvoS60:


^^^^
2007 Toyota Corolla US spec bought used in 2010. Used Mobil XHP (20W 50, SL) from 2010 without any (visible) problems for years. Fuel consumption was good but probably would have been better with oils that met the manufacturer's recommended viscosity of 5W 30 (stamped on the oil filler cap). Also used Castrol GTX (20W 50, SL) from South Africa a couple of times without any visible problems.

Vehicle has thrown up a couple of codes for the catalytic converter, O2 sensor and charcoal canister but this doesn't have anything to do with motor oil as far as I am aware. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5W 30, SN - in the old days, the container stated the oils were made in Egypt but this info is no longer there) in late 2016 or early 2017 and been running that since. Not sure if fuel consumption has really improved significantly with the use of Mobil 1 - will confirm figures.

2008 Toyota RAV 4 bought new locally in 2008. I can confirm that the dealer used 20W 50 oil for the first few services while vehicle was still under warranty. I continued to use Mobil XHP (20W 50, SL) for several years, again without any visible trauma. Used Mobil 1 (0W 40) once in 2010 - my first contact with imported synthetic oil. Also used South African Castrol Edge? (15W 40, SN) once in late 2016. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5W 30, SN) in 2017 and paid really close attention - that was when I noticed a big improvement in fuel economy - 11.9litres per 100km compared to prior 15+ litres per 100 km. Currently running Nigerian sold Castrol Magnatec (5W 30, SN). No DTCs.

2012 Camry bought new locally in 2012. Dealer most likely used 20W 50 oil for the first few lube services. I then used Mobil XHP for several years with a few Castrol GTX appearances. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN) IN 2017 and then US Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN) in 2018. I will provide fuel econ figures later. No DTCs.

At least two of the vehicles had an acrid 'burnt oil' smell upon opening the oil filler cap. That's no longer there since we started using the 5w 30 oils.

Love this.

How many years did you use 20w50 before switching in each case?

There is a theory which is that if one uses 20w50 for years, a switch is illadvised, hence the question.

I do not subscribe to the theory but given the vehicles on your case study, the question becomes more apt.

Looking forward to your response.

VolvoS60:


^^^
I used 20w 50 oil for 6 to 8 years on my vehicles - both used and new vehicles. Brands of choice were Mobil XHP and Castrol GTX (both API SL). I used them based on very clear instructions in the owners manual. As you are well aware, there is a big debate on here about how these instructions from the manufacturer are utter nonsense. More on that later.

I used the 20w 50, SL grade oil without problems for almost a decade, servicing at 5000km intervals. Apart from a harsh smell (of burnt oil?) on opening the oil filler cap (and sometimes even without opening the cap) there were no incidents. No oil shortages (except for 1 vehicle), nothing. However, after reading through the various oil war threads on here, I decided to try another viscosity early last year since the engines were still relatively low mileage. By the way, at least one of my vehicles was classed as 'inferior' by the 'expert' on the other oil thread because there are no instructions (about oil grade and viscosity) on the oil filler cap. Anyway, I went for 5w 30 which seemed to be the most suitable choice (but only locally available (at least then) as an expensive 'fully synthetic' oil from Mobil).

What I can report is that fuel consumption improved dramatically after I started using the local Mobil 1. I saw fuel economy figures I hadn't seen since 2009! (11.9 litres per 100km compared to 15+ litres per 100km pre-Mobil 1 use). I will continue using 5w 30 oils because of the persuasive argument made by some former members of this forum on yet another oil war thread. But in the end, each owner has to make the call - what works for motorist A may not work for motorist B. Almost all auto forums on the web have a majority of members saying 20w 50 oil is not suitable for modern engines. But some car manufacturers approve the use of this viscosity in cars made as recently as 2012 and sold new here! Some of our resident experts on the other thread then counter by claiming the cars sold here are not up to spec So who is to be believed - a faceless online 'guru' or the car maker? Or is it a question of picking and choosing what and when to believe in the owners manual?

In the end its a judgement call.

6 to 8 years!

Instructive!!

Mirrors my own experience and consistent advice that one can switch without that much trouble.

Benefits include a quieter engine, improved fuel economy, lesser likelihood of using thrashed oil, lesser likelihood of thrashing variable valve timing.

