5W20 Under 45 Degrees F. ?

[Chief119]

View attachment 197522

The tolerances are much greater actually in manufactures engines. This is for mainly race car engine builders looking for specific performance criteria, and it’s basically a guide and not something to rely solely on and that is what the people at Driven have said too.

 

[kschachn]

The tolerances are much greater actually in manufactures engines. This is for mainly race car engine builders looking for specific performance criteria, and it’s basically a guide and not something to rely solely on and that is what the people at Driven have said too.

Really.

 

[53' Stude]

Say you live in the PNW and your air temps have a limited winter range (20 degrees F. to 45 degrees F ) for suburban driving conditions. For a Kia Seltos 2.0L non - turbo MPI engine - do you just stay with a D1/Gen 3 5W30 or drop down to the same in a 5W20 (or even a 0W20 ?) for 6 months / 4K mile OCI ?

I’m really amazed at the insane amount of silly, weird posts here lately. Everything ok? I’m using a 20 weight in my focus and 0w30 in an old KIA. Our work uses 5w30 cause it’s never failed. Just saying

 

[Sedin26]

We used to use 5w30 down to -40 and below on the prairies. I now live in the PNW and run 5w40 year round but would happily run pretty much any available viscosity - it’s not going to make much difference in most applications.

 

[pbm]

The properties are good enough to earn a 5W winter rating but not good enough for a 0W.

True....but the 'Cold Cranking Viscosity' of the PU 5w20 SN that I have was something like 3700 or 3800 @30*C IIRC while some other 5w20 synthetics were 4500 or 4600 @30*C again IIRC (the limit for 5w20 is 6600 @30*C).

I'm not sure this really matters when both meet the spec. but I would assume the lower CCV oil would flow to critical engine parts faster at any winter temperature....but my 'assumption' could be wrong.

 

[edyvw]

I ran 15W40 as low as -42.
I run now in BMW 5W40 and that one sees ski slopes twice a week and temperatures below 0.
5Wwhatever will do ok as low as -30.

 

[stormgol]

asking if 0w20 and 5w20 are good enough for these temperatures is like asking if Mike Tyson hit hard. 0w20 and 5w20 are capable in arctic weather.

 

[ChrisD46]

In the Seattle/Portland area, there's no reason at all to go thinner than 5w-30 if that's what your car calls for. It just doesn't get that cold here. 5w-30 is pump-able well below zero degrees Fahrenheit

PNW oils are getting the low temp work out test this week as we set records for low temps in single digits to below 0 degrees F. My Sonata with M1 5W30 only needed a few minutes warm up and to be driven gently the first few miles then was fine . The transmission with Maxlife ATF was slightly odd a time or two shifting - even wanting to shift while at a red light complete stop (which was strange) and then it operated normally once warmed up .

 

[ChrisD46]

Even

There's practically nowhere in Washington where it gets below 0f including Mount Baker or in the eastern side of the state up by the Canadian border.

That theory went out the window as Mt. Baker hit -26 below F. this week . *My coldest experienced was in Thief River Falls MN. where it hit -65 degrees F. (not wind chill factor) in Jan . Unreal what -65 degrees F. ambient temp does to your mind and senses !

 

[Spedestrian]

That theory went out the window as Mt. Baker hit -26 below F. this week . *My coldest experienced was in Thief River Falls MN. where it hit -65 degrees F. (not wind chill factor) in Jan . Unreal what -65 degrees F. ambient temp does to your mind and senses !

It was a toasty -15F this morning here in MN. I'm currently running 5w-40 in my BMW.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Say you live in the PNW and your air temps have a limited winter range (20 degrees F. to 45 degrees F ) for suburban driving conditions. For a Kia Seltos 2.0L non - turbo MPI engine - do you just stay with a D1/Gen 3 5W30 or drop down to the same in a 5W20 (or even a 0W20 ?) for 6 months / 4K mile OCI ?

Nope. Spec the oil for fully warm running.

I would only go down a grade for short tripping (
This is not a Ford modular V8 engine.

Cheers! Ken

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I’m really amazed at the insane amount of silly, weird posts here lately. Everything ok? I’m using a 20 weight in my focus and 0w30 in an old KIA. Our work uses 5w30 cause it’s never failed. Just saying

Agree!
Friends in Anchorage Alaska use 5w30 year-round. They just give the engine several minutes warmup time when it's near -30F

Key-ring Remote Starts are a wonderful tool in Winter Climates. (However)...I never start my vehicles with my AC on during the hot summer weeks. I was trained Old School to leave that Accessory in the off-position, before exiting my vehicles in the summer.

(BITOG Members)..... Please don't try to teach this Old Dog new tricks. I'm set in my ways and there's noting in today's new technology to reverse my decision to change, using my Mickey Shorr brand Remote Start.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Chris you moved from Georgia to PNW?

Say you live in the PNW and your air temps have a limited winter range (20 degrees F. to 45 degrees F ) ... ... .

Man, I must have rip van winkled through this, when did you move from Georgia to the PNW?!

My good cousin Jimmy lives in Camas, WA - Ken

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Even 10W-30 would get you down to -22F

 

[Sedin26]

It was a toasty -15F this morning here in MN. I'm currently running 5w-40 in my BMW.

Let us know how much the dealer charges for a new short block!!

Just kidding . That will do just fine.

 

[barkingspider]

I started my old Pontiac vibe with 10w30 in it when it was single digit temps. Started right up. 5w20 is plenty good for you

 

[Yuk]

It is -32˚C (-26˚F) here right now. Neither of my "winter" cars, with 0W20 SuperTech oil, will start. The oil takes about 30-45 sec. to form a bead at the end of the dipstick.
Truth is, the batteries are preventing both of them from going, not the oil.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

Regardless of the pour point, no oil with a 5W winter rating will have better pumpability and cranking performance at very low temperatures than an oil with a 0W winter rating.

But here with 20F given as the lowest starting temperature there will be zero significant difference between either winter rating.

How would you know? Have you ever actually run a 0W-20 in winter? Because I can tell you there is a noticeable startup difference at lower temps, maybe not as much above 20F.

People post about fears of increased wear in the sump from using XW-20 weight oils but it is more likely there is incremental and slight wear on electrical systems, alternators, and even oil pumps in cold weather (although granted oil pumps rarely fail for obvious reasons) from using 30W oils and I think Mobil used to have some factoids on their site claiming batteries and other component life spans could be increased with synthetic AFE...

And there is no question in real word service that an oil like M1 0W-20 circulates through the engine better in cold snaps than other 5W-30 type oils and removes the real agents of wear - acidic combustion-by-products in cold engines a tad faster and more efficiently...

 

[kschachn]

A 20-grade oil is always thinner than a 30-grade unless you are below the certification temperature of the respective winter ratings.

 

[RAVL]

If you follow what is in the owner’s manual, and it sounds like this is what you are doing, then there is no need to change what you are doing, and what you are using is fine. Anything else is likely over-thinking it.