Drivers Technology.

 

 Oil Technology

Oil Technology

In cold weather, it is beneficial to use an oil that has good cold start flow properties as it will get to the parts of the engine that need it far more quickly.

The "w" number which means winter is the key here and the lower the better.

It may seem odd but a 15w or 20w will struggle to get around the engine in very cold temps and I would strongly recommend a 10w or better still a 5w for better cold start performance in the winter.

90% of all engine wear occurs on cold start because the oil gets thicker the colder it is - which causes engine wear.

These numbers explain it and bear in mind that the oil will be the following thickness at 100degC (sae 40 = 14cst, sae 50 = 18cst and sae 60 = 24cst)

At 0degC these are the numbers (thick!)

Grade 0C 10C 100C
0W/20 328.6cSt 180.8cSt 9cSt
5W/40 811.4cSt 421.4cSt 14cSt
10W/50 1039cSt 538.9cSt 18cSt
15W/50 1376cSt 674.7cSt 18cSt
20W/50 2305cSt 1015cSt 18cSt

If you are using anything more than a 10w oil, always warm the car properly before driving it as the oil needs time to circulate.

Just a word of warning really.