Up to my neck in oil!

[Volksman66]

I bet that topic made you click here! My question is, what is the difference between 10w-40, 10w-30 and so on oil? I still have not got a clear picture of what should be used and when plus why! Thanks

Pete

[orangebug60guy]

10w-40 is very thick and should be used in the summer when its already hot. and it is mainly for mowers, but you could use it for cars. 10w-30 is what mainly all cars use because its not to think or thin. !0w-30 is good in the winter becuase of this. 10w-40 would take longer for your car to heat up. 5w-30 is really thin and is used when its cold al lyear round. thats basicly it.
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[Glenn]

In the simplist terms... the 1st number is the viscosity when cold. The 2nd number is the viscosity when hot.

You can't make a general statement that 5W-30 is only for cold climate and 10W-40 is for warm. Each engine has different requirements.

My wife's 2003 Accord uses a 5W-20 all year long. The dealer very specifically said not to use a 10W-30 since the cams don't have bearings and actually spin in the aluminum saddles of the head. In fact the Honda hybrid engine uses a 0W-20... and i'm not talking synthetic.

A number of conditions will determine what weight oil to use.
Climate... a warm climate will require a thicker oil
Driving condition.. short trips will require a thinner oil than long trips
Engine condition... an engine with more wear can use a thicker oil
Then there's the organic vs. synthetic argument.

I'd use a 10W-30 in the winter, a 10W-40 in the summer and a 15W-40 on a older engine.
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[79SuperVert]

Hey, Volksman, want something to do for the rest of the night? Do a search here for "oil" and see how many threads and posts come up!! Everybody's got their own thoughts on the subject.

[jhicken]

FWIW, I've used straight 30wt Castrol in my '79 for the last 20 years. It currently has 220,000 miles on the clock with only one rebuild at 195,000 [still ran strong only the compression was starting to dip ]. It's run equally well in 100+degree Southern California weather as it does now in 20 degree New Jersey winters. Be religious about changing your oil every 2500 miles and these motors will run for ever.

jeffrey

[gstone]

Everyone has an opinion about oil, but I agree with jhicken. I have always used straight 30 in my air cooled VWs. This was recomended by an old VW mechanic. My wife's Cabriolet uses 15w-40 and her Saturn uses 5w-30 and my truck uses 10w30, so I need to have several different oils on hand.