AMSOIL: Understanding Oil Viscosity Ratings
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2010
- What's the difference between a 10w-30 and an SAE 30 motor oil? Dan Watson, AMSOIL dealer, looks at how motor oil viscosity ratings are determined and what it means to the vehicle owner.
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learned more about oil from 5:13 to 7:51 than have in 41 years of being a guest on this planet. Thank you for posting this.
This is a great presentation on winter oil grades. Everyone knows that "W stands for winter" but nobody knows how it's actually measured and what it actually means.
What a great vlog. Learnt a lot there and it makes so much sense now.
An explanation that makes sense. Thank you
Thankyou ! one article said it was outside temp,which sounded a little strange.
Sorry I missed your comment but here is the answer. You will definitely end up with a new overall viscosity somewhere between the two but you can't use simple mix ratios to determine the outcome. Multigrade oils use Viscosity Improvers (VI) and since these may be different in size and concentration in each of the oils mixed the results are not so easily predicted.
Thanks for the replies. I went with 0w20 actually, and it's going good.
I feel blessed to stumble upon your videos! Thank you man, I really feel like I'm taking a free college course in motor oils.
I live in Duluth, MN (colder than hell, and is 1 mile from Amsoil corporate headquarters) and just tonight I changed my oil ('in my 95 Impreza, 2.2 Liter) and I ended up getting 10w-30 Mobil 1 High Mileage fully synthetic oil. It was around -5 degrees tonight. Did I choose the wrong winter grade? I have a feeling I would have been better with 5w or 0w-30. Thank you
Hi Dan thanks.
Thank You very much Sir i really appreciate this information,
was looking for a Dan and Phil video but this will do
Wow this helped me a lot thank you. Now is this the same for gear oil??
You are right, straight SAE 30 does not have any VI. Again it gets hard to calculate the final viscosity but if you know the actual measured centistokes of the SAE 30 you might be able to use the formula (w1) (V1) divided by T = (w2) (v2) divided by T where w is viscosity in centistokes and v is volume milliliters and T is temperature in Celsius. It might work assuming temperature is the same for both sides of the equation. Temp being the same would remove the affects of the VI in the 5W-30.
EJD,
5W-40 is the preferred viscosity for your BMW. 5W-30 will be fine. If you haven't had oil consumption problems there is no need to change. At 200,000 miles you might be using oil and going to the 5W-40 will slow consumption down. You are right that the 5W-40 might cost you fuel mileage. On the other hand, if you are consuming oil, the 5W-40 might give you a better ring seal and raise compression which might actually give you a better fuel mileage.
The choice is yours.
Dan Watson
Yes I'm having leaks! haha... I've always had leaking around the valve cover gaskets (being a boxer engine, it's an important gasket) and the oil pan. Now I am leaving larger puddles on the driveway and when I'm going up a steep hill sometimes it leaks onto my exhaust. That and the hydraulic lifters are more noisy with the thinner oil. BUT, it has more power and gets better fuel economy now....so I still like it, even though next oil change I will be going 0w30 like you suggest.
learned alot, thanks
The pour point is not as important as the Cold Cranking simulator numbers. The 5W will allow for easier starting in severe cold than the 10W. The test is not the same as the kinematic viscosity test done at 210F for the second number in the viscosity rating ie: 5W-40. The W in the rating can be thought of as the winter rating. The test for cold is more about the resistance to objects moving submersed in the oil than how fast it pours out of the bottle. Use the 5W for best results in cold.
Brilliant...
Does Pour Point Matter I use the amsoil 5w40 European formula which has a pour point of -33 I am considering switching to Amsoil 10w40 the pour point is -44 , I live in Canada and do experience some cold days of winter, Would their be a difference or should I stick to %w I am looking for the best cold start protection for my Bmw
So Dan Watson would you say pennzoil ultra with pure plus is a gimmick or its a real good basestock (natural gas) lets say better then mobil 1?
great videos and learn alot from it. Just realized this videos is 5 years ago and still there are questions about oil viscosity nowadays. In my country where its summer all year round, Amsoil distributor only have 0w30 oil where the manufacturer car manual calls for atleast 5W40 oil since its 34-35°c all year round. Is it safe to use 0w30 instead since its the only signature series available from Amsoil here?
