Why use anything other than a 0wXX oil?

[BlazerLT]

Honestly, seeing it is only thinner when cold and thickens up to the same weight when up to operating temperature, why not always use it?

Just seems to be a no brainer.

1.) It warms up faster.
2.) It lubricate's faster on startup where most damage occurs.
3.) Better overall economy.

 

[Jelly]

Seriously, everyone's not a lube nut, and because of this, they don't want to pay the price premium that 0w synthetics commands...

[ January 27, 2005, 01:50 AM: Message edited by: rugerman1 ]

 

[BlazerLT]

Thanks rugerman, seems like people can't communicate without insulting someone.

Anyways, on to the discussion.

I am talking about synthetics here, sorry to forget that point.

People will put in a 5 or 10w40 when 0w40 is the same price?

Why not go with the 0w40 option?

 

[Jelly]

It wasn't a personal slam...I just got done reading the first few chapters of his "intro to engine oil series" and if your name was covered up, I would have swore that it was him.

And yes, in the realm of synthetics, in normal passenger car/light truck service, 0w's are the way to go.

 

[BlazerLT]

I honestly have NO idea what you are tlaking about, I was just thinking about this on my own.

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by BlazerLT:
Honestly, seeing it is only thinner when cold and thickens up to the same weight when up to operating temperature, why not always use it?

Just seems to be a no brainer.

1.) It warms up faster.
2.) It lubricate's faster on startup where most damage occurs.
3.) Better overall economy.

---

It makes sense if you think about it, but it's not clear that we've really seen those things when comparing two specific oils. M1 0w30 vs M1 5w30 for instance.

Cost and availabilty are always issues too. GC 0w30 is great oil but many of us have a terrible time finding it and some of us have never found it. Around here, M1 5w30 is available everywhere but I have to get M1 0w30 at an auto parts store. The Walmarts and other mass merchants don't seem to have it...

 

[MONKEYMAN]

For me, it is because I am trying to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. None of the cars I have recommend 0w-40, but 5w30. I am under extended warranty on my Saturn, so I am following what is recommended. Maybe it will catch on when more of the manufacturers recommend the 0w-40?

 

[BlazerLT]

Whoa, hold on there, that was an example.

In your case 0w30.

Flows faster at startup and is superior when compared to 5w30.

 

[huffmuds9320]

I think 0W-x oils are good overall. Castrol Syntec 0W-30(germany) being one of the good ones out there. However there doesn't seem to be many manufacturers that recommend that grade. Its probably best for turbo engines. I guess the nice thing about a 0W-x oil is that it works in all climates very well. The thing is that a 0W-40 has a wider spread than a 5W-40 or 10W-40. So maybe the 0W-40 is not the best in sheer stable.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

I am sure you are right. Synthetic Ow-30 would be superior. But, am running dino until out of my warranty. Those cases of 88 cent Havoline 5w30 will be used for those 3,000 mile OCI's the manufacturer recommends. It seems I am one who follows the rules. After warranty, the sky is the limit (synthetic oil, extended drain intervals, oil analysis, and those superior weight oils).

 

[moribundman]

quote:

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Honestly, seeing it is only thinner when cold and thickens up to the same weight when up to operating temperature, why not always use it?

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Not exactly. The oil still gets thinner when getting hot, it just doesn't get thinner than, for example, a 40 when hot, if it's a 0W-40.

quote:

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Just seems to be a no brainer.

1.) It warms up faster.

---

No, it doesn't. Thicker oils get warm faster, since it sheds heat less efficiently to the cold engine.

quote:

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2.) It lubricates faster on startup where most damage occurs.

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I don't know if it lubricates "faster," but it gets a little faster from the sump to all the critical parts. It may depend on your oil pump and design of the lubrication system how much quicker it is.

quote:

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3.) Better overall economy.

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Better economy until the oil has reached operating temperature -- meaning the first 20 minutes of driving or so, but not overall. That would be more a matter of operating temperature viscosity and maybe friction modifiers.

[ January 27, 2005, 05:16 AM: Message edited by: moribundman ]

 

[Ugly3]

I think some of the resistance is due to the old days when viscosity improvers tended to burn up and clog the rings. People remember the closer the two numbers the better so to them a 10w30 is better than a 0w30.

 

[mechtech]

Yes, better flow with a '0' weight when cold, or really cold.
The higher number designating viscosity is at a temp of around 200F.
In between temps will show the 0 weight to be thinner, until the oil is really hot.

 

[Alan]

quote:

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I don't know if it lubricates "faster," but it gets a little faster from the sump to all the critical parts.

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That's considered lubricating faster

.

[ January 27, 2005, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: Alan ]

 

[moribundman]

quote:

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That's lubricating faster [Cool] .

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Earlier... if the oil gets there faster it will lubricate earlier compared to a thicker oil. Sorry, I'm suffering a semantic crisis.

 

[Ugly3]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mechtech:
Yes, better flow with a '0' weight when cold, or really cold.
The higher number designating viscosity is at a temp of around 200F.
In between temps will show the 0 weight to be thinner, until the oil is really hot.

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Are you sure about this? I thought I saw where some 5w oils were thinner than some 0w oils in the mid-cool temps (maybe 60F to 0F) and that the 0w oils were thinner in cooler temps (maybe 0F and below).

 

[Gary Allan]

Unless there is a radical difference in cold viscosity, there is no "faster" to a 0w over a 5w ..period. There may be marginal time lapse differences between when it is ejected from the last point of lubrication until it reaches the pan when cold ..but otherwise ..there's no faster (some conditions and restrictions apply).

moribundman had it correct when he said "easier".

 

[Dr. T]

Well, if you compare a 0-40 to a 5-20 for eg., the 5-20 will be thinner at say -5C and up whereas the 0-40 will be the winner at -30C.

This is a similar argument for recommending a 5-50...the widest possible OTC viscosity range. Not a bad recommendation, but I've had increased consumption with some 0W-XX oils...and I still think that you should stay within a smaller overall viscosity range determined by your ambient temps.. For eg., you don't need a 0W-anything in Texas (or anywhere else the temps. are above -30C).

 

[Alan]

quote:

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Are you sure about this? I thought I saw where some 5w oils were thinner than some 0w oils in the mid-cool temps (maybe 60F to 0F) and that the 0w oils were thinner in cooler temps (maybe 0F and below).

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I read a post by Rugerman1 where he freezer tested M1 5W30 and GC.He wrote that the M1 flowed faster at 0 degees F.

 

[haley10]

I have gone to GC 0w30 myself for year 'round use.

However, Heyjay and others have convinced me to look at the CCS and MRV data and not just the 0W, 5W etc. if in fact you need the best cold weather performance. I don't get cold enough to worry about it, but M1 5w30 might actually be better than my GC if it were consistantly 0F to -10F.

I think looking at MRV and CCS is more telling than going by the 0W, 5W, 10W etc. Actually, there are some 10W that perform pretty well at moderately cold temps.