Is there a difference between 0w20 and 5w20 in MD

[dabble]

Hi, I live in Baltimore, MD where Winter temps average 23F but there can be lows up to negative 10F.

Is there a significant difference in cold start wear between 0w20 and 5w20 in Baltimore?

I have a 2011 Toyota Camry with 42k. I drive 10k and change my oil every 5k. I use Castrol GTX 5w20 and a Toyota filter.

 

[horse123]

Lower weight (0w) will be better for cold start wear.

 

[demarpaint]

No significant difference. You'd have to go below -10F to see any real benefit from a 0W20 or 0W30 oil compared to a 5W20 or a 5W30.

 

[GR_CoB]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
No significant difference. You'd have to go below -10F to see any real benefit from a 0W20 or 0W30 oil compared to a 5W20 or a 5W30.


Not entirely true. Depends on the engine really. In most of the engines that I deal with - you can hear and see (pressure light or gauge) the difference between 5w and 0w anywhere below 70 degrees. Also 5w doesn't just "suddenly cut off" at certain temperatures. If 0w and 5w are put side by side and tested in timely manner as temperature goes down - then even at 40degrees 5w will be already thicker than a 0w because 5w is much closer to it's limit in viscosity range than a 0w. And at 20 degrees a 0w will flow a lot better than a 5w, again - because a 0w still has a lot of room to play with on viscosity, and a 5w is much closer to it's limit. It's not like they flow exactly the same down to -20 and then at -21 a 0w suddenly starts to flow better than a 5w.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Vlad_the_Russian
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
No significant difference. You'd have to go below -10F to see any real benefit from a 0W20 or 0W30 oil compared to a 5W20 or a 5W30.


Not entirely true. Depends on the engine really. In most of the engines that I deal with - you can hear and see (pressure light or gauge) the difference between 5w and 0w anywhere below 70 degrees. Also 5w doesn't just "suddenly cut off" at certain temperatures. If 0w and 5w are put side by side and tested in timely manner as temperature goes down - then even at 40degrees 5w will be already thicker than a 0w because 5w is much closer to it's limit in viscosity range than a 0w. And at 20 degrees a 0w will flow a lot better than a 5w, again - because a 0w still has a lot of room to play with on viscosity, and a 5w is much closer to it's limit. It's not like they flow exactly the same down to -20 and then at -21 a 0w suddenly starts to flow better than a 5w.


Below 70F? Interesting. I'd love to read Shannow's take on it or some of the other resident experts. I noticed the difference between dino and synthetic with my Pre-oiler pumping up, but it was a lot colder than 70F to see a difference.

 

[umungus1122]

Originally Posted By: dabble
Hi, I live in Baltimore, MD where Winter temps average 23F but there can be lows up to negative 10F.

Is there a significant difference in cold start wear between 0w20 and 5w20 in Baltimore?

I have a 2011 Toyota Camry with 42k. I drive 10k and change my oil every 5k. I use Castrol GTX 5w20 and a Toyota filter.

In Baltimore? No. I'd use a synthetic though and go longer than 5k in that engine.

 

[BrocLuno]

Good lord. Many generations ran 10W-30 in Baltimore in all sorts of vehicles. Even straight 30 is still liquid and pumpable down to freezing.

the big difference is more VII's in 0W than 5W and I don't like higher percentages of VII's. They are not actually oil. They do not add to lubricity. They shear down over time. Why go there ...

 

[zeng]

Originally Posted By: dabble
Hi, I live in Baltimore, MD where Winter temps average 23F but there can be lows up to negative 10F.
Is there a significant difference in cold start wear between 0w20 and 5w20 in Baltimore?
I have a 2011 Toyota Camry with 42k. I drive 10k and change my oil every 5k. I use Castrol GTX 5w20 and a Toyota filter.


No ...if quality of add pack and base oil are substantially similar.
JMHO

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: horse123
Lower weight (0w) will be better for cold start wear.
Beginning at what temps?

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: horse123
Lower weight (0w) will be better for cold start wear.


