Oil/Cold Winter Months
Oil/Cold Winter Months
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 282
Likes: 0
From: ontario
you should not have to change to a different weight oil in the winter months at all. what oil weight are you using right now? my 4.0 is useing 10w30 all year round and the odd cold snap we have in winter it starts up ALL the time without problems. plus you can plug it in the winter with your block heater when you park over night etc. my 92 ranger 4.0 must run 10w30 all times accordind to my service manual. As long you change your oil at 3,000 miles you will be just fine
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,349
Likes: 3
From: Cloud USA
I like to use 5w30 in the winter here in Minnesota. Even that seems too thick when it is -30 degrees. I would love to use synthetic but my engine has 206,000 miles and would probably not do any good. I believe 80% of wear happens at start up so quick lubrication is important. I have also heard, that it takes 3 minutes for oil to reach every part of an engine when it is 70 degrees out with 10w30. I find that very hard to believe but I can see the wrist pin being the part last lubricated. My room mate went for automotives at Ridgewater college. The instructors swore by 5w30 year round.
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Why not take a sample of what you're currently using, place it in your freezer overnight, and see how well it pours in the morning. If it's like "molasses in January" and you see temps that cold, then switch to something else.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
I was running 5w30 but that did not keep my oil presure in spec. With 10w40 my oil press is spec. I did the freezer test (0 to -5 F). You could hardly tell the difference pouring the 5W30 vs 10W40. 20w50 was really bad though. (just for fun, 3 in 1 oil was thick like the 20W50 and CRC Power Lube spray flowed like water at zero.) The following is about multigrade oils, though I will only mention the front (winter) number. 10w can be used down to 0 F. Below that 5w is recommended. Above about 10 F you can use 15w. 20W is supposed to be ok above 20F. I will have to try the 15w40 freezer test, but my favorite oil does not come in that grade. I understand the 15w and higher w's have a lower high temp/high pressure sheer rate that do the 10w and lower w's, so a 15w year round would be really nice.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 100
Likes: 2
From: Anchorage, Alaska
Cold Weather?
For what it’s worth man, I use Motorcraft 5W-30 in my 87’ BroncoII with 232,000 miles on it, and 5W-20 in my 03’ Supercrew here in Anchorage, Alaska year round. When I first moved to Alaska twelve years ago, I remember shuttering at the thought of starting an engine in very cold weather – as if the thing was whining a death moan – now I’m use to it.
Best regards,
John
Best regards,
John
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 773
Likes: 0
From: VA/USA
Top of the mornin' to `ya gents - long time, no visit on my part.
Question - how bad is Mobil 1 15W50 gonna be on very cold winter starts? Got a vehicle w/ a bad oil leak that won't get fixed until next spring.
THX for any comments/opinions - Glenn . . .
Question - how bad is Mobil 1 15W50 gonna be on very cold winter starts? Got a vehicle w/ a bad oil leak that won't get fixed until next spring.
THX for any comments/opinions - Glenn . . .
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 773
Likes: 0
From: VA/USA
Well, the vehicle doesn't/won't see alot of mileage (run-time) this winter, and it only leaks when it's running. I ran Delo 15w40 last summer in it, it seemed to work well for 3-4000 miles, the oil only leaked down to about half a QT low, then stopped leaking. - The next 2-3000 miles it blew another QT-and-a-half.
I was hoping the heavier (50) oil and the colder temps (operating AND ambient) would slow things down, with the 15W and the fact that it's a Synth. that supposedly pours at approx 50 below giving me decent (good enough) winter protection (?).
Though I'm not a 'devotee' to Synthetics (M1) - I do know it is very good stuff - maybe not 3 or 4 times as good, maybe only slightly better than conventional - nevertheless - real "good-stuff".
THX again, would love to hear back from you and others - Glenn . . . whooooa - hold my horses -- reading my own post back, it looks like my leak became more pronounced (worse) sometime between 3 - 6000 miles of svc life -- anyone else seeing this?
I was hoping the heavier (50) oil and the colder temps (operating AND ambient) would slow things down, with the 15W and the fact that it's a Synth. that supposedly pours at approx 50 below giving me decent (good enough) winter protection (?).
Though I'm not a 'devotee' to Synthetics (M1) - I do know it is very good stuff - maybe not 3 or 4 times as good, maybe only slightly better than conventional - nevertheless - real "good-stuff".
THX again, would love to hear back from you and others - Glenn . . . whooooa - hold my horses -- reading my own post back, it looks like my leak became more pronounced (worse) sometime between 3 - 6000 miles of svc life -- anyone else seeing this?
Last edited by TOUGHLover; Oct 19, 2003 at 01:25 AM.
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