Viscosity in Other Countries

[buster]

If you go to ExxonMobil in NZ or AU, basically you can run any viscosity in any engine. For instance, for most Honda's, you could run a 5w30, 5w-50, 10w30 or 10w-40 and even a 20w-50. These were recommendations from the ExxonMobil Lube finder. So I guess what I'm saying is, other then NA, run what ever you want because they obviously do in other parts of the world. These Honda engines BTW, were as small as 1.8 and 2.0L.

*Could their be a difference in the type of oil pumps being used on our cars vs others?

 

[buster]

Here is the Castrol Link. For the 2004 2.4L Vtec, which is what I have, they recommend a 10w-40 or Castrol R 5w30 which meets ACEA A3. For the Accord V6, they call for a 15w40.

http://www.datateck.com.au/lube/castr_au/default.asp?Section=1&Make=22

 

[427Z06]

buster, your memory can't be that short. NA viscosities vs. the rest of the world come up more times than you've eaten turkey sandwiches.

 

[buster]

I know, but more specifically, the same oil companies here in the U.S. (XOM, Castrol, Shell etc.) all have recommended oils and most if not all call at least for a 40wt oil for each engine. I also wanted to post the link.

 

[Shannow]

buster,
something that I've observed is that more recommendations include xW-30s than before.

Everything still starts off as Mobil 1 5W-50 'though.

 

[JohnBrowning]

buster, This has been one of the points I have tried makeing for a couple of years now!

You can lead a horse to water but you can not make it drink!

 

[sprintman]

As most here know I've run conventional 10w30 to 25W70 and everything in between (dino & syn) in my Mazda turbo. Currently 5W40/50 mix. Except for more noise with lower viscosity oils there seemed to be no discernible difference.

 

[srivett]

When I was getting my oil changed in Mexico City the service guy refused to sell me 10w30. He wanted me to use 20w50 in an E-150 but we settled for a red coloured Esso 10w40. He may have just been trying to sell me a more expensive oil because I was a relatively rich traveller, I dunno. The guy wouldn't even do a grease job either but he was literally doing oil changes on the sidewalk. It's not like he had a pit.

Steve

 

[buster]

I guess what I'm getting at is, why don't they just say "run whatever viscosity you want" bc if you look or use that Lube Reference tool that XOM/Shell have on their site, they bascially list every viscosity. They list 10w30's up to 20w-50's so to them, it's almost as if any oil can be used, as long as ambient temps are above 0F.

 

[bulwnkl]

I have often wondered why this is also. I wonder sometimes if it is involved with what people in various places are used to. I mean, we all here in America used to assume our recommendations were based strictly on fuel economy and often at the expense of durability. However, used oil analysis on this board seem to show a general lack of correlation between between viscosity or grade and wear. Then, of course, there's always the question of whether used oil analysis really tell us what most of us assume they do.

I happen to think that recommendations here are driven at least to a moderate degree by fuel (CAFE), but I also think recommendations in all countries are based on what people there are "used to."

 

[Mickey_M]

quote:

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bulwnkl:
I have often wondered why this is also. I wonder sometimes if it is involved with what people in various places are used to. I mean, we all here in America used to assume our recommendations were based strictly on fuel economy and often at the expense of durability. However, used oil analysis on this board seem to show a general lack of correlation between between viscosity or grade and wear. .....

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The original Mobil 1 was 5W-20. Mobil 1, viscosity for viscosity, runs on the less viscous side of the rating.

Why?

Because about all you get in most use in most engines going to a higher weight oil is a drop in gas mileage.

That's based on years of studies on thousands of vehicles.

I have never been able to understand, for example, the Europeans fascination with SAE 40 motor oils.


.

