Engine oil numbers explained

15 May 2018 (Think of the “W” as meaning “Winter.”) The classifications increase numerically; the lower the number, the lower the temperature at which the oil  The 'W' rating can be 5, 10, 15 or {20;} lower numbers mean the oil is thinner in cold temperatures, necessary for icy climates. The second  The 40 in a 10w-40 simply means that the oil must fall within certain viscosity limits at 100°C. This is a fixed limit and all oils that end in 40 must achieve these limits. Once again the lower the number, the thinner the oil: a 30 oil is thinner than a 40 oil at 100°C etc.

21 Feb 2019 As with monograde oils, the 'W' still means 'winter'. The number before this 'W' represents the winter viscosity grade – the engine's capacity to  9 May 2017 That's a potential temperature range of below zero to in excess of 100 degrees and this is where the numbers come in. The number on the bottle  9 Jul 2018 Oils with higher viscosity (a larger number) take longer to flow through the opening, while oils with lower viscosity (a smaller number) flow quicker. 17 Aug 2018 So you want to topup your car's engine oil and you want to do it yourself Fear not, we're here to talk you through what it all means, in a (mostly) The large numbers on a bottle of oil like 5W30 or 10w40 refer to its viscosity. 8 Nov 2013 Oil has to operate in temperatures ranging from a cold start in winter to normal driving conditions in summer. To meet this need, engine oils are  24 Oct 2019 The engine oil grade consists of 4 characters. Here we explain the meaning of each of them: The first number is followed by a 'W'. Here the W  29 Jan 2018 What this simply means is that the engine oil has never been tested in cold already deciphered what those numbers in the SAE ratings mean.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) assigns a viscosity number, or weight, to oil based on its flow at 210 degrees F, which is roughly the standard operating temperature for most motors. The higher the number, the thicker or slower flowing it is, which changes the nature of how it coats internal engine components and protects against heat and friction .

Here we explain what descriptions like 0W-20 and 5W-40 actually mean. Engine Oil Viscosity Grades. What do the viscosity numbers mean? 21 Feb 2019 As with monograde oils, the 'W' still means 'winter'. The number before this 'W' represents the winter viscosity grade – the engine's capacity to  9 May 2017 That's a potential temperature range of below zero to in excess of 100 degrees and this is where the numbers come in. The number on the bottle  9 Jul 2018 Oils with higher viscosity (a larger number) take longer to flow through the opening, while oils with lower viscosity (a smaller number) flow quicker. 17 Aug 2018 So you want to topup your car's engine oil and you want to do it yourself Fear not, we're here to talk you through what it all means, in a (mostly) The large numbers on a bottle of oil like 5W30 or 10w40 refer to its viscosity. 8 Nov 2013 Oil has to operate in temperatures ranging from a cold start in winter to normal driving conditions in summer. To meet this need, engine oils are  24 Oct 2019 The engine oil grade consists of 4 characters. Here we explain the meaning of each of them: The first number is followed by a 'W'. Here the W 

24 Oct 2019 The engine oil grade consists of 4 characters. Here we explain the meaning of each of them: The first number is followed by a 'W'. Here the W 

4 Aug 2019 SAE 5W-20 Motor Oil, This article helps you to understand if you should use it Numbers following the "SAE" on Motor Oil Label actually mean! 7 Nov 2018 What Do Oil Viscosity Numbers Mean Although gear oils and engine oils use different SAE numbering systems, the viscosities that the two  29 Jan 2018 This W with a number before it refers to the cold weather viscosity of the oil. This first number represents the oil's resistance to flow at 0 deg F. 16 May 2018 These numbers are the viscosity grades of oil at low and warm temperatures and can have We will use 5w30 as an example to explain this.

Basically, the lower the ‘W’ number, the better the cold performance and the higher the second number, the better the oil copes with high temperatures. But SAE 20W 50 motor oils are old-school, and engine tech has moved on. Modern engines have much finer tolerances and need much better low-temperature performance.

When you see a W on a viscosity rating it means that this oil viscosity has been tested at a Colder temperature. The numbers without the W are all tested at 210° F or 100° C which is considered an approximation of engine operating temperature. In other words, a SAE 30 motor oil is the same viscosity as a 10w-30 or 5W-30 at 210° (100° C). The difference is when the viscosity is tested at a much colder temperature. Numbers you find on different oil cans, such as SAE 30 or SAE 10W-30, are viscosity or weight numbers that indicate the thickness of the oil. The higher the number, the thicker is the oil. As earlier mentioned, SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE established the grading system, which includes a numerical code system.

20 Feb 2020 SAE number, code for specifying the viscosity of lubricating oil, established by the U.S. Society of Automotive Engineers. The numbers for 

29 Jan 2018 What this simply means is that the engine oil has never been tested in cold already deciphered what those numbers in the SAE ratings mean. 22 May 2018 What do those numbers mean? The Society of Automotive engineers came up with a system to measure oil viscosity with a number. They perform  So what do the numbers mean? The number preceding the W designates the viscosity at a low temperature, and the number following represents viscosity when 

Numbers you find on different oil cans, such as SAE 30 or SAE 10W-30, are viscosity or weight numbers that indicate the thickness of the oil. The higher the number, the thicker is the oil. As earlier mentioned, SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE established the grading system, which includes a numerical code system. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) assigns a viscosity number, or weight, to oil based on its flow at 210 degrees F, which is roughly the standard operating temperature for most motors. The higher the number, the thicker or slower flowing it is, which changes the nature of how it coats internal engine components and protects against heat and friction . When you see a W on a viscosity rating it means that this oil viscosity has been tested at a Colder temperature. The numbers without the W are all tested at 210° F or 100° C which is considered an approximation of engine operating temperature. In other words, a SAE 30 motor oil is the same viscosity as a 10w-30 or 5W-30 at 210° (100° C). The difference is when the viscosity is tested at a much colder temperature. Numbers you find on different oil cans, such as SAE 30 or SAE 10W-30, are viscosity or weight numbers that indicate the thickness of the oil. The higher the number, the thicker is the oil. As earlier mentioned, SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE established the grading system, which includes a numerical code system. S indicates the oil is for gasoline engines and the C indicates it's for diesel. The second letter indicates the level of cleansing protection. They are ordered alphabetically from worst to best.