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Thread: 5w-20 too thin even durring winter?

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    5w-20 too thin even durring winter?

    I had some royal purple 5w-20 in the house so I used that for this oil change. I wanted to drop to a 5w from a 10 because of winter. Is a 20 to thin? Kinda feels like it may be... Trying to see if I can get 5.7L per 100k average or less; car sits at 5.8L average.



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    Senior Member Ajijic's Avatar
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    I think you would be best to stay with the viscosities listed in your manual, without sacrificing any engine protection.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2016 Micra Active manual: 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.9 mpg (Imp) ... 16.6 km/L ... 39.0 mpg (US) ...


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    Probably nothing. Seeing your in the winter zone your engine may just develop a tap noise at startup due to the thinner oil. It's the 20 you should be cautious about, that's geared to engine heat. Just switch it back next oil change. As for gaining gas mileage, probably not and if you do it will be minimal. I used to use royal purple but all it did was go in purple and come out gold. No noticeable improvement of performance or mileage so I stopped spending the big bucks on it. Now its Castrol synthetic.

    From the manual - Oil viscosity The engine oil viscosity or thickness changes with temperature. Because of this, it is important to select the engine oil viscosity based on the temperatures at which the vehicle will be operated before the next oil change. Choosing an oil viscosity other than that recommended could cause serious engine damage.

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    Administrator MetroMPG's Avatar
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    other winter tips

    To keep fuel economy from falling severely in the winter, there are lots of little steps you can take.

    - use the factory block heater - don't idle the engine
    - consider adding a transaxle heater
    - add a partial or fulle grille block (aerodynamic benefit as well as thermal benefit)
    - avoid short trips where the drivetrain doesn't fully warm up -- combine trips if possible
    - make sure your tires are properly inflated (as ambient temp drops = pressure falls in tires)
    - consider converting the factory CAI to warm air intake for cold months
    - clean all snow & ice from the body - especially roof (aero penalty from increased frontal area & drag coefficient)
    - turn off the A/C compressor if you don't need it when using the "defrost" setting (search the forum for more info)
    - Really pay attention to your highway speed: aero drag is proportional to both speed as well as air density. You burn more fuel per each KPH increase in colder, dense winter air than in warm summer air.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra S manual: 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.5 mpg (Imp) ... 20.0 km/L ... 47.0 mpg (US) ...


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    Administrator Daox's Avatar
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    When selecting oil, if the engine specs out 10W-30, I have no issues going to a 5W or even 0W. What I do shy away from is the -30 part of it. That is the determinant of how the oil reacts when its hot. When its cold, its always going to be thicker than when its hot. So, I'll go as thin as I can get. However, you want that hot number to be the same as that is what the engine was designed for. Going to thinner oil will likely wear the engine quicker. You could do an oil analysis to be sure though.

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    Senior Member Ajijic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daox View Post
    When selecting oil, if the engine specs out 10W-30, I have no issues going to a 5W or even 0W. What I do shy away from is the -30 part of it. That is the determinant of how the oil reacts when its hot. When its cold, its always going to be thicker than when its hot. So, I'll go as thin as I can get. However, you want that hot number to be the same as that is what the engine was designed for. Going to thinner oil will likely wear the engine quicker. You could do an oil analysis to be sure though.
    Very good advice...

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2016 Micra Active manual: 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.9 mpg (Imp) ... 16.6 km/L ... 39.0 mpg (US) ...


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    Im at 5.7L average lol It's a lot easier to drive at lower rpm's



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