Changing Oil Viscosity?
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TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Hudson River Valley, NY
Changing Oil Viscosity? Went to Wally the other day and I saw that they had 0-30 Mobil 1. Mobile recommends this being compatablie for any car requiring 5-30 for the sake of fuel economy. Discussion on this anyone?
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Huntsville, AL
If you live in Alaska or Canada where you have to plug in the engine block heater EVERY night so the car will start in the morning then a 0W-30 oil is for you.
If you live south of the US/Canada border then you should never use the product in my opinion. The OW is important for start up, the 30 is for operating temperature. As you go lower on the "W" number, W stands for winter, the oil flows better at lower temperatures but the down side is increased bearing wear. I recall from college a guy from the American Petrolium Institute (API) said that 5W had four times the wear of 10W oil in the standardized Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) test. The 0W oil will have more bearing wear than the 5W.
I don't even understand why stores stock OW in the CONUS (continential US), it is a product intended for Canada and Alaska. I would NEVER use OW oil in any of my vehicles, especially my LS4 engiine.
If you live south of the US/Canada border then you should never use the product in my opinion. The OW is important for start up, the 30 is for operating temperature. As you go lower on the "W" number, W stands for winter, the oil flows better at lower temperatures but the down side is increased bearing wear. I recall from college a guy from the American Petrolium Institute (API) said that 5W had four times the wear of 10W oil in the standardized Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) test. The 0W oil will have more bearing wear than the 5W.
I don't even understand why stores stock OW in the CONUS (continential US), it is a product intended for Canada and Alaska. I would NEVER use OW oil in any of my vehicles, especially my LS4 engiine.
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Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Reading, Pennsylvania
I would stick with what's recommended. There was just a discussion similar to this over at www.naioa.com
http://www.naioa.com/v2/modules.php?...wtopic&t=20827
http://www.naioa.com/v2/modules.php?...wtopic&t=20827
Thread Starter
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From: Hudson River Valley, NY
