Mobil 1 synthetic 0W-40 for winter is too thin for my car?

[talontsiboy24]

I have a 97 auto gsx with 129k miles on stock internals with moderate mods and i just switched to Mobil 1 syn 0w-40 since its winter out here in chicago and temps can range now from low 20s to negative 20...

im not gonna be doin any racing until spring/summer time comes since i know that 0w-40 aint gonna be protecting to well when goin up to 7k rpms so for now with this oil the highest ill go 4000rpms should the be ok?

but come spring.summer ill switch back to 15w-50 since thats what always been used in the car...

i switched because i get alot of knock on a super cold starts and i know thats real bad for the motor now that i switched to 0w-40 i get no knock but the bad about it is my small oil leaks started to show i guess that thick oil was hiding them but at least now i know what i need to replace.

 

[asexton6969]

Im a stupid mechanic i just play by the rules. It took a team of scientist/engineers to make the 4g63. They had there reason for running 10-30, because of the oil clearance, oil pump pressure, how it flows through the galleys. So my thought process on this is pretty simple.

My thoughts exactly! I run 10w30 in the warmer months and 5w-30 in the colder months like suggested by mitsubishi.

 

[talontsiboy24]

You used 15w-50 (Heavy as hell) to Ow (light as balls), Can I ask why? I live in Wisconsin, it gets even colder here and I use 5w-30 and I never have problems, just pick up a synthetic 5w-30 or 10w-30, you'll be covered for pretty much all seasons then.

I don't see why you'd wanna go from super super heavy to super light, that doesn't make sense to me.

already told u guys why fp recommends to use 40 or 50 with the fp green turbo plus when running more boost then stock u def need 40 at least to be safe....thats why i didnt go with 5-30 or 10-30 because 0w-40 still has the 40 in it that i need and the 0w starts my car up right away in winter time...mobil doesnt carry 5w-40. my car has been on synthetic for years.

 

[asexton6969]

Agree to disagree, we all have our own personal opinions and we are all gonna use what we feel comfortable with. Its just like oil filters, every car owner swears the oil filter they use is the best.

 

[Beemer92]

I'm currently running 10w30 house brand auto zone in my talon. Need an oil change, and I seriously considering 5w30 part sythetic or full. Any ideas from any fellow midwest people. I'm in Peoria, IL in case you needed to know. Thanks.

 

[thecman02]

Wow... there is so much misinformation here it is scary. You people running 15-40/50 20/50 oil in temperatures under 30 degrees Fahrenheit scare me. Even if your car needs heavy weight oil ie 40/50. The oil is going to be way way way to thick at cold start up. Tremendous high oil pressures at start up and slow flow not keeping your engine protected.

The 0w-40 is a great oil. 420a-t has some good info.

"Well i recently have had to drive my 2g because my 1gs slave blew on me and i ran 15w-40 in my last oil change. My oil pressure is higher than it was with 10w-30.. Like kinda scary high where I won't go high in revs.. It is sticking around 60 psi on start ups and stays there for a while.. Cruizing at 70 on the freeway when my coolant is warm but my oil is still kinda cold it is like 70!! I know the holset doesn't recommend anything over 72psi... No boost for me in the winter .. "

John you should really bite the bullet and put 5w-30 in your car. The 30 will lower your oil pressure to an acceptable pressure.

0w- XX weights were usually rare and expensive but due to engineering advances they are becoming more affordable and are recommended in cold. The XX should still usually be whatever keeps your engine at correct oil pressures.

 

[asexton6969]

I'm currently running 10w30 house brand auto zone in my talon. Need an oil change, and I seriously considering 5w30 part sythetic or full. Any ideas from any fellow midwest people. I'm in Peoria, IL in case you needed to know. Thanks.

Like I said earlier I run 10w-30 in the summer months and for winter months I run 5w-30. Personally in my GST I run valvoline dura-blend. (its a part synthetic). In my fiancee's 98 GSX I run Mobil One (full synthetic)

Friends usually use the same or even Valvoline Syn-Power (full synthetic)

 

[DSM1G90]

Vavoline's good stuff .. won't complain about that brand...

why fp recommends to use 40 or 50 with the fp green turbo

This is the whole thing here with this thread: someone has recommended the OP to use this weight of oil for the usage of the turbo - and does this someone know anything about the 4G63motor by itself???

I don't see a balance here now do we?

There are some filters that have valves in them that prevents back flow so the filter isn't being drained while the motor is a rest.

There is a oil mod kit (do a search on this) that will hold the oil pressure in the block while the motor is at rest

DSM

 

[1gDSM4g63]

DSM1G90 you really need to work on your grammatical skills.

 

[untouchablecc]

I agree with you, they may recommend that weight of oil 0 40 or what ever the turbo calls for but there not basing that information on whats best for the engine there basing it on whats good for that turbo in a RACE application being that its not a stock turbo and was made for a race application. Being that its in a race application there worried about how hot its going to get not how thick it is when you start up on a 10 degree day because no one races on a 10 degree day. If your driving this on the street everyday and your worried about the thickness of your oil on start up then run a normal oil range 5 30 or something like that. If your more worried about your turbo then run what ever Porche oil viscosity you want because 0 40 was designed for that application.

