Loving the 0w-16 in our new AWD Prius in Alaska

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
-50F?? OMG what does it feel like to be standing in -50F weather?

I skied once in -42c in Bosnia (cannot exactly figure out in f). In that temperature wheels on ski lift are completely silent, and 10W40 oil I had in engine needed like 10sec to quite down camshaft rattle when started.
 
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Going up to Chena Hot Springs to take the MIL to see the aurora for the holidays. We won't get warmer than -12f for the entire week it looks like. No block heater, no drama, no noises.

So far I'm still averaging 49 mpg in the Prius.

[Linked Image from imgur.com]




The "cold weather" threads on this board are particularly hilarious this winter by the way. So many experts.
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-40F isn't unheard of here with several weeks a year below -25

See if this year is the heatwave exception

Odd part is I just use the spec'd 5w30 year round, just might take longer to start and needs a longer idle
 
Originally Posted by Rmay635703
-40F isn't unheard of here with several weeks a year below -25

See if this year is the heatwave exception

Odd part is I just use the spec'd 5w30 year round, just might take longer to start and needs a longer idle


5w40 is the spec for my truck and it starts and runs in these temperatures too. I'm not saying everything should run 0w16, all I'm saying is 0w16 isthe spec for this car and it starts unassisted in these temps like its summer. Our older Prius definitely made more of a fuss.
 
Originally Posted by paoester
Originally Posted by geeman789
Originally Posted by jayg
It is pretty funny seeing people on here worried about boutique 0w oils living in places like Kansas or somewhere it doesn't stay below freezing for weeks at a time. Every year, the cold weather threads on here get more paranoid and convoluted.
Where I live, 0*F is common in the winter, and - 25 * F happens occasionally. And 15w40 conventional is the most commonly used oil. And the trucks ( usually ... ) start, and don't seem to blow up too often ! Engines are tougher than we think.


jayg, Then use some common sense and stop wasting money on your boutique expensive dealership TGMO 0w-16. What you don't know is that just about any 0w20 flows better at ultra-cold temperatures (MRV) than 0w16's do. Due to thinner base oil usage in 0w20 formulation.

This is simply not true............
 
Originally Posted by PowerSurge
It's hard to believe that there are people that still think 0w-20 and 0w-16 oils are ‘too thin of an oil'.

As for the price of TGMO, dealers around here sell it for $4.25~/quart. Dealer price is approx. 2.80~/quart. Negotiate.

Yes it's simply misinformation.
0w-16 yas been used in daily use engines in Japan for over 10 years now
North America needs to get their heads out of somewhere.
 
Originally Posted by PowerSurge
It's hard to believe that there are people that still think 0w-20 and 0w-16 oils are ‘too thin of an oil'.

As for the price of TGMO, dealers around here sell it for $4.25~/quart. Dealer price is approx. 2.80~/quart. Negotiate.


Yup. I'm using Mobil 1 0W-20 HM in my Sable, it's not much "thinner" at temp than a few 5W-30's (although they seem to be getting a bit thicker across the board lately). At least at 9.0 cSt at 100C, it's not that far from a W30 at all...

The mileage some are showing above is very impressive...
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
-50F?? OMG what does it feel like to be standing in -50F weather?

I skied once in -42c in Bosnia (cannot exactly figure out in f). In that temperature wheels on ski lift are completely silent, and 10W40 oil I had in engine needed like 10sec to quite down camshaft rattle when started.
If its perfectly calm even those temperatures can be kind of pleasant. With any kind of wind though, then it gets nasty unless you've got some good winter gear. How did your skis work at that temperature? I'm sure you had the hill mostly to yourself so some steep groomers would be fun to play Super G racer on.
 
-30 and -40 geez I wouldn't live there even if you give me a fortune. We live one time and waste it in that cold lol
 
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In the winter of 1962-1963, living in DownEast Maine, the temperatures would often drop down to -20F. Sometimes lower. My 1962 Buick Special always started in the morning. Always used either
10W-30 or 10W-40 which was very popular back then. Always parked outside- no garage.
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
-50F?? OMG what does it feel like to be standing in -50F weather?


I'll ski down to about 10 above.

I'll ride a snowmachine down to -20 or so.

