Which oil should I use?

Hi. I have a 97' Chevrolet Lumina, 3.1 L, V6 engine. Millage = 137,569 and I would like to know, what brand or kind of oil I should use. The oil cap says to only use 5w30 oil. I always use the regular Castrol 5w30.


So, what oil do you recommend me to use? Mobil, Castrol, Penzoil, Havoline...? 5w30?

Thanks

Yes, the oil fill cap reads "5W30" but the owner's manual says to use 10W30. I'd advise following the manual. If you read through the manual you will discover that above 40ºF 10W30 is suggested. I'm guessing it doesn't get below 40 very often or very long in the Carolinas, so adjust accordingly.

I also wouldn't (and don't) use oil. I use PAO synthetic instead. My engines last a lot longer that way.

I live in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The temp here is like 85 to 95 F all year. Tropical Island ;)

Personally I use Motorcraft semi-syn 10w30 in everything I own.

It's cheap and seems to hold up well and stays clear. That's a winner in my book.

Full syn is the way to go if you can afford it. I can't.

My advice? Use synthetic (Castrol, Mobil 1, Pennzoil) or conventional (Havoline, Pennzoil, Castrol, or Mobil 1) 10W-30 and a Purolator PureOne oil filter. Add some Lucas Oil Stabilizer every oil change if you can afford it.

My 98 3.1 w/ 224,000 miles on the original motor can't be wrong. Oil is the life of your engine! :)