What is viscosity grade?

The viscosity grade of a motor oil provides information on the oil's resistance to flow in your vehicle's engine. A lubricant with a low viscosity grade will be more fluid, more liquid, and will flow more easily.

What does ISO viscosity grade mean?

ISO VG stands for “International Standards Organization Viscosity Grade” and is reported in numbers ranging from 2 all the way up to 1500. This number is critical because a lubricant's viscosity is the single most important factor when selecting the right oil for your machinery.

What is SAE viscosity grade?

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) viscosity grading system for engine oils consists of “W” grades that define low temperature viscosities and “straight” grades that put further limits on high temperature viscosities.

How do you read viscosity grades?

The lower the number, the less the oil thickens in cold weather. The numbers after the “XW” indicate viscosity at 100 degrees Celsius and represent the oil's resistance to thinning at high temperatures. For instance, oil with a 5W-30 grade thickens less than oil with a 10W-30 grade in cold weather.

What are the 3 grades of oil?

In general, there are three types of engine oil: Mineral, Semi-Synthetic and Synthetic Engine Oils.

What is Viscosity | Understanding Resistance to Flow

What oil grade means?

Oil grades relate to an oil product's performance at operating temperature (about 212 degrees Fahrenheit in your engine). You might be familiar with terms such as “30-weight” or “10W-30” oil. Those numbers refer to the grade. The higher the number, the thicker the oil. The lower the number, the thinner.

What is SAE oil mean?

A letter for every lubricant type

Therefore the first three letters you need to know are SAE, the acronym of the Society of Automotive Engineers. This society is responsible for establishing a classification system based solely on oil viscosity.

Is higher viscosity oil better?

Thin, low viscosity oils flow easier to protect engine parts at cold temperature. Thick, high viscosity oils are typically better at maintaining film strength to protect engines at high temperatures.

How do I choose oil grade?

The owner's manual for your car will list its recommended oil weight, whether that's a standard format like 10W-30 or something more unusual. That number refers to the viscosity (or thickness) of the oil that you should use.

What does 5W 40 mean?

5w40 motor oil has a winter viscosity grade of five, meaning it's less viscous at very low temperatures, compared to, say, 10w40. It has a hot viscosity grade of 40, which means it is just as viscous as 10w40 at high temperatures but less viscous than oils such as 15w50.

What viscosity is SAE 30?

The SAE 30 oil is a single grade oil with a viscosity rating of 30. It's called a single grade (or monograde) oil because it only has one viscosity grade. This is different from a multi grade oil, like 10W-30, which is rated for both SAE 10W and SAE 30.

What does SAE 40 stand for?

SAE 40 & SAE 50 Diesel Engine Oil manufactures oil got from characteristic or unrefined petroleum. Here, SAE represents Society of Automotive Engineers and 40 alludes to the consistency of the oil.

What does 15W40 mean?

15W40 refers to the SAE class according to which the engine oil was classified. The SAE class describes the viscosity of an oil, i.e. its flow properties as a function of the operating temperature. Engine oils of class 15W40 are multigrade oils. These have good flow properties at cold and warm temperatures.

What viscosity is ISO 32?

For example, ISO viscosity grade 32 relates to the viscosity bracket 28.8 to 35.2 mm2/s, the mid point of which is 32.0 mm2/s.

What does ISO 32 stand for?

ISO 32-46-68-100 Hydraulic Oil Temperature Range | Hydraulic Oil Specification Chart. What is hydraulic oil? Hydraulic oil (also known as hydraulic fluid) can be synthetic or mineral based. It's a non-compressible fluid that is used to transfer power within hydraulic machinery and equipment.

What's the difference between ISO 32 and ISO 46?

32 is thinner, No. 46 is medium and No. 68 is thicker. Generally speaking, if the temperature is low in winter, use #32 & #46 hydraulic oil with a lower viscosity, and use #68 hydraulic oil with a higher viscosity in summer.

Which oil viscosity is best?

For very cold weather, a viscosity rating of 5W-30 provides maximum protection. When driving in temperatures running from 0 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, a rating of 10W-30 offers excellent all around protection. For driving in extremely hot conditions, 20W-50 oil offers the best protection.

What is 15w40 oil used for?

ADVANTAGE 15W-40 HEAVY DUTY DIESEL ENGINE OIL can be used with complete success in over-the-road diesel trucks, off-highway diesel equipment, farm tractors, and passenger cars and light trucks with diesel, turbo-charged diesel engines, or gasoline engines and is backward compatible with previous API Oil Categories.

What does 10w40 oil mean?

10W-40 is the viscosity, or weight, of the motor oil as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE for short). A 10W-40 oil has a viscosity grade of 10W at a low temperature and 40 at a higher temperature. What does this mean, exactly? Motor oil thickens when it's cold and becomes thinner when heated up.

Which oil is thicker 30 or 40?

The higher the number, the more viscous or thicker, the oil is at higher temperatures. This means that at 100^oC, 10W30 engine oil has the viscosity of an SAE 30 single grade oil, and 10W40 oil has SAE 40 viscosity. 10W40 oil has a higher viscosity, retaining more thickness than 10W30 as the temperature rises.

When should I use 20w50 oil?

20W-50 is only used for certain older vehicles or worn engines that require the extra cushioning of a high viscosity oil. Other than that, it really isn't a high mileage oil. This is because 20W-50 is a thicker oil, and the added resistance can cause further engine wear and damage to both newer and older vehicles.

Is 10W30 thicker than 5w30?

So both the oils 5W–30 and 10W–30 have exactly the same viscosity (SAE 30) when your engine is running, and will perform in the same way. However, the 10W–30 oil will be thicker (higher viscosity) than the 5W–30 when it is cool.

What does API mean in oil?

API stands for American Petroleum Institute. In 1970, along with the SAE and ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), they established the API Service Classification System to define the performance level of a given oil, unrelated in the main, to oil viscosity.

What is the difference between SF and SAE oil?

An API service rating of "SF" means the oil meets all new car warranty requirements for 1981 and newer models. "SE" means the oil is usable in all 1972-1980 vehicles.