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Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

Posted March 10, 2011 8:30 AM by Steve Melito
Pathfinder Tags: 10W-30 Engine oil monograde oil multi-grade oil single-grade oil viscosity

Multi-grade oils are designed to crank or pump under low-temperature conditions. They also provide slightly better fuel economy. Cold weather protection is vital, of course, but it's not the only consideration when selecting lubricants. Engine oil is subjected to a range of temperatures, even during the winter months. An oil's viscosity is higher during cold-weather starts and lower at engine operating temperatures. With multi-grade oils, polymeric additives called viscosity index improvers (VIIS) are used to "smooth out" these temperature-based differences.

Not surprisingly then, multi-grade oils were once called "all-season oils" because they could be used year-round. But multi-grade oils such as 10W-30 aren't perfect. As Phil Ramsey explains in Machinery Lubrication, "all choices involving viscosity are trade-offs, so if you can use single-grade oil in your environment (or at least in the summer), then do so." Yet many car owners - even in places where the temperature rarely drops below freezing - insist on using 10W-30 oil.

Ramsey worries that drivers are "sacrificing engine life for slightly higher mileage to meet a government regulation," in this case the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards that automakers must follow. You didn't buy your car because of its manual, but following that manual could affect how long you own that car.

If you don't live in a cold-weather climate, do you really need to use a multi-grade oil in your car?

Source: Machinery Lubrication

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Ed Weldon
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#1

Re: Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

03/11/2011 1:18 AM

I'm very skeptical about this and the information presented in the source article both by its primary author and some of the things said by the second commentator. Gotta get my ducks in a row first before I reply in substance. I do recommend that those of you who ask more out of your engines than the average user read all of this with your "critical thinking" switch set to "on"..........Ed Weldon
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bobthefarmer
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#2
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Re: Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

03/11/2011 9:20 AM

I have to agree with Weldon (Ed). This topic can go wide and varied, based on OEM recommendations and intended environments. I for one have a car with cam based premature failure rates. It requires I use 5W-40 full synthetic due to temp issues surounding Turbo-charger lubrication. Would I use 10W-30? No.

I bet any average consumer would not be able to measure the significant changes in mileage between 10W-40 and 10W-30. I also bet that the differences in engine wear between the two (if following OEM recommendations) would be insignificant. Every design must have some safety factors built in. Tribology causes designers to build in safety for bearings.

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#3
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Re: Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

03/11/2011 10:46 AM

I had a vehicle with 5W-30 synthetic and when I decided to change to 10W-40 dino oil, I could not measure the difference in mileage. But my oil consumption was reduced by at least 3/4 (less than a quart between changes) and my checkbook was MUCH happier. This was a normally aspirated V-8 (5.3L) in an '02 Suburban with over 50,000 miles at the time. Again, as previous posters mentioned, your needs may be different e.g. turbo, racing, etc. but I pull an 8,000 lb travel trailer up over mountain ranges revving the piss out of that poor little V-8. By the way, we have 165,000 miles on that truck using only the best Sam's Club 10W-40 dino oil at less than $2 per quart.
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Andy Germany
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#7
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Re: Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

03/12/2011 6:05 PM

What you posted is exactly true. BUT, do you REALLY know why? I think not!!

The Long Life Synthetic oil is SO good that it actually slows down an engine running in, therefore slightly higher oil consumption up to 80,000 miles or so is 100% normal.

Does your manufacturer require such oil, if the answer is yes, you may have "blown" your guarantee.......You are playing with fire.....possibly......

My manufacturer will nullify my guarantee if I don't use Synthetic.....

I have used synthetic over 20 years, it slows wear down by a great percentage, 80% comes to mind.......

Synthetic oil reduces engine wear by a HUGE amount!!

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tcmtech
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#4

Re: Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

03/11/2011 2:20 PM

I too run the cheap 5w-30 and 10w-40 stuff from Walmart on all of my vehicles but I do oil changes at less than the suggested 3000 mile intervals except on the propane burning pickups. They get it about every 10,000 miles.

Still I have ran multiple vehicles well over 250,000 miles and even at that point the engines where still solid but unfortunately the rest of the vehicle was what was too worn out to be fixable.

As far as mileage improver's go gutting the emissions systems does far far more gains than any oil could ever hope to do!

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Doorman
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#5
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Re: Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

03/11/2011 5:41 PM

Gutting out the emission system can have a few disadvantages.

(Gutting out: [verb] To remove the entrails, as in "cut out the guts")

You and I (both living in North Dakota USA) have the luxury of not having to present for an emission test before we get our annual plates. There are some places where 'Da Man has a lot of say about what people can drive around.

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tcmtech
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#6
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Re: Does Your Engine Really Need 10W-30?

03/11/2011 10:48 PM

Not a concern for me being I how to remove the right parts and change things enough to get decent mileage increases that also means I know enough to be able to change it back if needed too!

That and propane vehicles are exempt as far as know.
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