Lowest Temp Usage for Syn 10w30?
- Thread starter BTLew81
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-15 °F or so.
I can't imagine 0F being any problem for a 10W-30 synthetic. I use a 15W-50 synthetic and we get down to 10F and they will start before you can let go of the key, as it were. When visiting relatives about 40 miles from Detroit, Michigan, I had no problem with 15W-50 synthetic.
I have a freezer that only goes down to 0F. I have put whatever oils I could get a sample of in there(really pleases the wife) for testing. It is not very scientific but a 10W-30 synthetic is not nearly as thick as at 5w30 conventional and it will swish around, pour out MUCH BETTER. More lavatory than laboratory but food for thought.
I have a freezer that only goes down to 0F. I have put whatever oils I could get a sample of in there(really pleases the wife) for testing. It is not very scientific but a 10W-30 synthetic is not nearly as thick as at 5w30 conventional and it will swish around, pour out MUCH BETTER. More lavatory than laboratory but food for thought.
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I put a half quart of Mobil 1 15W50 silver cap in the freezer for a few hours and when I took it out it still sloshed around in the bottle as if it were at room temperature. You should`ve seen the look on my gf`s face when she opened up the freezer and saw that big a** jug of M1 staring back at her :^P
You can treat syn oil as 1 weight lower, here 10w syn~5w dino. That's group 3 syn, real syn probably 2 weights lower~0w, which doesn't exist as a dino yet. There are 6 winter weights, 25 20 15 10 5 and zero. I would say there are 3 winter climes mild~30-50 degrees, Hawaii? cold zero-32 degrees and frigid below zero. 25 and 20 ok in the mild winters, 10 and 15 ok in cold winters, and 5 and zero wt. in frigid cold winters. All these are for dino oils, syn's 1 catagory colder ok, so 10w syn, I would think ok to below zero, perhaps -10 degrees.Amsoil seems full syn stuff so maybe even a bit lower.
I was surprised how same-brand 10w-30 synth was thinner than 5w-40 at 0f. Freezer-test.
i live in northern new york on the stlawrence river and most people still use 10/30 convential and it always get below zero here every year and no one seems to have a problem.
I recently threw a bottle of 10W30 Maxlife (syn blend) into the freezer (0*F) for over a day and when I pulled it out, it flowed very well.
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I put a half quart of Mobil 1 15W50 silver cap in the freezer for a few hours and when I took it out it still sloshed around in the bottle as if it were at room temperature. You should`ve seen the look on my gf`s face when she opened up the freezer and saw that big a** jug of M1 staring back at her :^P
I get the same. My teenage daughter opens the freezer and yells "Mom! Dad's doing his oil freezing tests again!"
I put a half quart of Mobil 1 15W50 silver cap in the freezer for a few hours and when I took it out it still sloshed around in the bottle as if it were at room temperature. You should`ve seen the look on my gf`s face when she opened up the freezer and saw that big a** jug of M1 staring back at her :^P
I get the same. My teenage daughter opens the freezer and yells "Mom! Dad's doing his oil freezing tests again!"
Years ago I had a fill of Mobil 1 10W30 in my van and spent a weekend Upstate NY. The van sat for a few days, the morning I left it was just about -30*F. It took my pre-luber what seemed like an eternity to pressurize the system. When I fired it up, the sounds were not pleasant to the ear.
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Originally Posted By: Audi Junkie
I was surprised how same-brand 10w-30 synth was thinner than 5w-40 at 0f. Freezer-test.
It should be less thick assuming the VI is reasonably comparable. It's a 30 grade vs. a 40 grade. It should only react differently where its non-Newtonian characteristics/properties are in play. That part isn't "rational".
I was surprised how same-brand 10w-30 synth was thinner than 5w-40 at 0f. Freezer-test.
It should be less thick assuming the VI is reasonably comparable. It's a 30 grade vs. a 40 grade. It should only react differently where its non-Newtonian characteristics/properties are in play. That part isn't "rational".
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
I was running 10w30 dino in an '80 Civic that day. Started and ran but even the suspension and wheel bearings were reluctant to move.
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
I was running 10w30 dino in an '80 Civic that day. Started and ran but even the suspension and wheel bearings were reluctant to move.
Originally Posted By: jldcol
You can treat syn oil as 1 weight lower, here 10w syn~5w dino. That's group 3 syn, real syn probably 2 weights lower~0w, which doesn't exist as a dino yet. There are 6 winter weights, 25 20 15 10 5 and zero. I would say there are 3 winter climes mild~30-50 degrees, Hawaii? cold zero-32 degrees and frigid below zero. 25 and 20 ok in the mild winters, 10 and 15 ok in cold winters, and 5 and zero wt. in frigid cold winters. All these are for dino oils, syn's 1 catagory colder ok, so 10w syn, I would think ok to below zero, perhaps -10 degrees.Amsoil seems full syn stuff so maybe even a bit lower.
