Synthetic for winter use?? Use dino???
- Thread starter obbop
- Start date
- Status
I lived in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan for five years, and do you know what weight consistently was off the shelves and most stocked?---10w-30. Even with some temps. colder than a Well Digger's a$$ in the middle of the Klondike, most people I knew still stayed with 10w30 year round.
Lobo, great point! I was up in the U.P. back in January 1993 when I started up my old Saturn in -31F temp. Yeah, it rattled for a couple minutes before all the internal engine noises went away, but it did start OK all things considered. I'm quite certain it was bulk 10w30 in the crankcase at that point in time.
A very good friend of mine lived in the UP of Michigan all of her life. She used 10w30 the year around too. I asked her if she had any trouble starting her car in the winter. Her reply was "not when I plug it in". Turns out she had a tank heater and a battery warmer installed.
Well to each his own, but if I spent $20k plus on a new piece of machinery, it would just kill me to hear the engine make noises like that. Especially if the cost to avoid it is an extra $20/yr for 6 qts of good synthetic 0/5w30.
Ugly3 thanks for the link, it was intersting reading and definitely made sense to me. But I still think unless you have lived in the Northland you would be surprised at how many people run 10w30 year round, and do not have any thermal assistance from block heaters, etc. I know I was.
I understand what your saying but even though they use 10w30 , it does not mean thats the best way to go about it year round . It may be too many old stories about 5w30 floating around there too but in modern times .Some say Pennzoil is sludge in a bottle ya know
Oils are tools , I say use the right tool for the job . Pliars can remove a slot head screw but
[ October 07, 2004, 06:10 PM: Message edited by: Motorbike ]
Pennzoil has a new pour point with the gf-4 5w30
-36c, -33f.
http://www.pzlqs.com/Tech/Pdsheet/DomesticMarketing/EngineOils/pdf/Multigrade.PDF
-36c, -33f.
http://www.pzlqs.com/Tech/Pdsheet/DomesticMarketing/EngineOils/pdf/Multigrade.PDF
Take your favorite bottle of conventional 10w30 and put it in the deep-freezer overnight. It likely won't come out of the bottle in the morning. Now imagine your oil pump trying to push that goo through the 0.00X" clearances in the crank bearings, into the oil passages, through the pin holes in your lifters and up the tiny tubes inside the pushrods to the rocker arms and valves. I think it could take several minutes for the oil to reach the upper engine.
Before I aquired a heated garage for my vehicles, I would run 5w30 conventional all summer and 0w30 synthetic in the winter. I would start noticing the benefits around -25C(-13F). Easier cranking and less start-up noise. Around here, we can count on seeing -25 to -40 temps 3-4 months of the year.
Before I aquired a heated garage for my vehicles, I would run 5w30 conventional all summer and 0w30 synthetic in the winter. I would start noticing the benefits around -25C(-13F). Easier cranking and less start-up noise. Around here, we can count on seeing -25 to -40 temps 3-4 months of the year.
I won't argue with any of the comments, I agree totally, but some people seem to just refuse to run anything lower than 10w30, especially a lot of the old timers. I know an older mechanic that still only carries 10w30 oil and that is all he will put in for oil changes, unless you bring your own.
Which is great until the pour point depressants are beat out of it. Although, with the new GF-4 oils, we'll have to wait and see if this is a factor compared to some of the older dino formulations.
Thanks for the input.
After considerable contemplation, eating dinner, feeding the mice and watching them fight, scratching my head and other body parts, getting a decent night's sleep, reading part of the new Car & Driver magazine, drinking a cup of coffee and wondering why the question about the ongoing invasion of the USA by millions of illegal aliens does not appear during the presidential debates (has to be a conspiracy by the elites to stifle the subject) I came to a decision:
Since it appears there can be no harm in temporarily switching to synthetic for the winter.... since I can extend the OCI a couple thousand miles past the 3,000 to 4,000 I use for dino thus allowing me to avoid changing oil when it's cold and there's snow on the ground and..... since the flowability of synthetic will assist in lubricating the engine quicker during those very cold spells.....