Given that the wear actually takes place in the warm up phase, and is predominantly due to condensation and corrosion, how does a 0W help here ?

 

[sm00thpapa]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: horse123
Lower weight (0w) will be better for cold start wear.


Given that the wear actually takes place in the warm up phase, and is predominantly due to condensation and corrosion, how does a 0W help here ?


Flows faster is all I can think of.

 

[Gokhan]

0W- or 5W- part only determines extreme-cold performance. Viscosity index determines mild-cold performance. This said, 0W- oils tend to have higher viscosity index for better mild-cold performance as well.

However, for turbo applications, ILSAC doesn't test 0W-20. Perhaps they think it's a little too thin for that purpose.

 

[bbhero]

You are right as usual Shannow. . A 0w will not make a hills beans difference in eastern Maryland where it doesn't get -20°C all too often at all.
In the far western panhandle of Maryland west of the Allegheny front where it can get colder than this threshold of -20°C much more often then a 0w would be helpful much more often. This is due to higher elevation of 2,000 ft plus and the snow cover that usually prevalent in this area and places north and west of that area.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

I'm surprised to hear it gets to -10F in Baltimore MD. Here in New England where I'm at, it gets that cold a few nights a year. Maybe a dozen in the coldest year. Last winter twice. It always warms up above freezing very soon in the morning after the sun comes up. That's when I wait to start the cars.

 

[dabble]

-10 degrees F is once in a blue moon in Baltimore as it's possible but doesn't occur most years.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: sm00thpapa
Flows faster is all I can think of.

But it won't, unless you're looking at temperatures at the limits of pumpability in the first place. If I can run a 5w-XX year round up here, no one in Baltimore will have a problem with a 5w-XX. I'm not saying they can't use a 0w-XX, or, in the other direction, a 10w-XX. However, it won't amount to a hill of beans.

 

[skaughtz]

I drive a 2007 Camry around Balmer. Maryland really runs the gamut when it comes to seasons and weather, so I just use Pennzoil Platinum 0W-20 year round with a Fram Ultra filter and forget about it. 5W-20 isn't going to hurt anything, though. I only use the 0W oil for peace of mind in the winter. This past year wasn't too bad, but I like having it in there for when we have a winter like early 2015, when I was starting up my car on 5 degree Fahrenheit mornings throughout January and February. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to use 5W-20 if the 0W wasn't readily available to me.

Also, I believe that the 2011 Camry has the same 2AZ-FE engine that my 2007 does, which is a known oil-burner. They may have corrected the issue with the pistons and rings clogging for 2011 and up, but if I were you, I would stick with the full synthetic oil changes at 5k to be safe. It is what I have done on my car for the past 20k miles, and at 80k it seems to be keeping the oil consumption issue in check for the time being.

 

[timeau]

Originally Posted By: Vlad_the_Russian
Not entirely true. Depends on the engine really. In most of the engines that I deal with - you can hear and see (pressure light or gauge) the difference between 5w and 0w anywhere below 70 degrees.

Aga. Tell me about how to start my old VAZ-21011 in January. If you see the difference between 0W and 5W below +20C, you probably have clogged hydrolic lifters (hydrokompensatory - in Russian).

To topic starter: I am almost your neighbour. You can bravely use even 10W if you wish. But I would stick with 5W20 (Pennzoil Yellow, Mobil Super, Castrol GTX).

 

[CATERHAM]

GTX 5W-20 is at the heavy end of the 20 grade range based on it's KV100 of 9.1cSt and KV40 of 53cSt.
The recommended grade is 0W-20 and IMO the "best" 0W-20 for the money is the Toyota brand (TGMO) 0W-20 which has less than half the viscosity of GTX at 32F with the advantage increasing at progressively lower temp's...in short it's a better lubricant.

So yes the recommended oil will provide less wear on start-up/warm-up.

 

[Shannow]

....yawn...

And there's evidence of this improved start-up/warm up wear somewhere

That's not an advertisement ?