5w synthetic > 5w dino ???

[toneloc12345]

Lets say I get either Super Tech 5w30 "synthetic" or Havoline 5w30 or Trop Artic 5w30. Now I would assume they flow the best in cold weather in this order Super Tech #1, TA #2, Havoline #3. Is this correct? If so why are they all rated 5w? If Mobil 1 5w30 flows way better in the winter than regular 5w30 conventional, why are they rated the same?

Off topic but would Mobil 1 0w20 be bad for a honda civic that calls for 5w30? She would mostly have very short trips during the winter, BUT the occasional 160 mile round trip home.

 

[delacerda]

What year Civic? A 5w20 may serve your purpose well.

 

[rpn453]

Quote:

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Lets say I get either Super Tech 5w30 "synthetic" or Havoline 5w30 or Trop Artic 5w30. Now I would assume they flow the best in cold weather in this order Super Tech #1, TA #2, Havoline #3. Is this correct? If so why are they all rated 5w? If Mobil 1 5w30 flows way better in the winter than regular 5w30 conventional, why are they rated the same?

Off topic but would Mobil 1 0w20 be bad for a honda civic that calls for 5w30? She would mostly have very short trips during the winter, BUT the occasional 160 mile round trip home.

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They're all rated 5W because they all meet the 5W spec. Sure, some may do a little better than others, but you won't see a significant difference until you're around -30C (-22F) and below, where they have to meet the 5W spec. If you happen to see -35C (-30F) or lower with the 5W, then the synthetic will almost certainly have a big advantage. We see -40C (-40F) every year, so I'm very familiar with how oil thickens in cold temps!

If you want an oil that's better in cold weather, go for a 0w30 and then you know it's better in the cold than any 5W. I don't like going away from manufacturer's recommendations on grade, so I'd stick with a 0w30 for cold weather. But if you find some good used oil analysis with XW-20 oils in your particular engine, then there's no reason you shouldn't use 0W-20.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

Except for GC. Folks say GC 0W30 is thickerer than 20W50 Wolf's Head..

 

[Shannow]

All of the weights are in bands.

That's why a 30 and 40 weight can be separeted by 0.2cst.

Oils that are listed in terms of cranking viscosities, 40C visc, and 50C visc would be the BITOG ideal (along with a "nutrition" label of the "fat" break-up, the zinc, phos, calcium etc)...hmmm...let's start a "truth in lebelling" movement for oils.

 

[toneloc12345]

It's a 1995 civic del sol with 165k. We rarely see temps below 0.

So does GC flow better than Mobil 1 5w30 at say 10deg? It has a better rating but is thicker than the Mobil 1

 

[Chris Meutsch]

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It's a 1995 civic del sol with 165k. We rarely see temps below 0.

So does GC flow better than Mobil 1 5w30 at say 10deg? It has a better rating but is thicker than the Mobil 1

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I would imagine you'll see possibly more consumption with better fuel mileage. I would stick with the 30w.