Changing engine oil grade for the winter?

[hpat]

Just wanted to get an idea of how many actually switch to a thinner viscosity during the winters?

Thoughts on this video below?

[undecided]

I personally use 0w-40 in the winter.....

[Mvy]

I wonder how many people with M3s actually dont garage them and leave them outside where the oil gets cold enough to make any difference at start up. Even on the coldest days here my car rarely gets below 50 degrees in the winter due to my garage so in my case I have always doubted changing oil weight due to weather is really necessary.

[bigjae1976]

It gets cold here in Wichita...I run 0w-40 from Oct to Mar.

[TomHudson]

I switch from 10w60 to 10w60..

...oh, wait...

[bmwfst1]

I think most people don't garage them. Because most people have crappie in there garage.

[SYT_Shadow]

On the E92 I only use 10W60. It is stored for winter

On the E90 which sees some winter use I use 10W60 in winter as well as it has the BE bearings.

[pbonsalb]

I use 0W40 year round. No track. If I change my bearings for a second time in a few years to ones with added clearance, I would go back to 10W60, or if I tracked the car I would consider using it during the track season.

[becausephilchow]

Non M3 insight, but, I never changed the weight of my oil on my GTI. Was parked outside during the winters too in Toronto, never had an issue at all.

[JRV]

I use 5w-50 all year round.

[BMRLVR]

Originally Posted by becausephilchow

Non M3 insight, but, I never changed the weight of my oil on my GTI. Was parked outside during the winters too in Toronto, never had an issue at all.

That is because your GTI specs a 5W oil which is not nearly as bad as a 10W in the cold months. With T.O.'s winter temperatures a 5W is fine, besides, VW engines don't run oil clearances nearly as tight as BMW.

[Solo_M_Tech]

No. I honestly don't see the point. BMW ///M tests all their cars in all environments. If they spec a 10w60, that's what you should use.

[pbonsalb]

Even with bmw clearance bearings?

[dparm]

LMFAO, a funnel pour test? What does that even prove? Oil is pumped out of the pan, it isn't poured out. There is an actual pumpability test which represents how engines really work. See below explanation:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forum...Number=1836257

[pbonsalb]

Years ago I think Mobil 1 showed a freezer test. Not sure what oil it was against but think it was dino oil.

[BMRLVR]

Originally Posted by dparm

LMFAO, a funnel pour test? What does that even prove? Oil is pumped out of the pan, it isn't poured out. There is an actual pumpability test which represents how engines really work. See below explanation:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forum...Number=1836257

If it can't be poured easily, it is harder to pump. That is what it proves.

[Solo_M_Tech]

I'm still waiting for someone to show the community, clear unbiased information regarding environmental temp and bearing wear. To my knowledge there isn't any correlation between the two. Colder oil is thicker, but no one has proven this creates or accelerates bearing wear. You can go ahead and speculate all you want, until someone shows clear evidence that colder weather increases wear with 10w60, there is absolutely no reason to switch oils in colder weather.

[pbonsalb]

There is the general concepts that 10W60 is thicker than 0W40 and that in winter any oil pours more slowly than when warm. And there is a general concern that stock bearing clearance is on the tight side.

[Solo_M_Tech]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

There is the general concepts that 10W60 is thicker than 0W40 and that in winter any oil pours more slowly than when warm. And there is a general concern that stock bearing clearance is on the tight side.

But there is zero evidence to prove that 10w60 is too thick for proper lubrication during winter temps. Everyone who switches does so because the internet told them too... no other reason at all. There is zero evidence that 0w40 helps in any way.

[Leonardo629]

Originally Posted by Uber///M

I'm still waiting for someone to show the community, clear unbiased information regarding environmental temp and bearing wear. To my knowledge there isn't any correlation between the two. Colder oil is thicker, but no one has proven this creates or accelerates bearing wear. You can go ahead and speculate all you want, until someone shows clear evidence that colder weather increases wear with 10w60, there is absolutely no reason to switch oils in colder weather.

Plenty of oil analysis showed reduce lead/copper when the switch to 0w40 is made regardless of ambient temp. They are all in the oil analysis thread.

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by Uber///M

But there is zero evidence to prove that 10w60 is too thick for proper lubrication during winter temps. Everyone who switches does so because the internet told them too... no other reason at all. There is zero evidence that 0w40 helps in any way.

I have observed that, along with people changing to extra clearance rod bearings. What bearings did you use when you changed?

[Solo_M_Tech]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I have observed that, along with people changing to extra clearance rod bearings. What bearings did you use when you changed?

VAC (Calico) bearings. I don't believe putting thinner bearings is gonna fix anything. Thinner oil may be better for extreme cold starts, but it's not gonna have the same load bearing capacity at full operating temps like the 10w60. Which is crucial to this engine survival. Without it, the bearings will shear the oil film and make contact with the crankshaft, leading to engine failure.


Note: If the oil analysis shows any copper in the system, the bearings are already toast and need to be changed. The reduced lead and copper counts in the 0w40 samples proves nothing to me. You can't rely on blackstone for your argument. There have been many reports of clean OA reports being followed by engine failure shortly after. I'm in the distorted rod bore camp. That's my theory as to why the bearings wear prematurely. Not actual oil clearance, but distorted rod bores creating metal to bearing contact under load. Something that is fixed with new bolts torqued to the proper spec, with correct clamp load values on the rod end.