Another Gen IV oil question

[TexasTonka]

Looking into a 2009 ACR and was reading through the manuals on suspension set up for the track etc... I ran across this memo note in the book.

NOTE: Although your vehicle is shipped with 0W40, it is recommended
to use Mobil-1 15W50 synthetic motor oil at the track.

I am down in the Texas heat and desert conditions of San Antonio. Would it be safe to run 15w50 in this ACR all the time?

I run Mobil1 or AMSOIL 15w50 in my Heffner GTS TT as well as my Paxton SRT10 Ram. Would be nice to only stock one weight of oil. The 0W40 just seems very thin for this climate.

Any oil experts out there?

 

[Sonoman]

Your owners manual actually has a page on guidelines for motor oil based on what ambient temps you will be running the car in. The 0W-40 oil is the factory fill, but for warmer temps I prefer 15W-50. The lighter base-stock oils can save a bit in terms of fuel economy, and more importantly, flow better at sub-freezing start-up temps (which my car never sees). I find you hear noticeably less valve train noise with the 15W-50 (open the hood and let 'er idle after warm-up).

PS- not an oil expert!

 

[hou99gts]

Many in TX run 10W-50 all the time Kurt, it will be no problem, go for it! So is an ACR the replacement toy you are speaking of...

 

[TexasTonka]

Sonoman- Thanks for the input. These were my thoughts as well so it is always good to have at least one person backing you up so we don't think we are as crazy as we seem! Here in San Antonio it is like we are ants under a kids magnifying glass so looks like 15W50 for all my V10 toys!

hou99gts- Yes I took the plunge and will be picking up a 2009 ACR with the Hennessey Venom 650R package with only 500 miles on the odometer. Brand new 4 year old car. Very excited about it! Already have custom blacked out HID projector fog lights being made for it as well as a set of 275/345 Super Sports waiting for it when it gets home. Ditching the sport cups to enjoy it on road a bit better. I'm not a track rat, yet. Looking for some six spokes like I did with my GTS for the sport cups and keep hoosier R6 on the sidewinders once I start tracking more often.

Are you guys making the AMLS SRT Zone Event?

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

Will be at the ALMS for sure but not with the zone event. Found a much closer hotel to the track too. On my 09 ACR and living near Houston I use 0w40 per the manual and 15w50 for the track. Oil changes are cheap insurance and should be changed fairly frequently anyway so its easy to just change the weight as needed. Plus frequent start ups are not always done at high ambient temps or driving the city in colder months.

 

[pdub]

Definitely run the 15w-50. When I picked up my viper last year, I noticed a lot of "ticking", switched to Mobil 1 15w-50 and it went away suddenly.

 

[TexasTonka]

Definitely run the 15w-50. When I picked up my viper last year, I noticed a lot of "ticking", switched to Mobil 1 15w-50 and it went away suddenly.

Appreciate the input. Very happy to stock one weight of oil for all the toys (besides my Rotella T6 for the Cummins). No adverse effects on those brisk 30* mornings in winter that warm up to 75* during the day?

 

[TexasTonka]

Will be at the ALMS for sure but not with the zone event. Found a much closer hotel to the track too. On my 09 ACR and living near Houston I use 0w40 per the manual and 15w50 for the track. Oil changes are cheap insurance and should be changed fairly frequently anyway so its easy to just change the weight as needed. Plus frequent start ups are not always done at high ambient temps or driving the city in colder months.

Good points on the oil with start ups, you want a thin quick to lube engine weight that thickens up as it gets hot. I really have been toying with the idea of a preoiler pump if it is possible on this car. HAd one on several off highway toys. Start pumping oil through the engine prior to start up and that concern goes away. I change my oil every 3000 and take an analysis every quarter to test it. Comes back bad I change it before the 3000.

On the Zone event, it is great you found a closer Hotel, there are quite a few but none interested in blocking out 50 rooms for the weekend or for a decent price that we could find. I always like to book the Omni in Austin for events as they have been kind to me and the club in the past. but their rate was even too high for this event. But being that the zone event this year is a group meal Friday (worth $45/person) several drives in the hill country ($priceless) and a few free goodies including a shirt ($40+ value) all for $10.00 registration fee I'm curious as why you would NOT want to join our get together after the race? I don't see how you could eat cheaper with a new shirt for less than $10? But if driving to Lakeway is the concern I understand. It is faster to take the tollway south to some winding back hill country roads to Lakeway than take the highway. And more fun too!

