I was wondering what oil you would recommend in AZ or some where HOT? On the oil cap it recommends 5W-30 but is 10W-30 or 10W40 better?

 

I live in Nevada and it gets pretty hot here in summer 100+. I'm sure it's way hotter in AZ though. I run castrol syntec 5W-50. As far as I know, that is the widest range of protection you can get (for both very cold and very hot temps). I would highly recommend using a synthetic oil if you aren't already. Here is a link to more than you ever wanted to know about oil. click

 

Thank CL! I use Mobil 1 5W-30 but I was wondering if their is a better W&V to use since it gets so hot here!!!

 

5w-30 is an excellent oil.

Lets start with the right hand 30. That means when heated up to 219 degrees F it has a specific viscosity that matches the profile of 30 weight oil. It's not actually a weight, but that's so commonly used that it's the only term people recognize. 30 weight oil is not sewing machine oil, it's quite adequate for engines.

Now lets take the 5w on the left. That refers to winter use (that's the w). It's a bench mark for how the oil flows when cold. It does not mean it flows like a 5 weight, just that it's thinner then a 10, and thicker then a 0 when cold. There are no SAE standards for this measure.

Lastly, there is the matter of bearing clearances and such in your engine.
Without knowing your particular engine, I can only comment that newer engines run very tight tolerances and need a comparatively thin oil like a 5w-30 in order to get oil into things. A 20w-50 will not flow into these engines and they can have catastrophic early failure from oil starvation as a result, even with a full crankcase of oil.

I would not have an inherent fear of a 5w-30 in Arizona. Been there, know how hot it gets. I would only consider a heavier oil if the engine was older, sloppier, and I was having problems with burning or leaking excessively.

 

Thanks Foxtrapper, I think I will stick to 5W-30