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Oil Viscosity
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Currently, there are many Viscosity of engine oil.
Oil viscosity, also called oil weight, is the thickness or fluidity
(flow ability) of the oil. A high viscosity oil is very thick and
resists flow. A low viscosity oil is very thin and flows easily. Each
one has a different temperature and viscosity characteristics. See the
chart below. The
Society of Automotive
Engineers or "SAE" is the standard in which all grades
of engine oil are rated. There is multi-grade and single grade oils.
In Single grade you will find from SAE 10 to SAE 60. 10 is thin and 60
is thick. In multi-grade is from 5w15 to 20w50. An SAE 4 oil
would be very light (low viscosity) and SAE 90 oil would be very heavy
(high viscosity). The viscosity of the oil used in internal-combustion
engines ranges from SAE 5 (arctic use) to SAE 60 (desert use). Note:
The SAE number of the oil has nothing to do with the
quality of the oil.
Oil Service Rating
The oil service rating is a set of letters printed on
the oil bottle to denote how well the oil will perform under operating
conditions. The
American Petroleum Institute (API) sets this performance
standard.
The API system for rating oil classifies oil according to its
performance characteristics. The higher rated oils contain additives
that provide maximum protection against rust, wear, oil oxidation, and
thickening at high temperatures. The oil service ratings are as
follows:
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SA—adequate for utility engines subjected to light
loads, moderate speeds, and clean conditions. Contains no additives.
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SB—adequate for automotive use under favorable
conditions (light loads, low speeds, and moderate temperatures) with
relatively short oil change intervals. Generally offers only minimal
protection to the engine against bearing scuffing, corrosion, and
oil oxidation. |
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SC—meets oil warranty requirements for 1964 through
1967 automotive gasoline engines. |
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SD—meets oil warranty requirements for 1968 through
1970 automotive gasoline engines. Offers additional protection over
SC oils that are necessary with the introduction of emission
controls. |
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SE—meets oil warranty requirements for 1972 through
1979 automotive gasoline engines. Stricter emission requirements
created the need for this detergent oil. |
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SF—meets oil warranty requirements for 1980 through
1988 automotive gasoline engines. The SF oil is designed to meet the
demands of small, high-revving engines. A SF oil can be used in all
automotive vehicles requiring detergent oil. |
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SG—meets oil warranty requirements for 1989 through
present automotive gasoline engines. Contains more additives than SF
oils. Can be used as CC or diesel type oils. It is a detergent oil.
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CA—meets all requirements for naturally aspirated
diesel engines operated on low sulfur fuel. |
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CB—meets all requirements for naturally aspirated
diesel engines operated on high sulfur fuel. |
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CC—meets all requirements for lightly supercharged
diesel engines. |
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CD—meets all requirements for moderately
supercharged diesel engines. |
"Who makes the best oil?" That's a
loaded question. There are different types of oil and grades.
The best oil for your VW depends on several factors: climate, traffic,
driving habits, average distance driven and speeds that are
maintained.
The Types are Semi-Synthetic, synthetic, and Mineral
oils.
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Semi-Synthetics include Mobil One, Castrol Synthetic
and others. Synthetics have the advantage of long life. They
can last as long as 25,000 miles, as opposed to the normal 2,500 to
3,000 mile oil changes. One drawback is the the cost.
Synthetics are expensive. This class of oil is still made from
crude oil, unlike a pure synthetic. |
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Amsoil is a Pure Synthetic engine oil. |
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Mineral oils are the ones like Castrol, Valvoline,
and many others all the way down to the bottle marked as "OIL" (It
is a white bottle, it has been a while since I have seen any of
these) |
One grade is "Pennsylvania grade Crude" oil.
This grade of oil is what is called "sweet" oil. It CAN leave
deposits that might damage your VW engine.
Usually, Dave uses Castrol GTX, only. And I use
Castrol GTX, Phillips Trop-Artic, and Valvoline. But mostly
Castol.
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Temperature in F |
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-60 |
-50 |
-40 |
-30 |
-20 |
-10 |
0 |
10 |
20 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
60 |
70 |
80 |
90 |
100 |
110 |
120 |
130 |
140 |
150 |
160 |
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type of oil |
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single grade |
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SAE90 |
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SAE70 |
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SAE60 |
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SAE50 |
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SAE40 |
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SAE30 |
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