93’ 400e oil recommendation (210k miles)

[TheHomelessRussian]

I have a 93’ 400e and was wondering what would be the best oil to use. I used 0W-40 full synthetic the past oil changes. I got recommended Chevron Delo400 15W-40, just wanted to verify what would be the best oil to use. I do burn a lil bit of oil as well.

 

[maw1124]

These M119 will smoke a 0 weight oil like unfiltered Camel cigarettes.

15w40 is better. There's a too long and detailed thread here somewhere. Try the "Search" function.

Your climate will help you filter through that thread. Also whether the car sleeps inside or outside.

GL, and happy reading, LOL.

maw

 

[gsxr]

Don't overthink it. 10W-40, 15W-40, or 20W-50 will all be fine. If driving in winter in Ohio you may want to lean towards a 10W-40 or 15W-40 synthetic. Change around 5kmi or so. The oil consumption you have now may be related to using 0W-40.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[gerryvz]

Delo 400 would be OK to on an M119 (I've used it for decades on the very similar M104 inline-six engine), but I would recommend any name-brand oil in the 10W-30 or 10W-40 weight instead. Anything of higher viscosity (15W-40, 20W-50) would be more appropriate if you are in a warmer climate, say the southern or south-eastern US. Particularly in the winter months. Name brand oils are fine. Lots of people seem to use Mobil 1 and change it at the 3K or 5K mark.

Just note that Delo 400 is a diesel-specific oil that happens to be rated for gasoline engine usage, in the fine print. It's 100% fine to use, but being a diesel oil it contains extra detergent additives that will do a nice job of keeping the inside of your engine clean, if things are dirty inside the valve cover. Of course, regular oils are also good at keeping things clean, if they are changed regularly.

The bottom line, is DO NOT go below a 10W oil on the M119. 10W, 15W or 20W are all fine, but as I said climate-dependent. For northern and winter climes, go with the 10W as said. These engines really like thicker oils, and anything 0W is NOT good, and even 5W (though spec'd in the sheet) is not as good for these engines as a 10W.

Do note that Chevron I believe has phased out the "dino" version of Delo 400, and is making only a "synthetic" version now, which in all honesty is a Group III highly refined "dino" oil that the industry likes to call "full synthetic" which is actually not really synthetic. Mobil 1, with a couple of exceptions, does exactly the same thing.

Always change your filter when you change your oil. Go with a dealer filter (they are not expensive), or go with a brand such as Hengst, Mann, Mahle, or Bosch. I prefer Hengst, personally.