When it hits -50F, I try not to stand in it. I'm usually working inside (thankfully).
Do you mind if I ask what you do up there?
 
my computer shows a 10 day Fairbanks forecast in the 10'sF, regardless, drive your w16 like a christian and say a prayer.
 
If its perfectly calm even those temperatures can be kind of pleasant. With any kind of wind though, then it gets nasty unless you've got some good winter gear. How did your skis work at that temperature? I'm sure you had the hill mostly to yourself so some steep groomers would be fun to play Super G racer on.
Actually, there were bunch of people. Mostly running on "Sljivovitz" (plum brandy). Skis were OK, bit more effort to move when not that steep. But it was night skiing, mostly just to have some fun. We would usually go to slopes that are not having lights during those nights when it is strong or full moon. That night was, and actually was very fun.
Wind? Yeah. Here at Breckenridge my nostrils froze at -35 at the top. It was so windy as I got out of tree line, I figured I need to get down ASAP into tree line. Regardless that I had a mask, my nostrils froze. Never fully healed. They still bleed here at this super dry climate.
 
How’s the hunting up there? Being a Cajun, I just have to know. Not sure if I could handle that cold weather, I’m used to brutal summers and mild winters here, but I’d tolerate it for a grizzly bear hunt. It’s on my buddy and I’s bucket list.
 
Originally Posted by racin4ds
You folks must be nuts to live in an area where it gets that cold! lol and even crazier to use a 0W16 in anything....

BTW- VW TDI's were getting that kind of fuel mileage ages ago with no $20k batteries...
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Yep, beautiful wildlife and scenery. Aurora borealis, no traffic, clean water. Crazy.

Don't worry about my engine wearing out with 0w16 because it won't. In fact I've never had to replace a battery in a Prius in 12 years. And they're not $20k.

Also TDIs don't get the same mileage as a Prius up here, I would know, I had one before I bought my truck. The cold weather affects the diesel efficiency more than the Prius by far. Besides that, they aren't all wheel drive and if they added a rear diff they mileage would drop even more.

Yes I like diesel engines for the low down torque ( more torque at idle than same size gas engine and loads more at 1300 rpm when they achieve full boost), and if done properly, the power right up to redline (4500 rpm usually) combined with decent mileage. But I wouldn't run one in Alaska if theres other choices.
 
So far (6k miles) the 0w-16 has been great in the wife's new AWD Prius. We are getting more mpg than our last FWD Prius right at 54 mpg lifetime average over the 6k miles.

One thing that worried me was the lack of a block heater on the new cars. Here in Alaska, it's nice to have but so far the coldest start was -5F outside of Fairbanks last week and there was zero drivetrain noise at all when the ICE came on. Even with the 0w-20 on our '14 Prius, if the car wasn't plugged in below 0F you would get a second or two of valvetrain clatter. Both TGMO 0W oils but the 0w16 must be a little different or the newer engine has a different design in the ICE's oil pump or valvetrain perhaps. Haven't looked into it too close because it's the wife's Prius and I don't care about it that much considering there are much more fun things in the garage to tinker with.

As we go deeper in to the winter it will be interesting to see how the 0w-16 holds up without a block heater at -30F and -50F on occasion if I find myself in the interior again. Ideally, I'd be parking inside but it doesn't happen every time.

We had a hot summer with crazy wildfires and the same oil saw highway cruising at 80 mph at 85F. Going off the 10k mile schedule puts me changing this oil in March so we should definitely have some -40F days in the mix. That will bring this oil to driving in conditions that span at least 120 degrees.

I don't plan on doing a UOA until at least 20k but I'll report back if anything interesting pops up.
I'm heartened by your post, fellow Alaskan.

Though, I cannot reconcile driving a Prius. Twice now, I've seen compact or sub-compact cars destroyed and their drivers killed by head-on accidents on the hwy around Turnagain Arm. Just me, but I like SUV's and pickup trucks for safety reasons.

Perhaps they're okay for driving around Anchorage... Be extra safe!

Steve from Palmer
 
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Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
-50F?? OMG what does it feel like to be standing in -50F weather?

I skied once in -42c in Bosnia (cannot exactly figure out in f). In that temperature wheels on ski lift are completely silent, and 10W40 oil I had in engine needed like 10sec to quite down camshaft rattle when started.

Almost exactly the same. -42C is -44F, a lot of pour points of oils are around there...
 
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