I know with our DII the owners manual stated a 5w-40 oil could be used. Is it alright to use a 5w-40 oil in a LR3 or should I stick with a 5w-30 oil?

 

I use 5w30, but 5w40 will not harm anything at all.

More important than weight(until you go to 20w50 or something) is just regular services, I personally suggest every 5k on these engines.

 

I switched to the Castrol Syntec Edge 0w40 last time around, mostly because it was the only weight that still had the "Made in Germany" label, the rest were like Argentina and random places, but from what I've read it's the best indicator that it's true group IV synthetic, most of the other stuff uses conventional base stock. This weight also had WAY more approval ratings.

Interestingly it also passed an ASTM shear test that covered the entire range of 5w30 plus the extra viscosity protection when cold / hot.

Unfortunately I had a bunch of random (probably) totally unrelated things happen like leaks, misfires, sensor issues whatever right after that oil change, so mentally it's hard to give the oil much credit, but on paper it should be really good stuff. I think it was a pretty good deal at walmart as well.

Next time around I'm probably going with Liqui Moly 5w30, or some other weight from them. They just have the best stuff on earth and I trust anything with their name on it lol, nothing but really great experiences with their fluids. Too bad it'll be the most expensive oil change of my life!

 

I was thinking of using the Shell Rotella T6 5w-40 synthetic. I use it in our other vehicles.

 

Isn't Rotella diesel oil?
That's what I use in my tractor.

 

Yes, Rotella is a diesel oil. Same as Delo 400 (I buy that stuff by the ton for boats).

I believe it's actually a dual rated (in some specs) though, CJ4/SM (compression/spark) so it would technically be OK for gas motors. I'm not sure I'd use it in the 4.4, but I do run Delo which is very similar in older gas marine motors like 350/454 as they live in a really harsh world, running under heavy load at high RPM all the time.

 

Did some research to answer this on another forum.. I've been happy with Royal Purple myself, so I don't see a reason to change, except the price. I wonder if this might explain the strange behavior Estoria experienced? Might be worth it to change it to normal, see what happens, and then put the other oil in it again to see if you get the errors again.

Motor Oil Viscosity

I'll quote, and stand corrected... However, go view the article.

Multi-viscosity grade oils have a wide viscosity range which is indicated by a two-number rating. Popular multi-viscosity grades today include 0W-20, 0W-40, 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40 and 20W-50. The first number with the "W" refers to the oil's cold temperature viscosity rating, while the second number refers to the oil's high temperature viscosity rating.

Note: Motor oils that have a wider range viscosity rating such a 5W-30, 5W-40 and 0W-40 are blended with more base stocks and additives. Because of this, it may be harder for a wider range oil to remain in grade as the miles accumulate (which is why GM does NOT recommend using 10W-40 motor oil. They say it breaks down too quickly and does not say in grade as long as 10W-30 or 5W-30. Also, an oil with a lower winter rating like 0W-20 or 5W-20 will contain a higher percentage of thinner base stock oil (which is typically a synthetic oil). This requires more viscosity improver additive to achieve a the same high temperature rating as a 10W-30, 10W-40 or straight 30 or 40 weight oil.

Most vehicle manufacturers today specify 5W-20 or 5W-30 for newer vehicles for year-round driving. Some European car makes also specify 0W-20, 0W-30, 0W-40 or 5W-40 for their vehicles. Always refer to the vehicle owners manual for specific oil viscosity recommendations, or markings on the oil filler cap or dipstick.

Always use the motor oil viscosity recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. Using a different viscosity (thinner or thicker) may cause oil pressure and oil supply problems, especially in late model engines with cylinder deactivation and/or variable valve timing (VVT).

As a rule, overhead cam (OHC) engines typically require thinner oils such as 5W-30 or 5W-20 to speed lubrication of the overhead cam(s) and valve-train when the engine is first started. Pushrod engines, by comparison, typically specify 5W-30, 10W-30 or 10W-40.

 

I actually ran straight 30 weight in my ford truck for years. It was a California truck and lived in 60-70 degree weather year round. I knew most of what you quoted already except I never heard of thinner oils for overhead cam engines. Very interesting...

 

"Always use the motor oil viscosity recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. Using a different viscosity (thinner or thicker) may cause oil pressure and oil supply problems, especially in late model engines with cylinder deactivation and/or variable valve timing (VVT).

As a rule, overhead cam (OHC) engines typically require thinner oils such as 5W-30 or 5W-20 to speed lubrication of the overhead cam(s) and valve-train when the engine is first started. Pushrod engines, by comparison, typically specify 5W-30, 10W-30 or 10W-40."


Going to continue to use 5-30 because of the above mentioned.

 

I would also add 'always use the correct API certification'. While in theory all certifications should be backwards compatible in a few instances they aren't.