This is a guest post about one of the sponsors of the FamousBloggers CommentLuv $3550 CASH PRIZES Blogging Contest by Stephanie Suesan Smith. Stephanie is a Master Gardener who offers gardening advice based on years of experience and extensive course training.
Buying oil is enough to drive you to drink! Not only are there several brands of oil, but there are funny number and letter combination that are supposed to tell you what kind of oil it is.
Why don’t they just use English, instead of 10W-30, SAE5W-30, and all those other things?
The SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers. This group developed the initial standards for automobiles in the United States. During World War II, these standards spread around the world.
The number is a measure of viscosity, or the ability to flow. Molasses has a much higher viscosity than water, for example. So the higher the number, the thicker the oil. This thickness is measured at around 100 degrees Celsius, or 210 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the approximate temperature inside a running engine.
Except when it isn’t running. The W in the oil label tells how thick the oil is before the engine is started. The W stands for winter. In the cold, when the engine starts, it is unlubricated until the oil warms and starts flowing. The longer the time that takes, the longer the engine wears at a high rate. Too long, and it burns up.
So a 10W-40, which is a popular grade of oil, runs like a SAE 10 oil when cold, and like a SAE 40 oil when hot. If you just chose a SAE10 oil, that would leave the oil too thin to protect the engine when it was hot. That, also, wears the engine out too fast.
Car manufacturers specify the grade of oil you put in the car in your owner’s manual. Most people these days buy synthetic oil because it wears better than non-synthetic oil. Amsoil was the original synthetic oil, so you can buy Amsoil motor oil if you want the best. You can specify Amsoil motor oil when you have your oil changed, or buy it over the internet from Lube Oil Sales. Go with the original synthetic motor oil, go with Amsoil.
This post is part of the Comment Luv/Famous Blogger comment contest. Head over to my entry on how to obtain blog comments and leave me a comment so I get more points. Post by Stephanie Suesan Smith.
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Hi, admin
Thanks a lot for sharing this valuable information to us. It is really very helpful and it would help so many people.
Thanks
Ellen Cooper would love you to read ..Top 15 Best Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffusers Reviews and Recommendations
It’s so great that you spelled out what the letters and numbers mean for different types of oils. I am just like you mentioned – usually so confused with which oils are which. One thing that I didn’t know that you mentioned was how synthetic oils wear better than non-synthetic oils. I will have to keep that in mind as I am buying a new car this fall. Things like that can really make the difference in how long your car keeps running.
I really don’t know what does that mean “10W-30, SAE5W-30” of this figure. But, i am clear about which is a popular grade of oil and after read this post i just came up to Amsoil which is best in synthetic oils, lubricants and filters.
I think the gas prices and car purchases are really related to each other. It is a great thing that car manufacturers are now finding ways on how to develop more eco-friendly cars.
Some of them oli names are really funny ..but don’t go on name choose the right one for your vehicle and keep in mind oil you choose for your car should be free flowing …i have a custom chevy truck and i always use SAE 10 oil .
The oils should flow smoothly flowing like molasses has which has higher viscosity than water thats why lot of people prefer it.. i prefer SAE 10 oil for my Recreational vehicles…nice information about about which type of oil to chose ..
Yes i too find oil name crazy while i go to buy oil for my old classic car but this oils are very effective and necessary for my cars.
Thanks, Stephanie, I didn’t know the first thing about automotive oil – now I know quite a bit more! Funny how one takes a lot of things for granted without thinking twice – I usually let the pump assistant decide what’s best for my car… No longer!
What an informative and interesting post about Amsoil motor oil, and you say it’s a review post? lol, I thought it was a how-to take care of your engine post and it read well from start to finish.
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Wow! Talk about comment heaven. That pretty much qualifies. I have to go walk my dog now…
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Yup, all sorts of oil. The one thing that transcends all types of oil is making sure it is clean. Most folks do not realize that oil cleans the engine in addition to the other more obvious functions. If oil is not changed regularly, the inside of the engine becomes dirty, and of course premature wear begins.
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Yes, my Dad used to harp on checking the oil every time we got gas and getting it changed when it got dirty. I have not blown up an engine yet.
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