What weight oil should I use in Las Vegas, NV?

[Blevinsax]

Okay - I've asked a few folks about this and I have been given several differing answers...

---> Let me preface this by saying I am NOT interested in starting an oil war thread here, I'm really just interested in the oil WEIGHT I should be using considering that I live in a pretty darn hot, dry environment. So, NO OIL WARS - PLEASE. We can leave that up to our current administration!!! Just oil weight advice and the specific reasons you make that advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have become a firm believer in the 'change oil often' school of thought. I'm not into changing oil every 10,000 miles - I want to change it regularly to help with the performance and longevity of my motor. I am partial to synthetic oils rather than dino oils, simply because they seem to make more sense to me. I also don't mind paying a little more for oil since I am running 100% WVO in my GreaseCar system - I'm already saving so much money by NOT having to buy fuel that I don't mind paying more for a high quality motor oil.

Okay - all that being said, what would you folks out there recommend as far as the oil WEIGHT for a 1991 350SD daily driver with 214k miles in Las Vegas, NV?

Thank you very much! I continue to learn more and more each day from this forum! Thanks for all the helpful info, experience, and advice!!!

Rusty

[speedy300Dturbo]

Any diesel rated xw-40 or xw-50 oil will be fine.

The OM60x motors tend to like synthetic oil (it helps quiet down the hydraulic lifters) but I've heard reports that Mobil 1 0W-40 may actually increase lifter noise.

[tangofox007]

Originally Posted by Blevinsax

Okay - I've asked a few folks about this and I have been given several differing answers...

I will give you 10 to 1 odds that you get different answers here, too.

I still like Mobil 1, and their web site recommends 5W40 diesel truck for your car:

http://www.mobil1.com/usa-english/motoroil/car_care/which_oil/WhichOilOption2.aspx

That's what I use in my 616/617 and it's hard to find locally. I just ordered a bunch of it from these guys:

http://www.autobarn.net/mobil-1-diesel-truck.html

[Wes Bender]

The climate in Las Vegas isn't sufficiently different than the normal range of climates that MB expected for their cars. The manufacturer's recommendations in your owner's handbook would be just fine.

Wes

(Las Vegas NV, as well as Las Vegas NM)

[Blevinsax]

Originally Posted by tangofox007

I will give you 10 to 1 odds that you get different answers here, too.

I knew I would get differing answers here, too - I'm mainly interested in the reasons for those differing answers. I'm the kind of person who wantes to know WHY and HOW, so that is why I ask the folks on this forum! I know I will get a lot of great informantion based on a lot of great experience.

[WD8CDH]

How cold does it get over night in NV?

[Blevinsax]

In the dead of the Las Vegas winter it rarely (if ever) gets below freezing. Usual winter nights in the 40F's, but that's about it.

[Gurkha]

Here in India where I live, summers in certain places can touch 45C and winters at -15C, I use Delo 400 15W-40 regularly at 6000KM or 6 months, whichever comes first change schedule, works very nicely, hardly any oil consumption, recently also using the same Delo 400 in the tranny with excellent results, I have also used Delvac Super/MX with very good results but I will give Delo 400 the edge. Delvac-I if you can afford it is also superb but overkill as you don't go for extended OCI.

[Tomguy]

I would use 10w30 or 10w40. Knowing it almost never gets cold enough in Vegas, you don't need the 5w, although maybe it couldn't hurt, I still wouldn't want 5w when your car's engine, parked in a parking lot in the sun, will be over 120 degrees when you go to start it before you even used it at all that day. The 5w oil is thinner which is good, but may hurt your startups (since you'll never have a true cold startup) and the oil will have run off of the cylinder walls by that point. I'd go with a 10w40 synthetic.

Originally Posted by Tomguy

I would use 10w30 or 10w40. Knowing it almost never gets cold enough in Vegas, you don't need the 5w, although maybe it couldn't hurt, I still wouldn't want 5w when your car's engine, parked in a parking lot in the sun, will be over 120 degrees when you go to start it before you even used it at all that day. The 5w oil is thinner which is good, but may hurt your startups (since you'll never have a true cold startup) and the oil will have run off of the cylinder walls by that point. I'd go with a 10w40 synthetic.

Do you know of a good diesel rated 10W30/40 synthetic? I really doubt the oil is affected by the difference between 80 F and 100+ F, both are cold start conditions.

[Blevinsax]

A neighbor and long-time Vegas resident (30+ years) who owns an 83 300TD recommended that I ALWAYS use 20W50 because of the intense heat here... he said he has ALWAYS used 20W50 in his and the motor is still running strong with over 300k miles - all in Las Vegas/Arizona/New Mexico. I'm still a little confused about this...

What are the general reasons one would choose a particular oil weight over another??? Environment temperature??? Age of motor???

Again, I'm not really concerned with brand or other characteristics of any particular oil, just the WEIGHT of the oil and why to choose it.

Thanks everybody for all your help!

[WD8CDH]

30 years ago, I would have used a 20W50 or straight 30 but oils are much better now. 10W40, 15W40 dino oil or 5W40 pure synthetic would be fine.

[vstech]

it's the sustained engine temp. oils break down above certain temps. and with high ambient and normal everyday driving, in LV, oil temps can reach 300* and up. way beyond dino oils ability to stay cohesive. you are on the right track with synthetic, and in that environment, I would go with a 5W40 to a 15 W 50.
take good care of that "rodbender"
John

[tangofox007]

Originally Posted by Tomguy

I would use 10w30 or 10w40. ............... I'd go with a 10w40 synthetic.

Well, Blevinsax did say that he was looking for "differing answers."