 

[talontsiboy24]

it was -5 today and my car started up...if i had that 15w-50 and it was negatives nope. so im gonna stick with this till winter is over i only notice one of my valve cover screws has a lil oil around it but im taking care of that tomorrow...

at least now i know where my oil leaks are and like i said i still have that 40 for protection and it even says Mobil 1 0W-40 is recommended for all types of modern vehicles, especially high-performance turbo-charged engines found in passenger cars, SUVs, light vans and trucks.

Mobil 0w-40 provides the extreme cold start protection of an 0W grade and the high temperature protection of an SAE 40 grade.

 

[TSIfreek]

I wouldnt worry about it the 0 -40 will be fine and keep your motor happy. M1 oils are very well known to flow very well in the temps we see. M1 is my favorite brand of oil in cold climates. No its not to thin its just right. Your worse off having a to thick of oil.

 

[spyder420]

its zero degrees out i use mobil 1 synthetic 5 30 in winter its easy on the engine ive used it forever 10 30 summer

 

[diggerzmound]

Hmm, mechanics and people that really know what they are talking about visited this thread and never mentioned the viscosity labeling methods. What does the 0 in 0w-40 stand for, and what does the 40 in 0w-40 stand for, and why would they make a 0w-40 if it was so horrible for your engines....

After we find out what the 40 stands for we could then ask ourselves, what is the difference between the recommended 10w-30 and the aforementioned 0w-40 AT operating temperature?

Why is it you are worried about high RPM's and driving differently?

Here is a little cheat URL--- Motor Oil Viscosity Grades Explained in Layman's Terms

 

[donniekak]

0w-40 is thicker than 10w-30 at operating temp. The first number is how the oil behaves at low tempature. So when it's freezing out 0w-40 flows like a 0 weight oil at freezing temps, but doesn't thin out to what a 0 weight does at operating temps, it has the properties of a 40 weight oil at operating temps. 10w-30 flows like a 10 weight oil at low temps, (picture cold honey), but thins out to act as a 30 weight at operating temp. The problem is that oils with a wide spread between weights use more viscosity modifiers to achieve the wide spread. These break down over time. So, your 0-40 ends up as 0-30 after it breaks down. For all of the misinformed on here i suggest joining bobistheoilguy. There is a wealth of info on there as to how engine oils work.

 

[talontsiboy24]

0w-40 is thicker than 10w-30 at operating temp. The first number is how the oil behaves at low tempature. So when it's freezing out 0w-40 flows like a 0 weight oil at freezing temps, but doesn't thin out to what a 0 weight does at operating temps, it has the properties of a 40 weight oil at operating temps. 10w-30 flows like a 10 weight oil at low temps, (picture cold honey), but thins out to act as a 30 weight at operating temp. The problem is that oils with a wide spread between weights use more viscosity modifiers to achieve the wide spread. These break down over time. So, your 0-40 ends up as 0-30 after it breaks down. For all of the misinformed on here i suggest joining bobistheoilguy. There is a wealth of info on there as to how engine oils work.

I like what you just said. sounds more understanding to me now thanks.

 

[420a-t]

Isn't it amazing that when you put a link in a post and people can skip over it, and keep asking questions when all the answers are in the link?

30-weight, 40-weight, 50-weight, will all work. The 30-weight oil will be better in cold weather, and the more you keep working you motor really hard (road racing, auto-x, etc) you could go thicker if you feel your motor needs extra protection and your oil is thinning out too much.

Or, you could get one of these and they will tell you what exactly is in your oil (example: rod bearing is starting to go, oil got too thin, when you should change your oil sooner or later, etc.):


AMSOIL - Oil Analysis Kits

And if you're now having oil leaks with a thinner oil, fix the oil leaks.

-Josh

 

[diggerzmound]

0w-40 is thicker than 10w-30 at operating temp. The first number is how the oil behaves at low tempature. So when it's freezing out 0w-40 flows like a 0 weight oil at freezing temps, but doesn't thin out to what a 0 weight does at operating temps, it has the properties of a 40 weight oil at operating temps. 10w-30 flows like a 10 weight oil at low temps, (picture cold honey), but thins out to act as a 30 weight at operating temp. The problem is that oils with a wide spread between weights use more viscosity modifiers to achieve the wide spread. These break down over time. So, your 0-40 ends up as 0-30 after it breaks down. For all of the misinformed on here i suggest joining bobistheoilguy. There is a wealth of info on there as to how engine oils work.

Awesome!!!! Finally some FACTS!!!!!

Multi-weight oils were made for harsh weather conditions, that is what we should use them for..