 

[bluesrt]

just remember like texas tonka states, unless your running e holy smokes out of your car like madd maxx for 30 min. ow40 thickes as it gets hot. remember how close the toleranes are in the bearings on cold starts,and just general drives, you can hurt the bearings if not careful to pick the right oil for how you drive and when and where, it all matters

 

[hou99gts]

Sonoman- Thanks for the input. These were my thoughts as well so it is always good to have at least one person backing you up so we don't think we are as crazy as we seem! Here in San Antonio it is like we are ants under a kids magnifying glass so looks like 15W50 for all my V10 toys!

hou99gts- Yes I took the plunge and will be picking up a 2009 ACR with the Hennessey Venom 650R package with only 500 miles on the odometer. Brand new 4 year old car. Very excited about it! Already have custom blacked out HID projector fog lights being made for it as well as a set of 275/345 Super Sports waiting for it when it gets home. Ditching the sport cups to enjoy it on road a bit better. I'm not a track rat, yet. Looking for some six spokes like I did with my GTS for the sport cups and keep hoosier R6 on the sidewinders once I start tracking more often.

Are you guys making the AMLS SRT Zone Event?

We are not going to make it out there Kurt, y'all have fun!

I still run 0W-40 in my car since I only track about once a year, and do most of my driving in the early morning while the roads are clear and others are sleeping...

 

[Steve M]

just remember like texas tonka states, unless your running e holy smokes out of your car like madd maxx for 30 min. ow40 thickes as it gets hot. remember how close the toleranes are in the bearings on cold starts,and just general drives, you can hurt the bearings if not careful to pick the right oil for how you drive and when and where, it all matters

All multi-viscosity oils "thicken" as they warm up, but they don't actually thicken at all when warm...they just don't thin out as much as a straight weight oil would under the same conditions. 0w40 flows just like water when draining it during an oil change.

You do have a good point, though...you need to pick the oil for the type of driving and what your engine likes the best. If you really want to know, run 0w40 for a while, and send a sample off to be analyzed. Run 15w50 for a similar amount of time and do the same. Whichever gives you the best wear results is the oil you should use.

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

Good points on the oil with start ups, you want a thin quick to lube engine weight that thickens up as it gets hot. I really have been toying with the idea of a preoiler pump if it is possible on this car. HAd one on several off highway toys. Start pumping oil through the engine prior to start up and that concern goes away. I change my oil every 3000 and take an analysis every quarter to test it. Comes back bad I change it before the 3000.

On the Zone event, it is great you found a closer Hotel, there are quite a few but none interested in blocking out 50 rooms for the weekend or for a decent price that we could find. I always like to book the Omni in Austin for events as they have been kind to me and the club in the past. but their rate was even too high for this event. But being that the zone event this year is a group meal Friday (worth $45/person) several drives in the hill country ($priceless) and a few free goodies including a shirt ($40+ value) all for $10.00 registration fee I'm curious as why you would NOT want to join our get together after the race? I don't see how you could eat cheaper with a new shirt for less than $10? But if driving to Lakeway is the concern I understand. It is faster to take the tollway south to some winding back hill country roads to Lakeway than take the highway. And more fun too!

There is a small group of us that are really into racing and want to spend a lot of time at the track and pit. We will be there Fri, Sat and Sun and are dining one night at Sullivans steak house and the other night at Pappasitos all in Austin so not going on the cheaper side. Have too many shirts as it is now, LOL. Hope you guys have a blast though.

 

[TexasTonka]

There is a small group of us that are really into racing and want to spend a lot of time at the track and pit. We will be there Fri, Sat and Sun and are dining one night at Sullivans steak house and the other night at Pappasitos all in Austin so not going on the cheaper side. Have too many shirts as it is now, LOL. Hope you guys have a blast though.

Sounds fun, we will miss ya at the Friday dinner, if you change your mind before Sept 13th its only $10 for a great catered BBQ dinner

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

Thanks and BTW you do not need a pre oiler pump but highly consider a catch can installation for the track (don't need one for the street) if you end up with the ACR. I learned the hard way with my first 09. Long story but I can tell you all about it at the track. Tomball installed a can on my new ACR and works great.

 

[Richie7]

do what the manual says
if you track use 15-50
if not use 0-40
if you do both track and street I would go with 15-50