Is Mobil 1 0w-40 too thin?

[RDY4WAR]

Roughly 72-74%

The lack of true 85% ethanol and inconsistent batches drove me away from pump E85. Now I make my own cocktail blending E98 with 87 non-E (plus a few choice additives ).

 

[scrllock]

Are you running "true" E85 fuel OR E85 out of the local gas station? Big difference in % ethanol.

For the purposes of oil selection, not really. Friction/wear peaks around E50, which is generally below the mandatory minimum for pump E85.

The main problem with pump ethanol is the quality of the gasoline used as the basis for the mixture, as well as potential water contamination from less trafficked pumps.

 

[stormgol]

maybe Redline 10W60 would be sufficient.

 

[Plumb Bob]

This is a follow up post to a post I made earlier and mistakingly put in the PCMO section. I have a ‘19 GLI (2.0T MQB) with an E85 tune. Car is spec’d for 0w20, I typically run a 504 spec 0w30. Most over there suggested what I was thinking, jump to a 40w oil to combat fuel dilution with E85. My first thought was M1 Euro 0w40, cheap and easy to find at Walmart. However in research, I’m seeing that this specific oil is known to be on the thin side of a 40w, nearly a 30w (please correct me if needed)

With that in mind, should I look a different route? Maybe the 5w40 version, or a Castrol Euro 5w40? I’m not super versed on reading a VOA to notice exact differences but I’m learning!

Any of the cheap 40-grade Euro you find at Walmart will work fine for you. As @kschachn said above, they're 40-grade, Facebook lore notwithstanding.

 

[shortyb]

Roughly 72-74%

Are you using a true E85 tune or more of a mix like E30? And do you have an ethanol gauge on the fuel like Fuel-It? When I had my GTI with a custom E30 EQT tune on a stock IS20, but Autotech HPFP, I had to be very cautious that I had an exact percentage, otherwise my fuel headroom would take a dump. Most consistent station for E85 was anywhere between 60-80%, so I would fill and mix then check with Fuel-It to make sure it was right at E30. Mix in more E85 or 93 if not. Would not risk going full E85 tune because of the inconsistency, not to mention higher added cost for fuel delivery upgrades.

Always used Castrol 0W-40 and never had any trouble with it being "too thin" on any UOA, even with the horrible fuel dilution I was getting (~3%). Can't imagine M1 0W-40 would be much different, but UOA for certainty. If you're having issue with fuel related thinning, and you don't have leaky injectors or they are not running wide open windows, consider something along the lines of the HPL like @RDY4WAR suggested.

 

[OilUzer]

Car was spec'd around a 0w-20. Car is tune-only, 225 F max oil temp. We're worried that a 40 weight (specifically, BITOG posterchild 0w-40 M1-FS) is "too thin" because it's at the lower end of the 40w range?

Just making sure I heard this right.

FYI

M1 FS 0W-40 passed the torch to M1 ESP 0/5W-30.
Did you miss the memo?

 

[TomYoung]

Car was spec'd around a 0w-20. Car is tune-only, 225 F max oil temp. We're worried that a 40 weight (specifically, BITOG posterchild 0w-40 M1-FS) is "too thin" because it's at the lower end of the 40w range?

Just making sure I heard this right.

Perhaps you missed the part about concern on oil dilution. It makes the scenario more logical. Still, I am always in favor of staying with manufacturer recommendations.

 

[Revving2Redline]

maybe Redline 10W60 would be sufficient.

It would take forever to get that oil up to temperature and once it got there, it would be tough to get it to go away. A balance needs to be found through application. I wouldn't race on 99.9% 0w20 oils and wouldn't drive two blocks on 10w60 to get more Budweiser 0.0 NA beer.

 

[Patman]

FYI

M1 FS 0W-40 passed the torch to M1 ESP 0/5W-30.
Did you miss the memo?

The nice thing about ESP 0w-30 and 5w-30 is that they have pretty much the same HTHS as the 0w-40 anyway.

Although having the Porsche A40 approval on the 0w-40 is definitely something to consider if you need that little bit extra protection (especially for a track driven car)

 

[johnmyster]

Perhaps you missed the part about concern on oil dilution. It makes the scenario more logical. Still, I am always in favor of staying with manufacturer recommendations.

Thus the move to 40 grade. Perhaps you missed that part. Then again the motor is tune only. I guess that tune allows more fuel past the rings...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Vapor_ethanol_mixtures_Fig_4.3.jpg

It would take forever to get that oil up to temperature and once it got there, it would be tough to get it to go away. A balance needs to be found through application. I wouldn't race on 99.9% 0w20 oils and wouldn't drive two blocks on 10w60 to get more Budweiser 0.0 NA beer.

It would take longer to get up to temperature? I didn't recall grade being a measure of specific heat.

 

[TomYoung]

Thus the move to 40 grade. Perhaps you missed that part. Then again the motor is tune only. I guess that tune allows more fuel past the rings...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Vapor_ethanol_mixtures_Fig_4.3.jpg


It would take longer to get up to temperature? I didn't recall grade being a measure of specific heat.

What is the point you are making with the ethanol v vapor pressure chart??? Need to buy a vowel here…