Another oil change question
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 2,126
Likes: 1,010
From: North Texas
Being unwilling to spend money even if you should is know as "Cheap', "Skinflint", Scrooge McDuck" and so on.
Enjoy your money because when this route catches up with you, you won't be enjoying your car.
Stealerships 'love' people like you!
Enjoy your money because when this route catches up with you, you won't be enjoying your car.
Stealerships 'love' people like you!
Stick Shift Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 2,647
From: Troy & Dearborn, Michigan
Well I think we all agree on this premise, but the key words are "if you should" and the definition of when that is. This is what I mean by a complex logic argument, you can agree on the output, but if you don't agree on the input then its not the same thing.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,357
Likes: 3,253
From: Hartford WI
Maybe but that ASSUMEs you are keeping the car long enough for the problem to occur.
Who cares what they love or not?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 104
From: Orange County California
More thoughts:
- I actually DID like Tadge's explanation, because it went into way more detail than 5 one-liners.
- And....GEEZUS I can't believe this has turned into a wealth/lifestyle/psychoanalysis post.
But I do love this forum!
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 10,654
Likes: 2,187
From: north of Chicago
2025 C2 of the Year ('64-'66) Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C4 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C7 of the Year Winner -- Modified
2020 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Synopsis: Change oil minimum once a year
- GM recommended 0-40W Mobile 1 supercar
- Some say Just as good Amsoil 0-40W
- Pennzoil 0-40W meets GM requirements
- 5-30w mobile 1 extended perf use at own risk
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5,385
Likes: 2,124
From: Loveland
Stick Shift Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 2,647
From: Troy & Dearborn, Michigan
I wouldn't say point 4 is use at your own risk. 5W-30 is absolutely acceptable. I don't get why people keep spreading misinformation on this. Are you getting a cut of every 0W-40 sold? If so how can I get in on this fleecing of others?
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 10,654
Likes: 2,187
From: north of Chicago
2025 C2 of the Year ('64-'66) Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C4 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C7 of the Year Winner -- Modified
2020 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Only pointed out not recommended by GM (I too know GM covers their butt whenever possible)
Stick Shift Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 2,647
From: Troy & Dearborn, Michigan
False. GM says its totally fine. GM allows for two oil types. You can use 0W-40 OR 5W-30. I know this baffles people. How can two things be recommended? Well they are. That's life. People need to just wrap their brains around it and move on.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 1,152
From: Keswick, Virginia
The Mobil-1 (or other good synthetic motor oil) 5w30 was the recommended oil for the C7 Corvette. When I had a 2017 Stingray, the oil cap even had "Mobil-1 5w30" printed on it. All was fine in Corvette land. My wife decided that she liked my red Stingray so much that she bought a blue 2019 Stingray. Same basic car - same 6.2L engine, same wet sump oil system. Her oil cap said, "Mobil-1 0w40" on it. Why was that? How could it be? Very simply, the 0w40 blend was not commonly available or the GM engineers had not yet "adopted it" as the recommended fill.
It used to be that you were supposed to run 5w30 for street driving and then swap it out for 15w50 (I think) for track use. Obviously, that was a time-consuming and costly process! Oil technology is always moving forward and the GM engineers realized that the new synthetic 0w40 blend provided the best of both worlds for the Corvette engine. For the 2019 model year, the 0w40 viscosity Mobil-1 became the recommended oil for the 'Vette.
Is it a great idea to run 0w40 in an "older" C7 Corvette? Sure! Can you stick with the tried-and-true 5w30? Of course. I certainly did the entire time I owned mine - never had an issue. It was mostly a garage queen anyway. Did we use 0w40 in my wife's car? Sure - especially since it was under warranty. Would running 5w30 in it do harm? Of course not. That's especially true if it is never tracked or is a weekend toy that is driven carefully.
I remember back when I was a kid in the 1970s. It was customary for my dad to run 5w30 oil in the winter months and 10w40 in the summer. Some people with older cars even went for thicker 20w50 in the summer months or in warmer climates. He also installed snow tires on the back axle of our Caprice Estate station wagon from November through April when we lived in Upstate New York. This isn't the 1970s anymore, though, and today's engines have much tighter tolerances. Oil technology has come a long way - with most new cars running very thin synthetic oils that flow better in lower temperatures and protect better when it is very hot. Now we have all-season radial tires that make snow treads unnecessary in all but a few states.
If you have a C7, you ought to run 5w30 without any worries unless you track the car. if you track it or really want to drive it hard, then spring for the 0w40. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 104
From: Orange County California
My cap says 5-30W, and that's what I use. If I am at a store wanting to buy a new oil change, and all they had was 0-40w, I would get 2 tubs of those as well. In SoCal, either works during every season.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,357
Likes: 3,253
From: Hartford WI
I would think it would be more likely they have 5W-30 than 0W-40 Supercar. Still, I think the issue is that Supercar comes only in quarts or a 55 gallon drum.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5,385
Likes: 2,124
From: Loveland
It has always confused me when they say, "well that's what my cap says". Even though GM says the most current recommendation is to use 0W-40 Supercar oil. Specifically designed for the new high performance, close tolerance GM engines. Just to cheap to spend a bit more for the correct oil?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,357
Likes: 3,253
From: Hartford WI
It has always confused me when they say, "well that's what my cap says". Even though GM says the most current recommendation is to use 0W-40 Supercar oil. Specifically designed for the new high performance, close tolerance GM engines. Just to cheap to spend a bit more for the correct oil?
Stick Shift Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 2,647
From: Troy & Dearborn, Michigan
It has always confused me when they say, "well that's what my cap says". Even though GM says the most current recommendation is to use 0W-40 Supercar oil. Specifically designed for the new high performance, close tolerance GM engines. Just to cheap to spend a bit more for the correct oil?
Still unclear what's so difficult about that. GM has two recommendations. Its based on your use case. GM says if you track use 0W-40, if you don't then 5W-30 is fine. You act like this is a version 1.0 and 2.0 situation. It's not. The new does not replace the old, its an "in addition to" situation. They changed the factory fill because they had to pick one, and they wanted to make it easier for those who track the car, from the factory. That's all.
I get it, though. It's not an easy answer and therefore perhaps overly complex for people who want "an answer" which there isn't one. It's "it depends".
If you want to continue to over simplify it for your own comprehension fine, but please, don't continue to spout that over simplification to others. That's insincere.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,357
Likes: 3,253
From: Hartford WI
