Ask the Car People.SM


Engine's burning oil - how much longer will it last?

82 messages,  Last post on Mar 20, 2011 at 8:01 AM

You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Engine

Messages Page 7 of 9

#53 of 82 Re: 10W-60 [shipo] by bkrell

Apr 14, 2007 (9:44 pm)

Replying to: shipo (Jan 30, 2007 10:41 am)
"Ummm, no. You have it exactly backwards. 10W-60 oil is a 10 weight oil ("W" does NOT stand for winter) that is stable enough that when hot it only thins out to the viscosity of a straight 60 weight oil."
 
Kinda. They are two separate measurements. The "W" may as well stand for winter as it is valid only in comparison to other "W" or cold measurements. Yes, of course the oil thins when it warms up, though.

#54 of 82 Re: 10W-60 [bkrell] by shipo

Apr 14, 2007 (10:50 pm)

Replying to: bkrell (Apr 14, 2007 9:44 pm)
"The "W" may as well stand for winter as it is valid only in comparison to other "W" or cold measurements."
 
Sorry, the "W" never has and never will stand for "Winter".
 
As for your assertion that the "W" number is only good for comparison to other "W" numbers, not true either. It is as I stated before. A 10W-60 will flow like a 10W straight weight oil when cold and like a 60W straight weight oil when up to operating temperatures.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#55 of 82 Re: 10W-60 [shipo] by bkrell

Apr 15, 2007 (4:55 am)

Replying to: shipo (Apr 14, 2007 10:50 pm)
Sorry, the "W" never has and never will stand for "Winter".
  
As for your assertion that the "W" number is only good for comparison to other "W" numbers, not true either. It is as I stated before. A 10W-60 will flow like a 10W straight weight oil when cold and like a 60W straight weight oil when up to operating temperatures.
 
 
Incorrect. You are insinuating that the oil thickens as it heats up. That is simply not the case. By your logic, a cold bottle of 20W50 should flow the same as 0W20 right out of a hot oil pan. Care to try that experiment?

#56 of 82 Re: 10W-60 [bkrell] by kiawah

Apr 15, 2007 (5:21 am)

Replying to: bkrell (Apr 14, 2007 9:44 pm)
Shipo,
 
Sorry, you actually have it backwards, and the original poster was correct. 90 is thicker oil than 10. Oil thickens when it is gets cold below it's normal operating temperature. SAE 30 is standard 30 weight oil, that would thicken to become something higher at freezing temperatures. 10W30 is a 30 weight oil (at normal operating temperatures), and is formulated so that at lower temperatures it acts like an 10 weight oil (thickening up to a 30 weight oil). I've always known the "W" to stand for "Winter", which seems to match how Valvoline defines it as well.
 
Oil Viscosity reference 1
 
Oil Viscosity reference 2

#57 of 82 clarification by bkrell

Apr 15, 2007 (6:06 am)

But please understand folks, there are at least two different tests used to determine the designation of a multigrade oil. There is a test at operating temps which determines the high number and a different one at cold temps to determine the first, low number. For example, you can't just say, flows like a 10W when cold and a 30W when hot. You CAN say flows like a 10W when cold and a 30 when hot.
 
Here's Noria's definition of SAE viscosity:
 
" The viscosity classification of a motor oil according to the system developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers and now in general use. “Winter” grades are defined by viscosity measurements at low temperatures and have “W” as a suffix, while “Summer” grades are defined by viscosity at 100ํํํํํํํ°ํ C and have no suffix. Multigrade oils meet both a winter and a summer definition and have designations such as SAE 10W-30, etc. "

#58 of 82 Where are you two getting this??? by shipo

Apr 15, 2007 (6:45 am)

Guys, like it or not, the use of stable PAO based oils and/or Viscosity Improvers allow a multigrade oil to perform like a thin straight weight oil when cold and a thick straight weight oil when hot. THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT SAID MULTIWEIGHT OIL IS THINNER WHEN COLD THAN WHEN HOT. What you two seem to not understand is that multigrade oil does not thin as much as a straight weigh oil AS IT GETS HOT, hence the multigrade rating. Said another way, the 10W-60 that's being thrown around here will flow like a straight 10 weight oil at zero degrees centigrade, and like a the same as a straight 60 weight oil at 100 degrees centigrade.
 
kiawah,
 
The two articles you referenced are so full of half truths, contradictions and errors that I don't know where to begin, so I won't. Instead, please refer to a far more credible source, namely the API.
 
http://www.api.org/certifications/engineoil/pubs/upload/AppF-REV-03-15-07.pdf
 
Also, if you are a member of the SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers), there are literally thousands of technical publications on multigrade oil that you could view and learn from.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#60 of 82 I agree by bkrell

Apr 15, 2007 (4:45 pm)

Perhaps I misunderstood your statement. No worries. I've plenty of SAE material to go around.

#62 of 82 Re: Engine's burning oil - how much longer will it last? [bottgers] by chelle26

Sep 03, 2007 (7:46 pm)

Replying to: bottgers (Jul 02, 2005 12:41 pm)
try to visit this one: http://www.howtoadvice.com/StopBurningOil
...engine mount canada..

Messages Page 7 of 9

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement