Which is better, 5w30 or 10w30?

[Vino]

Hi Genie,

Care to tell which is better for our use here. What are the main differences in the 2?

[Genie47]

5W has easier start up than 10W but 10W has higher temperature stability from the lower use of viscosity index improvers. The easier start up applies even in our supposedly warmer climate and not necessarily in winter only.

[Vino]

Since both can be used here, which will u recommend?

My concern is FC and engine protection.

[Hoppe]

How about 15W?

I think Genie did mention that this is the best grade for older cars since it contains some extra protection elements inside the oil.

[Guniang]

i doubt it will have a significant diff if u dun drag n race...

[Genie47]

As explained above. Only difference is the start up. You decide.

[Secondhand]

Just go for 5w40... Any higher it'll be 10w40...

Me gonna be using 5w40 for my upcoming 50K servicing. Been reading up on engine oil lately... And to wat I've read, anything higher than 5w40 is actually not necessary... Unless u visit PG often...

[Lanceteo]

dude if i wan something which gives me power and better pickup by any chance which shld i use? im not looking at better fc. by the way wad brand?

[Genie47]

Thinner engine oil will definitely give you a revv happy engine. Dyno results actually did prove it. About 6% more from 50wt to 20wt. I will not recommend brands. Only viscosities. If you want the most power and your car can actually take the oil, 20wt oil.

[Genie47]

Actually you cannot go up anymore. VAG cars work very well with MB229.3 oil. Go and get that CLTR.

[Secondhand]

Thinner engine oil meaning 0w30 rite? or 15w30? Got myself confused again...

[Genie47]

Don't confuse yourself. Your car needs MB229.3 oil. Such an oil exists in 0W30 grade and that is SLX-A3. It is thinner but meets the specs your car requires.

[Secondhand]

k... got it

[Lanceteo]

which is the thinnnest dat u recconmand. the thinner the beter rite? how does the figures actually work. can u explain them?

Edited June 26, 2005 by Lanceteo

[Genie47]

Some company did a test and found that on dyno, the 20wt oil gave 6% more horsepower than the 50wt oil.

 

But you cannot have thin oil all the time. 10W30 is recommended in this climate. A balance of protection and economy/power.

[Lanceteo]

ok wad happens if u put thin oil all the time wad happens? anyway thanks for the advice!

[Elfenstar]

Some company did a test and found that on dyno, the 20wt oil gave 6% more horsepower than the 50wt oil.

 

The reason is that thicker oil has a larger drag on the components if you didn't already know that.

[Genie47]

That depends. If you whack hard all the time but don't change it out as often, you are in for some serious damage. For example, you take a 5W20 out for tracking every weekend, confirm will suffer more wear than the usual driver but if you travel highway mostly, no problem. Whacking hard for a short couple of seconds at 6kRPM is nothing. Tracking is 6kRPM constantly for the whole tracking session. If you encounter traffic congestion for >20min a day, the thin oil may suffer from fuel dilution which may increase wear as well. Lots of factors.

 

If you plan to use 5W20, monitor 3 changes with oil analysis (1 year of car ownership if you are the average driver in Singapore clocking 30k a year). See how it goes. If the engine likes it, then continue to use. If it doesn't, use 10W30.