M1 15w50 cold start temp

Joined
Feb 27, 2008
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Location
eastern WA
Thanks to recommendations from this board, I recently changed over to M1 15w50 in a 505 CID hydraulic roller Pontiac engine. Have not driven the car yet.

What is a safe cold start temp for this oil? I have a magnetic pan heater, how cold would it have to be to bother with the oil pan heater?
 
The CCS (cold cranking simulator test) indicates -20 C which is about -4 F. Coincidently that’s when I start plugging in. You’ll hear of people starting theirs at lower temps but I think that would be un-kind.
 
Last edited:
Mobil says -40.
 

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ok awesome. i want to start driving my 65 gto more and regardless of whether i use -4 or -40 my usage is not restricted at all!
 
Yeah you live in DC.... So a 15w would work like 99.5 plus percent of the time.

Where I live in Williamsburg I have seen temps around or below 0°F a couple of times in the past 9 years. In the winter of 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 and in January 2017 it did that. That is atypical on average in my area. Usually it get that cold every 3-5 years on average. Sometimes it can be 8-10 years between 0°F low temps.
 
i might take her out on a 20 degree night. if it is minus thirty, homie ain’t walking from the house to the shop, much less taking the hot rod out!
 
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