Well.... might as well try some Mobil 1. Perhaps the end of November I'll change over from Havoline 5w30 conventional to Mobil 1 5w30. It doesn't get cold enuff for long enuff to use 0W-30. I don't drive enuff to put on enuff miles to force a change during the coldest part of winter. Around March I'll switch back to Havoline dino. I've read how 3-4,000 mile OCIs may be excessive but my typical short drives are severe service even though I do try to go on a longer (20-30 miles) drive every couple weeks at most to evaporate water and other volatile accumulations.
Thanks to all for the input.
Of course, I will now scratch innumerable body parts while pondering if I should stay with synthetics..... if using them will actually reduce wear, provide better lubrication, etc.
After considerable contemplation, eating dinner, feeding the mice and watching them fight, scratching my head and other body parts, getting a decent night's sleep, reading part of the new Car & Driver magazine, drinking a cup of coffee and wondering why the question about the ongoing invasion of the USA by millions of illegal aliens does not appear during the presidential debates (has to be a conspiracy by the elites to stifle the subject) I came to a decision:
Since it appears there can be no harm in temporarily switching to synthetic for the winter.... since I can extend the OCI a couple thousand miles past the 3,000 to 4,000 I use for dino thus allowing me to avoid changing oil when it's cold and there's snow on the ground and..... since the flowability of synthetic will assist in lubricating the engine quicker during those very cold spells.....
Well.... might as well try some Mobil 1. Perhaps the end of November I'll change over from Havoline 5w30 conventional to Mobil 1 5w30. It doesn't get cold enuff for long enuff to use 0W-30. I don't drive enuff to put on enuff miles to force a change during the coldest part of winter. Around March I'll switch back to Havoline dino. I've read how 3-4,000 mile OCIs may be excessive but my typical short drives are severe service even though I do try to go on a longer (20-30 miles) drive every couple weeks at most to evaporate water and other volatile accumulations.
Thanks to all for the input.
Of course, I will now scratch innumerable body parts while pondering if I should stay with synthetics..... if using them will actually reduce wear, provide better lubrication, etc.
A mechanic I know,
uses 15w40 Castrol RX in all customers' cars that do not require synth. SE Pennsylvania. I'm not sure it's a great idea, but he does it.
I guess it's better than customer cars that would run dry or sludge on dino-bulk.
after i read the reply from the guy who started his saturn at -31 and it made a lot of noise. he said he was using a 10w30. i thought i would tell you what happened to me and my boyfriend last year. we were up in canada ice fishing on simpco lake for perch. we go up there about every other week. we drove his truck that trip. he has a old half ton chevy short bed regular cab with a 4.3 cpi, auto, and 4 wheel drive. well antway the first night we were there we forgot to plug the truck in and that night it got down to 37 below. well this truck uses a little oil so we use 15w40 year around. yeah. she cranked a little slower the next morning. and it talked for a few minute to the oil got warm. won't do that again.
I take every precaution I can. I love overkill when it comes to oil!
I already have a block heater (that kinda goes without saying in Canada) but despite GC last year, there was a time when the car would not start. This year I am running RedLine and want to ensure there is a battery blanket installed.
Earlier I saw a thread with links to Temro & Phillips and others that made oil pan heaters and the like, now I can't find the page. Quite aggravating after an hour or so
We crept near 75 F a few days ago. In a store there stood a sign in front of snow-blowers: Don't kid yourself. This is Manitoba. You KNOW it's coming..."
LOL
Rob-the-oil-nut
I already have a block heater (that kinda goes without saying in Canada) but despite GC last year, there was a time when the car would not start. This year I am running RedLine and want to ensure there is a battery blanket installed.
Earlier I saw a thread with links to Temro & Phillips and others that made oil pan heaters and the like, now I can't find the page. Quite aggravating after an hour or so
We crept near 75 F a few days ago. In a store there stood a sign in front of snow-blowers: Don't kid yourself. This is Manitoba. You KNOW it's coming..."
LOL
Rob-the-oil-nut
- Status
Similar threads
