What do motor oil numbers mean?
The first number in the oil classification refers to a cold weather viscosity. The lower this number is, the less viscous your oil will be at low temperatures. The higher number, following the “w” refers to hot weather viscosity, or how fluid your oil is at hot temperatures.
What 5w30 means?
5W-30 means that this is a multigrade oil. This is indicated by the two numbers separated by a “W” 5W – shows thickness/viscosity of the oil on a start-up – when you start the car (W – stands for Winter, this indicates oil performance under colder engine temperatures when the engine has not been running)
What is the difference between 5W-30 and 10 W 30 motor oil?
10w30 is thicker than 5w30 because it has a higher viscosity in low temperatures. The engine oil will flow slower than 5w30 during the cold season. Thicker or higher viscosity metal oil has a better seal compared to low viscosity oil. Thicker oil offers better lubrication of motor and engine parts.
What 10w30 means?
The 10W30 designation on engine oil means that the viscosity of the oil is rated at 10W when an engine is cold and 30 when the engine is hot. This is different than an oil labelled 5W30, which has a thinner viscosity when the engine is cold at 5W.
What’s the difference between 10W30 and 5W30 engine oil?
Working viscosity refers to the viscosity which after that, it cannot be able to provide enough protection for your engine. The two oils 10w30 and 5w30 are the same, with the only difference coming in when it comes to the cold flowability. A 5w30 is best for a vehicle like a Silverado or a Turbo, for a lawn mower, snowblower.
When did OE start using 10W30 oil in cars?
Older engines were built with much looser tolerances, which allowed oils such as 10W30 to be commonplace as an OE recommended oil in the 1990’s and before.
Can a mineral oil be used as a 5W?
Mineral oils have viscosity improvers so a 5W can work as a 30 (if it is a 5W-30) at operating temperatures. They also have up to 30% unsaturated molecules that can degrade in use, and lose viscosity.
When does a 5W multigrade behave like a 30W?
In technical terms, a 5w-30 multigrade behaves as a 5w oil behaves when the multigrade is at 40 degrees C (the temperature of a hot bath) and it behaves like a 30w when at 100 deg C 9a typical ‘hot’ engine oil temp)
What happens if you put 5W30 instead of 10W30?
In general, there are no negative or harmful effects if you used 10w30 instead of 5w30 on climates that are not on extremes. Moreover, there may be a little benefit as it is good for engines having with high mileage and contains less viscosity improvers.
What is the difference between 5W-30 and 10W-30?
8 Answers In short, 5w30 is less viscous or thinner at lower temperatures than 10w30 and thus flows more readily when your vehicle is cold. The difference between 5w 30 and 10w 30 is the thickness of the oil, 5w 30 being thinner. 5W30 and 10W30 are the oil viscosity.
What does 5W30, 10W30, etc. mean?
5W30 motor oil means that the oil has a thinner consistency in cold weather and will protect your engine at lower temperatures. Also, 10W30 means the oil will be a little thicker at same lower temperatures, and will then protect the engine the same as 5W30 at higher temperatures.
Is it appropriate to use 5W30 oil instead of 5W20?
You can use 5w30 instead of 5w20 if your engine allows for it. Some engines can safely use both kinds of oil and it will be mentioned in your owner’s manual if that’s the case. if your engine is not designed to use both weights of motor oil then you are putting the engine at risk if you take 5w30 instead of the 5w20 that it was formulated for.