But the greatest attraction was improved fuel economy and extended drain intervals.

VolvoS60:


^^^^
2007 Toyota Corolla US spec bought used in 2010. Used Mobil XHP (20W 50, SL) from 2010 without any (visible) problems for years. Fuel consumption was good but probably would have been better with oils that met the manufacturer's recommended viscosity of 5W 30 (stamped on the oil filler cap). Also used Castrol GTX (20W 50, SL) from South Africa a couple of times without any visible problems.

Vehicle has thrown up a couple of codes for the catalytic converter, O2 sensor and charcoal canister but this doesn't have anything to do with motor oil as far as I am aware. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5W 30, SN - in the old days, the container stated the oils were made in Egypt but this info is no longer there) in late 2016 or early 2017 and been running that since. Not sure if fuel consumption has really improved significantly with the use of Mobil 1 - will confirm figures.

2008 Toyota RAV 4 bought new locally in 2008. I can confirm that the dealer used 20W 50 oil for the first few services while vehicle was still under warranty. I continued to use Mobil XHP (20W 50, SL) for several years, again without any visible trauma. Used Mobil 1 (0W 40) once in 2010 - my first contact with imported synthetic oil. Also used South African Castrol Edge? (15W 40, SN) once in late 2016. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5W 30, SN) in 2017 and paid really close attention - that was when I noticed a big improvement in fuel economy - 11.9litres per 100km compared to prior 15+ litres per 100 km. Currently running Nigerian sold Castrol Magnatec (5W 30, SN). No DTCs.

2012 Camry bought new locally in 2012. Dealer most likely used 20W 50 oil for the first few lube services. I then used Mobil XHP for several years with a few Castrol GTX appearances. Switched to Nigerian sold Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN) IN 2017 and then US Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN) in 2018. I will provide fuel econ figures later. No DTCs.

At least two of the vehicles had an acrid 'burnt oil' smell upon opening the oil filler cap. That's no longer there since we started using the 5w 30 oils.

Why did you switch to US Mobil one from the Nigerian Mobil one oil?

Shalomc:

Why did you switch to US Mobil one from the Nigerian Mobil one oil?

^^^
I wanted to try out the locally sold Mobil 1 versus the US Mobil 1 on two different vehicles to see if there were pronounced differences in the outcomes. On the other thread there does seem to be a lot of scaremongering going on. We have been told the US Mobil 1 is the holy grail but the worshippers have completely forgotten other specs such as Euro spec vehicles in use here - new or used. I have a question for the worshippers: US Mobil 1 has an ACEA A1 rating. Is this sequence still in use in Europe or is it obsolete?

VolvoS60:



^^^
I wanted to try out the locally sold Mobil 1 versus the US Mobil 1 on two different vehicles to see if there were pronounced differences in the outcomes. On the other thread there does seem to be a lot of scaremongering going on. We have been told the US Mobil 1 is the holy grail but the worshippers have completely forgotten other specs such as Euro spec vehicles in use here - new or used. I have a question for the worshippers: US Mobil 1 has an ACEA A1 rating. Is this sequence still in use in Europe or is it obsolete?

Can you point me to the thread for such discuss?

I will be using local Mobil 1 in my shop as long as it meets the individual specs for the car.

I will only use manufacturers recommended weight.

No need for US oil in these vehicles in Nigeria. The most important part is to make sure that the specs are inline.

Now, there are of course exceptions.

AutoElectNG:


Love this.

How many years did you use 20w50 before switching in each case?

There is a theory which is that if one uses 20w50 for years, a switch is illadvised, hence the question.

I do not subscribe to the theory but given the vehicles on your case study, the question becomes more apt.

Looking forward to your response.

^^^
2007 model Corolla was bought 2nd hand from the US in 2010 - we used 20w 50 oil (Mobil XHP & Castrol GTX) in lube services from 2010 till 2016. Currently servicing with Nigerian market Mobil 1 synthetic (5w 30, SN).

2008 model RAV 4 was bought new from a dealer in Lagos in 2008 - we used 20w 50 oil (Mobil XHP) in lube services from 2008 till 2016. Serviced the vehicle once with Mobil 1 (0w 40) in 2010 or so. Currently running on Eterna's Castrol Magnatec (5w 30 synthetic, SN) which the labelling claims is made in the EU.

