Oil weights
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 115
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Oil weights I should know this, but how do you read the weight, like 5-30 for example? Is it cold 5 hot 30? and is the higher number thicker viscosity or visa versa? I put some 10-30 syntec in my car the other day because thats all the store had, I havn't really run it, is this gunna be a smart thing to run or should I just drain it all and find a store with syntec 5-30?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 319
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
I've just educated myself on this recently. You are correct in saying that the first number is the cold viscosity and the last number is the hot viscosit so to speak. I actually switched from 5W30 to 0W40. The 0 weight is good for startup, and the 40 weight will protect against hot oil temps.
Its worth a try anyway
Its worth a try anyway
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
so it seems 10w 30 would be thinner on a cold start? so the disadvantage to that would be..... that when your car sits for a week, and you fire it up, more oil has drained out of the piston rings, causing a slight bit of extra wear before it gains the oil back?
Actually the 10w would be thicker on startup, and not get around the system quite as fast. a 5w or 10w would be good if you lived in say, Arizona, where the oil might be at 120 degrees when its a "cold" start.
