I live in Los Angeles. I'm going to go with Redline 0w30 synthetic.

Good to go with that weight in the warmer climate? We hit the low 100's in the summer for about a month and the rest of the year averages around 70-80. Some 40-50's in the winter for a few weeks.

Thoughts?

 

I believe it might be too thin. In UK recommended is from Edge 0w40 to Magnatec 10w40, when I looked at Castrol's website it says 20w50 for your climate.

 

Crazy how much different information is out there about oil.

From what I have read, with the creation of 0w oil, it should be used in every application since that is the start-up viscosity.

 

I agree with Firecrow.

The AJ16 is what is know as "older generation" engine spec.

I use 10W/40 Synthetic in mine all year round, and we see 47+ in summer.

The 0W stuff is "mainly" for the newer generation engines with VVT (or whatever they call it), as the heavier oils will bugga up the VVT stuff. We see that at work all the time.

 

Why not just follow the recommendations in the owner's manual?

 

Mikey:
What a ridiculous suggestion. Everyone knows the best information on oil is from those who pour it in their car. And those design engineers are just trying to make you wear your engine out so you will buy a new car. My brother in law works at the gas station and he told me that all manufacturer's engineers are idiots. Same as gasoline...

 

Mobile 1 Full Synth 10-30

 

Since you are in LA, why don't you come in touch with Lubrication Engineers (LE) ?

 

My Owner's manual calls for 10W30, and I'm finally following the manual's recommendation after trying 15W50 and 10W40. the 10W40 was fine - in the summer - but but slowed cold morning starts in the winter. Using 10W30 Quaker State Defy conventional/syn blend now since the HTHS of 3.3+ is higher than other 10W30s, and the ZDDP level is higher too which may help with our flat tappets. the 10W30 I'm using is very satisfactory for me at this time.

 

I just figure there have been advancements in oil in the last 18 years.

 

There have, but the basic viscosity ratings and API requirements have not.

Today's oils are developed for today's cars and are not necessarily suitable for older design engines. There's no latest generation oil that is sutiable for older flat tappet pushrod engines for instance, most of us are using what some call 'diesel oil'.

 

While ZDDP benefits any usage where there is a wiping motion, the AJ6 does not have a design as conventionally meant by "flat tappet". Those are tappet + pushrod + rocker arm designs. They operate at much higher pressures than a dohc design with buckets.

If you like ZDDP, consider the HDEO's such as Rotella and Valvoline Blue.

 

Yes there have been advancements and significant changes in API rating. But not every letter change upwards in the API rating system is beneficial. Some of the changes have been negative as far as engine protection have been concerned.

 

Ive always been recommended to use 20w50 oils and dot5 hydraulics for older cars by old school british mechanics. Im not sure a 96 inline 6 car is beyond that recommendation for oil. The new cars it certainly is not relevant. The dot5 is mostly a choice if you suspect neoprene anywhere in your soft brake parts.

 

Way beyond. Not a good choice.

 

I use a mineral 25W70 oil in my XJR6

I know I shouldn't from what all the people on here say but it control's the engine oil usage and the engine is very quiet

I live in Queensland Its 9PM I'm sitting here in shorts and bare feet and its the second week of winter and its 14 degrees Celsius might get down to 10 at 3 in the morning but by 8 am tomorrow morning when I wake up it will be 18 degrees and will peak out to 24 to 25 degrees

Thin oils are recommended for colder climates if I lived in Melbourne I would be using a thinner oil but up here it gets hot and humid in summer our wet season in winter its cool and dry

I don't use my car for very short trips if I use it it gets used for at least
1 250+ K trip and it might get thrashed hard in that time it might just cruise on cruise control depends how many anti jaguar Bogans are out there on the drive (LOL)

In my new XJ X350 4.2 I am using a 10W50 synthetic cant hear the motor unlike whatever was being used in it before the engine would rattle for a second on start up no matter what and I could her every tappet or cam follower

In my wife's Jeep GC with Mercedes V6 diesel engine it specified 5W30 it was using 5 litres of oil in 20,000 k,s the recommenced service interval

I switched to a 15W40 mineral no oil usage in the 20,000 k engine is much quieter

Last week I had my mate who owns a small oil company do some analysis on my engine oils

I had quiet a few samples I have been been saving them for a while

The sample from my diesel van that was using the factory specified oil was really bad in fact he told me to get it out before it did damage to the van
In a panic I told him I had already changed it and was on my second change of his mineral oil

I drove it up to his shop the next day he took another sample and was astonished he said the oil was good for another 10,000k,s it was 5,000 off the recommended service interval which I intended to change it at but wrote the van of last week needless to say

Oils aint oils its up to you as the end user to experiment and find a product you are happy with I am on the bitog forum as well

The AJ16 engines are getting old so I see no need to use a super expensive synthetic oil just change it regularly

My XJR6 has 250,000k,s on the clock
my XJ8X350 170,000 k,s
the wife Jeep 295,000 k,s
my bike has 60,000 k,s on it oh and the van had 230,000 before it was written off
I expected the van to see a million in my ownership doing 10,000 a month picking up my new van later this week its got 128,000k,s its not properly run in yet 200,000 is where they seem to start to run in from in my experience LOL

Have fun and experiment a bit that what owning these cars is all about

 

+1

especially if you do not consider the vehicle a disposable appliance.

 

Unless at some point along the path of experimentation it all goes horribly wrong.

 

Opinions are largely based on our personal experiences aren't they? I live in Melbourne (winter day temps. roughly 10-16o C, summers up to 45o C). I don't do much night driving (therefore winter nights are not an issue). I use 20w50 mineral all year round in this engine and have done so in plenty of others from the 80's & 90's era. Oil is changed at around 5k intervals. No problems, ever. Quiet engine, no oil consumed.

Keep thinking of changing to FS, but can't really find a compelling reason.

 

Maybe because it doesn't exist?

Shell Rotella 15W40 in these parts has a pour point of -27*C. So "too thick for winter" is really quite relative. I'm currently on Rotella FS 0W40 and am going back to 15W40 on the next change. Don't like the shake, rattle and roll on the 0W40.

The annual temperature range here is -35*C to +35*C and I have never failed to start at the lower end with the former choice of poison, Castrol GTX 20W50. The cars lived outdoors. Nor have any engines been lunched.