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Oil question for the northern fellows

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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 12:45 PM
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From: Missoula, Montana
Oil question for the northern fellows

Ok, so livin in CA, I've been running 20w-50 in the FD, when I move back to Montana, should I go back to 10w-30? or keep the 20w-50 in? opions please!

thnx
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 12:50 PM
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From what I've read, you should run 20w50 in warmer climates and 10w30 in climates where it gets cold(though the term "cold" is relative....). I live in Va, so I plan on running 20w50 Spring, Summer, and Fall(we have pretty mild temps in the Fall), then switch to 10w30 in the winter.
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 12:53 PM
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right on, mainly in montana, from I'd say around mid-october-late-october it get's chilly, like 40-60 degrees, and then it just gets colder from there. Until around April, then it warms up to 60....
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 12:57 PM
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Down here, it rarely gets below 30 in January and Febuary. I imagine it gets ALOT colder in Montana :-).
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 01:32 PM
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rynberg's Avatar
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You will definitely want to run 10w30 in spring, fall, and winter. In fact, unless you are regularly beating the **** out of the car in hot weather, there's no need to use 20w50 in the first place, IMO...
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 01:34 PM
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Really? Well, I'm a pretty conservative driver, is there any advantage in using 20w50 for "mild" driving in mild weather?
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 01:37 PM
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From: Missoula, Montana
Same question, I started running 20w-50 because of my canyon driving times, where as back home, don't really have anything that would drop a big load as far as climbing or anything, and not many places to open her up, just at SCCA events every 2 months or so.... think I can get away with 10-30?

and yes, it drops to 20 below 0 from time to time, usually around 15 in the winter
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 05:53 PM
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One of the local news stations did a test with a quart of 20w50 vs. 10w30 last winter here in N.C. They left both outside overnight. The 20w50 froze solid. The 10w30 did not. We normally do not average below-freezing temps unless a cold-front moves through (which one did last winter)

Originally Posted by Comet
and yes, it drops to 20 below 0 from time to time, usually around 15 in the winter
Buy a block heater

Last edited by quicksilver_rx7; Sep 12, 2005 at 05:58 PM.
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