Oil what does 5w30 mean

Some content provided by and under copyright by Autodata, Inc. What Do the Numbers on Oil Mean? By: Staff Published October 5, Older vehicles. As engines age, their parts often wear each other down. As a result, there can be more space between the parts of a ,mile engine than in the engine of a brand new car. For older vehicles, consider a higher oil weight to help fill in this extra space.

Very cold temperatures. If you often take short trips and live in a very cold climate, consider a lower number. This is why you would see something like this on the label: SAE 5W In a 5W for example, the number before the W describes the viscosity of the oil at low temperatures.

Multigrade oils such as SAE 5W and 10W are widely used because, under all but extremely hot or cold conditions, they are thin enough to flow at low temperatures and thick enough to perform satisfactorily at high temperatures. Pay attention! Home » 5W30 Oil: is it suitable for your car? All engine oils are rated based on viscosity or flow resistance and performance at extreme temperatures.

Like most motor oils produced today, 5w30 is a multi-grade oil, meaning it ranges from a lower viscosity grade of 5 to a higher viscosity grade of It has a hot viscosity grade of 30 which means that at high temperatures it is less viscous than an oil like 5w You should always use the oil recommended by Solution Oil.

The higher the number, the thicker the oil at a specified temperature. In some circumstances, thicker oil can be used to compensate for increased bearing clearances gaps between bearing and rotating shaft that have developed over the years. A large change in bearing clearances can result in poorer lubrication. For best performance always follow the recommendations for motor oil viscosity in your vehicle's owner's manual. When does it make sense to use straight weight oil SAE30 versus a multigrade oil 5W?

Straight weight oil is never recommended for use in a system that requires a multi-viscosity oil. Straight weight oils are generally recommended for smaller engines or older vehicles that were made before multi-viscosity oils were produced.

Is switching types of motor oil conventional, synthetic, etc. Conventional, synthetic blend, synthetic and high mileage motor oils are compatible and will not harm your vehicle's engine.