what are the advantages and disadvantages of using 15w50 motor oil? I've got a 1989 560SEC with about 30,000 miles on it.
15w50
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Hi there,
I'll step in on this one.
I use 20W50 Castrol in my SEC & other 'Summer' cars.
The SEC has had that oil used in it pretty much all its life (92K miles). Another older friend has had nothing but 20W50 Castrol for the last 20 years....
Generally speaking, (and I'm no chemist or engineer) the wider the viscosity range, the higher percentage of polymers added to the oil. We were taught (Volvo Service School) that the polymers weren't all that good at actual lubricating and that a lower viscosity range was better for engine longevity. At the time, the Volvo engineers were sure that these 'additional' polymers were instrumental in unexpected 'premature' turbocharger wear among other things.
Maybe things have changed since those thrilling days of Volvo Service in the 1990s, but I'm stickin' with the Castrol..
In your question, you didn't specify advantages/disadvantages over what, so I stepped up with some personal experiences... which I hope are useful to you.
Cheers, MBL
I'll step in on this one.
I use 20W50 Castrol in my SEC & other 'Summer' cars.
The SEC has had that oil used in it pretty much all its life (92K miles). Another older friend has had nothing but 20W50 Castrol for the last 20 years....
Generally speaking, (and I'm no chemist or engineer) the wider the viscosity range, the higher percentage of polymers added to the oil. We were taught (Volvo Service School) that the polymers weren't all that good at actual lubricating and that a lower viscosity range was better for engine longevity. At the time, the Volvo engineers were sure that these 'additional' polymers were instrumental in unexpected 'premature' turbocharger wear among other things.
Maybe things have changed since those thrilling days of Volvo Service in the 1990s, but I'm stickin' with the Castrol..
In your question, you didn't specify advantages/disadvantages over what, so I stepped up with some personal experiences... which I hope are useful to you.
Cheers, MBL
15w50 is pretty expensive. ill make a difference to your wallet.
Mike
Mike
Joined
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2,118 Posts
True, the wider the range (low number is low temp, high number is high temp), the more polymers are added.
So a 0W-50 oil would have all polymers! 10W-40 is pretty good year-round oil. The "10" means it works well in low temps, and the "40" means it goes up farily well to high temp. But it is still a compromise.
Since most of us change oil frequently, better to choose the right weight for the season/temp, and your driving style.
So for winter/low temps you want a "thinner" oil that will do a good job of lubricating cylinder walls and not get thick/sludgy in the low temps. So I go with 5W-30 for cold areas.
For summer, get something like 10W-40, so the "40" means the oil is "thcker" and will not thin out and possibly bubble under high temps.
For very cold, look at oil with a "0" on the low range number. For very high temps, or track use, look for something with a "50" on the high range number.
Bruce
So a 0W-50 oil would have all polymers! 10W-40 is pretty good year-round oil. The "10" means it works well in low temps, and the "40" means it goes up farily well to high temp. But it is still a compromise.
Since most of us change oil frequently, better to choose the right weight for the season/temp, and your driving style.
So for winter/low temps you want a "thinner" oil that will do a good job of lubricating cylinder walls and not get thick/sludgy in the low temps. So I go with 5W-30 for cold areas.
For summer, get something like 10W-40, so the "40" means the oil is "thcker" and will not thin out and possibly bubble under high temps.
For very cold, look at oil with a "0" on the low range number. For very high temps, or track use, look for something with a "50" on the high range number.
Bruce
As Bruce points out, in 10W40 for example, the oil has the same viscosity COLD as 10W (COLD) and when at operating temperature (HOT) it has the same viscosity as HOT 40W oil. Which is to say... pretty stable overall.
Here's the oil viscosity chart for our cars from the Owner Handbook.
Obviously, oil choices were somewhat 'limited' when compared to todays offerings.
Confused yet?? [
]
Cheers, MBL
Here's the oil viscosity chart for our cars from the Owner Handbook.
Obviously, oil choices were somewhat 'limited' when compared to todays offerings.
Confused yet?? [
]Cheers, MBL
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Hi MorrisTigerson69
Use 20w50 in summer and 10w30 in winter. Use a good brand like Castrol GTX or Castrol Syntec Blend. They are moderately priced. Mobil synthetic is very expensive and may have a lot of polymers. Advantages and disadvantages are explained by our friends in the earlier posts. It is still the same as in 1990s.
Use 20w50 in summer and 10w30 in winter. Use a good brand like Castrol GTX or Castrol Syntec Blend. They are moderately priced. Mobil synthetic is very expensive and may have a lot of polymers. Advantages and disadvantages are explained by our friends in the earlier posts. It is still the same as in 1990s.
thanks everyone!
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