knowing this engine is supposed to be run on 5w20 what would happen if i just run 10w30 all the time in N.C. climate? i know the first thing will be less MPG but, other than that,will it kill the engine?
10w30 oil in a ford 4.6 engine?
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is this a new 4.6L? how many miles on it?
I'm also in NC.
i use 10/30 (and even HM 10/30 in summer) in my 111k-mile 4.6L with no problems. my car has never needed a 2nd turn of the key to start even in the coldest temp's it experienced (low teens) since I bought it, and 10/30 is probably the lightest grade I've used...so, iMo, you should be fine.
I'm also in NC.
i use 10/30 (and even HM 10/30 in summer) in my 111k-mile 4.6L with no problems. my car has never needed a 2nd turn of the key to start even in the coldest temp's it experienced (low teens) since I bought it, and 10/30 is probably the lightest grade I've used...so, iMo, you should be fine.
I used to run 10W30 almost exclusively in my Ford modular V8s. I currently own two 4.6L vehicles.
Sometimes I still run 10W30 in them and I honestly can't tell the difference between the 10W30 and the 5W30. I'm sure the 10W30 will serve you well, but I really can't see any reason why you shouldn't use the 5W30 or 5W20 in your car.
Sometimes I still run 10W30 in them and I honestly can't tell the difference between the 10W30 and the 5W30. I'm sure the 10W30 will serve you well, but I really can't see any reason why you shouldn't use the 5W30 or 5W20 in your car.
my truck is a 1998 4.6 model woth 101k
i run a 10w30 high 30 wt. redline motul mix in my 98's all my vehicles just can't wait to start even on below zero temps
Rest assured, 10-30 will work absolutely fine in your engine. In fact, I know of a lot of 4.6 and 5.4 owners that run nothing BUT 10W-30. I go one step further in my 01 Screw with the 5.4, 5 quarts of 10W-30 and one quart of 15W-50 in the summer time here in Oklahoma.
My buddy just put on 200k on the 98 Marquis with the 4.6 using only 5w30.I wouldn't go any higher than 10w30.Use a Motorcraft oil filter ONLY.
I use 5w20 synthic blend in my 05 4.6 since its under warrenty.I just do OCI every 3 to 5k with a Motorcraft filter.
BTW Ford does not recommend using 10w30 in the 4.6 but it should be ok.
As i recall the 98 4.6 calls for 5w30 not 5w20 so 10w30 should not be a problem.
I use 5w20 synthic blend in my 05 4.6 since its under warrenty.I just do OCI every 3 to 5k with a Motorcraft filter.
BTW Ford does not recommend using 10w30 in the 4.6 but it should be ok.
As i recall the 98 4.6 calls for 5w30 not 5w20 so 10w30 should not be a problem.
My 5.4L Expedition has seen 10W30 since new. Dino at first.
Switched to M1 10W30 at ~80K miles. Have 130K miles now.
Last 30K miles have been with heavy mods and a blower.
She runs like a champ.
Switched to M1 10W30 at ~80K miles. Have 130K miles now.
Last 30K miles have been with heavy mods and a blower.
She runs like a champ.
Why use 10w-30 when 5w-30 or 0w-30 is available? In 1982, people used 10w-30 and didn't have cell phones. This is 2006 and technology gives us a 30 weight oil hot, with better flow properties cold.
10W30 caused a lot of filter cans to blow apart on the 91 to 94 4.6. The heavier oil would allow the bore on the oil pressure relief valve to wear and then allow the valve to stick and blow off the filter can on cold weather cold starts.
Eventually the oil pump was redesigned to mitigate this. There was a TSB about it back then. I saw several of them blow apart, most on police cars where the police department insisted on using 10W30.
I dojn't know if this was ever fully resolved because Ford had the same problem with a rash of failures on the sister modular engine, the 3.0 Duratec during the 99 model year. When these blew off the can, they nearly always caused rod bearing failure withing a month of blowing the can.
This is one of the reasons that I will not use heavy oil in a Ford modular engine.
Eventually the oil pump was redesigned to mitigate this. There was a TSB about it back then. I saw several of them blow apart, most on police cars where the police department insisted on using 10W30.
I dojn't know if this was ever fully resolved because Ford had the same problem with a rash of failures on the sister modular engine, the 3.0 Duratec during the 99 model year. When these blew off the can, they nearly always caused rod bearing failure withing a month of blowing the can.
This is one of the reasons that I will not use heavy oil in a Ford modular engine.
When some Georgia depts., started getting the 4.6 Police Interceptors in 93/94, I heard reports of a few filters blowing off with fleet 15-40 weight.
At "crownvic.net" most seem to think that 5-30 is the way to go. Maybe 10-30 in the summer in extreme heat climates. 5-20 in the recent years is a result of CAFE issues. Some PD's STILL use 5-30 & **** the better MPG.
At "crownvic.net" most seem to think that 5-30 is the way to go. Maybe 10-30 in the summer in extreme heat climates. 5-20 in the recent years is a result of CAFE issues. Some PD's STILL use 5-30 & **** the better MPG.
So 5w-30 is considered "heavy"? Unreal. I'd agree if one was consdering xW-40 or xW-50. Let's face it, xW-20 is a fuel mileage, political idea. UOA's have determined that it's adequate, so using it is not suicide. However, there's "good", "better", and "best". What's best? That's what I'd like to know. That's why I'm here on BITOG. However, I'd like to make a point that the fuel mileage aspect is not the reason to use xW-20. Don't try to tell me that using xW-20 is going to make your mileage soar. Sorry, but if you're lucky, you might see a fraction of a MPG increase. Normal variables, such as traffic, driving habits, and city/highway ratio will play a much higher role than mere oil viscosity. This xW-20 "higher mileage" idea is mostly hype. I'm not a xW0-20 hater. I simply refuse to believe that we can enjoy significant fuel mileage benefits by going to a 20 weight oil vs. a 30 weight. A little, sure. Enough to get excited about? Very doubtful.
rainman:
Your analysis is dead on, except for one thing.
