I debate the question while driving to work and keep flip flopping regarding which season is harder on oil : Winter or Summer ? Trying to be logical , I assume that once oil comes up to engine temp then it's self regulating and either hot or cold temps should matter less . That leaves us with start up on to final engine running temp to suggest which season is harder on oil Winter start up or Summer start up - or about the same ? Hot , humid stop and go big city Summer traffic in the South or countless days of starting your vehicle up in temps below freezing ? Lastly , does your decision influence your oil brand and grade choices for Winter or Summer ? If I thought Winter was harder on oil - then I would use a better quality oil such as M1 5W30 EP as a Winter fill and save my lower tier Quaker State 5W30 for the Summer fill ... Your thoughts / experiences with the above ?
Which Season is Harder on Oil : Winter vs. Summer ?
- Thread starter ChrisD46
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I have 95 F humid traffic jams in summer and -20F cold starts in winter. I run the oil shorter intervals in winter and use a slightly thinner oil as well.
You also have water vapour (product of combustion) condensing at the cam cover and other cold parts of the engine
in winter taxing the DP and the PCV . The Shorter the commute the worse the sump condition.
> Edit
For Summer, I see mountain or heavy towing causing very high sump temperatures and possible oil breakdown if excessive
and unabated
in winter taxing the DP and the PCV . The Shorter the commute the worse the sump condition.
> Edit
For Summer, I see mountain or heavy towing causing very high sump temperatures and possible oil breakdown if excessive
and unabated
Here in the heartland I think winter is harder on oil since I short trip and let my vehicles idle to warm up so I'm not freezing my a$$ off when I get in but that's just me. In GA the heat may be harder on oil than the cold.
In terms of oil they are equally hard and I would not use a lower quality oil in any case.
Winter is harder on the engine as it takes longer for the oil to reach op temp, but summer is hard on oil as it gets very hot,
now synthetic can withstand heat better. So pick your poison.
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Winter if you do shorter trips, so your engine oil doesn't reach operating temp each time.
Summer if you do heavy towing or racing.
Normal operation even in hot summer weather isn't hard on passenger car oil. This isn't 1953.
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Winter if you do shorter trips, so your engine oil doesn't reach operating temp each time.
Summer if you do heavy towing or racing.
Normal operation even in hot summer weather isn't hard on passenger car oil. This isn't 1953.
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Dad's Mercury Monterey (400-2V w C6) got 10W-30 in the Winter and 10W-40 in the Summer.
Quaker State DeLuxe oil was new then. That was BB (Before BITOG)
Quaker State DeLuxe oil was new then. That was BB (Before BITOG)
Easy: winter
Trick question. Depends on your location.
Alaska winter and South Florida winter aren’t the same.
Alaska winter and South Florida winter aren’t the same.
Winter is hardest where the temps consistently go below freezing.
Had a 2008 Cobalt where I changed the oil in October with PP 5W-30.
It was mainly short tripped, and had put on about 3500 miles when I changed to oil in April.
Filter was cartridge type, and totally plugged with sludge, as well as collapsed.
Oil was probably in bypass mode for the last month before I changed it.
No coolant loss during that interval, all due to cold weather , short tripping and moisture not getting burned off.
Had a 2008 Cobalt where I changed the oil in October with PP 5W-30.
It was mainly short tripped, and had put on about 3500 miles when I changed to oil in April.
Filter was cartridge type, and totally plugged with sludge, as well as collapsed.
Oil was probably in bypass mode for the last month before I changed it.
No coolant loss during that interval, all due to cold weather , short tripping and moisture not getting burned off.
Since temperature difference is a factor in condensation, couldn't winter conditions lead to an increase in water in motor oil? As others have pointed out, drive time is a big factor, and condensation is less of an issue of drive time is long enough. But if drive times are short, it seems that there could be more chance of water in the oil during the winter.
Winter, easily.
We personify cars and think if it's 105'F out and we are sweating and hating life that the car will, as well.
Its cooling system just has to work 20% harder to stay at thermostat temp compared to an ambient air temp in the mid 80s. And it gets there sooner.
We personify cars and think if it's 105'F out and we are sweating and hating life that the car will, as well.
Its cooling system just has to work 20% harder to stay at thermostat temp compared to an ambient air temp in the mid 80s. And it gets there sooner.
Winter by far specially in cold climates.
And even though where i live the winters aren't very cold ( below freezing a few nights ) i still like to do my yearly oil changes in spring.
And even though where i live the winters aren't very cold ( below freezing a few nights ) i still like to do my yearly oil changes in spring.
extreme cold and heat. not good for either man and machine. i currently live in the boreal forest very far in the north, but i have lived and worked in very hot places like baker in california. both extremes are not good but extreme cold is far worse.
The heat of oil in a turbo in summer is hard on oil.
Short trips in winter are hard on oil.
There are extremes on both ends of the temperature scale that are hard on oil, and there are oils better designed to handle an extreme compared to other oils.
Short trips in winter are hard on oil.
There are extremes on both ends of the temperature scale that are hard on oil, and there are oils better designed to handle an extreme compared to other oils.
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I just think winter is hard in a car. Period. The whole car. Start your car up in ten degrees bellow zero temperatures and drive to work. You’re going to experience some stuff, some weird stuff (sometimes). I’ve had my blower motor start squeaking. I’ve had my dash board start blinking (alternator maybe??). Windshield wipers frozen to the windshield. The suspension, I swear, feels like a bag of rocks until it too warms up a bit.
And winter is hard on oil. It doesn’t reach operating temps quick enough (or at all). There’s too many temperature fluctuations...too many cool downs, too many cold starts, too many trips where it never even reaches a point where you’ll burn off condensation. You’re getting maybe some more fuel dilution. Never mind the road SALT. All over that car...bypassing your air filter. I hate winters.
And winter is hard on oil. It doesn’t reach operating temps quick enough (or at all). There’s too many temperature fluctuations...too many cool downs, too many cold starts, too many trips where it never even reaches a point where you’ll burn off condensation. You’re getting maybe some more fuel dilution. Never mind the road SALT. All over that car...bypassing your air filter. I hate winters.
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