I'd use a 0w-20 or 0w-30 year round. We have had no issues starting a Subaru in temperatures down to -35F using a 0w-20.
0w oil or oil pan heater?
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It seams like most guys are hinting at the viscosity range but not addressing the ticking situation. Yes, he is in the safe zone for viscosity in the cold, and yet he has a start up tick that I assume only happens when it's cold. I wouldn't steer this guy away from something that can potentially kill that cold weather tick as pao/ester high moly oils are helping relieve many ticking engines. If you want to kill that tick, research oils proven to be tick killers. Thinner may not be the answer, the answer may just be additives the industry uses for dry starts such as high molybdenum combined with polar base oils. It has been a proven tick killer time and time again.
I would spend all the worry and money on nice big quality battery and call it a day. 5w full synthetic is fine for your temps. Your good to -20. You just need the power to crank her over fast and long. Why screw around with a pan heater when any modern day full synthetic 5w oil and nice new large battery will solve all you problems.
Magnatec has really helped my start up chain rattle in my 4.6, and I've mixed in 50/50 0W20 with the 5W20, it seems to like it. I still have a little wrist pin or piston slap when it's below freezing, but that disappears once it starts to warm up.
If you have access to electric why not use a 0W-xx and a pan heater? Then you'll have the best of both worlds during extreme cold.
15F really isn't that cold for Xw20 or Xw30. With a knock must be something else going on. Try the 0w20 see what happens. Wont hurt a thing. Might not help anything also. Like the dodge guys say about my 4.7 with the startup tic. If it goes away after a few min dont worry about it.
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Sorry but 15F (-10C) is peanuts. I don't even plug my diesel in at those temps and run 10w30. Heck, I barely wear a coat at those temps. I have to yell at my kids to wear winter clothing at those temps as they can run around outside for hours in that.
Run what ever 5w oil you want and maybe plug in if you want to mess with the cord. Maybe don't even plug in.
Run what ever 5w oil you want and maybe plug in if you want to mess with the cord. Maybe don't even plug in.
If it only went to -10 C here, we'd probably have stuck to monogrades.
Originally Posted by shanneba
A 5w-20 should be good to -20 F, a 0w-20 would get you to about -30 F.
+1. If you are at 0 F or above there just aren't any issues. 5w is fine.
A 5w-20 should be good to -20 F, a 0w-20 would get you to about -30 F.
+1. If you are at 0 F or above there just aren't any issues. 5w is fine.
If you have access to an outlet, install a block heater. Use a timer and set it for 2 hours prior to leaving home. The PUP 5w20 you're using now is plenty good, block heater or not. Maybe after negative -20 the 0w would benefit you, probably not before. You could use the block heater at anything colder than negative-10 with the 5w20 just to help things out a little.
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Originally Posted by madeej11
If you have access to an outlet, install a block heater. Use a timer and set it for 2 hours prior to leaving home. The PUP 5w20 you're using now is plenty good, block heater or not. Maybe after negative -20 the 0w would benefit you, probably not before. You could use the block heater at anything colder than negative-10 with the 5w20 just to help things out a little.
Good advice. I use -5 F as plug-in time. However, I think the OP was talking about +15 F and slightly lower temperatures.
If you have access to an outlet, install a block heater. Use a timer and set it for 2 hours prior to leaving home. The PUP 5w20 you're using now is plenty good, block heater or not. Maybe after negative -20 the 0w would benefit you, probably not before. You could use the block heater at anything colder than negative-10 with the 5w20 just to help things out a little.
Good advice. I use -5 F as plug-in time. However, I think the OP was talking about +15 F and slightly lower temperatures.
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I used a 10w30 in the interior of Alaska, year round for several years, along with an oil pan warmer, block heater, and battery warmer. 1979 Ford Bronco with a 351M motor. Never had any oil related issues. Coldest temps experienced was -72F when I nighted over at Destruction Bay, YT. Several -50F or lower in Fairbanks. Vehicle remained outside for most of those years. The plastics in the interior fell all apart, but the engine and drivetrain were fine.
I still use 10w30 in my 2015 Silverado 2500 6.0 gasser and my wife's 2006 Cadillac CTS. My 2013 semi truck, which also runs up north all winter in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc, also runs on a 10w30. Oil pan warmers on all of these. 918,000 miles on the semi truck with no engine repairs.
I still use 10w30 in my 2015 Silverado 2500 6.0 gasser and my wife's 2006 Cadillac CTS. My 2013 semi truck, which also runs up north all winter in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc, also runs on a 10w30. Oil pan warmers on all of these. 918,000 miles on the semi truck with no engine repairs.
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Originally Posted by TiredTrucker
I used a 10w30 in the interior of Alaska, year round for several years, along with an oil pan warmer, block heater, ..... Coldest temps experienced was -72F when I nighted over at Destruction Bay, part, but the engine and drivetrain were fine....
Here is someone who really lives in the extreme cold and knows how to deal with it, with 10W-30 no less. The rest of us are spoiled brats in comparison.
I used a 10w30 in the interior of Alaska, year round for several years, along with an oil pan warmer, block heater, ..... Coldest temps experienced was -72F when I nighted over at Destruction Bay, part, but the engine and drivetrain were fine....
Here is someone who really lives in the extreme cold and knows how to deal with it, with 10W-30 no less. The rest of us are spoiled brats in comparison.
Originally Posted by TiredTrucker
I used a 10w30 in the interior of Alaska, year round for several years, along with an oil pan warmer, block heater, and battery warmer. 1979 Ford Bronco with a 351M motor. Never had any oil related issues. Coldest temps experienced was -72F when I nighted over at Destruction Bay, YT. Several -50F or lower in Fairbanks. Vehicle remained outside for most of those years. The plastics in the interior fell all apart, but the engine and drivetrain were fine.
I still use 10w30 in my 2015 Silverado 2500 6.0 gasser and my wife's 2006 Cadillac CTS. My 2013 semi truck, which also runs up north all winter in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc, also runs on a 10w30. Oil pan warmers on all of these. 918,000 miles on the semi truck with no engine repairs.
Use a 5w30 and skip the doodads. At least in the lower 48.
I used a 10w30 in the interior of Alaska, year round for several years, along with an oil pan warmer, block heater, and battery warmer. 1979 Ford Bronco with a 351M motor. Never had any oil related issues. Coldest temps experienced was -72F when I nighted over at Destruction Bay, YT. Several -50F or lower in Fairbanks. Vehicle remained outside for most of those years. The plastics in the interior fell all apart, but the engine and drivetrain were fine.
I still use 10w30 in my 2015 Silverado 2500 6.0 gasser and my wife's 2006 Cadillac CTS. My 2013 semi truck, which also runs up north all winter in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc, also runs on a 10w30. Oil pan warmers on all of these. 918,000 miles on the semi truck with no engine repairs.
Use a 5w30 and skip the doodads. At least in the lower 48.
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