what is the point choosing 5W over 0W
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No difference. I love AFE in my Tacom. May go Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w20 in my wifes V.
JHZR2
Staff member
School of thought has typically been that the narrower a spread of viscosity, the less VII and other additives are used and thus the better the oil will perform over its life.
How applicable it is to any/all syn oils it is not clear. Some likely do use VIIs, some do absolutely shear down, but they arent necessarily controlled in their design the same way as conventional lubes.
GM, IIRC, was the ones that determined that the slightly lower viscosity at reasonable temperatures had the potential to provide slightly reduced fuel consumption at "cold" starts.
The consideration where balance is key is startup temperatures. If you live in a really hot area, a multigrade may provide no benefit. Look at the viscosities at 40C for a straight oil versus a multigrade. The other side of the coin is that if you make a lube such that it is workable at too low of a temperature, the intermediate viscosity at other relevant temperatures may actually be higher than one with a smaller spread. Would this be a major issue? Perhaps not, but given that we like to split hairs over viscosity ratings, etc., it is indeed a consideration!
How applicable it is to any/all syn oils it is not clear. Some likely do use VIIs, some do absolutely shear down, but they arent necessarily controlled in their design the same way as conventional lubes.
GM, IIRC, was the ones that determined that the slightly lower viscosity at reasonable temperatures had the potential to provide slightly reduced fuel consumption at "cold" starts.
The consideration where balance is key is startup temperatures. If you live in a really hot area, a multigrade may provide no benefit. Look at the viscosities at 40C for a straight oil versus a multigrade. The other side of the coin is that if you make a lube such that it is workable at too low of a temperature, the intermediate viscosity at other relevant temperatures may actually be higher than one with a smaller spread. Would this be a major issue? Perhaps not, but given that we like to split hairs over viscosity ratings, etc., it is indeed a consideration!
0-Xs are generally higher priced than 5-Xs.
If you get a deal, you get a deal.
If you get a deal, you get a deal.
lol. Probably the best answer of all mechtech.
Price, and availability. The only 0w30 available around here is Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy. If I could find Pennzoil Platinum in 0W-30, I'd be all over it.
If they are the same price then by all means go with the 0w.In general they are not, most likely the 0w is a synthetic oil while the 5w is a conventional.Some prefer a conventional over a synthetic witch would lead to the 5w over the 0w.
Originally Posted By: 08sienna
Forgive me if this is a stupid question but,
assuming the same price, why do you buy 5w30 instead of 0W-30? Is there any advantage in using 5W over 0W?
Mobil 1 5w30 over Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w30 for example?
0W-XX oils are generally superior to 5W-XX oils as they must use higher quality base oils to perform at extremely cold temp's. As a consiquence they tend to have higher viscosity indexes which also means they often are lighter on start-up at all temp's.
But since an SAE grade is a range of viscosities you must look to the actual oil spec's to determine which oil is actually better in your application.
Regarding Mobil 1 5w30 vs Mobil 1 0W-30.
There's very little difference between them in start-up viscosity until the temp's drop well below freezing.
These oils were compared in detail in the following thread:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/posts/2406955/
Forgive me if this is a stupid question but,
assuming the same price, why do you buy 5w30 instead of 0W-30? Is there any advantage in using 5W over 0W?
Mobil 1 5w30 over Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w30 for example?
0W-XX oils are generally superior to 5W-XX oils as they must use higher quality base oils to perform at extremely cold temp's. As a consiquence they tend to have higher viscosity indexes which also means they often are lighter on start-up at all temp's.
But since an SAE grade is a range of viscosities you must look to the actual oil spec's to determine which oil is actually better in your application.
Regarding Mobil 1 5w30 vs Mobil 1 0W-30.
There's very little difference between them in start-up viscosity until the temp's drop well below freezing.
These oils were compared in detail in the following thread:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/posts/2406955/
If I used synthetic then I would use 0w especially come winter, however there is no conventional 0w so I use the 5w due to it being significantly cheaper.
Simple. Most people read the manual which says 5 weight, and they are cheaper. the reason is 2 fold.
All of the OW-XXs I know of are syns.
There are plenty of 5w30 and 5W-20 conventional oils at cheap prices.
If you're willing to pony up for a syn, a 0W-XX makes sense.
If not, you're stuck with a 5w30 or 5W-20, which would likely be very good oils for most engines in most climates.
There are plenty of 5w30 and 5W-20 conventional oils at cheap prices.
If you're willing to pony up for a syn, a 0W-XX makes sense.
If not, you're stuck with a 5w30 or 5W-20, which would likely be very good oils for most engines in most climates.
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