Mobil 1 5w-30 vs Mobil 1 10w-30

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Scott_in_WI:
So Patman,

In an application like mine (12-1500 miles/week, almost all highway), would you suggest M1 5w-30 over M1 10w-30? I've always been of the opinion, "the narrower the viscosity spread, the better". I have a "brand spankin" new car and want it to tun "forever" (or at least until I have it paid off

)....

---

For a conventional oil you'd definitely want to choose 10w30 over 5w30 wherever possible (extremely cold climates not included) but for a synthetic the extra spread of the 5w30 is a non issue.

 

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jbas:
Mobil 1's and Amsoil's 10W-30s are not obsolete. The 5W-30s are redundant, and no doubt created because of the manufacturers' dino requirements.

Maybe I missed it, but I haven't seen the 10W-30s show any more wear than the 5W-30s, given any normal climate, in recent UOAs.

---

If you were to run a test with 10w30 vs 5w30 synthetic in the cold winter though, the 5w30 would come out on top with lower wear. If you were to run the same test in the summer with 10w30 vs 5w30 synthetic, they would be indentical. So why not choose the 5w30 just in case you run into some cooler weather during your interval? There just aren't any negatives with running the 5w30 over the 10w30.

 

[Hankrr]

Humm, this debate is moot because at best the difference's between the 10W and 5W in warm weather are slight. I just wanted to point out that I don't believe the 10W30 is obsolete and should continue to have it's applications. I prefer it for the summer months. Besides auto it's the perfect oil for my John Deere lawn mower too.

[ August 23, 2004, 06:52 PM: Message edited by: Hankrr ]

 

[jbas]

This is true, Patman, but the Redline folks have advertised that the greatest "durability" is provided by their 10W-30. (I confess I'm still not sure what that means, but it sounds impressive). Amsoil folks have written that there is no significant difference between their 5W-30 and 10W-30. (In fact, its the same oil group). After reading a fair amount of posts on here, including the UOAs, it doesn't seem like there is any real advantage to the syn 5W-30s versus 10W-30s.

Some would (and have) argued that a nomimal savings in fuel could be achieved, at start-up(?), but I've seen no evidence provided to support that. So...I'd have to conclude the reverse and say there are no negatives to using a 10W-30 PAO synthetic like Mobil 1 or Amsoil, or Redline, over their respective 5W-30s. And since the 10W-30s came first, hence the "redundancy." And I'm beginning to think the other parts of the car (A/T, A/C) might break down first!

 

[XS650]

quote:

---

Originally posted by zoomzoom:
this table will show you difference in viscosity at these given temperatures. 5W and 0W will flow quite a bit faster then M1 10W...

---

I don't see a problem with any of those oils at any of the temps you posted. The oil pump will handle them just fine.

BTW, if you put "CODE" in brackets instead of quote before your table and "/CODE" in brackets instead of quotes after your table, the formatting hangs together better. I just figured that out after several months so am sharing it. We are probably the last two people here to know that

[ August 23, 2004, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: XS650 ]

 

[seotaji]

if they are so similar, then i should just run 5w30 instead of the 10w i'm running now?

i'm confused by the whole thing really.

they are both good oils, but i've always thought that thicker was better (also the manual reccomended it for the summer), but i might just switch back if it doesn't matter.

plus the 5w has "for newer cars" written on it and i'd like to think mine was "newer" for a little longer.

 

[427Z06]

M1 10w30 isn't quite obsolete yet. The reason they still make M1 10w30 is so you have something to thin out the 15w50 with.

 

[Hankrr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 427Z06:
M1 10w30 isn't quite obsolete yet. The reason they still make M1 10w30 is so you have something to thin out the 15w50 with.

---

LOL! Funny but somewhat true. I actually use the 15W50 to thicken my 10W30 a bit....

 

[Hankrr]

I noticed something interesting from the CST/temp chart posted above.

Until you get down below ZERO, the 10W30 looks like it would flow better than the 0W40. Below zero the 0W40 takes over.

This backs up what I personally noticed last winter. I was late changing my summer oil which was the 10W30. I changed it in Dec to the 0W40. Honestly on the cold winter mornings the 0W40 felt like molasse's at startup compared to the 10W30. I even took the 0W40 back out as soon as I hit 3000 miles. Seemed to thick for my engine.

I was going to post about that but knew it didn't make any sense. How could a 10W flow better cold than a 0W. Well most winter mornings here are still above zero in which case the 10W30 out flows the 0W40 weight......

Confusing but I noticed it for sure

 

[lukey]

I hope M1 10w-30 isn't going to be obsolete, I'm going to use a quart of it in the summer to thicken up my 0w-20 in my 04 Accord 4 cyl.
Thick? thin?........oh no not again!.....LOL

Lukey

 

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by lukey:
I hope M1 10w-30 isn't going to be obsolete, I'm going to use a quart of it in the summer to thicken up my 0w-20 in my 04 Accord 4 cyl.
Thick? thin?........oh no not again!.....LOL

Lukey

---

Why couldn't you just use the 5w30 to thicken up the 0w20 though?

 

[zoomzoom]

I noticed same thing not to mention that M1 5W-30 beats both M1 0W-40 and GC all the way down to -20 C????

So unless we live in Alaska I don't see any advantage to use M1 0W-40 and GC in winter.

Next Winter I will be putting M1 0W-30 in...their fastest flowing 30 weight....

 

[lukey]

Seriously though I may do just that although I would probably go half 5w-30 and half 0w-20.
This thick thin debate sure has my head spinning.
There's truth in both sides I suppose. I will stay in the middle of the road so to speak.

Lukey