WHAT OIL GRADE SHOULD I USE? 117K MILES

[TONYUBALDO]

I HAVE A 2002 CADILLAC SEVILLES SLS W/ 117K MILES ON IT. I CALLED THE CADILLAC DEALER AND I WAS TOLD TO USE 5W-30..BUT I BEEN READING ON THE INTERNET AND ITS SAYING OTHER DIFF. ONES LIKE 10-30 AND STUFF..DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER..CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT GRADE I SHOULD USE????

AND EVERYWHEN DO I NEED TO DO AN OIL CHANGE?? I USE TO DO IT EVERY 3K MILES ON MY HONDA. BUT I KIND OF HERD SOMETHING ABOUT DOING IT LIKE AFTER 8K MILES ON A CADILLAC IS THIS TRUE??? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW..THANK YOU

[JimD]

....CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT GRADE I SHOULD USE????

The correct oil grade will be printed on the oil fill cap (5W-30 for your engine).

AND EVERYWHEN DO I NEED TO DO AN OIL CHANGE?? I USE TO DO IT EVERY 3K MILES ON MY HONDA. BUT I KIND OF HERD SOMETHING ABOUT DOING IT LIKE AFTER 8K MILES ON A CADILLAC IS THIS TRUE??? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW..THANK YOU

Learn to trust and use the Oil Life Monitor on the Drivers Information Center. There is information in your Owners Manual.

[Ranger]

As Jim said, 5W30 is correct. That said, I still use 10W30.

The 2000+ is good for as much as 12,500 miles between changes under the best conditions (highway). I do mostly highway driving and change it at 10,000 just for ease of remembering. Just changed it the other day and the OLM said I still had 25% oil life left.

[MrEldo97]

I use Castrol high mileage 10W30 and the oil life monitor. Works fine and my car has almost 112,000 on it.

[adallak]

Oil question! It's been quite here lately...

[BodybyFisher]

I use Castrol high mileage 10W30 and the oil life monitor. Works fine and my car has almost 112,000 on it.

The 97 takes 10W30, the 03 is spec'd at 5W30, it could use 10W30, but if 5W30 works OK, I'd stay with it..

[TONYUBALDO]

THANKS GUYS.. THE REASON WHY IM ASKING IS BECAUSE USUALLY THE HIGHER THE MILAGE THE CAR HAS THE THICKER THE OIL HAS TO BE RIGHT???? AND SINCE I PUT 5w-30 THE LAST TIME I DID THE TUNE UP ON MY CADDY.. AND ITS BEEN TWICE THAT IT HAS ASKED ME TO CHECK MY OIL BECAUSE ITS LOW..AND IT READS THAT THE OIL LIFE IS AT 70%...THIS IS THE MAIN REASON WHY I WAS ASKING IF I SHOULD USE A THICKER OIL????MAYBE ITS JUST BURNING WAY TOO MUCH OIL????

[BodybyFisher]

This is a different story that I wish you stated in your first post.

You have gotten a message that your oil is LOW twice, correct? AND, you are only at 70%, and you have gotten that message correct?

You need to determine if you are leaking it or burning it, have you determined that yet?

[joeb]

i did not know the 2k+ cars could go 12k+ miles. I notice on longer trips my range will go up based on average economy rising but i have never seen my oil life go over 5k expected. it always clicks off 1% for every 50 miles traveled.

[BodybyFisher]

i did not know the 2k+ cars could go 12k+ miles. I notice on longer trips my range will go up based on average economy rising but i have never seen my oil life go over 5k expected. it always clicks off 1% for every 50 miles traveled.

Its all based on the type of driving you do, temperatures, length of trip, etc.

[winterset]

UBALDO2002,

search on "WOT" in this forum. Since it appears are a newbie to this forum, and cadillacs (or at least maintenance on one).

if your car has been babied it's whole life, it's time to exercise those rings a little.

[Ranger]

THANKS GUYS.. THE REASON WHY IM ASKING IS BECAUSE USUALLY THE HIGHER THE MILAGE THE CAR HAS THE THICKER THE OIL HAS TO BE RIGHT????

Wrong.