I'm broke. I'm spending nearly $250 a month on gas between two cars.
If I can save 1%, that's $27 per year.
I need $27.
If it is good for 5%, then that's $135 per year.
I can put that in my savings account each year, by the time I retire it's $5400. That will buy my wife a nice little anniversary gift some year.
Even if I wasn't married, I'd really rather not make a charitable donation to some wealthy arabs and Exxonmobil. I figure they have enough money.
A study by Castrol showed that you can get several % of fuel savings by running the right oil.
Note the charts in this PDF:
http://www.iea.org/Textbase/work/2005/EnerEffTyre/calwell2.pdf
Especially salient for me is the statement: "Test procedure matters –benefits are greatest in driving cycles and vehicle types with frequent cold starting (short trips)" found on page 14.
My drive to work isn't super-short, but my wife's trips certainly are, and that makes me excited about choosing the best oil possible for that scenario.
Your analysis is dead on, except for one thing.
I'm broke. I'm spending nearly $250 a month on gas between two cars.
If I can save 1%, that's $27 per year.
I need $27.
If it is good for 5%, then that's $135 per year.
I can put that in my savings account each year, by the time I retire it's $5400. That will buy my wife a nice little anniversary gift some year.
Even if I wasn't married, I'd really rather not make a charitable donation to some wealthy arabs and Exxonmobil. I figure they have enough money.
A study by Castrol showed that you can get several % of fuel savings by running the right oil.
Note the charts in this PDF:
http://www.iea.org/Textbase/work/2005/EnerEffTyre/calwell2.pdf
Especially salient for me is the statement: "Test procedure matters –benefits are greatest in driving cycles and vehicle types with frequent cold starting (short trips)" found on page 14.
My drive to work isn't super-short, but my wife's trips certainly are, and that makes me excited about choosing the best oil possible for that scenario.
I believe that Ford didn't spec 5w20 for these engines until 2000 or 2001. Your 98 with 100+ K on it will run just fine on 10w30, & I can't believe you'll see any difference in gas mileage compared to a 5w30. Compared to a 5w20, maybe just a little. My mom's 94 Grand Marquis with 101 K miles on its 4.6 L V-8 has 10w30 Pennzoil SL in it right now, & it's been in there all winter!
When I get it changed in May, it's gonna get 10w30 again- either Havoline or Formula Shell. And next November, I promise to be good & put a 5w30 in it then.
Heck, I might even try 5w20 in her car next winter, there have been some mighty good UOA's with 5w20, & Mom makes lots of little short trips.
In short, don't worry about 10w30 hurting your 98 model 4.6 FoMoCo V-8. 5w30 or 5w20 might be better in cold weather, but the difference shouldn't be huge.
And TomJones76: if you're looking for that last bit of gas mileage, why not try the 5w20? From the UOA's we've seen, at least your cars shouldn't blow up!
In short, don't worry about 10w30 hurting your 98 model 4.6 FoMoCo V-8. 5w30 or 5w20 might be better in cold weather, but the difference shouldn't be huge.
And TomJones76: if you're looking for that last bit of gas mileage, why not try the 5w20? From the UOA's we've seen, at least your cars shouldn't blow up!
what would you say to 5w40 synthetic in a 4.6?
I read the results of a discussion with fleet managers in "Police Fleet Manager".
The consensus opinion appeared to be that 5W20 was great, 5W30 was okay, but 15W40 was a bad idea. They didn't seem to ask about 10W30. I suppose 99% of fleets have only 5W30 and 15W40 handy, since five years ago that would have covered 90% of the machinery on the road.
The consensus opinion appeared to be that 5W20 was great, 5W30 was okay, but 15W40 was a bad idea. They didn't seem to ask about 10W30. I suppose 99% of fleets have only 5W30 and 15W40 handy, since five years ago that would have covered 90% of the machinery on the road.
10w30 will work..but....so will the 5w20...your choice...for me I'd stick with the 20...fwiw
I've run 5w20, 5w30, and 5w40 in my '99 F150 with the 4.6. UOA results were statistically not all that different between the weights. I did take a 5% fuel mileage hit running the 5w40, which is why I discontinued its use. In each case, the oil was used over a 1-year period (at least three oil changes over that 1-year) to make reasonable comparisons.
Having used the 5w40, I'm sure a 10w30 would be just fine to use in a climate without arctic cold starts.
Having used the 5w40, I'm sure a 10w30 would be just fine to use in a climate without arctic cold starts.
Back in the day, (before BITOG), when I thought thicker was better, I started out our 1995 T-Bird with the 4.6 L on Mobil 1 15W50, at 1,000 miles. Our son is still driving this vehicle and it has over 150,000 trouble free miles on it. Our current 5.4 L F-250, Mustang GT, Taurus, and our son in law, and daughter's, 24V Sable, get Mobil 1 5W20. It has been a mental struggle with me in going to a "thinner" oil, and even more so, extending my OCIs out to 5,000 miles from the previous 3,000 OCIs. I can tell you, by my seat of the pants dyno, I can feel a difference in purrformance using the 5W20 versus a heavier weight oil. I'm convinced that difference in purrformance must equate to better milage, however small it would be. Thanks BITOG!
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