Mobile 1 0w-30

[LD1]

just to play devil's advocate here...

if 0w-whatever is a better all around choice than 5w or 10w, what is the conspiracy theory on why the manufacturers just don't use it in everything they sell? i drive a car with a manufacturer recommended oil of mobil-1 5w30. why not just spec 0w30 from the start? as some have said, you *may* see a slight mpg difference with a lighter multi-weight oil, and the manufacturers are always trying to aviod the gas guzzler penalties, so why not try to squeak a little free mpg out too?

They spec 5w30 at a MINIMUM. That doesnt mean its the best. If they spec it for 0w whatever, they you CANNOT run a 5w or 10w.

It is common knowledge that synthetic is better all around than petrolium oil. Why doesn't the MFG require that???

Again, they are specing a minimum. But likewise again, that don't mean its better.

 

[Johnbro]

just to play devil's advocate here...

if 0w-whatever is a better all around choice than 5w or 10w, what is the conspiracy theory on why the manufacturers just don't use it in everything they sell? i drive a car with a manufacturer recommended oil of mobil-1 5w30. why not just spec 0w30 from the start? as some have said, you *may* see a slight mpg difference with a lighter multi-weight oil, and the manufacturers are always trying to aviod the gas guzzler penalties, so why not try to squeak a little free mpg out too?

Like I said, there's always trade-offs. The perfect scenario is to run a single-weight oil (like 30W) in a climate where the temperature never varies.Tthat's not realistic except with equipment inside a building, so mfgs add VIIs in order to make the oil multi-weight, but the VII molecules don't have the lubrication properties of the oil itself.

And in spite of what you may believe, the fact is that the 0-40W oil doesn't do anything differently at all until you get below the temperature where the 5W-40 oil can't past the pour test. those two oils will have the same exact viscosity at 30F, 100F, and 200F etc. But at some very cold temperature they will have different viscosities. Unless you're trying to turn over an engine at that temperature, the difference is non-existent.

Here's an easy way to think about this. Imagine a quart of 30W oil at room temperature. It will pour easily with the consistency of, well, oil Put it in the freezer for and try to pour it. It will pour with the consistency of honey or thick syrup. If it were in the engine of a car, the increased viscosity from the cold temperature wouldn't allow the oil to move quickly enough into all the spaces it needs to go, increasing engine wear until the engine warmed up.

If you put a can of 5W oil in the freezer, it would pour fine at like room-temperature oil at 0F but be way too thin at room temperature. Thus the need for multi-grade oils. 10W-30 was the first, IRRC, and it worked well down to a certain temperature to pour at the required rate. But it failed to work well in colder climates, so 5W-30 was made. 10W-40 provides the same cold weather protection as 10W-30 but adds more hot weather protection. and so forth. So unless you're in a VERY hot or VERY cold place, or travel from one to the other (like long-haul truckers, aircraft, buses, and so forth), you're not getting anything useful with the more extreme-rated oils, you're just giving up some basic lubricity.

 

[DEWFPO]

just to play devil's advocate here...

if 0w-whatever is a better all around choice than 5w or 10w, what is the conspiracy theory on why the manufacturers just don't use it in everything they sell? i drive a car with a manufacturer recommended oil of mobil-1 5w30. why not just spec 0w30 from the start? as some have said, you *may* see a slight mpg difference with a lighter multi-weight oil, and the manufacturers are always trying to aviod the gas guzzler penalties, so why not try to squeak a little free mpg out too?

Back in the 70's (when I was 'a little' younger), I remember trying to explain to my father why exhaust headers on a engine allowed the engine to make a little more power and get a little better mpg's. His response then was "if that's the case, why aren't the manufacturers doing it?"

I think we can ask that question about a lot of things.

I also agree with LD1's comments about it being a minimum spec. Many manufacturers (FORD, TOYOTA, and others) are spec'ing 5w20 or 0w20 synthetics for their new engines and have for the last few years.

