Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

5w-20 Mobil 1 in the Winter


Recommended Posts

NO! You will NOT be OK.

 

5W20 will NOT be good for the engine, it will be way too thin when the engine is warm. If the oil gets too thin when it's warm you will run the risk of getting contact between bearing surfaces which is a VERY bad thing - and that may mean a new engine.

 

What you should look at is 0W30, 5W30, 0W40 or 5W40. You can use 10W30 too, but it will cause higher fuel consumption in cold weather and make cold starts harder.

 

See also this thread: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/clearing-up-all-oil-info-79800.html

453747.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you want the best oil for very cold winters the only thing that matters is looking at the X as is XW40

 

The X stands for the viscosity when cold.(The 40 in this case for warm engine)

When cold starting it is important to have the quickest lubrification possible.

 

If you normally use 5W50 or 5W40 which are proven to be the best on a 2.0 or 2.5 turbocharged engine, you good go to a 0W40/50 when winters get very cold.

 

But in normal winterconditions I would just stay with the 5W40/50. It will do fine when you take the time warming up the engine.(Up to 15 minutes when really cold)

 

Allways using the same brand and viscosity is the best thing for your engine anyway.*

 

 

*Info from an enginebuilder/revisor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a buddy of mine is a honda tech. His observation is that ever since honda switched to 5w20, motors with higher milage cars are comming back with high cam wear issues. Honda's never used to have any sort of engine problems before with its 5w30. Also, when you change the oil on a honda with 5w20, the old oil comes out looking like black water. I personally would not trust using it in a higher stressed turbo motor.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

so whats up with all the honda engines? they use 5w20? does different engine design really effect on oil choice? or just simply for fuel saving?

 

The engine design has an impact on the oil choice.

 

Bearing surfaces is somewhat like a boat. Floating a boat in fresh water allows it to take a certain load. If you take the boat in the dead sea which is a "thicker" water you can put more load in it but if you float it in alcohol it can't take much load before it sinks.

 

Not a completely accurate analogy but good enough.

 

And see it this way too: A 20-oil has a thinner oil wedge and drains away faster than a 30-oil and a 40-oil has an even thicker oil wedge and sticks around longer.

 

As for the Honda oil choice - it's probably OK in Japan where cars are expected to hold together for only a few years up to around 60k miles. But in many other parts of the world cars are expected to hold together for 200 to 300k miles aside from ordinary wear and tear parts.

453747.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

so do you suggest me to use 5w30 even in the honda?

 

I would do that, in some/most cases going to a thicker oil is a somewhat normal practice for a lot of us.

 

It's not going to hurt anything. I run 10w30 or 15w40 in the summer. In the GF's 08 Escape I run 5w20 in the winter and 5 or 10w30 in the summer.

 

The main thing is to change the oil and filter at or sooner (depending on how you drive and the outside air temp) then the book say's too.

 

I'm 56 y/o and having been doing all my oil changes since my first car at age 16. I have only had one oil related failure, but that was Quaker States fault back in the mid 70's.

305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

Engine Build - Click Here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Mega Users

So what changed in the new subaru engine to allow 5w20? The dealerships sell it. It is being recommended for the newer engines that are still under warranty. It is not going to be as big a deal as this is being made out to be. I would not use it because I'd be afraid of it being consumed very quickly in my car. Going up to a 40 or higher oil is only necessary when compensating for something, like penis size, consumption or higher operating temps due to weather or abuse. You don't really get added wear protection from the thicker oil. It is wasted on a car that is not being driven hard. As long as it is not mobil-1 being put in your engine, you're ok.

 

 

Edit: shit it is mobil-1. You're already screwed. It's too late.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gee, you guys really don't know squat about oil.

First, oil weight has little to do with film strength. Oil weight is a measurement of oil flow, not how strong the oil film is. Film strength is how much force it takes to allow metal to metal contact. I can show you a 5w oil that has twice the film strength of a 50w oil.

Second, multi-viscosity oil is done with additives. Low number shows the flow rating until the oil reaches 140 degrees, then you are at the higher number.

3rd, which Mobil 1 oil are you talking about? If it's not the 15,000 mile rated oil, it's not a full synthetic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use 5W40

 

Still waitning to see how it starts at -40 :)

 

 

I guess your new to this oil thing, 5 is the cold rating. The will start fine...as long as the battery holds out.

305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

Engine Build - Click Here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use