I recently bought a Haynes manual for my 2002 Ford Ranger 3.0L Edge. The oil cap in the engine says 5w20 but Haynes said that you could run
10w30 in it above certain outside temps. The manual stated that this would have an effect on gas mileage and possible performance. Would it be ok to run 10w30 in the engine as long as the temperatures are in the range that the Haynes manual states and would it improve gas mileage? Thanks for the help!Tony
I always use what the manufacturer calls for. Used to be hard to find however Wal-Mart always had it. Today I saw it is available in other brands then Motorcraft as well. I think Honda motors are also using it. In a pinch I would use 10w30 but I would drain it out as soon as possible and put the right stuff in. What would the right temperature be? When its hot it will be too thick. When its cold it will be too thick. Will it be just right for 10 seconds after the motor is first started and partially warm?
Why would you use 10W-30 in a pinch, rather than 5W-30?
Also, think carefully about why Ford ecommends 5W-20 only in the USA and Canada, but everywhere else in the world, for the exact same engines, they recommend 5W-30. Hmmmm.
Free Hint: 'CAFE- Corporate Average Fuel Economy'.
I will continue to use 5W-30 in my 2000 Focus, as the owner's manual recommends. That's the oil that engine was designed to use, not
5W-20, despite Ford's retroactive CAFE-driven recommendations.Here's something I found on a Google search:
"When it comes to the new 5W20 grade, however - specified for some Honda and Ford models - he's more skeptical. He thinks there is only one reason Ford made the switch from 5W30 to 5W20 - to help it meet CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. "Most Ford engines haven't changed, why the need then to change the specified grade?" He adds that the lighter oil, which doesn't protect as well as the heavier stuff, reduces fuel consumption by about 0.2% - not enough to be noticed by any single driver."
You can also google for Ford's own bulletins that recommend switching to 5W-20, the reason given by Ford is improved fuel economy. I know a 0.2 percent improvement in fuel economy is not enough justification for _me_ to switch from 5W-30 to 5W-20.
Isn't that whole line of thought contradictory? First it says the lower grade was used to meet CAFE standards (better fuel economy). Then it turns around and says that the lower grade has almost no impact on fuel economy. If it has almost no impact, then why would they use it?
Example: A car gets 20mpg. If changing oil only affects it by 0.2%, the new mileage would be 20.04mpg. That's not going to help anyone meet CAFE.
-Skramblr
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