10w30 & low temps

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Regularly or irregularly?

My F150 turned over and caught at -17'F on Nextgen green bottle, whatever that is, syn-blend?

If I were somewhere with a winter climate and HAD TO start unaided I'd go with at least a 5w30 synthetic. But the truck sits in my driveway and I fire it up only to go to the dump. If it chooses not to go there's always the next day.
 
All the synthetic 10w30 oils I have seen have a -30 pour point or lower. Even most conventional 10w30 has around a -30 pour point.

Heck 20w50 is rated around -20 pour point.

People forget cars use to come with straight 30 weight and would still go 100k if taken care of.
 
My first car was a ,67 Cutlass. Called for 10/40 WT oil. This was in 74, so no synthetic at the time. Started fine in below 0 degrees.
 
In my old 02 s10, I had 10w30 (I think it was syn blend) that sat for a weekend where overnight it reached -4F. Started up and ran fine the next morning. In my vehicles, I’m comfortable using 10w30 above 0 degrees F.
 
Do you have a diesel or Gas engine. No auto manufacturers have recommended 10w-30 in a gas engine in over 20 years. Use 5W-30 instead. If it’s a Diesel engine you are excused.
 
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The ASTM cold cranking test is done at -25 C (13 F). 10W-30 starts OK at this temp. However, why induce more cold weather wear than is necessary? Using 5W-30 is a better solution.
 
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-25°C equals -13°F I believe. And -30°C equals -22°F. And at -40 they are both the exact same.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: barkingspider
I’m comfortable using 10w30 above 0 degrees F.

+1

+2

At 0F (-20 C) you should start with no problems with a good battery, and as many have commented, much lower is possible. But to me 0F and below would be when I would select a 5W30, above that I like the shear stability and low volatility of a 10W30.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Acknowledging it is allowed to slip a grade in service, no lower than the CCS temp, which is -25C.


Which would be -13F and still pretty darn cold.
Realistically, most of us in the lower forty eight will never see temperatures cold enough that a 10W grade oil would be a problem.
Even lower overnight temperatures won't usually matter since they typically aren't sustained long enough to chill the oil in the sump to the ambient temperature of an only briefly reached low.
There is also always the option of a sump heating pad, which makes the W grade of the oil irrelevant.
One of these would also be nice on one of our below zero mornings, since warmed oil makes for a warm engine and faster heat to demist the windows and warm the driver without a lot of idling.
You don't see these much here on gassers, but I did see the tell-tale AC hanging out on local gassers on a drive through South Dakota and Montana.
 
Bottles were at -40 according to the guy talking before pouring.

They'll heat quickly while dribbling down, as evidenced by -20 for the M1, and -14 for the next one that wasn't flowing as fast.
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Do you have a diesel or Gas engine. No auto manufacturers have recommended 10w-30 in a gas engine in over 20 years. Use 5W-30 instead. If it’s a Diesel engine you are excused.

Actually Chrysler specs 10w30 in the 3.5 v.6
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
No auto manufacturers have recommended 10w-30 in a gas engine in over 20 years.


You say that like it was a bad thing.
 
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