oil question

MemphisTeg

Smoker,Joker,MidniteToker
i recently got my oil changed and after the fact noticed that they used 5w-20. i know were supposed to put 5w-30. now after doing this my car feels hesitant hround 2-4kRPM. would the 5w-20 cause this?????
 

TheSickestDC2

Banned
MemphisTeg said:
i recently got my oil changed and after the fact noticed that they used 5w-20. i know were supposed to put 5w-30. now after doing this my car feels hesitant hround 2-4kRPM. would the 5w-20 cause this?????
Click to expand...
i am not sure if it would do that all that means is that they used a thicker oil(correct me if i am wrong), but they should have used what it was called for, what i would do is do an oil change yourself and use the correct oil and see if it still feels hesitant.
 

SpooledupRacing

Banned
if they put in 5w20 and u use 5w30 then they used and oil with less protection but the same weight..

I plan to use 5w40 ELF fully synthetic oil when I change my oil tomorrow (just got the car, first time)

If you read into oil... Weight really is not a factor its what the il is formulated for (as far as specs and protection).

And to answer your question.. NO.. the oil they used will not cause the car to run differently.. I would check your plugs if those have not been done.
 

g3teg97

Super Moderator
TheSickestDC2 said:
why 10w-30 when it doesn't call for that?
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Taken from nicoclub.com

A little primer on multi grade oil before answering your question:
First off, oil weights are a measure of viscosity range. The higher the number, the heavier or thicker the oil. The weight is a actually a range so some are thicker and some are thinner. Oil weights are tested at 100°C or 212°F... similar to the operating temperature within the engine. Multi viscosity oils have 2 numbers. The 'W' stands for winter and is the equivalent weight at a low temperatures.

Example: 10W30

10W - This is the oil weight when cold (-25°C for 10W, -30°C for 5W and -35°C for 0W ). This oil will have a similar viscosity when cold to a 10 weight oil at 100°C. This number is especially important during the winter where lighter weights (lower numbers) make starting easier.

30 - This is the oil weight at 100°C or when the engine is warmed up. We need higher numbers here to adequately protect the motor during hot summers. Lighter weights can be used during winter and also give slightly better fuel economy but may increase engine wear.

Armed with the above info, we can answer the question: 0W30 and 5W30 have similar viscocities when hot. There should little difference in fuel economy. Now typically Mobil 1 5W30 tends to be on the thinner end of 30 weight and the new 0W30 'Advanced Fuel Economy' formula may be even lighter. This may translate into slightly better fuel economy than whatever type of 5W30 oil you are using now.

IMHO, stick with a 30 weight oil and do not go lighter. Nissan engines seem to prefer the heavier weights. If you really want to experiment with oils do the following:

1) Read up on the forums at bobistheoilguy.com lots of great info.
2) Start doing used oil analysis. This will tell you how your engine is wearing. Blackstone labs is a good source.
 


TheSickestDC2

Banned
g3teg97 said:
Taken from nicoclub.com

A little primer on multi grade oil before answering your question:
First off, oil weights are a measure of viscosity range. The higher the number, the heavier or thicker the oil. The weight is a actually a range so some are thicker and some are thinner. Oil weights are tested at 100°C or 212°F... similar to the operating temperature within the engine. Multi viscosity oils have 2 numbers. The 'W' stands for winter and is the equivalent weight at a low temperatures.

Example: 10W30

10W - This is the oil weight when cold (-25°C for 10W, -30°C for 5W and -35°C for 0W ). This oil will have a similar viscosity when cold to a 10 weight oil at 100°C. This number is especially important during the winter where lighter weights (lower numbers) make starting easier.

30 - This is the oil weight at 100°C or when the engine is warmed up. We need higher numbers here to adequately protect the motor during hot summers. Lighter weights can be used during winter and also give slightly better fuel economy but may increase engine wear.

Armed with the above info, we can answer the question: 0W30 and 5W30 have similar viscocities when hot. There should little difference in fuel economy. Now typically Mobil 1 5W30 tends to be on the thinner end of 30 weight and the new 0W30 'Advanced Fuel Economy' formula may be even lighter. This may translate into slightly better fuel economy than whatever type of 5W30 oil you are using now.

IMHO, stick with a 30 weight oil and do not go lighter. Nissan engines seem to prefer the heavier weights. If you really want to experiment with oils do the following:

1) Read up on the forums at bobistheoilguy.com lots of great info.
2) Start doing used oil analysis. This will tell you how your engine is wearing. Blackstone labs is a good source.
Click to expand...
wow that's some good info there never knew half of the stuff that was in the article thanks for clarifying that for me
 

Jasoneo5

New Member
on another note, I just switched to synthetic on my LS with 120k today, parked it, and am noticing a few oil drip spots on the cement under the car. Will this go away? Should I switch back to conventional?
 
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