Oil question for George Mac

Hello,

I have been reading your posts concerning 10w-30 motor oil in your Honda. I
live just south of New York City, do you think a 10w motor oil in the dead
of winter would be too thick?

thanks,

Matt

 

Matt,
I'll throw my two cents into this one in case George is busy.

"Too thick" is a judgment call. I live in Saratoga and a few years ago
my father had a Mercury GarndMarquis. The thing was getting on in
years and began to consume an alarming amount of oil. In the summer I
used 20W50 in it. During the winter, 10W30 ... straight mineral oil,
no synthetic. It worked fine and even in below zero temps (say -15F or
even -20F) the car started OK.

HOWEVER, a 5W30 would have been preferable as it would have turned
over easier and gotten through the motor quicker. This should cut down
on start-up wear. I just wasn't sure it would stay in his car for too
long.

Now, I don't find that much of a difference in consumption between
weights.

I'd use the 5W30 in the winter with Pennzoil and Chevron being my
favorites because they use a Group II+ base oil and have given
top-notch results when samples of used oil have been tested for
evidence of wear. I believe Pennzoil flows better in the cold. Don't
use their "High Mileage Vehicle" formulas in the winter as they are
formulated on the thick side of each given weight.

--- Bror Jace