When the manufacturer calls for 40 weight (viscosity) it is not a good practice to go to a lighter oil especially in the temperature range you are describing.. I think you should try ordering the 5W-40 from the Amsoil supplier. Amsoil makes a few different 40 viscosity oils. Let me know the make model and year of your car and I can make a recommendation. Contact me direct at: danwatson@thelubepage.com
OK. Following up, I was under the impression that straight SAE 30 wts. have no VI's, is that correct? If so, then would my math be essentially correct? BTW, I appreciate all your informative videos, thanks..
Dan, what would happen if you mix 5-30 with straight 30wt., in a 50/50 ratio? What would the effective viscosity you end up with be? Something like a "17.5 - 30"? (yes I know thats not a real viscosity number). Thanks.
@ 5m34s = EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW THIS! I've had to try and avoid full blown arguments with sales people at auto shops because they've told me I need a thinner winter weight in my oil than 15W-xx or 20W-xx (I live in warm climate in Australia and my car never sees starting/running below 0degC (32degF).
If the engine is worn it may need a little thicker oil to reduce consumption and maintain the best ring seal. You can tell by the amount of oil consumption you have. If you start to use oil then maybe you should try the higher viscosity. But if the oil consumption is fine then there is no reason to use a thicker oil.
So, the ambient temperature doesn't matter unless it's colder than 32°f? So a 20w50 motorcycle oil will be sae50 above 32°? So unless the ambient temperature is going below freezing, I can just use straight weight?
oh my goodness. I would go to sleep in this guys class.
I'm glad to be of service. You can put my video on at night and avoid counting sheep.
I use an air-oil cooled 1.2 litre bike living in the tropics, where the engine can get really hot like a kettle pot..so maybe I should use 10w 30 rather than 10w 40 oil? that should give the oil more movement through the engine and oil cooler lines?
NO! The flow will be satisfactory using the 10W-40. The 40W will have a higher high temp / high shear rating and will therefor give you a greater margin for protection in high temp situations.
Hi Dan i have a 2000 Toyota 4runner with a 2.7 straight 4 it has close to 300.000 miles it was really niglected in oil changes cause i had to change the valve cover gasket and it had alot of gunk in the engine but it runs great i had a compression check done by my mechanic and still has alot of compression on each cylinder the oil cap calls for 5w30 but my mechanic told me to put high milage mobil 1 fully synthetic 10w40 im here in miami fla we barely have cold weather up here do you think that is fine what im using or should i go by what the manufactor recommends oh and i was also told to do at least 3 oil changes at 2000 miles for the engine to get cleaned up.
Use Amsoil engine flush, Amsoil performance improver, and Amsoil signature series.
What about the taste test?
Hi dan, it does not matter the the first number, but Here in Puerto Rico, lowest is about (70f°) i get recomended alot 10w30 for my 5w20 car. Does this matter? I went to buy 5w20 synthetic and only can find 0w at major autopart stores. Many people say that high millage engines should use a thicker oil,is this true?
Sam, better late than never with a reply. The first number doesn't make any real difference in your climate. The second does and if your manual calls for a 20W you should use a 20W. In some cars the variable valve timing is dependent on the right viscosity but in others you could use the 30W without any problem.
+Dan Watson
my car 5w30
but tempuer in 40c
l think to use 5w40 now lused 5w30 sn fuchus titan
Does the second number refer to outside temperature?
The second number actually refers to the operational viscosity at 212*F. This is engine oil temp not ambient air temp.
I’m only using Straight SAE30 in Miami. Please be advise of the viscosity index improvers (VII) are not lubricants. I don’t want this in my oil especially when I’m running hard. That’s the reason why I only use the single weight oil. I’m never up north. A 0W30 oil has more VII in the oil (22%) and will sheer and evaporate. Not the Single weight SAE30.
Notwithstanding multi weight synthetic motor oils tend to evaporate much easier. I wish they made a single weight 30 grade Synthetic oil. I’m driving on the road for hours on end.