 

[Silk]

Here in New Zealand it's just 10/30 and 15w40,always has been,at least for as long as I can remember,and I've been in this trade since 1970.We use 10/30 on newer,say late 90s and 15w40 on the older cars.We used to use 20/50 on the real oil burners,but we are getting less of those now and I don't even stock it...we even used to use 40/70 in gross oil burners,but not for the last 5 years as those older vehicles drop out of the countries fleet.Our synthetics are 5/50 and it's hard to get other grades,they have to be asked for specificaly.I've never seen engine failure or reduced life from oil related problems.

 

[Gary Allan]

quote:

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I have never been able to understand, for example, the Europeans fascination with SAE 40 motor oils.

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Europeans don't use it as a fuel conservation method ..they use it for an extended drain facilitator. They don't have a mass motoring fleet like we do. They also don't throw away their cars nearly as often as we do ..and their cars probably represent a higher amount of the per capita income.

 

[1sttruck]

Even the Ford service bulletin on using 20 weight states it's beeing recommended for fuel economy reasons, that some vehicles should not use it, and that otherwise 30 weight oils are recommended. Diesels, motorcycles, aircraft, boats, etc., all over the world, and passenger vehicles outside of the US use heavier oils. Wear tests show that heavier oils do provide better proection, and while 20 weight may be good enough on newer engines driven at moderate speeds, or at high speeds where engine life is of no concern, it doen't mean that it's good everywhere else.

When I was in Europe cruising on a 750cc BMW motorcycle at 120 mph I had to scoot over for the fast cars that would come up, sit on my rear and flash their lights.

 

[Mickey_M]

quote:

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Gary Allan:

quote:

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Europeans don't use it as a fuel conservation method ..they use it for an extended drain facilitator. They don't have a mass motoring fleet like we do. They also don't throw away their cars nearly as often as we do ..and their cars probably represent a higher amount of the per capita income.

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As I noted, SAE 40 doesn't extend drain or prevent wear in real world field and track testing. It's a fiction when we're talking about a properly formulated synthetic.

Exceptions include certain diesel applications, trailer towing, high heat, and a handful of extreme applications.

 

[buster]

quote:

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As I noted, SAE 40 doesn't extend drain or prevent wear in real world field and track testing. It's a fiction when we're talking about a properly formulated synthetic.

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Correct and the original Mobil 1 that was good for 25,000 miles was a 5w-20. The current Mobil 1 meets the ACEA A1/A5/B1/B5 specs which are all long drain specs. So viscosity isn't really a factor in whether an oil is a "long drain" oil or not.

 

[427Z06]

Most engines can tolerate a difference between 350 cSt and 1700 cSt @40C, why wouldn't they be capable of tolerating a difference of 8.5 cSt and 12.5 cSt @100C? The only engines we see fail due to oil are those that sludge up and loose oil pressure/flow. Everything else is just optimization.

 

[dustyjoe1]

quote:

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Europeans don't use it as a fuel conservation method

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With engine compressions running 11, 12, and maybe even more in some cases, I immagine going up a little on oil viscosity won't make much of a noticible difference....

quote:

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Correct and the original Mobil 1 that was good for 25,000 miles was a 5w-20. The current Mobil 1 meets the ACEA A1/A5/B1/B5 specs which are all long drain specs. So viscosity isn't really a factor in whether an oil is a "long drain" oil or not.

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anyone have a case of the original Mobil 1 5w20 I can use in my civic. the current stuff is only good for 10k at best

 

[1sttruck]

Ford specifically states that some of the gas engined vehicles should not use 5w-20, and if a vehicle isn't listed as being approved then they should use the oil recommended in the manual. Some Taurus SHO owners have noticed that they shouldn't use 5W-20. This is interesting as no doubt Ford would like to use 5W-20 in everything, and as others have already mentioned outside of the US an identical vehicle will typically be recommended to use a heavier oil. I don't recall GM recommending that most of their vehicles are approved to use 5W-20 like Ford has.

If Ford doesn't recommend using 5W-20 in vehicles outside of the US why would anyone wonder why Europe or the rest of the world make the switch, especially when Ford has already acknowledged that 5W-20 is not a suitable replacement for 5w30 across the board ?