 

[420a-t]

0w-40 is thicker than 10w-30 at operating temp. The first number is how the oil behaves at low tempature. So when it's freezing out 0w-40 flows like a 0 weight oil at freezing temps, but doesn't thin out to what a 0 weight does at operating temps, it has the properties of a 40 weight oil at operating temps. 10w-30 flows like a 10 weight oil at low temps, (picture cold honey), but thins out to act as a 30 weight at operating temp. The problem is that oils with a wide spread between weights use more viscosity modifiers to achieve the wide spread. These break down over time. So, your 0-40 ends up as 0-30 after it breaks down. For all of the misinformed on here i suggest joining bobistheoilguy. There is a wealth of info on there as to how engine oils work.

All synthetic oils use viscosity modifiers, and isn't it true that they don't break down really at all? I know your statement is correct on non-synthetic oil, that they break down a ton faster with the more difference in the numbers, but I've never seen that in synthetics....

but I could be wrong on this, which is why this is not a statement for anyone looking at this for useful info.

 

[diggerzmound]

I think the key point here is that you do not have to worry about the oil being too thin for the engine. Even switching to a 5w-30 in the winter is a good idea, unless you enjoy hearing the stressful moans and groans as the engine starts in sub zero temperatures.

Synthetics may not wear out as fast as conventional oils but they are still being stressed by the same heat cycles and polluted by the same deposits as the conventional oil was in your engine.

 

[donniekak]

Bob Is The Oil Guy - Forums powered by UBB.threads™

 

[talontsiboy24]

Synthetic oil to me stays cleaner then with regular oil would look at 3k miles but i still always changed mine before 3k when i was running 15w-50 syn because it gets dirty as hell even though its synthetic i read that thicker oil needs to be changed more often... so will see how the 0w-40 looks when i get near 3k.

Fully Synthetic
0W-30
0W-40
5W-40
Characteristics:
Fuel economy savings
Enhances engine performance and power
Ensures engine is protected from wear and deposit build-up
Ensures good cold starting and quick circulation in freezing temperatures
Gets to moving parts of the engine quickly

 

[thecman02]

All synthetic oils use viscosity modifiers, and isn't it true that they don't break down really at all? I know your statement is correct on non-synthetic oil, that they break down a ton faster with the more difference in the numbers, but I've never seen that in synthetics....

but I could be wrong on this, which is why this is not a statement for anyone looking at this for useful info.

From the UOA's I've seen the good synthetics keep their viscosity ratings very well. Usually the oil gets filled with insoluble contamination or the TBN gets to low.

Welcome Is a great place to get educated on oil and some of the magic/engineering that go into the oils.

Synthetic oil to me stays cleaner then with regular oil would look at 3k miles but i still always changed mine before 3k when i was running 15w-50 syn because it gets dirty as hell even though its synthetic i read that thicker oil needs to be changed more often... so will see how the 0w-40 looks when i get near 3k.

Fully Synthetic
0W-30
0W-40
5W-40
Characteristics:
Fuel economy savings
Enhances engine performance and power
Ensures engine is protected from wear and deposit build-up
Ensures good cold starting and quick circulation in freezing temperatures
Gets to moving parts of the engine quickly

If you got the cash you should get a UOA when it gets near 3k. I think I'll be going around 5k between oil services with the 0w-40 in the Galant.

 

[knochgoon24]

Last winter, I finally got an oil pressure gauge installed in my car. At this point, I had done a BSE, but hadn't ported the OFH. When cold start ups would max the gauge (120psi) with 10w-30 when it was below freezing. So I switched to a 0w-30. It dropped that high oil pressure down to something a bit more manageable (90psi cold), while the warm operating pressure was practically the same. Porting the OFH helped drop hot and cold oil pressure lower, but switching the cold weight on the oil helped drop the cold down where it needed to be.

I eventually tried running a 0w-20 in the dead of winter last year. It worked better with the unported OFH when cold (about 85psi), but thinned out too much and my oil pressure was too low at idle. Especially once the oil started getting some wear.

There's some real world numbers...

Like said before, the first numbers is how it acts when cold. (10w-xx acts like SAE 10 when cold), and the second numbers are how it acts when hot (xxw-30 acts like SAE 30 when hot).

I suggest reading this Motor Oil Viscosity Grades Explained in Layman's Terms
It's been posted several times already.

Personally I run:
Full Synthetic 10w-30 once temperatures are above freezing in the morning (April to November)
Full Synthetic 0w-30 when it starts getting colder (Late November- Early April).

I'll be changing my oil when I'm home over Christmas 0w-30 will be going in.

 

[donniekak]

I live in az so i never see freezing. I run synthetic 10w-30 in my dd talon. My decision was based on the oil clearances when i built the engine, around .0015". On my race engines i build, with clearances up to .0035-.004", i prefer to use 15w-50 synthetic, or 20w-50. I have found that the best way to find an optimum engine oil weight is to use a pressure gauge.

 

[rich3389]

10w-30 is actually more like a 40 weight when cold...10+30=40
5w-30 is more like a 35 weight when cold...5+30=35

I would suggest Bobistheoilguy if you are interested in oil and have no life.