Difference Between 5w30 and 10w30 (2023)

FAQs

Is it better to use 5w30 or 10w30? ›

Suitable Vehicle Types. 5W-30 multi grade oil is ideal for private vehicles and light-duty petrol and diesel engines. It also provides a better cold temperature start than 10W-30 oil. On the other hand, the slightly thicker oil,10W-30, provides better lubrication for commercial vehicles and heavy-load engine cars.

Yes, you can use 10w30 instead of 5w30 in most cases. However, it is crucial to check your vehicle's owner's manual to ensure that 10w30 is the correct weight for your car. In this blog post, we will clear up the confusion and explain the difference between these two motor oils.

What Do Oil Viscosity Numbers Mean? The five and 10 digits refer to the viscosity at cooler temperatures. So, that means when you are comparing 5w30 vs. 10w30, the thinner 5w30 will circulate quicker, and flow through bearing tolerances better during an engine startup in the winter or colder climates.

Yes. 5w30 and 10w30 are both 30 weight oils and the exact same thickness in your engine when it is at operating temperature. The 5w30 is better because it thickens less when cool or cold.

10W-30 motor oil is recommended for ambient temperatures not exceeding -30°C/-22°F in the winter or 35°C/95°F in the summer. This is a great motor oil to use if you live in Canada or cooler U.S. states. Colder regions would require 5W-20, while hotter regions may call for 10W-40.

Using 10W-30 instead of 5W-30, however, could make cold starts more difficult. It's helpful to think of the “W” as standing for “winter.” The lower the oil's “W” viscosity, the more readily it will flow when cold. In this case, 5W-30 will flow more easily at startup than 10W-30.

10W-30 motor oil makes for a decent high-mileage oil. It gives a better fuel economy while reducing the oil consumption for older engines. Older engines with more than 75,000 miles on them require a thicker oil that will properly lubricate their critical engine parts and prevent oil leaks, sludge, and deposits.

Many older, high mileage engines might face issues with oil pressure due to age and wear and tear. In this case, a practical method to improve oil pressure is to use a thicker oil, since the thicker oils have heavier base weight oil, which can help protect worn engine bearings well.

Therefore, there is no problem in mixing 10w30 and 5w30 since one will be topping up. Mixing the viscosity of oils will not have any effect on the engine. 5w30 and 10w30 engine oils have close viscosity, and thus there is no harm in mixing them.

When should I use 5w30 oil? You should always use the oil recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer. However, 5w30 oil can function in temperatures as low as -30ºC and as high as 40ºC, making it an ideal choice if you drive your car in a place with relatively high seasonal temperature variations.

Is 5w 30 for summer or winter? ›

5w30 motor oil has a winter viscosity grade of five, meaning it's less viscous (less thick) at very low temperatures compared to, say, 10w30. It has a hot viscosity grade of 30, which means it is less viscous at high temperatures than an oil such as 5w50.

A 30 grade oil, thick enough to protect in the heat, was recommended for summer use. Then, multi-grade oils were formulated. A 10W-30 had the winter cold start flow properties of a 10W and the summer, high-temperature thickness of a 30 grade.

The Bottom Line. A multi-viscosity 5W30 oil flows quicker in cold weather and is recommended for year-round protection, and a synthetic 5W30 multi-viscosity will provide the best protection you can get in both extremely cold weather and extremely hot engine temperatures.

Mobil 1 advanced synthetic motor oil provides outstanding high-temperature performance and is proven to protect at engine temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

5W-30 oil is the lead viscosity recommendation by automakers over the past four decades for use in many vehicle types - passenger cars, SUVs, light vans and trucks – including those with high-performance turbo-charged and supercharged engines.

Cause damage to engine life

The wrong engine oil can cause engine damage because it does not properly lubricate its components. This will lead to metal-on-metal contact since the moving parts are not being lubricated. Friction quickly follows, causing engine parts to wear.

The “W” in that number stands for “Winter”, and the number before it (the “10”, in this case) is the viscosity or thickness. When the cold weather comes, you want a lower number, meaning thinner oil, which will smoothly coat the insides of your engine even in the most frigid weather.