2012 model Camry was bought new from lagos dealer in 2012 - we used 20w 50 oils (Mobil XHP & South African Castrol GTX) in lube services from 2012 till 2017. Currently running on US manufactured Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN).

You are spot on with your assessment about the risk I was said to be taking by switching - several threads here warned that a switch was a sure way to knock an engine and I was talking about 3! But when I looked at the mileages at the time of switching - the Corolla had 83,000 miles, (although its true mileage is likely to be higher since there was evidence of odometer roll back when the car was bought 8 years ago) the RAV 4 had about 116,000km and the Camry had about 48,000km - I decided to take the risk. So far no problems at all - all 3 vehicles are running smoothly - although the Corolla consumes a little oil between lube services. Other than that no issues. I hope things stay that way.

Shalomc:

Can you point me to the thread for such discuss?

^^^^


You were on it not too long ago. It is a prominent thread - you can't miss it.

VolvoS60:



^^^
2007 model Corolla was bought 2nd hand from the US in 2010 - we used 20w 50 oil (Mobil XHP & Castrol GTX) in lube services from 2010 till 2016. Currently servicing with Nigerian market Mobil 1 synthetic (5w 30, SN).

2008 model RAV 4 was bought new from a dealer in Lagos in 2008 - we used 20w 50 oil (Mobil XHP) in lube services from 2008 till 2016. Serviced the vehicle once with Mobil 1 (0w 40) in 2010 or so. Currently running on Eterna's Castrol Magnatec (5w 30 synthetic, SN) which the labelling claims is made in the EU.

2012 model Camry was bought new from lagos dealer in 2012 - we used 20w 50 oils (Mobil XHP & South African Castrol GTX) in lube services from 2012 till 2017. Currently running on US manufactured Mobil 1 (5w 30, SN).

You are spot on with your assessment about the risk I was said to be taking by switching - several threads here warned that a switch was a sure way to knock an engine and I was talking about 3! But when I looked at the mileages at the time of switching - the Corolla had 83,000 miles, (although its true mileage is likely to be higher since there was evidence of odometer roll back when the car was bought 8 years ago) the RAV 4 had about 116,000km and the Camry had about 48,000km - I decided to take the risk. So far no problems at all - all 3 vehicles are running smoothly - although the Corolla consumes a little oil between lube services. Other than that no issues. I hope things stay that way.

I love the way you lay down your facts and figures.

Your education, cold logic, measured/calculated risk taking and attention to detail is refreshing.

Thank you for telling your story and fleshing it up with the details I requested

Shalomc:

Can you point me to the thread for such discuss?

Not the thread you seek, but you can learn a thing or two here https://www.nairaland.com/3933479/advice-needed-regards-engine-oil

AutoElectNG:


I love the way you lay down your facts and figures.

Your education, cold logic, measured/calculated risk taking and attention to detail is refreshing.

Thank you for telling your story and fleshing it up with the details I requested

^^^
Glad to be of service, sir.

VolvoS60:

^^^ Glad to be of service, sir.

I'm in awe of admiration

one question tho.... y is ur moniker Volvos60

VolvoS60:

^^^ Glad to be of service, sir.

I'm in awe of admiration

one question tho.... y is ur moniker Volvos60

Please, did you do a direct switch to 5W30 or you moved to 0W40 first before finally landing on 5W30

I currently have a 08 outlander with 150k on it and the oil used is Visco 2000.

VolvoS60:


^^^
Glad to be of service, sir.

obekediamondfuto:


I'm in awe of admiration


one question tho.... y is ur moniker Volvos60

^^^^
I consider the 2001? to 2004? volvo s60 to be one of the most beautifully styled cars on the planet. Not just that, the ergonomics were (and still are) first rate - Swedish design at its best. Pity i never got to own or drive one ...

pryzlez:
Please, did you do a direct switch to 5W30 or you moved to 0W40 first before finally landing on 5W30

I currently have a 08 outlander with 150k on it and the oil used is Visco 2000.

^^^^
I did a direct switch - no intermediate oil viscosity - straight from 20W 50 to 5W 30.