I grew up on 10-30 or 20-40. This is SoCal. No freezing, lots of heat. Synth oil is nice, but expensive. The concept of 0-20 oil, although the manufacturer suggests/demands it, is just alien. We never freeze, we just have to worry about the oil thinning out when the ambient is over 100F.
I assume I'm worrying needlessly now, but I'd like to know why.
Today's motors have tighter tolerances and need thinner oils to keep things lubricated.
m6onz5a wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
sorry but its strictly to meet gas milage specs. I wont use 0 anything unless its dam cold out. or the very select few that need it to run special valve timeing stuff that need a specific oil to function. KB
I am more worried about the viscosity range: why do German "luxury/performace" cars need 0W40 oils? That is expensive crap.
Extremely low friction requirements.
For example;
Special development for VW, Audi, SEAT and SKODA petrol and diesel vehicles with service interval extension (also pump jet engines). The fully synthetic low-viscosity motor oil from the Longlife 2 generation keeps the engine perfectly clean. Exceeds the high Volkswagen test requirements. Reduces fuel consumption in one of the toughest consumption tests in Europe (CEC-L-54-T-96/ MB M 111) by more than 2.5% as compared with the specified reference oil. Fast cold-start oiling provides excellent engine wear protection during the start and warm-up phase.
Intended use All-year oil for petrol and diesel engines with and without pump-jet technology. Specially developed for vehicles with service interval extension (German abbreviation: WIV) from Audi, Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda. Tested safe with catalytic converters and turbochargers.
Refer to the owners manual. Do what it says.
Pretty much. There are critical additives in these oils for other specific purposes as well. Deviate from Mfr's specs at your peril.
No problem. But I really want to know why 40-weight oil was a proper choice in HOT weather (80mph on a slight uphill across the Mojave in August, for example) a while back but now isn't even an option.
Engines have changed, emissions rules have tightened.
Likely someone could make a 40-weight oil with the correct additive pack for that engine, but nobody does, because it would be of very limited use. There aren't a lot of people in the Mojave at any given time.
They make the oil that is usable over the widest possible applications with the correct additive pack.
--scott
HAH. Look at the traffic on I-210, I-10 and I-15 between LA and Las Vegas on a Friday afternoon!
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