Engine oil numbers explained

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 

What do the oil numbers 10W-30 mean? Your engines rotating parts are protected from heat and friction by a thin layer of oil. Understanding the viscosity ratings and detergents used in today's modern oils is critical to keeping your engine running. 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. 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.

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.

23 Jan 2008 The purpose for which it is intended (i.e. Motor oil, Gear oil etc); The By this I mean that the difference between the lower "W" number and the  1 May 2017 This leaves some motorists to just ignore the numbers and details and use any With this, we will try to explain oil viscosity ratings in layman's terms. In other words, a SAE 30 motor oil is the same viscosity as a 10w-30 or  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.

You might have seen '10W-40' or '5W-30' on the oil packaging before – here we explain what it all means. The numbers represent the viscosity of the oil, which is  

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.

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 

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.

18 Mar 2019 SAE viscosity index includes the following numbers: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60. As a thumb rule, lower the number means lower 

What's written on your oil bottle, and what does it mean? This post may seem like going back to basics but I'm constantly surprised by the number of people who  16 Jan 2019 In a nutshell, the numbers before and after the W represent viscosity. The letter “ W” itself stands for Winter. As you may know, viscosity means the  2 Nov 2017 Choosing the right engine oil weight doesn't have to be complicated. Here's a look at what the numbers on the bottle actually mean. The "w" in motor oil stands for winter. The first number in the oil classification refers to a cold weather viscosity. The lower this number is, the less viscous your oil  14 Feb 2019 Viscosity means a fluid's resistance to flow. In motor oil, it's rated at zero degrees Fahrenheit (represented by the number preceding the "W" [for 

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 .