DEWFPO

 

[Patches]

Back in the 70's (when I was 'a little' younger), I remember trying to explain to my father why exhaust headers on a engine allowed the engine to make a little more power and get a little better mpg's. His response then was "if that's the case, why aren't the manufacturers doing it?"

Why didn't you just tell him the truth; They make power AND they make an engine's exhaust note sound much better than the stock cast iron manifolds:laughing:

 

[Reverend Blair]

0 weight is better for cold climates. It makes no difference in warmer climates. Johnbro explains it pretty well.

I live in a place where -30 and even -40 are not unusual in the winter time. I'm a big believer in 0w multigrades as a result. Would I use them if I lived in Fiji? Nope, I'd just hang out on the beach and watch the bikini girls. My ancestors moved to Canada though.

 

[Gator6x4]

The 2011 Toyota Camry's 2.5 engines have a engine oil specification of 0-20 synthetic. As tolerances for moving parts in a automobile engine have decreased the weight of oil being specified by manufactures is dropping. I have always used the weight oil the manufacture specified in a synthetic blend. I have also aways believed it's your vehicle, use what you want too in the engine, used oil, hydraulic fluid, diesel fuel water etc.

 

[sw03]

The 2011 Toyota Camry's 2.5 engines have a engine oil specification of 0-20 synthetic. As tolerances for moving parts in a automobile engine have decreased the weight of oil being specified by manufactures is dropping. I have always used the weight oil the manufacture specified in a synthetic blend. I have also aways believed it's your vehicle, use what you want too in the engine, used oil, hydraulic fluid, diesel fuel water etc.

I have used 0w-20 for about 6 years and love it..UOA are great and I would never go back to a thick oil...I wise diesel had this oil.
My cars and SUV call for 5w-30 and sorry folks, 0w-20 works better...way smoother engine, better mpg, engine loves it (quick excels....)...

WIth the new oil standards coming out, I am sure you will see more changes...Problem is better for the enviroment is not better for your engine/wallet.

 

[crashz]

Remember that that manufactures will specify commonly availible oil weights as well. As 0w-XX weight oils become more common, more manufactures will use that as their Federal mandated fleet mileage magic wand. Most manufactures are recommending lighter weight oils (Toyota, Ford, Honda, Dodge...). Our 2010 Honda CRV says "0w-20 only".

clemsonfor- a bit of confusion also may lie here: water is actually 0 centipoise. As shown in the link given to us by LD1, there is a bunch of viscosity units and the comparision is shown. Off the top of my head I can't remember the conversion form centipoise to centistoke.

Thanks for the link LD1. I was interested tin the conversion from SAE to gear oil viscosities.

Last but not least - actual viscosity of oil is a slightly different that the SAE ranges. The API dictates the SAE ranges, therefore to fit the designation of a 5w-30, the oil must meet certain criteria. Part of that is that the oil must have a viscosity at 100 degrees C within the decided range. Same thing at 0 degrees C. So if you are interested in comparing oils, see if you can get the actual viscosity numbers at each temp. You may be surprised. I remember when the rage for "German" Castrol 0w-30 was buzzing around BITOG. Somebody obtained that actual viscosity numbers and found that because the ranges at 0C overlap, the viscosity of Geman Castrol was greater that Mobil 1 5w-30.

 

[crashz]

Ford, Honda and ConocoPhillips developed the 5w-20 oils based upon their new Group III+ based stocks, and wrote their own specifications for the API, which surpassed the requirements for most conventional oils on the markets then. I'm actually surprised their were no "Magneson-Moss" issues with that, but maybe because it was amongst more than one manufacture, it was OK. I also remember my 2001 F150 requiring 5w-20, but it had a clause in the manual that allowed 5w-30 if 5w-20 or 0w-20 were not availible.

At the same time, that must have cost Ford and Honda a lot of money for that research. I can see the other manufactures moving slowly on that, as it would also cost them money as well, though not as much. I think thats why its been a slow process of switching from 5w-30 to Xw- 20s.

Does anyone know if the new GM's specify 5w-20 oils? Just curious.