ok to use QS euro all year long in cold climate

[Baveux]

I hate wasting oil and my time especially in winter .

I live in Quebec Canada where winter can be brutal sometimes, and mild the day after or all at the same time ....

I am considering using the QS euro 5w40 all year long , is it a good idea ?

That looks ok to me if I look at a visc charts ... but hey how better was my previous oil PP5w30 than this QS 5w30 let say at -18 F

 

[JavierH19]

At -18f it's still fine. If you change your oil twice a year I wouldn't be against using something thinner in the colder half and that in the warmer half.

 

[kschachn]

Any oil with a 5W winter rating is acceptable for starting temperatures down to about -30.

 

[FowVay]

If I lived in that ice box I'd use the lightest viscosity allowed and change to it when I install my snow tires.

Technically you can use the 5W-40 and it's unlikely that you'd ever have issues. However, there are better options and there's no reason not to utilize them.

Heck, there's some crazy guy in Florida using 0W-5 in his Ford

 

[andreigbs]

You haven't said what you'd be using it in.

FWIW, I'm quite happy with it in my Ecodiesel. And while it may not be considered "brutal" by some, our winters get pretty cold here in Wisconsin.

 

[Baveux]

You haven't said what you'd be using it in.

FWIW, I'm quite happy with it in my Ecodiesel. And while it may not be considered "brutal" by some, our winters get pretty cold here in Wisconsin.

Oups ... f150 3.5 eco 2014 96 k klm

 

[blufeb95]

It was -10F with strong winds here last month, and I have QS Euro 5W40 in my sump in my 2008 4.2L i6 Trailblazer, I managed to start the car with QSE 5W40 in the sump with the fan clutch stuck on with a 4 year old Everstart Value 75 battery that was tested at just under 400CCA a week after the cold spell, so I think it'll work fine like any 5WXX in those conditions.

 

[stormgol]

i have started at -43 celcius unaided, unpluged, car exposed to the elements with pennzoil PUP 5w30. at -35 celcius, it start fairly easily. i am near lake albanel in the chibougamau area.

 

[Passport1]

chibougamau

Looked up that town and lake. Pictures of the lake are beautiful. Must be some really good fishing there.

 

[Lubener]

I hate wasting oil and my time especially in winter .

I live in Quebec Canada where winter can be brutal sometimes, and mild the day after or all at the same time ....

I am considering using the QS euro 5w40 all year long , is it a good idea ?

That looks ok to me if I look at a visc charts ... but hey how better was my previous oil PP5w30 than this QS 5w30 let say at -18 F

You never mentioned what vehicle. Check your owner's manual for the weight for your anticipated temperatures.

 

[stormgol]

Looked up that town and lake. Pictures of the lake are beautiful. Must be some really good fishing there.

exeptional fishing. my godfather has caught a 28 pounds lake trout or grey trout in lake doré near chibougamau in 1977. i was 5 years old and was scared of that fish. lake mistassini and lake albanel are very large lakes. lake mistassini has 800 feet depth. but they are remote places but easily accessible. there is fishing contests during summer on many lakes in the area.

 

[wpod]

5W...

 

[edyvw]

i have started at -43 celcius unaided, unpluged, car exposed to the elements with pennzoil PUP 5w30. at -35 celcius, it start fairly easily. i am near lake albanel in the chibougamau area.

Started at -37 5W40 in X5 35d.
Some 20 years ago or so, I started 10W40 in Opel Vectra at -42c. Camshafts DID NOT like that.

 

[chris719]

Started at -37 5W40 in X5 35d.
Some 20 years ago or so, I started 10W40 in Opel Vectra at -42c. Camshafts DID NOT like that.

I can imagine, I started my old Z4M with Castrol TWS 10W-60 in -10F once and the valvetrain sounded really rough.

 

[jeepman3071]

It's great oil and I would have no problem using it. I currently am using it in my sister's 2013 VW Jetta 2.5L, and she is often in the NH mountains in the winter.

 

[Shel_B]

If I lived in that ice box I'd use the lightest viscosity allowed and change to it when I install my snow tires.

Technically you can use the 5W-40 and it's unlikely that you'd ever have issues. However, there are better options and there's no reason not to utilize them.