AND ITS BEEN TWICE THAT IT HAS ASKED ME TO CHECK MY OIL BECAUSE ITS LOW..AND IT READS THAT THE OIL LIFE IS AT 70%

Don't confuse oil life with oil quantity.

i did not know the 2k+ cars could go 12k+ miles.

That is due to the 2000+ engines going to roller followers vs flat tappet lifters on the pre 2000's. Yours is capped at 7,500 miles.

[TONYUBALDO]

ITS NOT LEAKING OIL I ALREADY CHECKED..SO IM ASSUMING ITS BURNING IT...I ALREADY PUT 5K MILES ON MY CAR SINCE I GOT IT. AND ITS TWICE THAT I PUT 1 QUART OF OIL EACH TIME IT HAS ASKED ME..AND THE "CHECK OIL" WARNING GOES AWAY.

[KHE]

ITS NOT LEAKING OIL I ALREADY CHECKED..SO IM ASSUMING ITS BURNING IT...I ALREADY PUT 5K MILES ON MY CAR SINCE I GOT IT. AND ITS TWICE THAT I PUT 1 QUART OF OIL EACH TIME IT HAS ASKED ME..AND THE "CHECK OIL" WARNING GOES AWAY.

Usage of 1 quart in 2500 miles is not excessive by any means.

[jeeves44]

UBALDO-

My father was/is an old time mechanic. He doesn't do too much work on cars recently but he could tell you everything about a car 2000 and before. He always always said you do 10w30 in the summer and for winter you use 10w40...just better for the car. Being an older mechanic he was always taught that Quaker State is the best quality. My Caddy as most calls for 5w30...so myself (being all the other problems mine has) don't screw with that. Whether its warm, cold or smoldering I always put 5w30. From reading the other replys it sounds like it wouldn't really be any harm, but I think it could also depend on what kind has been used in the past and for how long...

[BodybyFisher]

UBALDO-

My father was/is an old time mechanic. He doesn't do too much work on cars recently but he could tell you everything about a car 2000 and before. He always always said you do 10w30 in the summer and for winter you use 10w40...just better for the car. Being an older mechanic he was always taught that Quaker State is the best quality. My Caddy as most calls for 5w30...so myself (being all the other problems mine has) don't screw with that. Whether its warm, cold or smoldering I always put 5w30. From reading the other replys it sounds like it wouldn't really be any harm, but I think it could also depend on what kind has been used in the past and for how long...

I am probably older than your father. That WAS acceptible in the past. I had to learn EVERYTHING OVER, these cars are VERY DIFFERENT than the cast iron behemouths of the past. While your dads past experience is valid be careful using his experience on these cars. NSs newer than 2000 have roller cams and DO NOT need 10W40 nor is it BETTER.

His car calls for 5W30. If he is losing oil its either due to leaking or burning it. He stated he is NOT leaking so he is passing it. These engines need to be beat and driven hard, drive it easy and it will use oil. PERIOD

The rings need to be exercised and reseated and the carbon needs to be blown out.

Later I will link you to information posted by the Northstar Powertrain Engineer that used to frequent this site. This guy needs to do the WOT PROCEDURE WEEKLY and WOT every time he gets on a high speed highway. Beat it, it loves it. Your oil consumption will decrease if you do this.

DO NOT move up to a higher viscosity of oil UNTIL you do the WOT PROCEDURE for a couple of months. DO NOT OVERFILL the OIL, DO NOT FILL IT TO THE TOP OF THE DIP STICK JUST COVER THE ROUND TIP.

SEARCH FOR THE WOT PROCEDURE and DO IT... SOLVE THE PROBLEM FIRST BEFORE PUTTING A BANDAID ON IT WITH THICK OIL!!!!! THICK OIL may not allow the oil pressure to get up fast enough and you will create other problems.

Using higher viscosity oil is ONLY good for the pre-2000 engines that have rubbing element lifters or if they have oil pressure problems at idle. I have those problems and use 15W40 RELUCTANTLY, and using this oil in the WINTER is DANGEROUS in my opinion as the oil may not get up fast enough in cold weather, I need to drop to 10W30 in the WINTER.

[winterset]

Remember to check your oil level on a warm engine only (as the owners manual states) - otherwise you run the risk of overfilling, and getting the oil sucked into the intake manifold - gumming it up (and that isn't good either)