Changing viscosity with the seasons?

[Elkins45]

I’ve hoarded a bunch of 0w-20 and also a bunch of 5w-30 from sales people have posted here. My new plan to use it up is to put my vehicles on a seasonal rotation where they all get 5w-30 in the spring to run during hot weather and 0w-20 in the fall for the cold.

Do any of you do something similar?

 

[demarpaint]

No, I stick to one grade year round. Oil that I hoarded in xw20 back in the day got sold, for a profit when I determined I was better off with xw30.

 

[Elkins45]

No, I stick to one grade year round. Oil that I hoarded in xw20 back in the day got sold, for a profit when I determined I was better off with xw30.

There’s always blending them and running 2.5w-25 LOL.

 

[fantastic]

Not me... One grade all year.

 

[Rand]

Not always a good idea. Esp. if you have a vehicle with high fuel dilution or short trips in winter.
IMO: for the subaru FA24F the thicker oil is better in winter than summer.

Although if towing a trailer with high drag mid summer... that might be a good time for "thicker" too.

for a port injected engine spec'ing 0w20 and low fuel dilution its a more viable strategy.

 

[Ausfahrt]

I’ve hoarded a bunch of 0w-20 and also a bunch of 5w-30 from sales people have posted here. My new plan to use it up is to put my vehicles on a seasonal rotation where they all get 5w-30 in the spring to run during hot weather and 0w-20 in the fall for the cold.

Do any of you do something similar?

I've thought of that too but my regular OCI schedule would not align so I would be changing oil too soon or running longer than I'd like.

I'll stick with what got me here but I must say that I really hate changing my oil this time of year since I moved to New England.

 

[demarpaint]

There’s always blending them and running 2.5w-25 LOL.

Unfortunately it doesn't work that way, but you can mix if you want to. I took the easy, more profitable, and smarter way imo, and sold the xw20 oil I had.

 

[edyvw]

I’ve hoarded a bunch of 0w-20 and also a bunch of 5w-30 from sales people have posted here. My new plan to use it up is to put my vehicles on a seasonal rotation where they all get 5w-30 in the spring to run during hot weather and 0w-20 in the fall for the cold.

Do any of you do something similar?

Does your engine changes operating temperature based on seasons? If not, then, no reason for change.

 

[CleanSump]

No need to swap back and forth. Pick one and run it year 'round. Change it when the mileage or time comes up to do so. 20 is 20 Summer or Winter and 30 is 30 Summer or Winter. You're engine operates at the same temp, Summer or Winter. If not, you have a problem that is neither caused nor cured by oil viscosity.

 

[Patman]

I’ve been driving since 1986 and not once have I ever used different viscosities between winter and summer up here. It was more of a thing that car owners would do prior to the introduction of multi grade oils.

 

[Elkins45]

I've thought of that too but my regular OCI schedule would not align so I would be changing oil too soon or running longer than I'd like.

I'll stick with what got me here but I must say that I really hate changing my oil this time of year since I moved to New England.

Most of my vehicles get changed based on six months rather than elapsed miles so I can make it work on a regular schedule.

 

[PontiacHO]

Does your engine changes operating temperature based on seasons? If not, then, no reason for change.

The times when I did change to a “heavier” oil is when towing in the 95 degree heat.

 

[edyvw]

The times when I did change to a “heavier” oil is when towing in the 95 degree heat.

Yes. Towing, tracking vehicle. Oil temperature can fluctuate 30-60 degrees. On track my BMW was running to 300f before oil cooler was installed.
But just based on season? No.

 

[Hall]

Just buy one viscosity that works. There's no valid reason for hoarding oil, even when it's cheap or on sale.

@Elkins45 being in N KY, a 5W oil is more than capable of handling temperatures you get there. 5W is good down to -22º F and you'll never see that where you are. Wind chill doesn't count, which you won't see either.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I've thought of that too but my regular OCI schedule would not align so I would be changing oil too soon or running longer than I'd like.

I'll stick with what got me here but I must say that I really hate changing my oil this time of year since I moved to New England.

Doesn't that big garage have a heater? Even a portable plug in one?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I’ve hoarded a bunch of 0w-20 and also a bunch of 5w-30 from sales people have posted here. My new plan to use it up is to put my vehicles on a seasonal rotation where they all get 5w-30 in the spring to run during hot weather and 0w-20 in the fall for the cold.

Do any of you do something similar?

That has never worked for me even in a climate that sees -10C regularly through the Winter months. All I got was excessive engine noise and a very noticeable loss of high RPM torque.

I did notice recently on my tight new Jeep turbo engine that the recommended 5W30 was acting a bit gooey thru warm up commuting, so when a 1/2 qt burned off I topped off with same brand and line (Valvoline Restore and Protect) in a 0W20. Surprisingly, that is all that was needed to tailor the vis for cold startup in the 5qt sump. - Arco

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I changed viscosities in winter way back in college based on dad's information. I'm not sure if we switched the family fleet also. College was at Clarkson in Potsdam NY and really cold, often. I know it wasn't Mobil 1, probably Quaker State and I think we went from 10W-40 to 10W-30 but was definitely conventional. Knowing now that first winter number change would have been better but I don't even recall using any 5W or 0W anything back then.

Getting started in those sub zero days was more on the good fuel, HEET dry gas, a group 24 battery from V8 Chrysler Lebaron vs. Honda group 51 as well as good plugs/filters etc. Ahhh the good old days.

Now I'll change viscosities some based on used oil analysis for the particular engine in my use.

 

[GaryMX5]

I was led to believe that's why multi weights were invented many years ago so you did not have to change oil seasonally. In the old days when all we had were straight weights like 20w, 30w, etc., yes we would change. We would then wrestle with when to change like is it too cold or warm out, is it too early or too late to change now? Can I drive from Detroit to Florida in the winter on 20w? We didn't have BITOG to solve all our life and death car decisions. Millions of cars must have been destroyed from slow and agonizing deaths due to wrong/poorly made decisions!

 

[oil pan 4]

My vehicles are numerous enough to only get about 1 oil change a year. Just run 5w-30 or 10w-30 in them.

 

[gfh77665]

Do any of you do something similar?

Not any more but I did for years. I got about 100 qts SAE 30 and SAE 40 on incredible clearance, so I used them up by running them May- Nov, and I used my 10w-30's and 5w-30's from Nov-May. Not a big deal in SE TX, but why not optimize as much as possible?