Oil for 2014 6.2 AFM/ DOD

[Smulvey585]

I am running a 6.2 , 2014 Escalade with 97K miles.

It started ticking during warm up during the winter.

We live in Buffalo NY

So I waited until
A few weeks ago and I switched to 15W-50 Mobil 1
and immediately the engine started up with nearly no ticking.

My oil pressure was about the same as 53 PSI dropping to 43 PSI after warm up.

Before after warm up it would
Drop to 35 PSI.

I am using a plug in AFM deactivation unit.

I think I will add a block heater this summer.

I am very concerned about the engine failing since I have
to get it last 30,000 miles more.
I am retired and I drive 5,000 miles a year.

So for those doing 0-20 or 0-40 W oil, if you are in summer try a 10-40 or a 15-50 and see if your warm PSI stays reasonable.

You won’t likely have any regret.

Do not use Diesel truck oil
as I tried that on a 2.7 Dodge motor and the Dodge blew out the rear oil seal.
It was Rotella.

In winter I will use the block heater and a 5-50 oil

Good luck to L87 people

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

 

[alpha_omega]

2020 & 2011 Yukon Denali 6.2 here in Michigan. I run Mobil 1 5W30 or Amsoil 5W30. I’ve never run anything else. One of my Yukons (2002) has over 350k original motor. The other has 156k and my 2011 has almost 100k. Same oil and trans fluid in all of them.

 

[rdezs]

You have variable valve timing with some very small oil passages.... I think a 5w40 full synthetic should be okay in the summer, but a 50 weight is really pushing it. It uses a certain amount of oil pressure and Flow to control valve timing. If you start to get a rough idle once it's fully warmed up, I would back down to a 40 weight. Not sure what the heavier weight oil will do in the long run to the VVT components. You also have some closer tolerances in that engine then in an old small block Chevy. At just under 100,000 miles, I would definitely scale back to a 5W-40 synthetic.... In either case you're sort of rolling the dice on the rest of the engine.

 

[Geotrash]

I am running a 6.2 , 2014 Escalade with 97K miles.

It started ticking during warm up during the winter.

We live in Buffalo NY

So I waited until
A few weeks ago and I switched to 15W-50 Mobil 1
and immediately the engine started up with nearly no ticking.

My oil pressure was about the same as 53 PSI dropping to 43 PSI after warm up.

Before after warm up it would
Drop to 35 PSI.

I am using a plug in AFM deactivation unit.

I think I will add a block heater this summer.

I am very concerned about the engine failing since I have
to get it last 30,000 miles more.
I am retired and I drive 5,000 miles a year.

So for those doing 0-20 or 0-40 W oil, if you are in summer try a 10-40 or a 15-50 and see if your warm PSI stays reasonable.

You won’t likely have any regret.

Do not use Diesel truck oil
as I tried that on a 2.7 Dodge motor and the Dodge blew out the rear oil seal.
It was Rotella.

In winter I will use the block heater and a 5-50 oil

Good luck to L87 people

I have two Yukon XL Denali's with the 6.2L. One is a 2007 with the L92 and the other is a 2012 with the L94. I run Walmart 5w-30 DexOS in the 2007 (250K on the odo) and Amazon 5w-40 Euro oil in the 2012 (144K on the odo) because it has an aftermarket cam and no DoD or VVT. This latter choice was on the advice of an experienced engine builder.

If you have a tick, it's worth investigating - it won't heal itself. But first, check your exhaust manifold bolts. These are notorious for popping the heads off of 1-2 of them and the resulting exhaust leak sounds EXACTLY like a lifter tick.

 

[rdezs]

While the L94 engine isn't known for piston slap in the morning...(GM address that couple years earlier with coded and longer piston skirts).... They do tend to break exhaust manifold bolts. (And as mentioned above, does in fact sound like a lifter tick and goes away as the manifold heats up and expands.)

Something to think about that 50 weight oil. It increases your oil pressure because it takes longer to squeeze past the bearings. The thinner oil passes through the bearing faster and carries a lot of the heat away from the bearing. A 50 weight will hang out longer in the bearing, increasing bearing temperature. Not sure you want to do that.