What are some of those better options and why do you consider them better?

 

[OVERKILL]

i have started at -43 celcius unaided, unpluged, car exposed to the elements with pennzoil PUP 5w30. at -35 celcius, it start fairly easily. i am near lake albanel in the chibougamau area.

I had the opposite experience, our Expedition barely started (rolled over VERY slowly) on PU 5W-30 at -32C in Quebec during a storm and deep freeze. We had previously run M1 AFE 0W-30 in it, and it started much easier (though it only saw -28C in Ontario, MAYBE -30C). So, depends on the engine. -30C is where the CCS limit is set for the 5W-xx Winter grade, so once you get below that, one would expect an impact on cranking speed in certain applications.

 

[stormgol]

I had the opposite experience, our Expedition barely started (rolled over VERY slowly) on PU 5W-30 at -32C in Quebec during a storm and deep freeze. We had previously run M1 AFE 0W-30 in it, and it started much easier (though it only saw -28C in Ontario, MAYBE -30C). So, depends on the engine. -30C is where the CCS limit is set for the 5W-xx Winter grade, so once you get below that, one would expect an impact on cranking speed in certain applications.

i tried the thicker version of mobil 1 AFE 0w30 and it was not terrible. the one with 11.50 viscosity and -42 celcius pour point. it was not easy at -36 celcius in my 2021 turbo mazda 3. the PUP 5w30 start easier at -36 celcius. it appears mobil 1 is back with a new formulation for AFE 0w30 again and the numbers are interesting. very low viscosity and -54 celcius pour point. the AFE 0w30 you previously run, was certainly the old AFE 0w30. even last year, i was still able to find 1 liter bottles of that stufff at canadian tire. heck i think they still have bottles of this stuff at current time. only in 1 liter bottles. here in quebec in my area, we d'ont have yet any of the new mobil 1 stuff. but what we have is the thicker AFE 0w30 in 1 gallon jugs. that stuff is not terrible for my application. if you want the old AFE 0w30. you have to check for 1 liter bottles.

 

[edyvw]

i tried the thicker version of mobil 1 AFE 0w30 and it was not terrible. the one with 11.50 viscosity and -42 celcius pour point. it was not easy at -36 celcius in my 2021 turbo mazda 3. the PUP 5w30 start easier at -36 celcius. it appears mobil 1 is back with a new formulation for AFE 0w30 again and the numbers are interesting. very low viscosity and -54 celcius pour point. the AFE 0w30 you previously run, was certainly the old AFE 0w30. even last year, i was still able to find 1 liter bottles of that stufff at canadian tire. heck i think they still have bottles of this stuff at current time. only in 1 liter bottles. here in quebec in my area, we d'ont have yet any of the new mobil 1 stuff. but what we have is the thicker AFE 0w30 in 1 gallon jugs. that stuff is not terrible for my application. if you want the old AFE 0w30. you have to check for 1 liter bottles.

I am confused, but what is “thicker version?”

 

[FowVay]

What are some of those better options and why do you consider them better?

The OP stated that he'd used Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 previously so I am assuming it was an approved viscosity grade. Viscosity is defined simply as being resistance to flow. So a lower viscosity non-Newtonian fluid would offer better flow at any given temperature.

Remember, the numbers on the bottle represent only a "range" which the fluid falls under. The "euro" 5W-40 has a dynamic viscosity (HT/HS) of >3.5cP @ 150ºC, a CCS dynamic viscosity of [email protected]ºC and kinematic viscosity at 40ºC of 80.8cSt. This stuff, is thick.

I didn't look up Pennzoil Platinum but just grabbed the data off of the Quaker State site for their non-European 5W-30 for comparison. It has a dynamic viscosity (HT/HS) of 3.2cP @ 150ºC, a CCS dynamic viscosity of [email protected]ºC and a kinematic viscosity at 40ºC of 66.8cSt.

So, while both fluids carry the 5W winter rating, the difference in cold flow is staggering.

To answer your question, ANY non-European rated synthetic 5W-30 with a HT/HS viscosity <3.5 would be a better choice for cold starts in Canada. If a 0W is approved then that would be even better.