That is utter non sense. Look at the data sheets. Synthetic 10w-30 like Amsoil ATM is not going to pass the 0w SAE cold cranking test. It might pass the SAE mini rotary viscometer for 5w.
By definition 10w is safe to -13F.
I'd say a synthetic 10w-30 with a CCS below 4,000 cP :MIGHT: get the job done in the SAE 5w CCS test (-22F), so I'd say a safe limit for 10w-30 synthetic would be between -13F and -22F.
Not a snowballs chance in [censored] it would suffice in conditions needing an actual 0w oil.
You can treat syn oil as 1 weight lower, here 10w syn~5w dino. That's group 3 syn, real syn probably 2 weights lower~0w, which doesn't exist as a dino yet. There are 6 winter weights, 25 20 15 10 5 and zero. I would say there are 3 winter climes mild~30-50 degrees, Hawaii? cold zero-32 degrees and frigid below zero. 25 and 20 ok in the mild winters, 10 and 15 ok in cold winters, and 5 and zero wt. in frigid cold winters. All these are for dino oils, syn's 1 catagory colder ok, so 10w syn, I would think ok to below zero, perhaps -10 degrees.Amsoil seems full syn stuff so maybe even a bit lower.
That is utter non sense. Look at the data sheets. Synthetic 10w-30 like Amsoil ATM is not going to pass the 0w SAE cold cranking test. It might pass the SAE mini rotary viscometer for 5w.
By definition 10w is safe to -13F.
I'd say a synthetic 10w-30 with a CCS below 4,000 cP :MIGHT: get the job done in the SAE 5w CCS test (-22F), so I'd say a safe limit for 10w-30 synthetic would be between -13F and -22F.
Not a snowballs chance in [censored] it would suffice in conditions needing an actual 0w oil.
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
Not quite.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0225?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
Not quite.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0225?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared
I follow an easy rule.
Use:
0W above -40 F
5W above -20 F
10W above 0 F
15W above 20 F
20W above 40 F
I wouldn't have an issue with running a decent quality 15w40 universal HDEO in the summer in nearly any vehicle, but in the winter I would not use anything thicker than a 5w30 unless I was in an area that never sees sub-zero temperatures or had an engine that required a 40 or heavier weight oil at operating temperatre.
Use:
0W above -40 F
5W above -20 F
10W above 0 F
15W above 20 F
20W above 40 F
I wouldn't have an issue with running a decent quality 15w40 universal HDEO in the summer in nearly any vehicle, but in the winter I would not use anything thicker than a 5w30 unless I was in an area that never sees sub-zero temperatures or had an engine that required a 40 or heavier weight oil at operating temperatre.
Originally Posted By: BTLew81
Just curious how low you would go using a 10w30 syn? Here in Chicago, we can get to near 0 or below in the winter. Would a syn like Amsoil handle the temps well, or is it out of the question. Just in theory of course....
Back when I was younger and dumber, I ran dino 10W30 all year in ND winters. Saw lots of -20 to -30 temps. (lowest was -39F) I don't recommend this but the engine lived to tell the story about it well past 100,000 miles. That was back in the late 90s.
Now I wouldn't want to go past -10F on a regular basis. IMHO.
Oh, a note to the freezer test guys. A good practice is to leave the oil in the freezer 24 hours to make sure the fluid is at the same temperature as the freezer. That is how we do cold start tests on offroad equipment. Cold soak for 24 hours at either -10 or -20F.
Just curious how low you would go using a 10w30 syn? Here in Chicago, we can get to near 0 or below in the winter. Would a syn like Amsoil handle the temps well, or is it out of the question. Just in theory of course....
Back when I was younger and dumber, I ran dino 10W30 all year in ND winters. Saw lots of -20 to -30 temps. (lowest was -39F) I don't recommend this but the engine lived to tell the story about it well past 100,000 miles. That was back in the late 90s.
Now I wouldn't want to go past -10F on a regular basis. IMHO.
Oh, a note to the freezer test guys. A good practice is to leave the oil in the freezer 24 hours to make sure the fluid is at the same temperature as the freezer. That is how we do cold start tests on offroad equipment. Cold soak for 24 hours at either -10 or -20F.
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
Not quite.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0225?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared
Yes quite. January 9, 1982 - I remembered it as -26 though.
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
Not quite.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0225?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared
Yes quite. January 9, 1982 - I remembered it as -26 though.
Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
Not quite.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0225?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared
Yes quite. January 9, 1982 - I remembered it as -26 though.
Not officially at the airport.
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The average low temp for Chicago is -9F, but has reached -27F.
Not quite.
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0225?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared
Yes quite. January 9, 1982 - I remembered it as -26 though.
Not officially at the airport.
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