Using 0W40 Instead Of Recommended 5W20/5W30

Status
Not open for further replies.
Slower oil flow through the bearings, increased temperature delta through the bearings, and more stress on the oil pump. These effects would be small though. I wouldn't expect any long term negative effects, but I also wouldn't expect any benefits either. If I had 0w-40 laying around and needed to top off, I would do it without worry.
 
I think spec'd for 5W20 is different than spec'd for 5W30. The later I wouldn't hesitate.

It's just friction. A slight loss of power. My understanding is 0W, i.e. Zero Winter oil starts life with better base stocks than a 5 or 10 weight oil. But
I think these are such small things in the scheme of things. If however, you are running the equipment hard in hot weather, perhaps there is some additional overhead in terms of wear protection. Why are you considering it?
 
Switched our Cruze turbo to that once it had 100k on the clock …
can't tell any difference really, and had a few jugs of 0w40 I was running in a pickup I traded.
 
4qts PP 5W20 & 2qts PP Euro 0W40 in my 2018 RAM 1500 3.6. Poor mans 5W30. When all used up PP 5W30 will go in it. Straight 0W40 shouldn't hurt it in my opinion where you live.
 
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
What are the biggest disadvantages (If any) of using a 0W40 oil in an engine that is spec'd 5W20/5W30 oil?


You will lose 1/10 of 1 mpg in fuel economy. Your oil will reach critical areas of the engine in fractions of a second longer. You will be overcome with guilt when you remove the oil filler cap that says 5w20 ...

Realistically speaking, NONE. A couple of Hondas I owned seemed to run excellent on M1 0w40. Less oil consumption, noticeably quieter at operating temps. A Honda V6 spec'ing 5w20 had almost 200 k miles when I sold it. Engine ran like new ...
 
You might lose a mile of driving distance/50 gallons of gas. LOL Other than that I see no downside.
 
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
What are the biggest disadvantages (If any) of using a 0W40 oil in an engine that is spec'd 5W20/5W30 oil?

No disadvantages, if the engine in-question is inside your Signature.
0W40 is a good choice. I've switched to it for my five cylinder 3.5 Chevy Colorado, built to use 5w30. Consumption is way down and engine is quieter.
 
Last edited:
Note that many engines will have it in the "allowable" range from the OEM. My 2.0T is normally spec'd at 5W-30 but has 5W-40 oil listed as an option in the manual. I run 0W-40 to good effect (and my engine is a fuel diluter). When my original engine died at 76K miles (known rod knock issue due to suspected poor oil pump design), she never used oil and my UOA were good (except for the fuel dilution issue mentioned previously).

So check your manual and see what the OEM says to help you make your decision.
 
Decreased engine power due to drag from thicker oil.. Though, sometimes it wakes things up.
21.gif
 
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
What are the biggest disadvantages (If any) of using a 0W40 oil in an engine that is spec'd 5W20/5W30 oil?


Engine noise or knock on cold starts from too thin oil. Won't know until you try it.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
What are the biggest disadvantages (If any) of using a 0W40 oil in an engine that is spec'd 5W20/5W30 oil?


Engine noise or knock on cold starts from too thin oil. Won't know until you try it.


Too thin? 0W is thicker than 30..
 
It depends on the temperature. Any oil at low temperatures is thicker than any oil at operating temperature. When will people ever learn what the winter rating means? A 0W anything is massively thick at 0F compared to any oil at 150F.

Furthermore, depending on the temperature a 0W-XX oil can be thicker than the corresponding 5W-XX oil until it reaches very low temperatures. People on here really need to learn what the winter rating means and what temperatures the ratings are determined, and stop posting nonsense responses.

A 0W oil is not automatically thinner than another rated oil and all are massively thick at low temperatures.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by Olas
Too thin? 0W is thicker than 30..
What's in the water these days up in Manchester?

He's absolutely correct. It's about temperature.
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by Olas
Too thin? 0W is thicker than 30..
What's in the water these days up in Manchester?

He's absolutely correct.


Then everything I ever thought I knew about oil weights has been wrong.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top