0w16 vs 0w20 $ Savings

E

EMPIRE

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Aug 11, 2006
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It's said 0w16 (vs a 0w20) can be 1.5 to 2.0% savings in fuel use.

Here's the savings for someone who keeps it forever.

$2.25/gal 300kmi, 1.5% eff savings, $2,000

at say 12kmi/yr that's 25yrs, $80/yr, 22cents/day.

I'd rather give 22c/day for 25yrs to one of those feed-a-kid RedCross places, at least I can tax deduct it ;)

If they really wanted to force the issue, just make the idiot label say "must use 0w16 GF-6B / SP, and no other oil". Or, mandate that all passenger vehicles must use a GF-6B (or better) by year 2030, then sell a 6B at good discount, jack the price up on everything else.
 
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EMPIRE said:
It's said 0w16 (vs a 0w20) can be 1.5 to 2.0% savings in fuel use.

Here's the savings for someone who keeps it forever.

$2.25/gal 300kmi, 1.5% eff savings, $2,000

at say 12kmi/yr that's 25yrs, $80/yr, 22cents/day.
Click to expand...

Huh?

If you drove 300,000 miles and got avg of 20 MPG then you'd burn 15,000 gallons which at avg of $2.25/gal would cost $33,750.

1.5% of that is $506.25 ... over 25 years that would be $20.25 saved per year (~5.5 cents/day) . Whoopee !!

Nuclear engineer, or trolling engineer. 😄
 
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ZeeOSix said:
Huh?

If you drove 300,000 miles and got avg of 20 MPG then you'd burn 15,000 gallons which at avg of $2.25/gal would cost $33,750.

1.5% of that is $506.25 ... over 25 years that would be $20.25 saved per year (~5.5 cents/day) . Whoopee !!

Nuclear engineer, or trolling engineer. 😄
Click to expand...

The question is at what point will the 0w20 outshine the 16w? If your like me and plan for lunar exploration miles then the 0w20 or even a thin 30wt is probably gonna be a safer bet. If its going to cross 150,000 miles,be modified,tracked or driven in a dusty environment then a grade up . If the timing chain breaks,it wont have saved enough to break even.
 
If the API SP actually does help keep timing chain wear down like they say, then that's a good thing IMO. Lots of vehicles with timing chains these days. I have two (a V6 and a V8) both DOHC that have timing chains galore.
 
Timing chains are not really known for issues anyways if you maintain your oil changes correct?
 
Not running your ac on those hot days will save you even more.
I would run 0w 20 if I had a car that called for ow 16
 
Meh...between the rebates and the fuel savings, 0W-20 has paid for my third home in the Bahamas.

Which will only happen if I buy the oil and use it on Fantasy Island.
 
spasm3 said:
But it's America, so I'll use what I please.
Click to expand...
Well, you'll use what's available....... as you please. ;)

See, all of the "motor oil design helps save on the carbon footprint" is kinda a BS endeavor. "Better" oils come out every "10yrs", and then the adoption of such by OEM's takes another "10yrs", so with say the 0w16 being said it's a +1.5% saver, takes 20yrs to get that. Does 1.5% 20yrs from now of saved gasoline have any significance in global carbon footprint issue? Well, that all depends. What if in 20yrs there are 10% more vehicles on the road? What if China has another huge burst in industrial growth w/o good regulations on emissions?

All the time & effort (and oil forums) about new oils, which ones are formulated better, HTHS, yada yada yada............. discussions should be around how to eliminate motor oil, not which ones are "better" or cost less or turn out good UOA's.

Fuel cell vehicles are the future, that's where the engineering time & effort should be.
 
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