Thoughts on Mobil 1 10w30 in winter

[Chris B.]

I think I'm going to stick with M1 10w30 this winter. I live in Colorado and it will get below 0 here. I used to use 5w30 M1 but it seem that they are on the thin side it wouldn't make much difference and I'd have the better oil in my engine. Plus many of my friends use 10w30 dino oil in these Colorado winters and don't seem to have much trouble. One buddy uses regular Valvoline 10w30 in his Ford Explorer and has over 200,000 miles using Valvoline 10w30 year round.
I think the M1 10w30 will be a good choice for year round use in Colorado. Do I have the right idea? I came to this conclusion by reading this board. Any thoughts on this pros/cons are appreciated!

[ September 18, 2003, 01:52 PM: Message edited by: Chris B. ]

 

[Ryan00TJ]

No problem here in WV where our winters are usually in the 30s daytime and teens and 20's at night. UOA's have been good with the M1 10W-30 during winter.

 

[rpn453]

10W-30 will work fine for your temps.
I would personally go with a 5W-30 or 0W-30 though since they'd be thinner at startup and would also provide better fuel economy until your engine is warmed up, though I doubt engine life will be affected significantly either way.

[ September 18, 2003, 02:11 PM: Message edited by: rpn453 ]

 

[Al]

I'm a huge fan of the 10W-30 M-1. But I believe the 5W M-1 is right up there. And in winter thinner (at lower temps is better). I'd go with the 5W in Col.

 

[sub_zero]

I don't think a 10Wx multigrade anything is the 'best' choice for sub_zero temperatures. I know M1 is a PAO, but it's still a 10W30 and a 5W30 offers much better pumpability. The problem with M1 is it is on the thin side in the 5w30 grade and in light trucks I've never liked it.

Get yourself some Heavy Duty 0w30 from almost any manufacturer, you will not be disappointed. Strong oil pressure in the summer, fast oil pressure on the 'ole cold start.

 

[Chris B.]

Does M1 make a 0w30?

 

[edpoj]

yes M1 makes a 0w-30. it has a -55 pourpoint according to the M1 website.

 

[Chris B.]

What I'm trying to understand is M1 10w30 has a lower pour point then most dino 5w30's so wouldn't it peform better then dino 5w30 in sub 0 temps?

 

[Jay]

Chris, pour point is important if you're interested in making oilcicles. Cold cranking viscosity and cold pumping viscosity are the two important specs to consider as far as cold temperature performance in an engine. These are the two specs that go into making the "w" designation.

 

[Patman]

Jay is exactly right, pour point is very misleading. Just look at Mobil 1's spec sheet and you'll see that the pour point on their 15w50 is the same as their 10w30, but you would definitely see a difference in thickness if you put both of those viscosities in your freezer. And same goes with the difference between the 10w30 and the 5w30.

When it comes down to choosing one of the Xw30 viscosities of Mobil 1, there is no reason not to run their 5w30, since it retains it's viscosity very well it could be substituted for their 10w30, even in summer, but most definitely in winter. I personally see almost no reason for Mobil 1's 10w30 to exist anymore, other than the fact that many people refuse to let go of that particular viscosity. I was the same way last year, since I saw so many 5w30 UOAs which thinned out, that I felt 10w30 was the only way to get a stable oil. But the newest 5w30 synthetics are so shear stable that they could replace 10w30. And you're always better off having your oil flow faster on a cold start, even in summer.

 

[Forkman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris B.:
I think I'm going to stick with M1 10w30 this winter. I live in Colorado and it will get below 0 here. I used to use 5w30 M1 but it seem that they are on the thin side it wouldn't make much difference and I'd have the better oil in my engine.

---

I run M1 10w30 year round in my fiancee's 94 Regal. Its the Series II 3800 V6 with 120K mi on it. No problems with the 10w30 in the winter. The manual (and oil cap) suggest 10w30 year round with 5w30 being acceptable in temps below 60F.

I ran M1 5w30 in the winter in in once. It only stayed in there for about 1000 miles because of the dramatic increase in engine noise with the 5w30 in that car.

I figure that if the owners manual recommends 10w30 dino year round, a 10w30 synth will certainly be better and a 5w30 synth isn't necessary.

 

[Raptor6]

I'm here in the Bay Area in California so I doubt even in the winter I'll need 5w-30 M1, I just stick with 10w-30. I've been thinking about trying it out but I doubt it would make a difference for me though. If I were in a colder climate, I would though.

 

[pscholte]

Chris B,

From a fellow Coloradan...you COULD use 10W30 since our temps are not like ND or MN, but in my vehicles it is 0W or 5W30/40 year round. I feel like I have proven these combos over time and I am happy with the balance between cold weather flow and hot weather protection.

 

[Chris B.]

Hmmm. This gives me more to think about as winter closes in!

What do you think would be a good winter oil for an LS1 and a Chevy Vortec 5.3? I have always liked Mobil 1 and I like being able to go to any store and pick it up when I need it.

 

[nhkid]

chris,

Does your 5.3 have any start up noise with the 10-30?

I am thinking about using Mobil 1 0-30 again in the winter. I have used it in this engine before without any problems.

 

[G-MAN]

I used Mobil 1 10w30 in my Chrysler last winter, and it was the coldest winter on record here. I can remember three mornings in a row that were around +7°F and my 3.5 HO V6 started just fine with no noticeable difference from a more typical mid-20s morning.

Here is the UOA of that oil.

 

[Chris B.]

I don't think it is louder with the 10w30 then when I was using the 5w30.

 

[DEWFPO]

Chris B.,

I've used M1 10W30 in all our vehicles year round since 1984. No problems. I have just recently switched to M1 0W-40 in our vehicles for the **** of it. Our temps range from 100+F to -15F. (1,400 feet above Glenwood Springs.)

DEWFPO