I wouldn't even THINK of running 20W-50, what kind of a nutcase is that mechanic? I'd run 5W-30 or 10W-30.

 

Ive been a mechanic since i was 10 years old its what i do for a living ant i can honestly tell you that i would never run any kind of oil in my vehical outher than what was specified you want better oil for the heat? add a quart of lucas to your next service i personally run royal purple in all my gearboxes and the engine.. running the wrong viscosity oil you vehical CAN CAUSE DAMAGE and effect fuel economy beleave it or not

 

...and my trusted mechanic used 20w50 for my engine oil.

You can trust him if you like. I would not.

What's wrong with trusting the manufacturer's specifications?

 

Drain it and put in the right oil 5W or 10W 30

 

It's just amazing how many people think they know more than the high paid automotive engineers that design our vehicles.

 

What about 10w40 what would that do

 

my understanding is the numbers like 10w40 describe the oils hot-cold viscosity (10 hot-40 cold) the different weight of oil are designed for different applications. the vehicle manufacture does alot of tests on vehicals before they are sold to the public so why not run the oil they suggest? not bash your mechanic but if the factory puts 10w30 in an engine you can bet your a** there is a reason lol. like i stated in my eariler post if you want a little moer protection from the heat where your from then simply add a quart of lucas oil additive the next time you service or use a full synthetic oil like royal purple. ( my grandpas powerstruggle just rolled over 300k miles royal purple is all its ever ran)

 

Using 5W30 here...

 

Thanks for the response guys, changed back to 10w30

 

Just hope there is no permanent damage... How long did you use that type of oil (20W50)for?

 

Is there any benefit a side from more miles between changes and cost to use synthetic oil vs regular oil(5w30 ect) for someone who has a 10 year plus jeep?

 

synthetic oil is better than conventional oil when it comes to the way it works. Conventional oil could never stand up to synthetic when it comes to longevity and ability to handle extreme high temperatures without breaking down
Synthetics have also been shown to produce less resistance in the engin which can offer more horsepower and overall efficiency for the engine.

 

Alot of people run a slighty higher viscosity of oil in higher mileage vehicles and in areas with high temperatures such as Florida and So. Cal. Wont Hurt your engine unless you run into low temps where the oil will not flow properly, thats all the viscosity rating is a measurement of flow at a given temperature other than that the oil is the same lubrication wise.

Personaly I run Mobile 1 10w-30 in all my vehicles never a problem and both my Jeeps where bought new. Mobile 1 10w-30 went in them at the first oil change and has been in there since. 108,000 trouble free miles on my 03 and 57,000 trouble free on the 2010.

 

Alot of people run a slighty higher viscosity of oil in higher mileage vehicles and in areas with high temperatures such as Florida and So. Cal. Wont Hurt your engine unless you run into low temps where the oil will not flow properly, thats all the viscosity rating is a measurement of flow at a given temperature other than that the oil is the same lubrication wise.

Thats what I would be worried about, running synthetic in my area. Winters here are absolutely brutal with extreme lows to reach -40c without the windshield factored in.

 

RevCo666 all the info is here HowStuffWorks "Synthetic vs. Conventional Motor Oil: Which is Best for Your Needs and Environment's?"

 

RevCo666 all the info is here HowStuffWorks "Synthetic vs. Conventional Motor Oil: Which is Best for Your Needs and Environment's?"

Thanks for the link

 

Stop trusting your mechanic......

 

Hello everybody,
I recently had all my fluids changed in my jeep, and my trusted mechanic used 20w50 for my engine oil. Now, I didn't think much of it at first because I heard this oil is good in the southern California heat. But recently I've noticed my jeep is having a slight lifter/valve tick in the mornings when the engine is cold. It goes away when the engine warms up. I never noticed this before I had my oil changed to 20w50.

Should I change back to 10w30(what I was using before)? Or am I worrying about nothing important?

That would be oil starvation on cold starts...it's not life altering but i'd switch back to 5w30 or 10w30 like the others suggested.

Did your mechanic say why he used 20w50?

 

Did you take it to a Harley Davidson Mechanic?

 

My mechanic do the same, he changed the 6 pistons and everything on the engine and run it with that oil, at the month I put the right oil, but I don't know why he do that.

Hello everybody,
I recently had all my fluids changed in my jeep, and my trusted mechanic used 20w50 for my engine oil. Now, I didn't think much of it at first because I heard this oil is good in the southern California heat. But recently I've noticed my jeep is having a slight lifter/valve tick in the mornings when the engine is cold. It goes away when the engine warms up. I never noticed this before I had my oil changed to 20w50.

Should I change back to 10w30(what I was using before)? Or am I worrying about nothing important?

 

Welcome to the Forum, from Cave Creek AZ.

 

You can run a synthetic 10W-30 year-round there in Prescott, it doesn't get cold enough there to worry about going to a 5W-30. I'm not a big synthetic engine oil guy but it is known to flow better in cold conditions.

 

Oh, it gets into the teens at night during winter. Probably averages low 40s for the daily high. Damn garage gets COLD! If you get up this way, Jerry, I should know more of the trails soon. I'll treat you to some "cool" places, haha! (pun intended).

 

I know Prescott's lowest temps, it's at 5k' altitude. However, a synthetic 10W-30 is good down to well below zero which is much colder than it gets there.

 

That's good to know. I won't worry about changing viscosity, then. But that's true. We've spent one winter up here so far, and it never got below 13 outside, and maybe 20-25 in the garage at worst.

 

Agreed, full syn 10W-30 pours at 50 below.

The link includes a handy guide showing 20W-50 is safe in the warmest climates, only :

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/do-you-think-thats-thick-oil-think-again.286877/page-5

 

Agreed, full syn 10W-30 pours at 50 below.

If you have done this, then I tip my hat to you sir!