Cold weather choice

[Michelob]

Any reservations about using dino in cold weather? I am going to change oil sometime this week unless something goes wrong and although there are other areas that get much colder than this, it is supposed to be about -10 with wind chill tonight.

Thinking about changing from Motocraft semi syn 5W20 to Pennzoil Conventional 5w20. I know the MC has a little bit better cold cranking rating than the Pennzoil Conventional but I am wantng to try something different and that is what I want to try. Are you confident Pennzoil Conventional is fine with the above temps once in a while or would you go full synthetic at least for the winter?

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Michelob
Any reservations about using dino in cold weather? I am going to change oil sometime this week unless something goes wrong and although there are other areas that get much colder than this, it is supposed to be about -10 with wind chill tonight.

Thinking about changing from Motocraft semi syn 5W20 to Pennzoil Conventional 5w20. I know the MC has a little bit better cold cranking rating than the Pennzoil Conventional but I am wantng to try something different and that is what I want to try. Are you confident Pennzoil Conventional is fine with the above temps once in a while or would you go full synthetic at least for the winter?


I dont know about the 5W-20,but Pennzoil Conventional has a -38F pour point.

 

[UNC017]

Engines and other non-living objects don't experience wind chill- base your oil choice on the minimum REAL temperature that you expect to encounter.

You're correct, synthetics do tend to have better flow at extremely low temps, but a conventional 5w20 should still be OK for most areas.

 

[bodeh6]

Motorcraft SemiSyn 5W-20 has a pour point of -44F.

 

[Michelob]

My bad I meant the pour point was a little better for the MC

 

[coffee]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Engines and other non-living objects don't experience wind chill- base your oil choice on the minimum REAL temperature that you expect to encounter.

You're correct, synthetics do tend to have better flow at extremely low temps, but a conventional 5w20 should still be OK for most areas.


+1

 

[JHZR2]

+2, for most conditions in MA you're so far from stressing the flow characteristics of a 5w- oil, that it is mostly a non-issue.

 

[PT1]

I would never hesitate to use MC or Pennzoil Conventional anywhere in the continental US. I used Pennzoil Conventional and Valvoline conventional for decades with Winters in NE Ohio that did usually see -10 to -15F regularly and my cars & trucks were kept outside and never garaged. Some times 10w30 would groan a bit but not often.

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Engines and other non-living objects don't experience wind chill- base your oil choice on the minimum REAL temperature that you expect to encounter.

You're correct, synthetics do tend to have better flow at extremely low temps, but a conventional 5w20 should still be OK for most areas.
Hi Magnum, me and a buddy I used to fly Cessnas with had a stalemate debate on that very subject wind chill on engines and batteries. The Cessna 172 engine is air cooled and certainly requires airflow/[windchill?] The battery debate went if it's -20 & windchill is -40 what temp does that little battery "feel" and hence how low has its cranking power fallen to?
Forgive the thread jack please.

 

[OilNerd]

My father uses generic API SM 5w30 conventional in winter in his Lumina minivan. He parks outside, and the low-end is around -24°F/-31°C in our area.

If he can get his minivan running with the cheap stuff when it's cold, you should have no problem with Pennzoil Conventional or Motorcraft 5w20. Outside starting may not be a picnic at those temps, though.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: cjcride
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Engines and other non-living objects don't experience wind chill- base your oil choice on the minimum REAL temperature that you expect to encounter.

You're correct, synthetics do tend to have better flow at extremely low temps, but a conventional 5w20 should still be OK for most areas.
Hi Magnum, me and a buddy I used to fly Cessnas with had a stalemate debate on that very subject wind chill on engines and batteries. The Cessna 172 engine is air cooled and certainly requires airflow/[windchill?] The battery debate went if it's -20 & windchill is -40 what temp does that little battery "feel" and hence how low has its cranking power fallen to?
Forgive the thread jack please.


Wind chill is a perception to humans and other animals. If you have a sheet of metal outside, if the temperature is 10 degrees, even if the wind is blowing 100mph, the metal is not going to get any colder than 10 degrees.

 

[Nick R]

Quote:
Thinking about changing from Motocraft semi syn 5W20 to Pennzoil Conventional 5w20. I know the MC has a little bit better cold cranking rating than the Pennzoil Conventional but I am wantng to try something different and that is what I want to try. Are you confident Pennzoil Conventional is fine with the above temps once in a while or would you go full synthetic at least for the winter?


If you want to switch to Pennzoil Conventional, that's fine, both it and MC are great oils, but you won't be having any trouble either way. If in doubt, see my winter cold start thread, I cold started my cavalier today at 7 degrees with 5w30 and it started like it was summer out.