10w40 protects old engines better? (German, auto, van, best)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I chaged the oil on my car, and my friend who owns a shop told me to use 10w40, so i did.
i have a 95 accord with 191k, live in an area that doesnt freeze often, and doesnt get too hot (seattle area). on the manual it says to use 5w30, but i was thinking that the thicker the oil, the more the oil pump has to work.
my friend says that with 10w40 this will lubricate the engine better. I plan to use this car for at least another 5 years.
Well, he could be right. As an engine gets more miles on it the tolerances open up a bit from wear. Thicker oil may help fill those clearances a little better. It certainly won't do any harm so I would do it. Another benefit would be that thicker oil would have a harder time getting past the rings, so it would not burn as much oil as it would with a thinner oil.
There will always be huge debates on what oil is best, so take the following with a grain of salt.
10w40 is "thicker" than 5w30. The idea is that since your engine is older, the tolerances between internal components have increased (due to wear). So a slightly "thicker" oil will do a better job lubricating the engine.
In reality, the only time it makes a difference is at the extreme temperatures.
So if you don't experience temps below 0 degrees, you should be fine with 10w40.
There should be no problems at all, I used to work at a Valvoline lube shop years ago ( no I wasn't a dishonest up selling crook like some guys were, I actual stay away from lube shops now after working for one, they're pretty shady and always push employees to get customers to buy other things they don't need, that is why I quit!), and I clearly remember one customer that always came in to change his oil every 2 weeks, and used 20W50 in a Chevy transport van since he drove people to Los Angeles back to San Diego every day for his job.
The oil worked fine in the van, and he never had any issues with it.
My car (it has a V8) suggest 5W30 oil, but because of the really high miles, and some lifter chatter, I use 0W40 Mobil 1 and the chatter dramatically decreased.
I didn't notice any changes in gas mileage either.
my friend says that with 10w40 this will lubricate the engine better..
Based on what theory?
Engines are built with specific tolerances. The manufacturer then recommends a specific oil weight range based on the tolerances the engine was built with. In general, you should stick to the weight recommended by the manufactuer.
There are exceptions however. A lot of people do switch to a thicker oil as an enginer ages to compensate for the opening up of tolerances as the engine wears. Typically, you notice a loss of oil pressure over time.
So that's why i ask what prompted your friend to suggest a thicker oil other than a blanket statement of "it will lubricate better". Are you having oil pressure issues? Burning oil? etc?
I chaged the oil on my car, and my friend who owns a shop told me to use 10w40, so i did.
i have a 95 accord with 191k, live in an area that doesnt freeze often, and doesnt get too hot (seattle area). on the manual it says to use 5w30, but i was thinking that the thicker the oil, the more the oil pump has to work.
my friend says that with 10w40 this will lubricate the engine better. I plan to use this car for at least another 5 years.
--"my friend, who owns a shop told me ".......
I'll take the owners manual recommendations over " a friend's" anyday.
When I bought my first 4 cyl car ( 1988 Chevy Nova...a twin to Toyota Corrola) my friend, who also owns a shop, told me a 4cyl engine would never make 100,000 miles.
He also told me using 5-30 oil was stupid.
He kept saying----------" I should know. I am a master mechanic"
I totally ignored his advice and went by the manual and used 5-30 oil.
That car gave me 256,000 trouble free miles.
Yup, I'll follow the owners manual recommendation over..............."a friend that owns a shop "......EVERYTIME !!!!!!!!!!!
Engines are built with specific tolerances. The manufacturer then recommends a specific oil weight range based on the tolerances the engine was built with. In general, you should stick to the weight recommended by the manufactuer.
There are exceptions however. A lot of people do switch to a thicker oil as an enginer ages to compensate for the opening up of tolerances as the engine wears. Typically, you notice a loss of oil pressure over time.
So that's why i ask what prompted your friend to suggest a thicker oil other than a blanket statement of "it will lubricate better". Are you having oil pressure issues? Burning oil? etc?
A fine associate of mine designs engines for a German auto maker and he told me that modern engines must always utilize oil that meets the specifications contained in the owner's manual if you're interested in making the engine last. The only thing people accomplish by using oil outside of the manufacturers specifications is cause the engine to fail faster and if you're changing the oil to deal with a problem you should instead fix the problem rather than masking it.
I'll take the owners manual recommendations over " a friend's" anyday.
When I bought my first 4 cyl car ( 1988 Chevy Nova...a twin to Toyota Corrola) my friend, who also owns a shop, told me a 4cyl engine would never make 100,000 miles.
He also told me using 5-30 oil was stupid.
He kept saying----------" I should know. I am a master mechanic"
I totally ignored his advice and went by the manual and used 5-30 oil.
That car gave me 256,000 trouble free miles.
Yup, I'll follow the owners manual recommendation over..............."a friend that owns a shop "......EVERYTIME !!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, the people that write the owner's manuals are actually performing tests and then making recommendations based on the outcomes of their tests rather than just making stuff up like most so-called mechanics do.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
