The reason for lower weight oils is to get the oil to every wear component as quickly as possible on startup. This is most critical with the turbo chargers. Modern full synthetic motor oils are much more durable and lubricitous than dino oils.
The testament to the quality of engineering on both the engines and oil is in cars like my 2005 E320 CDI with 423,000 miles. The engine is just as strong as new, and the engine hasn't ever been cracked open. Not so much as the cam cover has come off. Original engine, original turbo, original lifters, original timing chain.
I will be opening up the engine to take a look at timing chain stretch, sprocket and cam lobe wear, etc before fall, so stay tuned if anyone is interested about that. I'll be doing a write-up here. It will be a good look at how well synthetic oil protects an engine.
The testament to the quality of engineering on both the engines and oil is in cars like my 2005 E320 CDI with 423,000 miles. The engine is just as strong as new, and the engine hasn't ever been cracked open. Not so much as the cam cover has come off. Original engine, original turbo, original lifters, original timing chain.
I will be opening up the engine to take a look at timing chain stretch, sprocket and cam lobe wear, etc before fall, so stay tuned if anyone is interested about that. I'll be doing a write-up here. It will be a good look at how well synthetic oil protects an engine.
