You'll find the recommended oil in owner manual "Specifications" sections. Since their final decision was based onĬlearances between parts, rpm range, operating temperatures, and other crucial details, using the exact oil they recommend is essential to long engine life. Know Which Oil Your Vehicle Manufacturer RecommendsĪutomotive engineers spent painstaking hours testing different grades of motor oil to determine which one works best in your engine. The right balance must exist between engine protection Reduced drag translates directly to higher fuel economy, and more power at the wheels. A lower-viscosity oil that's thinner and moves easier will create less drag on The main reason synthetic oil doesn't need to be changed as often.Īnother trade-off when it comes to viscosity is its relationship to power-robbing friction. This uniformity allows them to maintain their size and viscosity much longer. Particles that are smaller, with less viscosity.īecause synthetic oil is man-made in a laboratory, the molecules produced are uniformly sized. Millions of trips around the engine take their toll, leading to Because those structures will vary in size in naturally-occurring mineral (non-synthetic) oil, the average size of the molecules ultimately determines overall viscosityĪs the miles go by, mineral oil molecular structure and size diminish as those molecules literally wear down. Going a level further, viscosity really comes down to the size of the molecular structures within the oil We now know that viscosity refers to the ability of motor oil to flow. Point, 5W-40 provides the same protection as 10W-40 or 15W-40. The second number after the W refers to the viscosity characteristics a motor oil exhibits at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 Celsius) - running temperature for most engines. Thus, a 5W-20 weight oil offers the same cold start protection as 5W-30 or 5W-40 oil does. Ratings (based on that first number) for cold cranking and cold pumping. A "W" in between the two numbers signifies suitability for winter use because uniform standards have been met for certain temperature Itself - it's viscosity during cold starts. The first number is the natural thickness of the base oil Multi-grade oils are given a two-part viscosity rating, as determined by the Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE). Motor oil can break down and cause sludge buildup inside your engine if used past its recommended lifespan. What they do is reduce the rate at which everything thins out when heat levels increase. Such polymers do not actually thicken the oil itself. To create cold-thin and warm-thick characteristics which run exactly the opposite of oil's natural tendencies, modern multi-grade oils contain a range of polymers that expand with Ideal protection that modern oils do - and only added to the time and expense one needed to invest in a vehicle's upkeep. As you might imagine, none of these single-grade oils provided the Thinner motor oil with a single viscosity rating of 5 was recommendedįor winter use, while heavier weight oil with a 30 or 40 viscosity rating was specified for warmer temperatures. To be effective, motor oil must be thin enough to flowĮasily during cold engine startup, yet it must remain thick enough at higher temperatures to protect moving parts.īefore multi-grade oils were developed, the use of a different viscosity motor oil for each season was the norm. Regardless of viscosity level, motor oil also thins out as it gets hotter - something that poses a challenge to engineers. Protective film of oil cannot support as much weight and pressure in critical areas such as crankshaft bearings. Lower viscosity motor oil is easier to pump through narrow orifices and filters, and it will drain down to the sump faster for recirculation. Has a low viscosity that remains constant. Heat that same syrup up, and it becomes a low viscosity oil that's thinner and runnier. Viscosity at cold temperatures - making it thick and difficult to pour. Any kind of syrup is a good example because it has a high When defining "viscosity", it's important to note that viscosity of oils will typically fluctuate based on temperature.
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