If you can find SAE 30 straight weight non-multigrade oil with the correct API classification for your car it would be a great choice in Miami. Most vehicles today call for API SN which is designed around the multi-viscosity principles to qualify as energy conserving and multi-environmental applications. A straight 30 weight oil will respond to temperature changes including high temp conditions. In High temps the SAE 30 will thin to a 20 weight at around 275*F. Remember, your oil runs 30*F to 70*F hotter than the water temp in the engine. So on a hot day in Miami with the AC running in stop and go traffic your oil my be 275*F or higher and if you have a straight weight SAE 30 oil you are probably now at the 20 weight range. You are right that the vaporization rate for the straight weight is less than the multi-grade as a general rule. Some synthetics like Amsoil Signature Series multi-grade oils will be very close to the straight weight oils in vaporization rate. Ideally, a straight weight high quality synthetic would be the best choice in Miami, the problem is non of the straight weight oils meet the API-SN rating required by the OEM's for their cars.
@@thelubepage thanks Dan. I found Mag 1 made by Warren Distribution (API SN PLUS), and WD sent me the spec sheet. Also they sent me the Walmart Brand called Super Tech SAE HD30. Same specs as it's blended by WD also. This is what I'm using and Valvoline makes an HD 30 too but more expensive. I've gotten a lot of data sheets and I'm impressed at the performance of a single weight motor oil performs. Sheer tests alone are impressive. Thanks for your input.
my car bmw e65 745i what is the number of oil .I am live in medal east where the Weather between 10 to 47 c
+libyanman libyan 5w-40 or 0w-40 Euro spec.
+Dr. Ng
Thank you for your answer to the previous question. BMW 745, 2002.
I forgot tell you that the car has come a distance of 127,000 miles. Changed her Castrol motor oil 10/40 and after 3000 miles and found that the oil shortage by 1 liter. Is it something natural because of the large 127000 mile distance traveled. Note that it does not have any smoke from the exhaust.
What is the proper oil Is 20/50 or 10/40 or 15/40 to reduce the evaporation of the oil and maintain the engine
thank you.
libyanman libyan Yeah it is totally normal that higher mileage (especially euro) engines will tend to consume oil because the engine pistons and internals are always subjected to heat and friction. Your car especially a BMW 02' 745i with 127k is COMPLETELY NORMAL as long there is no blue smoke coming from exhaust (which means piston rings are damage and leaking oil). Props that your BMW is still running. My mother has a 14' Mercedes C300 and I have to add oil from time to time. It is imperative that you go with the manufacturer recommended oil.
The oil I repeat HAS TO be approved by BMW (BMW LL-01 North America or LL-04 if you live in Europe) The recommended oil I've found for your car is Pennzoil Ultra 0w-40 (fantastic stuff), Mobil 1 0w-40 or you can also go with Mobil 1 ESP Formula M 5W-40 which is Mercedes certified but it wouldn't make a huge diff because they both are euro.
You should go with a 40 weight oil because your engine is higher mileage, if you use a lower weight like 30 theirs going to be more consumption and friction due to it being lighter and also viscosity differences. Don't even bother with 50. Hope I helped sorry for the long read.
If we compare 0w-40 and 5w-40, most of the time the oils will have different viscosity at 100c. Measured and tested in real life.
Yes, because 40 means a range not an exact viscosity.
160,000 miles so far. The 0w20 has been in it for about 2k miles.
So, What is the actual diameter of that "Little hole" ?
+Bruce M Carleton Jr it simulates an oil gallery. so think pinhole size
+jack black............... "Pinhole" size is not a scientificly accurate measure.
Schaeffer's is the best oil. Amsoil makes good transmission oils and #1 in differentials oils
No sir. Amsoil outshines Schaeffers in any test you put it at. Schaeffers isnt 100% Synthetic and doesnt have a world class additive package. Have you tried using a spectrometer and compared the molecules? Have you sent off oil analysis compared to the two?
Why is it when you change oil in a diesel, it instantly turns black...like you didn't even do anything? It's always been a mystery to me.
Diesel engines make soot (carbon waste) and this will turn the oil black but it doesn't mean the oil is not still a good lubricant. Newer trubo charged diesels using ultra-low sulfur diesel will produce less soot so it takes a little longer for the oil to turn black.
Dan Watson I have noticed the low ash oils start to 'gel' near the end of their usage. Doesn't give much room for error.