Originally Posted by CR94
Originally Posted by SonofJoe
... However it might be worth mentioning some of the very positive benefits of plopping a 'tight' Group I 20W50 in your engine...
- Greater Minimum Oil Film Thickness & higher HTHS. ...
- Low Noack Volatility ...
- Low VII polymer loading (one of the lowest for the 'typical' viscosity grades). Put this together with that low Noack, and you'll deffo see this reflected in low piston deposits on tests like the Sequence IIIF/IIIG. You won't get late onset oil control ring stickage (& out of control oil loss) with a tight Group I 20W50!
- Very good oil solvency. ...
- it can be produced on fully depreciated plants ...
And yet, despite all those advantages, you use 0W-20 yourself (as I believe you've mentioned in other threads)? That's interesting, or telling!
As a compromise in a mild climate, what do you think of 5W-20 or 10W-30 in an engine for which 0W-20 is specified? I've switched to 5W-20 myself, in hope of forestalling the infamous Toyota "ring-stickage." (I will disagree about calling it "late-onset," because it often occurs so early.)
Thanks!
You're quite right. I do use 0W20, not 20W50. That's for a couple of reasons.
First off my car's still under warranty. Suzuki spec 0W20 so that's what the car gets. I have had cause to claim on the warranty (an expensive LED dial/trip computer went wonky). The claim went through easy peasy because I'd had my yearly service done at the Suzuki dealership.
Second, when I buy cars, I prioritise fuel economy over every other thing (looks, performance, its ability to haul coal!). I don't think global warming is fake news. I want my grandson (plus his brother/sister due in January) to have a good life, so I do my bit & drive a car that does 72 mpg. For that you need 0W20 (not seen 0W16 here yet).
Third, because of what I did, I can probably still get oil for free, even the 'good stuff', if needed. Oil cost isn't a factor for me, nor is it for you, but for a lot of folks around the world it is. Hopefully my comments will make them feel a bit better about buying the cheap 20W50 they can afford.
Regarding oil control ring stick, my understanding is that if you're going to see it at all, it kicks in after 40k to 50k miles. For me now, that's a decade's worth of driving but before retiring, that might have been as low as a couple of years. Also, if you live in somewhere with very cold winters or constantly drive like a maniac, I'd expect to it to kick in even earlier. So it depends...
Fast or slow, it's definitely 'a thing' that should be being addressed by the industry but isn't. The trick is using a low Noack oil (deffo sub 10% & preferably sub 7%). That means the highest W-rating & lowest weight you can tolerate, full synthetic & interestingly the lowest oil spec (to minimise DI).
Hope that helps...
