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In practical terms, oil viscosity affects engine start-up by determining how quickly oil reaches vital parts in colder conditions. Thinner oil, like 5W20, flows faster, reducing friction and wear during start-up and also improving fuel efficiency by reducing engine drag.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) provides a standardized system for rating the viscosity of motor oils. This system consists of single-grade oils, or monograde oils, with a single SAE grade (e.g., SAE 30) and multi-grade oils, denoted by a ‘W’ and a range of numbers (e.g., 10W-30).
MULTI-VISCOSITY OILS. "Multi viscosity oils have polymers added to a light base (5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate.
Oils with 10W-30 and other similar designations are referred to as multi-viscosity oils. The W stands for winter not weight and there is a standard called the SAE Viscosity Grades for Engine Oils – SAE J300.
Here's a breakdown of the key ingredients and how they contribute to the functionality of multigrade engine oil: Base Oils: The base oil, often derived from crude oil, forms the foundation of...
This video answers why, and how, a multi-grade oil can switch its viscosity from thin when cold, to thicker when hot. This seems odd! A simple, easy explanation of what engine oil...
Multi-Viscosity Oils. Many modern motor oils are labeled as multi-viscosity, indicated by a two-number system such as 5W-30. The 'W' stands for winter, and the first number denotes the oil's viscosity at low temperatures, while the second number represents viscosity at high temperatures.
Multi-grade oils commonly use viscosity modifiers to achieve more flexibility and can be identified by a viscosity range, such as SAE 10W-30. The letter "W" designates that an oil has been tested to perform in both cold weather as well as at normal engine operating temperatures.
As the oil heats up, the viscosity index improver uncurls with the effect that it tends to restrict the motion of the oil, or 'thickens' it, which to some extent counteracts the decrease in viscosity of the base oil. This enables the oil to support more load than would otherwise be possible.
Engine oil can be either straight weight or a multi-grade viscosity. A major difference between the two is simply the addition of a VI additive, which allows the oil to maintain more or less the same flow rate regardless of its operating environment.