The 5W30, 5W20 and the 0w-20 have more to do with trying to meet the CAFE requirements here in North America. I think you'll find a 10w40 full synthetic might meet your needs better without putting too much strain on the bearings. Widely used in many parts of the world in LS engines.... Not as easy to find on the shelf here, but can be ordered easily enough.

 

[rdezs]

Mobil Motor Oil https://a.co/d/bAQddhZ

 

[B-train]

I agree with above statements and will add my input below:

1. I've run 5w-30 in all my L92 motors for many hundreds of thousands of miles and had no issues whatsoever. I feel it's a good all around weight for the climate most of us reside in. A slightly heavier weight would be warranted if living/driving in hot climates all the time.
2. The ticking you hear when cold is probably piston slap. Every 6.2L I've owned prior to my 2017 has done it - some more extreme than others, but overall nothing to worry about.

 

[alpha_omega]

Do you know if the oil pressure sensor has been replaced? If I’m not mistaken, normally you would see an increase in pressure versus a drop, but I’m just curious as to whether or not it’s been replaced.
Also, are you running a catch can?

As others have stated, these engines are common for the notorious broken manifold bolts and broken motor mounts. The latter often being one of the culprits of the former. Not always, but they do tend to feed off the other. Just take a flashlight and check each of the bolts holding the manifold onto the engine. Let us know if any of them look any different. If the manifold is stock, you may also notice a crack between the bolt holes. If you’re familiar with the term “firing order” someone else can chime in on which ones to look for specifically, but checking them all for good measure won’t hurt.

 

[Foggy]

I am running a 6.2 , 2014 Escalade with 97K miles.

It started ticking during warm up during the winter.

We live in Buffalo NY

So I waited until
A few weeks ago and I switched to 15W-50 Mobil 1
and immediately the engine started up with nearly no ticking.

My oil pressure was about the same as 53 PSI dropping to 43 PSI after warm up.

Before after warm up it would
Drop to 35 PSI.

I am using a plug in AFM deactivation unit.

I think I will add a block heater this summer.

I am very concerned about the engine failing since I have
to get it last 30,000 miles more.
I am retired and I drive 5,000 miles a year.

So for those doing 0-20 or 0-40 W oil, if you are in summer try a 10-40 or a 15-50 and see if your warm PSI stays reasonable.

You won’t likely have any regret.

Do not use Diesel truck oil
as I tried that on a 2.7 Dodge motor and the Dodge blew out the rear oil seal.
It was Rotella.

In winter I will use the block heater and a 5-50 oil

Good luck to L87 people

That's low mileage for these engines. Use 5w30 as specd out or 5w40 in hotter climates.
Make sure you are using a full synthetic that is Dexos approved and a quality filter.
Using that heavy 15-50 is horrible for cold starts and isn't good for your VVT system at all

 

[alpha_omega]

I am running a 6.2 , 2014 Escalade with 97K miles.

We live in Buffalo NY

So I waited until A few weeks ago and I switched to 15W-50 Mobil 1 and immediately the engine started up with nearly no ticking.

My oil pressure was about the same as 53 PSI dropping to 43 PSI after warm up.

Before after warm up it would
Drop to 35 PSI.

I am using a plug in AFM deactivation unit.

I think I will add a block heater this summer.

I am very concerned about the engine failing since I have
to get it last 30,000 miles more.
I am retired and I drive 5,000 miles a year.


In winter I will use the block heater and a 5-50 oil

Do you park indoors? Even in Buffalo I’m not sure that you need to change your oil weight. Just keep the fluids changed and topped off properly. You have close to the same mileage I have on my Denali. Your concern should be with the transmission and torque converter more so than the engine.
That’s not to say ignore the engine, but if it’s well maintained they can last several hundred thousand miles.

These do have a lifter failure and some of them have issues with the “pill needing to be flipped” on the trans cooler lines, but realistically the only other thing you might want to keep an eye out for are the motor mounts and your coolant ‘Tee’s’ at the firewall. Since yours is a ‘14, most of the other issues from ‘07-12 were already addressed before yours was even assembled.

Did you take a chance to look at your manifold bolts yet? Here is a photo of what you’re looking for.