Not only that, but the engine will waste energy pumping the thicker motor oil, reducing fuel economy. Since thicker oils don’t transfer heat as well as thinner oils, operating temperatures will increase, too, possibly leading to accelerated chemical break down and harmful sludge and deposits.

Oil weight, or viscosity, refers to how thick or thin the oil is. Your engine needs oil that is thin enough for cold starts, and thick enough when the engine is hot. Since oil gets thinner when heated, and thicker when cooled, most of us use what are called multi-grade, or multi-viscosity oils.

Low-Viscosity Oil Low-viscosity motor oil may be too thin, and can compromise the protection of your engine over time. A thin lubricant may not be able to adequately fill the gaps between engine component in order to prevent contact between them. These effects can be worsened by extreme heat and stress levels.

5W-30 oils are better in the cold atmosphere for good begin. 5W-30 as multi-grade oil is used vastly under extreme weather either it is the warm or cold state….0w-20 vs 5w-30 Table.

A 5W-30 full synthetic will flow fine. If you look at the owner’s manual for the same Toyota engines in many other countries, they specify 5W-30 for better engine longevity. The reason why they specify 0W-20 (and new cars are trying to go lower such as 0W-16) is for better gas mileage.

Answer: Yes, 0W-20 is unquestionably safe for your engine. Manufacturers have been specifying 5W-20 and 0W-20 since the early part of the last decade and there is no evidence whatsoever that engine wear rates have increased.

0W-20 OIL. It readily means that the 0 oil will flow well and better at a cold temperature more than 5W-30 oils even while maintaining the same viscosity. The 0W-20 is said to be the best oil in the market because it helps to reduce environment hassle on waste oil disposal.

Both 5w-20 and 0w-20 are IDENTICAL once the car is up to temperature. The difference is how thin those oils are when the car is cold. Neither the 0w or the 5w flow enough in the cold to properly lubricate your engine. However, the 0W is thinner and does LESS damage at start up than the 5W oil.

5W-30 is a thicker oil that flows more slowly than 0W-20. A quick explanation of these numbers is needed. The first number with the “W” is the “Winter” value and represents the lowest temperature at which the oil will flow. A lower number means it will still flow at a lower temperature.

What would happen if I use 5w30 oil instead of 5w40 in my car engine? So long as the oil pump can produce enough pressure to get the oil flowing into all the important areas properly, there should be no problem. If the oil pressure light does not go on at idle you are likely not causing any damage.

If after you did this, you did NOT run the engine (thus operating the torque converter and oil pump in the transmission), nothing untoward will happen. Putting engine oil in the transmission is not as bad as putting “oil” in a hydraulic brake system. If that happens, much of the brake system has to be rebuilt.

Due to the increased resistance of the thicker 5W-30 oil, your engine will produce slightly lower fuel economy and horsepower output. You also risk engine damage when using 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, as the internal engine components are specifically designed to be used with 5W-20 motor oil.

Most often, these types of oils best cover the range of possible temperatures, with a 5W-20 oil more geared toward colder climates and a 5W-30 oil more appropriate for warmer temperature extremes. For the most part, either one should work just fine in a vehicle engine regardless of the prevailing temperatures.

Incorrect viscosity can also cause metal-on-metal friction, leading to the breakdown of engine components. Using the wrong motor oil can lead to serious damage that will require costly repairs.

MYTH: Switching motor oil brands is harmful to my engine. Switching brands is not harmful to your engine as long as you choose an oil marked with the API donut of the same level, e.g., API SN. Motor oil manufacturers must meet minimum industry standards for performance and compatibility of the API mark.

Hi Ditherleo24, it is best to top up with the same oil as is in the engine but if this is not available or is not known, using an oil that meets the recommended specification for the vehicle is best to go with. This ensures the best chance of compatibility with the existing oil.

Yes, if topping up. If your oil must be topped up, then you are burning oil already, so the difference won’t cause more damage than is already there. 5W30 and 10W30 are essentially the same at operating temperature. It is only for cold weather starting that the performance will be different.

The results won’t be that unpredictable. As posted above, mixing 5w30 with 10w40 will give you an oil that performs somewhat better in the cold than 10w40, but less good cold than 5w30, and that has a viscosity a bit higher than 5w30 but a bit lower than 10w40.

THE ANSWER IS NO! Even if two different brands of oil have the same viscosity, you still should not be mixing them together. Technically, using a grade of oil that’s recommended by your car manufacturer is correct. However, if you combine two different brands of motor oil, you could be at risk of damage.