Oil and cold weather

[mikiee]

I have a new 2010 Nissan Versa. Nissan recommends 5W-30 oil. I live in Missouri where the winter temps are usually 20's, 30's, and 40's with a few 5 to 15 degree days. I know the cold weather pour-ability is better with synthetics vs. dino oil. Do I really need to worry about pour-ability in this climate or can I have peace of mind just using dino oil?

 

[chubbs1]

Dino will be fine...If you want to you could use a Synthetic this winter since oil usually takes a bashing. It depends on how you drive the car. Very short trips, go by Nissan's Severe Service 3.75k use Dino. If you use it on the highway a few times a week(30 mins at least) go with synthetic and get the Extra miles out of the car. I believe it is 5k with Nissan. It all depends on what you wanna pay.

 

[ac700wildcat]

I live in ND and our winters here get waaaay colder that that. Normal low temps in the coldest part of the winter can near -35 to -40 with a lot of days not going above zero or even -10. I'd say that a majority of the vehicles here are running on dino oil and they still last a lonnnnnng time. My boss has a 94 dodge ram with a 360 motor that has 250,000 miles on it and still runs strong and holds good oil pressure. My moms 91 park avenue has 150,000 miles on it and has only seen dino oil and up until its last change was running 10w30. It doesn't burn a drop of oil, runs great, gets good mileage, and still has good oil pressure. I know of a lot of other people that I could tell you the same about.

I guess my point is that you will be fine running a 5w30 dino oil.

 

[Bill in Utah]

5w-30 conventional oil will serve you fine! I use it in well below your temps with no issues and my vehicles last a long time.

More important is let the vehicle warm up (by driving it, NOT idling) before getting "on it" no matter what oil you end up using.

Take care, bill

 

[gathermewool]

+1 all posts

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
5w-30 conventional oil will serve you fine! I use it in well below your temps with no issues and my vehicles last a long time.

More important is let the vehicle warm up (by driving it, NOT idling) before getting "on it" no matter what oil you end up using.

Take care, bill



Plus 1 I had to get on mine the other day while it was still cold. And I really dont like the way it sounded.

 

[mark pruett]

Originally Posted By: ac700wildcat
I live in ND and our winters here get waaaay colder that that.



I guess my point is that you will be fine running a 5w30 dino oil.


Don't people up there use plug-in block heaters and other exotic equipment that people in warmer climates don't need, or does everyone just use 5w-30 and park outside without a block heater in ND?

At any rate, I bet the OP will be fine in Missouri; my 05 Dakota says to use 5w-30 in temps under 100F and 10w-30 in temps above 0F so either should cover winter in MO.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Dino.

 

[sangyup81]

Originally Posted By: mikiee
I have a new 2010 Nissan Versa. Nissan recommends 5W-30 oil. I live in Missouri where the winter temps are usually 20's, 30's, and 40's with a few 5 to 15 degree days. I know the cold weather pour-ability is better with synthetics vs. dino oil. Do I really need to worry about pour-ability in this climate or can I have peace of mind just using dino oil?

Back in the day when cars recommended different oils for different temperatures, 10w30 and 10w40 were ok as long as temps were above 0 F. 5w30 should be more than enough to handle your winters. If you are going under -20 F, then I'd start wondering

 

[ac700wildcat]

Originally Posted By: mark pruett
Originally Posted By: ac700wildcat
I live in ND and our winters here get waaaay colder that that.



I guess my point is that you will be fine running a 5w30 dino oil.


Don't people up there use plug-in block heaters and other exotic equipment that people in warmer climates don't need, or does everyone just use 5w-30 and park outside without a block heater in ND?

At any rate, I bet the OP will be fine in Missouri; my 05 Dakota says to use 5w-30 in temps under 100F and 10w-30 in temps above 0F so either should cover winter in MO.


Yes, a lot of people do use block heaters, but they really only warm the coolant up and don't help at all with warming the oil, except for maybe what is in the oil passages of the motor. I have a 2001 daewoo leganza that doesn't have one and starts just fine no matter what temps I've started it in. I'm not sure of the physics, but I think a block heater tends to help more with keeping the cylinders warm to help with combustion. Some cars wouldn't start without a block heater below certain temps.

There are also magnetic heaters that you can stick to your oil pan, but I've only seen one used a few times when there were troubles with getting a car to turn over. Heated battery blankets are also available, but not many people use those either.

 

[mechtech2]

I use dino and it gets a lot colder in Chicagoland than down there.
Of course, my using it doesn't justify it.
But on paper and in real life, dino is more than good enough for your winters.

 

[countryboy9799]

Hardly any gas engines with block heaters up here anymore, our 3 cars dont have them, my diesel pickup does and needs it.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: mark pruett
Originally Posted By: ac700wildcat
I live in ND and our winters here get waaaay colder that that.



I guess my point is that you will be fine running a 5w30 dino oil.


Don't people up there use plug-in block heaters and other exotic equipment that people in warmer climates don't need, or does everyone just use 5w-30 and park outside without a block heater in ND?

At any rate, I bet the OP will be fine in Missouri; my 05 Dakota says to use 5w-30 in temps under 100F and 10w-30 in temps above 0F so either should cover winter in MO.


The only place I've lived where we had to plug in was far further north than the OPs or my present location - and that was back when 10W40 was the standard fare everyone went with.

Temps here are cold enough in the winter that synthetic is preferable, IMHO, for that season and if only for that season; though I'd used 5W30 dino regularly in every season in the past, and this current run on PP is the first time its ever seen synthetic. Engine's held up just fine on 10 years of 5W30 dino and no block heater (I have never seen a block heater here).

-Spyder

 

[ChrisD46]

Mobil 1 0W 30 year round ...great oil in any weather .

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: ChrisD46
Mobil 1 0W 30 year round ...great oil in any weather .



Yep, it`s a real good oil,thats for sure. I used it in my 01 RX.