Should I be worried?? Please help.

[Clevy]

Your mechanic is an idiot. If it was indeed mileage he was concerned about he should have put a 5w-40 in it,not 10w30.
Quick breakdown for ya. The first number on the oil bottle represents how the oil behaves in winter,hence the W. It stands for winter. The second number represents how the oil behaves at operating temperature. So a 5w30 behaves the same as a 10w30 at operating temp. And a 5w-40 behaves the same as a 5w-20 when below freezing.
I suspect your mechanics margins are better with the oil he put in and gave you a bull story about why. 10w30 oils tend to be cheaper than 5w30 oils. The additive packages tend to be stronger in a 5w30.
Honestly unless you get -30 temps 10w30 is fine. The 5w30 would flow better in the cold.
Don't waste your money on changing out however buy a quart of 0w30 for use as a top up oil. Or even mobil 1 0w-40 oil. That is top notch stuff. It will thin the winter viscosity and strengthen the at temp viscosity. Win win

 

[WishIhadatruck]

Definitely don't worry about it, if you lived where it often went below 0 deg F then I'd change it out but you have nothing to fear in NY. Change it yourself next time or be more proactive with the oil change place and demand they put in what your vehicle spec.'s.

 

[JHZR2]

Old beliefs stay alive. In NYC, 10w30 will be more than acceptable. In some cases, it may be thinner than the "lighter" oils. Even if not, at your mild conditions, the biggest difference you could see is a small fraction of a percent in MPGs.

But I would specify the desired visc.

 

[Eddie25]

And I'm Def trying to hold on to the Mpgs from this gas guzzler. So now that I have this oil in the engine, let's say it gets from 30 to 0 degrees outside. What would an ideal spot on the temp. Guage be? since they say the most protection for the engine is within 30 seconds to a minute after the engine has been turned on. my daily trip consist of about 4 miles total to and from work and I don't like idling too long. Would it make sense to let the temp. Guage up to a quarter full or should I let it hit the halfway mark. Or can I go by minutes. I'm trying to see what would be the best for my engine without idling too long. Thanks

 

[Nickdfresh]

I believe 10w30 synthetic was the favored flavor of a lot of the Jeep owners here at one time.

 

[Whimsey]

The ability of the anti drain back valve in the oil filter is more important than using a slightly more viscous oil at start ups in cold temps. My 1989 F-150 was very quiet on even below 0 days using Mobil 1 10w30 and a Motorcraft oil filter. The Fram PH8 I was originally using would cause dry starts, especially noisey on the cold days. Obviously it's ADBV was not effective by design because it did it with every Fram filter I used on this truck.

Whimsey

 

[Eddie25]

I heard a lot of people having problems with the Fram filters and cold starts. So you're saying if I should ever have noisy cold starts I would have to change the oil filter? I forgot what brand of oil filter the mechanic used but they charged me $3.95 for it. Hopefully it does its job.

 

[fdcg27]

Nothing at all to be concerned about.
10W-30 was the default all climate choice for years, and continued to be recommended for many applications for years after 5w30s first became available.
I use 10w30 myself in warm weather, only because I have some in my stash.
OTOH, if I didn't have a plentitude of 5w30 on hand, the older Accord and Subaru would both be getting 10w30 for the winter, with no worries on my part.
It doesn't get cold enough in your area to matter, and any M1 is a solid oil.
Just forget about it.
Your engine will be fine.

 

[91344George]

It will be fine, however these idiot shops floor me.

If the car states 5w30 on the oil fill cap, then that is the spec it should get, where has common sense gone??!!

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: Eddie25
I heard a lot of people having problems with the Fram filters and cold starts. So you're saying if I should ever have noisy cold starts I would have to change the oil filter? I forgot what brand of oil filter the mechanic used but they charged me $3.95 for it. Hopefully it does its job.


Eddie, you worry too much.
You'll likely have no problems with the oil filter.
$3.95 does not buy you a top of the tree filter, unless you combine an online discount with a rebate to get something like a Bosch D+ for less than that.
Still, I doubt you'll have any problems with your oil and filter combo.
Just drive the car as you normally would, and forget about the oil and the filter.
A 5w30 would have been a more optimal choice and there are better filters available than whatever the shop put on for $3.95, but people have been running 10w30 with cheap filters for decades with no engine damage at all.
Fresh oil and filter equals good to go.
Next time, though, plan on using a 5w30 along with an oil filter of known quality.
Incidentally, I used Frams for years as a matter of preference and never had a problem with them.

