Whats the difference between 0W30 and 10W30

wijcc · 7 Sep 2009 at 13:02

What is the difference between 0W30 and 10W30 engine oil? I have a spare bottle of 10W30 engine oil and the recommended oil for the car is 0W30 is it fine to use the 10W30 oil when I change the oil and oil filter instead of buying a new bottle of 0W30?
Thanks in advance guys

BennyC · 7 Sep 2009 at 13:21

Weight and Viscosity I believe?

Obviously for optimal performance use the recommended. I'm not too sure I'll let someone else answer

iaind · 7 Sep 2009 at 13:26

I was going to say 10, but thought better of it

whitecrook · 7 Sep 2009 at 13:39

iaind said:
I was going to say 10, but thought better of it

Actually the difference is '1'.

[TW]Fox · 7 Sep 2009 at 14:10

Whats the car?

Benihana · 7 Sep 2009 at 14:11

The diffence is that the 0w is thinner, which is better for start-up protection iirc? The other number is the viscosity when warm or something.

Rhyzz · 7 Sep 2009 at 14:17

^^ as above. 0W30 is thinner at cold temps. Normally used on high performance engines I think. I wouldn't put the 10W30 in, might be groggy on startup if you do.

Dr Who · 7 Sep 2009 at 14:18

10w refers to its viscosity when cold, so this will offer slightly better protection when cold at the expense of more strain starting and less economy when cold.

30w refers to its viscosity when warm, so once warm, the oil will perform the same as the 0w-30

The ranges of oil you can use in a vehicle can vary quite a bit depending on driving style, ambient temperatures etc etc. 10w should be fine for summer use, but may be a pain during the winter.

Phage · 7 Sep 2009 at 14:57

The 'w' is for weight. The numbers show the range of weights that the oil can mimic at different temperatures. When cold the 0w is very thin indeed. Perfect for cold starts under winter conditions, however it tops out at 30w and most cars require at least a 40w for higher temps. Unless you live in Finland then the 10-40 would be the way to go.

Obviously the greater the range, the better the oil. 10-50w is quite common and I believe the synthetics can do even better. Obviously it's vastly more expensive.

miniyazz · 7 Sep 2009 at 15:22

I wasn't aware the second value was quite so clearcut as higher = better? Are there no disadvantages to having a higher second value?

wijcc · 7 Sep 2009 at 16:37

[TW]Fox;14832282 said:
Whats the car?

Renault Scenic 1.4 2004, my sister's car.

Jonnycoupe · 7 Sep 2009 at 16:48

Phage said:
Obviously the greater the range, the better the oil. 10-50w is quite common and I believe the synthetics can do even better. Obviously it's vastly more expensive.

I dont think its a case of 'obviously' at all.

The oil grades are selected based on the engine materials, tolerances and design controlled by the OEM's so its best really to go with what the OEM recommends for that engine.

Django x2 · 7 Sep 2009 at 16:48

Weight. The W stands for 'winter' though, as in, its cold starting viscosity.

Django x2 · 7 Sep 2009 at 16:49

Phage said:
The 'w' is for weight.

No, it's not. Common misconception apparently.

Jonnycoupe · 7 Sep 2009 at 16:51

I doubt the oil weighs significantly different with each grade step anyway

wijcc · 7 Sep 2009 at 17:00

halfords guide recommends 10W40 or 0W30

Jonny69 · 7 Sep 2009 at 17:16

It won't kill it. Her 1996 Scenic takes 10W40 but I just use cheap 20W50 in it.

Some BMW engines are very fussy about their oil, according to people on here anyway, but one grade difference won't do it any harm if you're changing it every 5000 miles.

Simon · 7 Sep 2009 at 17:44

Jonny69 said:
It won't kill it. Her 1996 Scenic takes 10W40 but I just use cheap 20W50 in it.

Some BMW engines are very fussy about their oil, according to people on here anyway, but one grade difference won't do it any harm if you're changing it every 5000 miles.

0W is needed on the diesels as they run counterbalance shafts in the sump which needs a thin oil in the cold.
The grade has no affect on the service interval duration

The rest of it it entirely subjective, there is no 'x is better'. it all depends on the engine

Entai · 7 Sep 2009 at 17:53

The answer is at normal engine operating temperatures (or to be more precise at 100 degrees c) there is absolutely no difference at all.
They both have the same viscosity rating of SAE30.
Note that the high number - ie. 30, 40, 50 etc. is always measured at 100°C, whereas the lower number viscosity temperature measurement point varies, ie 0W is measured at -30°C, 5W is measured at -25°C, 10W is measured at -20°C and 15W is measured at -15°C.

Simon · 7 Sep 2009 at 18:10

Entai said:
The answer is at normal engine operating temperatures (or to be more precise at 100 degrees c) there is absolutely no difference at all.
They both have the same viscosity rating of SAE30.
Note that the high number - ie. 30, 40, 50 etc. is always measured at 100°C, whereas the lower number viscosity temperature measurement point varies, ie 0W is measured at -30°C, 5W is measured at -25°C, 10W is measured at -20°C and 15W is measured at -15°C.

Hard to comment on that, one could be a thin 30 grade, the other a thick. Even if they are both the same KV100, the type of VM used can influence the actual viscosity under shear conditions.

Also the winter grade gives an indication of the base oil used.

Your numbers are 5C out, a 0W is measured at -35C, if it is above 6200cP here but below 6600cP at -30 then it will be a 5W.

Whats the difference between 0W30 and 10W30

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