- Joined
- Sep 19, 2020
- Messages
- 166
So I'm reading through the whitepapers here and came across this paragraph:
I have a 15-year-old vehicle with 100k miles. Should the above be considered when choosing an oil for a vehicle of this age, or is that mainly considered for truly antique cars? For example, my OEM recommends 10W30 dino oil; does that grade in 2005 translate to a 5W20 synthetic in 2020?Generally, engine manufacturers are now recommending lighter engine oils in both parts of the grade (i.e. choosing 0W20 over 5W30). One of the main reasons for this is because both oils are still going to be much thicker than the target operational viscosity at start-up, so if they can start out thinner, it will reach the operational viscosity window faster and consume less energy. This translates into better fuel economy. Engine oils will continue to be optimized lower and lower with engines designed to run on a 6 cSt oil instead of a 10 cSt oil at operating temperature in order to save fuel. While this is a good thing for everyone, these oils often require more complex formulas and better quality base oils.