 

[ottotheclown]

Where you are living trying to find someone to work on your car will be tough. Next have you noticed and it is already end of Dec and almost most days are 45 and above. If you will look up PDS of Mobil 5-30 vs 10-30 you will see very little to worry about!! 10-30 is always around, so your chance finding 5-30 is going to take alittle work. Either way bringing your own oil/filter is a must. How much could they charge for labor?? If they find something wrong, and they will, make them show it, if they cannot say thank you, check please!!

 

[Eddie25]

Thanks...I feel more at ease with all the responses and tell you the truth it hasn't been a waste of time. In these two days I've learned more about oils and my car then I have my whole life knowing.

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: Eddie25
I heard a lot of people having problems with the Fram filters and cold starts. So you're saying if I should ever have noisy cold starts I would have to change the oil filter? I forgot what brand of oil filter the mechanic used but they charged me $3.95 for it. Hopefully it does its job.


You would not HAVE to change the filter but noisey start ups indicate lack of lubrication and most likely more wear with the start up. Whether it causes measurable decrease in realistic engine life is debatable. $3.95 is not much for an oil filter. Chances are it's a filter that's "price friendly" for the oil change shop, not the best quality though. Just get a quality brand oil filter next time.

Whimsey

 

[RF Overlord]

Eddie, to answer your last question (about warm-up), the motor will warm up faster when it's doing work, so sitting and idling in your driveway is only going to waste gas. Start it up, let it idle for 30 seconds (if it's really cold), and drive away. If the majority of your trips are short, take it on the highway once a week and you'll be fine.

Just to add one MORE voice, 10w30 will not hurt your motor one bit. Maybe if you were an Ice-Road Trucker and lived in Yellowknife

but not in NYC.

 

[wtd]

I would not worry about it at all. A 10w30 synthetic will probably flow better than the 5w30 conventional oil that was originally installed and recommended. They are going to both be a 30 weight when hot.

Wayne

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
No need to waste money and change oil at this point.


Agreed; however IMO if you could take it back and have them put in the correct oil at no charge....

 

[NYSteve]

Hey eddie wanted to follow up on my other post. Check and see if there are any jeep clubs nearby and what shops they like. I used a volvo mechanic out in nutley, nj and drove from queens because he was the only I trusted. You might have to do a similar search and may end up with someone in NJ or "upstate" *cough* north of white plains *cough*

Since you like how much you have learned in the last couple days, definitely google jeep forums for your model and you'll learn more that you ever could imagine. jeep guys are some of the most passionate DIYers out there and you have one of the friendliest platforms to learn how DIY on. welcome to the beginning of the journey!

 

[Eddie25]

You have a Point Steve. If I can get a hold of a club and network with trusted people and shops I'll be able to more at ease. I'm determine to make that first oil change, lol of course its going to have to wait till it warms up, even then Ima let that 10w30 synthetic oil ride cause you guys say its no biggie at least for the time being Plus cause I heard its good for hot weather, but as soon as it starts getting cool again I'll be on that. I already found a small spot in the lot of my Job I can work on of course they won't know but at least I won't be hassled by police or onlookers.

 

[GhostFlame]

Originally Posted By: Eddie25
Yeah, after this stupidity I'm going to do the basic things myself so I know what I'm putting in my Jeep. I would have done it on my own and saved some bucks but being from the city I lack a garage or a driveway I would probably have to do it on the street or try to find someone with a garage. I guess my real concern is if I can leave the 10w30 until the next coming fall.where I do it myself and put the right oil and not have any ill effects on the engine.


As long as we learn then change our behaviors that all that matters. It would be stupider not to question... the engine will be okay. next time use the oil brand of your choice in the 5-30 flavor

 

[Ramblin Fever]

10w-30 won't hurt a thing, the differences are so minute that it's not even worth fretting over.

FWIW - I still have 10w30 in 2 of my engines in the dead of winter here in Colorado, and it's been colder so far this year then it normally is. We've been hovering in single/teen digits, normally we're above 30 for most of the winter. Both of those engines are starting just as great/easy as they normally do.