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Re: cold weather oil question



On Mon, 21 Dec 1998, Michael Weishaar wrote:

> Since it is the season of the bong, as in the OBC temperature bong, it
> is time to change the oil from summer-weight to winter-weight.  I use
> Mobil 1 15w-50 in the summer, and have used 10w-30 in the past in the
> winter.  Yesterday I went to pick up my winter oil, and noticed Mobil 1
> now has 5w-30 and 0w-30.  I guess the 5w-30 has been out a couple of
> years, but the 0w-30 has only been out a couple of months.  I went with
> the 5w-30, perhaps in the hope that it won't get cold enough in Chicago
> this winter where I will wish I had the 0w-30.  
> 
> First impressions would lead me to believe that the 0w-30 would be the
> way to go, but how much does the quality of the oil suffer the greater
> the gap in the range of weights?  Is the 10w-30 a "better" oil than the
> 0w-30, just because there is less of a range in oil weight?

 IMHO, if it's cold enough so that you NEED the synthetic Ow vs the
5w, you should park the car, go inside, and wait for it to warm up! 
The Ow synthetic is probably a good choice for an engine that already
calls for 5w year round, and you want to gain a smidgen of efficiency
or power. 
 According to the oil faq, viscosity improver additives are needed in
most oils to extend the range, but in synthetics with quality base
stocks, fewer or none at all may be needed to achieve it.

- --
  John Bolhuis  | Since announcing concubine auditions in April,
 bolhuijo       | I have received not a single reply. Foolish females!
  @domain.elided | Do you not realize that I am one of the richest and
                | most powerful men in the Republic?  -T. Herman Zweibel

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