Re: Off Topic question about 5W-30 Engine Oil

Posted by Way Up Here on July 10, 2005 at 04:10:05 from (64.42.242.39):

In Reply to: Off Topic question about 5W-30 Engine Oil posted by Robert E. Smith on July 09, 2005 at 20:27:44:

I'm no petroleum engineer but I think that there is a bit of a misconception about multi-grade oils and their "thickness". As mentioned below, someone said that say 5-30 oil has the "thickness" of a 30 weight oil (or the "thinness of a 5 weight oil) under certain conditions. I think that should read the "lubricating properties of" instead of the "thickness of". One thing I know for sure having lived in this cold part of the country where winter temperatures sometimes drop below minus 30 is that any multigrade (say 10W30) is MUCH thicker (I think the word viscosity comes in here somewhere) in cold temperatures than say straight 10 oil, there's no comparison. I used to run straight 10 weight motor oil in my Volkswagens back in the 60's and 70's when I had no block heater plug in at work, they wouldn't start otherwise.

Moving on to your question, another thing I have experienced is that even older cars (both my car and truck are 1987 vintage dinosaurs), 5W30 engine oil gives me less oil consumption than 10W30 oil in both winter and summer. Why I'm not sure but I do know it happens. In my old tractors, I use 10W30 but only use them in the summer months and I'd probably still use 10W30 in the winter too, somehow I think that would still be best but I'm not sure.

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