What happens if you use the wrong engine oil? By mistake, we put 10W40 instead of 5W30. Nothing catastrophic, the engine won't explode the moment you turn the key. HOWEVER, with the oil being too thick the engine won't have adequate protection and it'll wear out faster (especially the bearings).

High mileage protection

Mobil Super™ High Mileage 5W-30 uses a combination of synthetic and conventional high quality base oils combined with modern performance additives to help provide long engine life and outstanding protection for vehicles with more than 75,000 miles.

Protects for 10,000 miles between oil changes*

Nothing outperforms Mobil 1 in overall performance, a motor oil which comes as standard equipment in many different vehicle models, including select high-performance vehicles.

Is 5w30 good for old cars? ›

Motor oils are graded based on their viscosity. 5w 20 and 5w 30 engine oils are commonly used in colder temperatures. However, they are recommended for older engines and light-duty use. This is because an oil with a higher rating indicates that it is thicker and suits well those engines which run hot easily.

The thicker that oil is, the more energy it takes to pump that oil, which uses fuel. Just like people may take blood thinner to make it easier on their heart to pump it, it's the same with engine oil.

Conventional oil often formed sludge that plugged those gaps, but synthetic oil does a great job of cleaning engine sludge – and opening up those gaps. Modern synthetic oil products contain detergents that are less harsh on engine seals.

What is considered high-mileage? Typically, putting 13,000 to 14,000 miles on your car per year is viewed as “average.” A car that is driven more than that is considered high-mileage. With proper maintenance, cars can have a life expectancy of about 200,000 miles.

Mobil 1 Extended Performance High Mileage 5W-30 advanced full synthetic motor oil is designed to protect critical engine parts for up to 20,000 miles between oil changes^† and help extend the life of vehicles with more than 75,000 miles.

What does SAE 5W-30 mean? The short answer:The numbers represent the viscosity of the oil and the W stands for WINTER.

Designed for high mileage vehicles

Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W-30 motor oil is recommended by ExxonMobil for use in high mileage vehicles (even those that have used lower quality conventional oils^†), including: Cars. Trucks.

Many older, high mileage engines might face issues with oil pressure due to age and wear and tear. In this case, a practical method to improve oil pressure is to use a thicker oil, since the thicker oils have heavier base weight oil, which can help protect worn engine bearings well.

Both oils are exactly the same at operating temperature. The 5W is "thinner"/less viscous than the 10W when its cold. Unless your engine's already on its way out switching to a 5W will improve starting in colder temperatures and help reduce engine wear at start up.

It's best to use the oil viscosity recommended in the owner's manual, but using a slightly thinner or thicker oil (lighter or heavier viscosity) generally poses no long-term harm.

Is 5W30 good for high mileage engine? ›

High mileage protection

Mobil Super™ High Mileage 5W-30 uses a combination of synthetic and conventional high quality base oils combined with modern performance additives to help provide long engine life and outstanding protection for vehicles with more than 75,000 miles.

The answer is yes. It is absolutely fine for your vehicle as they have pretty much the same grade of viscosity in temperature, thereby making them blend well together.

Full synthetic oils will actually last well beyond 10,000 miles. The lifespan of synthetic oil depends, but it's not crazy to see oils still working at 15,000 miles or longer.

As a rule of thumb, most new cars require synthetic oil. Older cars generally run well with conventional oil, unless your vehicle has more than 75,000 miles on it, in which case high-mileage oil is recommended.

5w 20 and 5w 30 engine oils are commonly used in colder temperatures. However, they are recommended for older engines and light-duty use. This is because an oil with a higher rating indicates that it is thicker and suits well those engines which run hot easily.

Because of wear, vehicles are more likely to consume engine oil as they age. Burning oil is a common problem, but when it is ignored, it can do major damage to your car's engine.

10w30 is thicker than 5w30 because it has a higher viscosity in low temperatures. The engine oil will flow slower than 5w30 during the cold season. Thicker or higher-viscosity metal oil has a better seal compared to low-viscosity oil. Thicker oil offers better lubrication of motor and engine parts.

Using the wrong engine oil can cause the metal parts of your engine to shear, making additional noise, and leaving metal shavings in your engine oil. If the temperature has been very cold, you might also be in for some trouble.