Straight 30w in Hot Climates

Joined
Aug 10, 2017
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906
Location
CA
Hi BITOG users,

Anybody using straight 30wt in hotter climates n their passenger vehicles? - I'm talking the greater CA/AZ area where temps rarely dip into freezing temps. Would a vehicle which is spec'd for 5w-30 have any issues with this?

Thanks!
 
If it got anywhere close to 32F, I personally wouldn't run it. I'd only use it in the summer, but even then, I'd only do it to use up something that I already had. Otherwise, there'd be no point for me to use it over a 5W-30.
 
What kind of car/engine?

I wouldn't unless it's a smoking old beater that drinks tons of oil, or you're racing it, or you have several 55 gallon drums.

I'd save it for the lawn mower personally
 
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Originally Posted by JEL01
What kind of car/engine?

I wouldn't unless it's a smoking old beater that drinks tons of oil, or you're racing it, or you have several 55 gallon drums.

I'd save it for the lawn mower personally

By what measure? If the oil carries the required specification for his engine, a straight-weight oil is entirely appropriate for moderate temperatures.
 
What are you expecting to gain? Longer engine life? Possible lowered oil consumption? I am not one to regurgitate marketing claims but engines usually out last the vehicles they are put in with oil from the majors plus proper maintenance and operation. No oil on Earth will keep a part from breaking or cover a manufacturing or metallurgy failure
 
I ran Duron SAE 40 in my LML Duramax last summer for 10,000 miles. Best UOA so far.
Weather permitting, I run mono-grade engine oils as often as possible.
The good ones are not cheap and usually have a few obsolete API approvals printed on the containers.
That does not mean the lubricant quality is obsolete. All major branded are group IIs with modern additive packages.
 
Grandpa always used straight 30 and he lived to be 95.
laugh.gif
 
On something that just uses the oil in a conventional lubricating function, [censored] yeah! This is BITOG!

Modern cars where the oil is used to drive VVT or cylinder deactivation or is used as a sort of hydraulic fluid? I wouldn't run a SAE30 in that.
 
I grew up in Pomona and if it dropped below 50, it was considered a freaking polar vortex!...‚ The avg for that part of LA county in winter is 44f, avg high is 70. Use a SAE30 or 10w30 no sweat..I did for years living down there.
 
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The answer will generally be yes as long as it is hot enough that it will flow on startup. You didn't answer as to why?

Is there a problem you are trying to solve? SAE30 probably cost more since the rebates on synthetic are generally #W-## oil and you can generally get them for $3/qt or lower. Few make a SAE30 in synthetic. This means it will shear down and leave deposits like the oils of old compared to a modern group III walmart synthetic. No real compelling reason to use it.
 
I ran a bunch of SAE 30 (Delo 400) in multiple IDI diesels, and a couple oil consuming gas engines, and didn't have any issues running it-but they were older, non-variable valve timing gasoline engines, and they either had oil pan heaters in cold weather or were idled long enough to get the temperature gauge off the peg before being driven. Remember, in days of old, when SAE 30 was for summer & SAE 20 (or 10 in arctic conditions) for winter? I do (barely)!
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by ad244
It would be for a Toyota!




That narrows it down.

VVTi Toyota? No. Old school regular Toyota gas engine, no starting below 35F (or warm it up a couple minutes at high idle before driving? Go for it.
 
bullwinkie; Don't forget that back in the day, mono-grades were blended from group I base oil. Now they are blended from group II base oil "That rival the performance of synthetics". Quote from Chevron sales fax.
(Whatever "synthetic" means.)
 
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