10w30 M1?

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Went to WM to buy my M1 5w30 for my 2012 Nissan Pathfinder VQ40DE V6 that recommends 5w30 and I got the last 5 quart jug of the standard 5w30 M1 on the shelf. I got to thinking if it were summer would it really matter if I ran M1 10w30 in a pinch if the 5w30 was not available? Summer only I'm talking.
 
Realistically, it won't make much difference unless you get below about -25C.

I've noticed some 10w-30s are actually slightly thinner than their 5w-30 siblings @ 40C, 100C, and HTHS ...
 
M1 should be good for 10k unless your engine is hard on oil.

summer and winter oil changes don't make sense to me, sounds like your wasting perfectly serviceable oil, unless your driving 10k miles each season.

10w30 5w30 0w30 they will all work for your pathfinder, whatever gives you the warm fuzzies.
 
Wouldn't really matter in the summer. Some people will also say it doesn't matter in the winter either unless it's extremely cold. I try to line up my OCI so I don't have to do a change in the middle of winter. That works out to also give me time to get the right oil in case they're out of what I want.
 
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Realistically, it won't make much difference unless you get below about -25C.

I've noticed some 10w-30s are actually slightly thinner than their 5w-30 siblings @ 40C, 100C, and HTHS ...



Correct! I have tried to say before here that 5-30 and 10-30 are essentially the same oil, except in extreme temps.
 
Originally Posted By: gfh77665
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Realistically, it won't make much difference unless you get below about -25C.

I've noticed some 10w-30s are actually slightly thinner than their 5w-30 siblings @ 40C, 100C, and HTHS ...



Correct! I have tried to say before here that 5-30 and 10-30 are essentially the same oil, except in extreme temps.


The 10W30s can afford to be a little thinner than a 5W30.

See for example this Afton datasheet
http://www.aftonchemical.com/ProductDataSheets/Engine Oil/HiTEC-5751_PDS.pdf

to brew a 5W30 (with this VII) uses 35% more VII than the 10W30 (or 15W40, or 20W50, all three grades are quite shear stable), so the 5W30 is a bit more shear prone. The 10W30 would use a slightly higher base oil viscosity...(don't start on the 10W40)
 
Originally Posted By: Camprunner
Went to WM to buy my M1 5w30 for my 2012 Nissan Pathfinder VQ40DE V6 that recommends 5w30 and I got the last 5 quart jug of the standard 5w30 M1 on the shelf. I got to thinking if it were summer would it really matter if I ran M1 10w30 in a pinch if the 5w30 was not available? Summer only I'm talking.


Will not affect it negatively at all, sir.

And your state feels like Canada in winter and Miami in the summer. It is amazing.

Seriously though.. it is 100% fine. And you could even be on the South Shore and use that M1 10W-30 in winter, if you HAD to.. all the times I came out at 5AM to bring the car for my friend, and it was a crisp 4 degrees Fahrenheit on the bank sign. Or 7 degrees. I ran a 0W-20 in that car, but. That oil (M1 10W-30) and that vehicle.. even then. EVEN THEN you could use it in the South Shore in the winter. . If you HAD to. In the summer, the engine will never know the difference.

And... not sure why it has not been said, but.. perhaps try M1 AFE 0W-30 (still made?) If sticking with M1 for that truck... we love 0W here... its the best..
 
10W-30 vs 5W-30 is no big deal. Back in the 70's and 80's we'd run 20W-50 year round with no ill effects. Engines still were fine with over 200k miles.
 
That Afton PDS for VI Improver is very interesting.
It takes 8% VI improver to make a 5w30 vs. 5.8% for a 10w30.
If my car called for 30 weight and I lived in Florida, Texas etc...I'd probably use 10w30 over 5w30 despite the fact that many on BITOG feel 10w30 is an 'obsolete' grade.
 
Originally Posted By: MinamiKotaro
Realistically, it won't make much difference unless you get below about -25C.

I've noticed some 10w-30s are actually slightly thinner than their 5w-30 siblings @ 40C, 100C, and HTHS ...


This! not enough difference to even worry aboiut
 
The owner's manual for my 2005 Pathfinder with the same 4.0 engine as yours states that 5W30, 10W30 and 10W40 is OK, with a preference for the 5W30. I have used Mobil 1 0W40 for 10 years with excellent results: no oil consumption at all in a one year, 10,000 mile OCI.
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
I dont think it would damage anything, dont make a habit of it though.


Damage anything?? That's funny. I ran M1 10-30 for 25-30 years at 10K OCIs and put high miles on several engines. 220-350K. All of my engines performed very well when sold. Too much is made of viscosity here in my view.
 
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Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: gregk24
I dont think it would damage anything, dont make a habit of it though.


Damage anything?? That's funny. I ran M1 10-30 for 25-30 years at 10K OCIs and put high miles on several engines. 220-350K. All of my engines performed very well when sold. Too much is made of viscosity here in my view.



My thoughts as well.
I think that because we have so many threads about "thinner oils protect better" that a lot of people come to the conclusion that if a thinner oil protects, then thicker oil will cause damage.
At least that's the impression I get whenever I see a thread about a dealer using 5w30 oil in a 5w20 specked car or 5w20 in a 0w20 car.
 
Originally Posted By: 1999nick
The owner's manual for my 2005 Pathfinder with the same 4.0 engine as yours states that 5W30, 10W30 and 10W40 is OK, with a preference for the 5W30. I have used Mobil 1 0W40 for 10 years with excellent results: no oil consumption at all in a one year, 10,000 mile OCI.


Yes this brings up another question somewhere along the life cycle from 2005-2012 Nissan went from recommending several oil weights for the VQ40DE V6 to specifically recommending only 5w30 and from what I read there were no internal engine changes? Many older Pathfinder/Frontier/xTerra V6 owners run 0w40 oil with great results I was wondering though why Nissan changed the recommendation to go with the 5W30 only?
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
The 10W30s can afford to be a little thinner than a 5W30.

See for example this Afton datasheet
http://www.aftonchemical.com/ProductDataSheets/Engine Oil/HiTEC-5751_PDS.pdf

to brew a 5W30 (with this VII) uses 35% more VII than the 10W30 (or 15W40, or 20W50, all three grades are quite shear stable), so the 5W30 is a bit more shear prone. The 10W30 would use a slightly higher base oil viscosity...(don't start on the 10W40
Originally Posted By: pbm
That Afton PDS for VI Improver is very interesting.
It takes 8% VI improver to make a 5w30 vs. 5.8% for a 10w30.
If my car called for 30 weight and I lived in Florida, Texas etc...I'd probably use 10w30 over 5w30 despite the fact that many on BITOG feel 10w30 is an 'obsolete' grade.

Honda recommends conventional 10W30 for S2000 in warmer climate and 5W40 for colder area in winter. Currently I mix Pennzoil Ultra 5W20 and 5W40 to get HTHS at around 3.3-3.4, which is a little higher than almost any conventional 10W30.
 
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