Mobil 1 Classic 0W30: best cold weather oil?

Pour point: -65F. Out of character, Mobil even posted an MRV at -40F for this oil: 16200. Both numbers beat Ravenol SSO 0W-30 for a record low. This may be the best cold weather oil you can buy, especially if you need to meet a Ford specification: It is one of only three oils available in the US that “Meets or exceeds” Ford’s WSS-M2C963-A1 Spec. (the others are Mobil 1 AFE 0W30 and Castrol Edge 0W-30 DX). In comparison, Mobil 1 AFE 0W-30 currently claims only a -43F pour point, and Castrol 0W-30 DX only -42F.
 
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Snagglefoot said:
I plug in starting at -5 F and never bother to do a cold start at -40 without being plugged in. If it’s parked at work during a -30 F afternoon, ( there are no plugs available) we start it up at lunch and let it idle for a while. All these low temps are rare.
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You get good benefits from electric heater already at 32F.
Got mine on wifi controlled electric outlet.
-30F haven't seen that yet BRR.
 
I started a BMW S54 with 10W-60 oil at -2 F once. Actually the transmission was a bigger problem and I couldn’t get into 2nd without a lot of difficulty once I set off. It didn’t sound very happy at those temps but I’m sure the oil pumped.
 
FYI, a summary of 0W30 low pour point champions mentioned on this thread so far:

PP (F)MRV@-40CCCS@-35CAPIILSACWSS-M2C963-A1?Markets
Ravenol Arctic Low SAPS 0W30
-76​
15400​
5472​
NoNoNoEurope only?
Ravenol SSO 0W30
-76​
17400​
5580​
SN/CFNoNoUSA, Europe
Redline 0W30
-76​
5800?SP "Recommended for"No"Recommended for"USA
HPL Premium Plus 0W30
-72​
15400​
4150​
SN PlusNoNoUSA
M1 Classic 0W30
-65​
16100​
?SPNoNoChina only?
Imperial Oil's M1 AFE 0W30
-65​
??SPGF-6a"Meets or Exceeds"Canada only?
M1 ESP 0W30
-60​
19000​
6100​
SPNoNoUSA
Pennzoil Platinum Euro LX SAE 0W30
-60​
18900​
5800​
SNNoNoUSA
Amsoil SS 0W30 AZO
-58​
5372​
SP "Application"GF-6a "Application""Application"USA
M1 AFE 0W30
-42​
??SPGF-6a"Meets or Exceeds"USA only?
Castrol Edge 0W-30 DX
-42​
??SPGF-6a"Meets or Exceeds"Europe, Canada?
 
Snagglefoot said:
I dunno. Let’s phone someone in Edmonton, Alberta, a city of over a million people. Most folks with cars outside would plug in at those temps. This screen shot is from the cold snap of Jan 2024. As for starting vehicles in the bush, a lot of the oil patch workers have automatic start systems that will start their vehicle when the coolant temperature drops to a certain point. The engine will start and warm up to normal opearating temperature then shut off. This will occur a few times during the night. But yes, it’s torture on the engine otherwise. Maybe someone from Alaska wants to add to this.

View attachment 201489
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I would die even in a heated house at those temperatures.
 
Kalle.J said:

0W-20 - 0W-30 - 0W-40 - Motor Oils - Engine Oils | Blauparts

Best synthetic oils made by RAVENOL & Eurol that carry OEM approvals. Premium motor oils types for a trouble-free oil change used in Audi, BMW, Dodge, Ford, Ram, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche, Toyota, VW, & more.
www.blauparts.com www.blauparts.com

Should be able to order Ravenol ALS (Arctic) from Blueparts. Unfortunately not very price competitive.
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I could not find it in their catalog. Perhaps I am looking at the US version of the catalog and you are looking at the European version?
 
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Snagglefoot said:
I dunno. Let’s phone someone in Edmonton, Alberta, a city of over a million people. Most folks with cars outside would plug in at those temps. This screen shot is from the cold snap of Jan 2024. As for starting vehicles in the bush, a lot of the oil patch workers have automatic start systems that will start their vehicle when the coolant temperature drops to a certain point. The engine will start and warm up to normal opearating temperature then shut off. This will occur a few times during the night. But yes, it’s torture on the engine otherwise. Maybe someone from Alaska wants to add to this.

