10w30-->5w30

Igovert500 · #1 10-29-2004, 11:05 AM

Gonna change my oil sometime next week when the weather gets warmer than 36 degrees. I'm considering switching to 5w30 due to the weather, as the manual suggests. Do you guys do this...notice any difference? I've never switched before, so I'm just wondering if you even notice a difference.

YogsVR4 · #2 10-29-2004, 11:22 AM

Can't say that I ever noticed any difference (I kept the 94 running in the winters when I had her).

Technical_Automan · #3 10-29-2004, 12:33 PM

Which manual is that? isn't the specified oil 20W-50?? and you should switch to 10W-30?? (I don't have the car manual)

Igovert500 · #4 10-29-2004, 04:06 PM

I'm going by memory, but I'm 95% sure that's what it says in my 96 vr4 owners manual...
Yours may be different due to no turbos...just a thought

osok_deadeye_21 · #5 10-29-2004, 04:51 PM

I was just wondering that exact same thing. Ok i am putting 5w30 into my car right now and i know that is thicker oil right? ok so should i put thicker or thinner oil in my car for winter?

StealthModifier · #6 10-29-2004, 07:48 PM

Ive always ran 10w-30 in my car.. then i checked with the automotive store and they said it called for 5w-30. so i got that and i havent noticed a difference

crazy_quick · #7 10-29-2004, 07:50 PM

As long as you let your car warm up in the winter its all good.

Technical_Automan · #8 10-29-2004, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osok_deadeye_21

I was just wondering that exact same thing. Ok i am putting 5w30 into my car right now and i know that is thicker oil right? ok so should i put thicker or thinner oil in my car for winter?

5W-30 is the thinnest automotive oil you can buy lol, little mixed up there. As far as the autostore saying that, better go back and make them look it up on the computer because you CAN run 5W-30 in any car, but that's not the manufacturer's recommendation. Too thin of oil means it won't lubricate the engine as well, leading to more wear (depending on the application). I remember the first time I went to buy oil for an oil change, I asked the guy which weight I should get, he said "5W-30 or 10W-50 will work fine", and I was like, "are you sure I heard something about it uses a different kind of oil". And sure enough when he looked it up it was 20W-50. But if you're going to have to deal with cold weather, i'd recommend 10W-30 and once warm weather hits again back to 20W-50.

osok_deadeye_21 · #9 10-29-2004, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technical_Automan

5W-30 is the thinnest automotive oil you can buy lol, little mixed up there. As far as the autostore saying that, better go back and make them look it up on the computer because you CAN run 5W-30 in any car, but that's not the manufacturer's recommendation. Too thin of oil means it won't lubricate the engine as well, leading to more wear (depending on the application). I remember the first time I went to buy oil for an oil change, I asked the guy which weight I should get, he said "5W-30 or 10W-50 will work fine", and I was like, "are you sure I heard something about it uses a different kind of oil". And sure enough when he looked it up it was 20W-50. But if you're going to have to deal with cold weather, i'd recommend 10W-30 and once warm weather hits again back to 20W-50.

just freaking great i just got my oil change today and put 5w 30 in it the mechanics there said 5w 30 is no different but i know it is which pisses me off cause these guys are supposed to know these things and help us out.

Thourun · #10 10-29-2004, 11:23 PM

I don't think theres much of a difference unless you run in extreem temparatures.

sLADe781 · #11 10-30-2004, 01:24 AM

Wait, is the 10w-30s just for the VR4s or any model? Because I have a '94 SL and have been putting 10w-30 in there because I thought that was the factory recommended oil. Which one is it for an SL?

Technical_Automan · #12 10-30-2004, 10:05 AM

20W-50, I thought it was that for both SL and VR4, but I only know the SL for sure. If you want to check, call up your local Mitsubishi dealer they'll have the right stuff. And Thorun is right about extreme temps, but in a high performance engine you're gonna want thicker oil.

StealthModifier · #13 10-30-2004, 08:25 PM

y do u put a thinner oil in during the winter?...so its not good to put 5w-30 in SL's?

Technical_Automan · #14 10-31-2004, 02:59 AM

thinner warms up quicker in the winter, easier to move the engine parts, 20W-50 in cold weather would take a long time for the engine to warm, and make it difficult to start. I would say its not good to put 5W-30 in an SL if you do any hard driving. Grandma probably could, but theres a HUGE difference between 5W-30 and the recommended 20W-50. In winter 10W-30 will be fine, because of the temp. outside. I'm not saying you can't put any of them in, but it's the life your car you're talking about, you're gonna want what the makers suggest.

BB1970 · #15 10-31-2004, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technical_Automan

5W-30 is the thinnest automotive oil you can buy lol, little mixed up there. As far as the autostore saying that, better go back and make them look it up on the computer because you CAN run 5W-30 in any car, but that's not the manufacturer's recommendation. Too thin of oil means it won't lubricate the engine as well, leading to more wear (depending on the application). I remember the first time I went to buy oil for an oil change, I asked the guy which weight I should get, he said "5W-30 or 10W-50 will work fine", and I was like, "are you sure I heard something about it uses a different kind of oil". And sure enough when he looked it up it was 20W-50. But if you're going to have to deal with cold weather, i'd recommend 10W-30 and once warm weather hits again back to 20W-50.

hi geoff,

0w-30, 0w-40 and 0w-50 is the thinnest oil available on the market at present.

the difference between 5w-30 and 10w-30 is minimal, you wouldnt know the difference in any way shape or form.

oil viscosity is recommended depending on your whereabouts in the world and the climate your car is in.

in the uk the spec on oil for a 3000gt is a 15w-40 mineral based oil which is used all year round.

changing the oil from 20w-50 to 10w-30 is a good idea for you guys in the winter as tech auto man suggests but personally i really do think that a 5w-30 oil should not be used in our cars. it is just too thin for our infamous tappets and i feel long term use with this oil could actually cause the tappets to fail completely.

ive been in the motor trade for nearly 20 years and its all very well this new oil coming out with higher specs than ever available for us but you must remember that our engines were produced and built from 1990-1991 and oil specification then was far lower than what they are now.
the tolerences in our engines are far wider than an engine is that has been produced in say 2003 hence oil being refined much more and thinner

the specs on oil for our generation of engine is acea a2 and is available in 10w-40 10w-30 20w-50 and 15w-40. any higher spec than that is good for our engines i.e fully sythetic oil etc but i personally would not go for a spec that is thinner than the ones above

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