Guy wanted 15w50 in his car....

[Flimflam]

quote:

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My mechanic buddy always jokes that..."Ya know who uses Valvoline and 20w-50? -engine builders! ...that shows what they know".

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Audijunkie, mechanics someimes have ideas that seem strange to those of us not in "The Trade." I have met quite a few who will run away from M*1 synthetic oil. I have even met 1 or 2 who believe in "dry break-in."....... breaking in a new engine with major components cleaned with solvent. Others will only use monograde 30 dino oil.

[Disclaimer: I am only talking about the Old Pro's. The snot-nosed kids at Quick 5 or Jiffylube who take 30 minutes to find the oil fill cap on top of the motor, they do not qualify as mechanics by my reckoning]

 

[Pick]

City of Gainesville runs Chevron 15W40 in all gasoline vehicles

 

[MN Driver]

After trying to start my car off of a 15w40 at what I think was 15 degrees and it seemed as if the starter could barely spin the engine, the second I got in the garage, I pulled it up on ramps and swapped it with a thinner oil. Not too many miles on the oil, but necessity struck. I won't make that mistake again. I lose 6 miles/gallon when I use 5w30 in 10 degree weather(16mpg) compred to using 15w40 in 70 degree weather(22 mpg). Cold weather kills. It's probably an invalid statement because idling while I scrape the windows takes about 5 mins of idle time burning gas inefficiently in the morning. The torque convertor doesn't engage until I've been driving for about 5 mins or so, which is pretty bad driving on the highway at 60 mph 500 rpm more than with it engaged.

 

[michaelc80]

I run synthetic 15W40 in my 6 volt Ford tractor and it started fine this morning at somewhere around -9 degrees when I got it out to plow the drive before coming to work. Wouldn't be my first choice in an automotive engine during the winter but I don't see it causing much harm either. If the 6 volt can turn it over at -9 then a 12 volt system should be able to do the same.

This is my first winter with 15W40 though-in the past I've always run 30W year round (again, never a problem starting in the winter even with a 6 volt system).

 

[ted s]

also costs 6 bucks a quart.

Willy_G, it is still available as M 1 EP.
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Posts: 1001 | From: Katy, Republic of Texas

 

[VWFox74]

I owned several VW foxes and I used 20w-50 year round. Never had a problem with anything engine related. At least attributed to the oil... now electrical systems, heat, leaking windshields, rust... that's all another story

 

[JungleJim]

I think it really depends on the engine. In my old 87 Golf, I've been running Pennzoil 15W-40 for years. It's what VW calls for (all temps down to 0 F). It has 215,000 miles and has always started. (It was 7 degrees F yesterday morning up here in Northern Ohio..... -7 degrees with the wind chill....). There have been days well below 0 degrees and it still starts.

 

[99]

15W50 in single digits is foolish.

 

[acewiza]

I ran 20w-50 Castrol GTX in a chrysler 440 year round for 19 years. This started back when all I understood about oil was it needed to be kept above the add level on the dipstick and changed every 3k miles or bad things would happen to the motor.

The year I aquired the vehicle was 1984, in Denver, CO. Maybe it was '85, not sure. Anyway, The 1st winter I was there we had a cold snap right around Christmas where it was dipping down around -20F overnight for over a week straight. That thing fired right up every morning, no prob.

The engine had 190k on it, running strong when I pulled it and junked the car last spring. It is sitting on an engine stand waiting to be installed in another car someday. I'll probably rebuild it before then just for fun. I doubt if it actually "needs" it.

 

[Amkeer]

15w50 in a synthetic is fine. You need to be careful with those grades in Northern climates in the winter with conventional oil. Mobil 1 pour points are at -40.