View attachment 201489
Click to expand...


My problem at those temps (Walmart 0W-20 in crankcase) was not the oil, but the battery... The lowest temp I tried cranking at was -40.
All I got was click, click, click.


IMG_1225.jpg
 
I’ve posted this before but….. when I was going to flight school I was pretty broke. School was pretty expensive. I didn’t pay for plug in parking. My 1998 C1500 4.3 was left outside all day not plugged in. I ran Mobil 1 5W30. Always started. I sold it when it rolled over 300,000 kms in 2010. It had 180 psi of compression on all 6 cylinders on the pre purchase inspection.

I wouldn’t over think the oil too much. Modern day oil is even better than the old M1 I ran. Winnipeg gets pretty cold in winter too.
 
chris719 said:
Castrol Edge Euro 0W-30 A3/B4 has a pour point of -60 but again, pour point is not a figure of merit unless you want to win a freezer oil race.
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Thanks! I had to laugh at the MRV and CCS numbers published by Castrol for this product: they are exactly the maximums allowed by SAE for a 0W oil!

Here is an updated table with the newest submissions and a couple of error corrections:

PP (F)MRV@-40CCCS@-35CAPIILSACWSS-M2C963-A1?Markets
Ravenol Arctic Low SAPS 0W30
-76​
15400​
5472​
NoNoNoEurope; USA by special order
Ravenol SSO 0W30
-76​
17400​
5580​
SN/CFNoNoUSA, Europe
Redline 0W30
-76​
?5800?SP "Recommended for"No"Recommended for"USA
HPL Premium Plus 0W30
-72​
15400​
4150​
SN PlusNoNoUSA
M1 Classic 0W30
-65​
16100​
?SPGF-6a"Meets or Exceeds"China only?
Imperial Oil's M1 AFE 0W30
-65​
??SPGF-6a"Meets or Exceeds"Canada only?
Castrol Edge Euro 0W-30 A3/B4
-65​
60000?6200?SN/CFNoNoUSA, Europe
M1 ESP 0W30
-60​
19000​
6100​
SPNoNoUSA
Pennzoil Platinum Euro LX SAE 0W30
-60​
18900​
5800​
SNNoNoUSA
Halvoline ProDS P 0W30
-60​
??NoNoNoEurope
49N Arctic Synthetic 0W30 Bulk
-60​
??CJ-4/SNNoNoCanada only?
Amsoil SS 0W30 AZO
-58​
?
5372​
SP "Application"GF-6a "Application""Application"USA
M1 AFE 0W30
-42​
??SPGF-6a"Meets or Exceeds"USA only?
Castrol Edge 0W-30 DX
-42​
??SPGF-6a"Meets or Exceeds"Europe, Canada?
 
Snagglefoot said:
I dunno. Let’s phone someone in Edmonton, Alberta, a city of over a million people. Most folks with cars outside would plug in at those temps. This screen shot is from the cold snap of Jan 2024. As for starting vehicles in the bush, a lot of the oil patch workers have automatic start systems that will start their vehicle when the coolant temperature drops to a certain point. The engine will start and warm up to normal opearating temperature then shut off. This will occur a few times during the night. But yes, it’s torture on the engine otherwise. Maybe someone from Alaska wants to add to this.

View attachment 201489
Click to expand...

I live in saskatchewan and can confirm. That cold snap was downright diabolical. It was more like -35 to -40 before the wind chill.
I work in a parts store with multiple branches and the whole company very nearly sold completely out of batteries and block heater cords that week.

...anecdotally, i currently have liqui moly special tech B FE 0W30 in my old ford ranger and had zero issues with it starting during that time. Actually had the block heater cord come unplugged from the outlet one night (might have tripped over it or something) and it still started up just fine with the oil pressure gage taking only a couple seconds to come up.

Before it was always 5W30 full synthetic. Last year i had a couple of mornings where it felt like it took forever to start seeing oil pressure. I'll be using up my last jug of 5W30 in the spring and then i'll probably be making the switch to using 0W30 all year round.
 
Wind chill has no bearing on temp for oil. It’s just how cold it is. Engines don’t know anything about “ with wind chill”.
 
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