what is the difference between 0W30 vs 5W30?

[Loris]

My Nissan specs 5W30 and am wondering if a 0W30 is safe?

I dont really know what the difference between the '0' and '5' is?

I would be comparing Pennzoil Platinum / Pennzoil Ultra 5W30 vs GC 0W30.

thanks

 

[SLCraig]

As far as I'm concerned, 0w30 should be the new 5w30. The only reason I do not use 0w30 in my cars is price. It has better cold cranking properties but should be the same at operating temp, as a 5w30. No reason to not use it in your Nissan. Infact, Nissan's (VQ family) love Castrol Syntec 0w30.

 

[Boomer]

I am running Mobil 1 0w30 in my Nissan Frontier. Runs great, especially on these cold mornings. Hasn't burned any oil in 3000 miles.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Does an oil with a huge spread,such as a 0W50 have less "base oil" in it,making it up with viscosity improvers,whereas a mono grade 50 would basically be mostly solid base oil with the antiwear and detergent adds? Or am I completely wrong?

 

[kballowe]

Originally Posted By: Loris
My Nissan specs 5W30 and am wondering if a 0W30 is safe?

I dont really know what the difference between the '0' and '5' is?

I would be comparing Pennzoil Platinum / Pennzoil Ultra 5W30 vs GC 0W30.

thanks


Yes, you are safe using 0w30 instead of 5w30. In fact, you are better off with the 0W-30.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Loris
My Nissan specs 5W30 and am wondering if a 0W30 is safe?

There's nothing about the viscosity grade itself that would make it unsuitable for your Nissan. The oil could be suitable or unsuitable for other reasons.


Originally Posted By: Loris
I dont really know what the difference between the '0' and '5' is?

A 0w-xx can get colder than a 5w-xx before it's too thick for the engine to pump it.

In which part of Ontario do you live?


Originally Posted By: Loris
I would be comparing Pennzoil Platinum / Pennzoil Ultra 5W30 vs GC 0W30.

Slightly but significantly different oils.

GC is made for European cars that have parts that run hot. It's actually thicker than Pennzoil Platinum or Pennzoil Ultra 5w30 at most temperatures (besides EXTREME cold). PP and Pennzoil Ultra 5w30 are for cars that don't need that extra viscosity; they are designed to save fuel instead.

Also, GC has higher levels of certain additives that may reduce wear and promote longer oil change intervals for some engines. PP and Pennzoil Ultra 5w30 do without those in order to prolong the life your catalytic converter(s). Your car may or may not benefit from those extra additives.

 

[Fallguy]

In theory neither of the oils ever get any thinner than a 30 grade oil at operational temperatures so the difference is on there ability to fight thickening as temperatures go down below engine operational temperatures.

As soon as you turn your car off the oil starts to thicken greater than a 30 grade in either oil (they never really pull 0 grade or 5 grade weights at operational temps).

The 0w30 is statistically a better oil as all oils are thicker than they need to be at cold start up 0w just thickens less than 5w which is a good thing.

The problem is it can be accomplished two ways, with a good base stock synthetic or by a less quality base stock and a lot of viscosity improvers. Ones using lots of viscosity improvers wear out faster.

Read the home page (motor oil 101) and start clicking on next as it is all explained fare better than most of us could and will be most helpful.

Motor Oil 101 - Chapter One

 

[chubbs1]

I have a Nissan and am running Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w30 and running smooth. IMO it is a must (for most late model passenger cars) in winter for most states and 5w or 10w could be used in summer. Really as long as you use a quality oil it doesn't matter that much whether 5w or 0w but I am liking 0W30. Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy is $23.50 at Walmart. As Fallguy said read the 1st chapter in Motor Oil 101 and you may be a convert to 0w oil.

 

[Loris]

i am in SW Ontario - Waterloo.


I'm looking for an oil to protect the turbo first and foremost.

 

[Papa Bear]

If I had a new Nissan and was thinking about using a grade of oil that wasn't specified in the owners manual, I would log on to nissan.ca and ask about warranty concerns etc.

If you have a problem and oil type/viscosity becomes an issue in whether you receive warranty or not, our opinions on BITOG won't mean a hill of beans to the Claims Dept.....

 

[mechtech2]

Let me take a step backwards...

Multi viscosity engine oils are rated for 0 deg F, and 212 deg F.
So a '0' first number is thinner than a '5' first number.
And like mentioned, at operating temperature [which turns out to be around 200 F or so] either 30 is very similar.

The '0' is always a better choice.
Why? Because of cold flow. When cold, even a '0' is much thicker than when hot. There is an expression around here that "No oil is too thin at start up.". I believe this to be very true.

But in real world situations, there is not a great deal of difference . At extreme conditions of 10 deg F and below, the '0' will have a edge.

 

[kcfx4]

in all this, what i have never understood is why lets say a 5w20 pours way slower/thicker in the cold than in the summer?

 

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2

Multi viscosity engine oils are rated for 0 deg F, and 212 deg F.


I disagree with the 0 deg F thing, per SAE J300 the classification of cold properties are by cranking and pumping criteria for 10w, 5w, 0w and are undertaken at progressivley lower temperatures well below 0F

http://widman.biz/English/Tables/J300.html

 

[CATERHAM]

Loris, GC is a heavy 30wt oil. It's extreme cold performance won't come into play in our climate, our winters don't get gold enough.
Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 will be lighter at all temperatures you will encounter.

I understand you're running Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 now, I suggest you stick with it.

 

[MolaKule]

Quote:
Does an oil with a huge spread,such as a 0W50 have less "base oil" in it,making it up with viscosity improvers,whereas a mono grade 50 would basically be mostly solid base oil with the antiwear and detergent adds? Or am I completely wrong?


No. The amount of base oil is the same.

The spread is accomplished in synthetics by using two or more different viscosities of base oils and some VII.

I.E., I could use a large percentage of 3.5 cSt PAO or GroupIII, a small percentage of 8 cSt oil, and a very small percentage of 40 or 100 cSt oil. The final viscosity could then be adjusted with a small amount of VII.

The differences between a synthetic 0W30 and a 5W30 is mainly in the percentages of each base oil viscosity used.

All additive percentages can stay the same.

Mola