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Your engine was built to use a motor oil of a specific viscosity. Today, 5W-30 is the most widely recommended oil viscosity. The “5W” rating refers to the oil’s viscosity when it’s cold [40ºC (104ºF)]. The “30” rating refers to the oil’s viscosity when it’s hot [100ºC (212ºF)].
How do you know what viscosity oil to use in a vehicle?
The number to the right of the dash is the viscosity rating at engine operating temperature. The higher the number, the thicker the oil. The lower the number, the thinner the oil.
What happens if you use a higher viscosity oil?
Using oil that is thicker than recommended may lead to a decrease in fuel economy, a higher load on your engine, and even a shorter life for your engine. Conversely, using thinner, lighter-weight oil than recommended can cause excessive wear and shorter life.
What oil is best for my car?
Mobil 1 Extended Performance : Best Advanced Synthetic Motor Oil. AmazonBasics Full Synthetic High Mileage Motor Oil : Best Budget Synthetic Motor Oil. Castrol GTX : Best Conventional Motor Oil. Shell Rotella T6 Diesel Engine Oil : Best Diesel Motor Oil. Quaker State Synthetic Blend : Best “Get-it-Home” Motor Oil.
Which oil is thicker 5w30 or 10W30?
10w30 is thicker than 5w30 because it has a higher viscosity in low temperatures. The engine oil will flow slower than 5w30 during the cold season. Thicker or higher viscosity metal oil has a better seal compared to low viscosity oil. Thicker oil offers better lubrication of motor and engine parts.
Is 10W30 thicker than 10W40?
10W40 oil has a higher viscosity, retaining more thickness than 10W30 as the temperature rises. In that case, 10W-40 motor oil would technically provide better protection against engine wear contact in higher temperatures.
What happens if I put 10w40 instead of 5w30?
If you use 10-w-40 instead of 5-w-30 specified by the manufacturer then the viscosity of 10-w-40 used by you will be higher and oil thicker than what is specified during winters. Similarly the oil viscosity will be higher and oil thicker than specified during summers.
When should I use 20w50 oil?
What Is 20W-50 Oil Used For? 20W-50 is a common motor oil used in moderate-to-large diesel and gasoline engines, high-performance motorcycle bikes, and aviation vehicles. Its resistance to thinning at high heat also makes it popular as a racing oil and high temperature driving.
What happens if I put 5w40 instead of 5w30?
In practice, this means that each oil is just as viscous at lower temperatures and will remain viscous at -30°C, however 5w40 oil outperforms 5w30 oils at higher temperatures, being effective up to ambient temperatures of 50°C, as opposed to 30°C.
Should I use high mileage oil?
Who needs high mileage oil? Cars with more than 75,000 on their odometer can usually benefit from high mileage oil. Older vehicles with fewer miles can benefit too, as engine seals can erode over time regardless of mileage. Degraded seals mean leaking oil, and leaking oil means your engine isn’t working at its best.
Can I put synthetic oil in my car after using regular oil?
yes. If you don’t have a choice, adding synthetic oil to regular oil can help you out in a pinch. Since motor oils are generally made from the same ingredients (base oil and additives), they are typically compatible when mixed.
Why do cars use different oil?
Engine oil differences Polymers are used in multi-grade oils to ensure the oil has proper viscosity or thickness so that it can adapt to temperature extremes. Thin oils have lower viscosity and are designed for driving in cold temperatures, while thicker oils have a higher viscosity.
Can you put 10w40 in a 5w30 engine?
Your vehicle does not use 5W-30 oil. The recommended oil viscosity for your vehicle, according to Kia documentation, is 10W-40. If you drive the vehicle in exceptionally cold weather, well below 32 degrees, you can use 5W-30 oil but even 10W-40 is still perfectly OK to use if outdoor temperatures are below freezing.
Is it OK to mix 10W30 and 5w30?
No- you wont get the desired output by mixing these two oils. Because , both have different grades, 5w30 is more light and the density is less , and is intended for light usage (scooters). Whereas a 10w30 is a higer grade with more density and suitable for more higher capacity engines.
Can I put 5W 20 oil instead of 5w30?
Mixing 5W-20 and 5W-30 (or any other oils for that matter) may lead to faster wear and tear of your engine and eventually cause problems with the basic functioning of critical engine parts. And even if your engine allows it, you won’t get any noticeable results by mixing different viscosity grade oils.
What is 10W-40 oil for?
The 10W-40 engine oil has a thicker viscosity than, say, 10W-30 oil when the car engine is hot. This helps it lubricate older moving parts in high mileage engines while being less likely to leak.
Is it OK to use 10W40 instead of 10W30?
Similarly, SAE 10W-40 motor oil performs well in cold weather conditions. It has the same low-temperature limits as the 10W-30 but is better in higher temperatures. Either 10W30 or 10W40 for summer use is fine; however, 10W-40 motor oil will better protect your engine.
Can I use 20w50 instead of 10W40?
Using an oil of a higher viscosity as you mention, 20W-50 instead of 10W-40 can actually cause a higher rate of fuel consumption due to the fact that there is a greater resistance to flow. This greater resistance to flow can also increase engine operating temperature.
Is 10w40 good for high mileage?
Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W-40 motor oil is recommended by ExxonMobil for use in high mileage vehicles (even those that have used lower quality conventional oils†), including: Cars.
Is 5W30 good for high mileage?
5W-30 motor oil is the top viscosity recommendation by automakers over the past four decades for use in many vehicle types. Furthermore, high-mileage 5W-30 motor oil is specially formulated for late model vehicles or newer vehicles with over 75,000 miles/120,000 kilometers.
Which is better 10w30 or 5w40?
If your car’s recommendations say to use 10w-30 that means you should not use 5w-40 because it acts in a different way whether at cold or at operating temperature. The first numbers 10W and 5W are referring to viscosity at cold so that the lower the number is the thinner the oil is at cold and vice versa.
