Vehicles are included in those tools that are beneficial to the people. With the invention of vehicles, people can already travel far distances without so much hassle. This is why vehicles have been considered one of the essential inventions there is in the world.
However, vehicles are not without maintenance. There are many things and maintenance that you have to do to maintain the maximum performance of your vehicle. One of the things that are needed by your vehicle is motor oil.
The motor oil will serve as a lubricant to the engine of your vehicle. Motor oils are used for internal combustion engines. This engine will serve to power lawn mowers, cars, motorcycles, and many other machines.
Another reason why motor oil is essential is that if your vehicle is running, the components in your vehicle will bump and grind with each other because there are many moving parts. With that, the motor oil’s function is to lubricate these parts to avoid tear and wear in your engine. The choices of motor oils can be plenty.
And some car drivers might be having a lot of problems in choosing the right motor oil for their engine. So in this article, we’ll be talking about the 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil.
We will discuss the differences between these motor oils and if you can swap them. Let us get started.
Table of Contents
What Is the Difference Between 0w30 and 0w40 Oil?
The 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil have their differences and even similarities. This section will differentiate 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil in fuel economy, hot weather, viscosity, oil grade, and price.
Viscosity
The grade of the motor oil will be overlapped with the viscosity of the motor oil. This means the resistance to the flow of specific fluid-like motor oil. So you can tell if you can use the particular motor oil with the viscosity of the motor oil.
For example, you might need a motor oil that would thicken instead of thinning out. The thicker motor oil means that the friction in the engine’s parts will be lesser than the quickly thinning motor oil. Of course, this is also true if the temperature is high.
But if the temperature is also too low, your engine will need a motor oil that would thin. This is to assure that the vehicle’s engine will not exert a lot of effort to operate its crankshaft. Unfortunately, in a cold environment, the thicker motor oil means that the vehicle will not start as efficiently as it should be.
The 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil are good in cold temperatures. This is because they both have the same grade number. On the other hand, the 0w40 motor oil will have the edge over the 0w30 motor oil when it comes to high temperatures.
Fuel Economy
The temperature will indicate if the 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil are suitable for the fuel economy. If you use both 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil in cold temperatures, these motor oils will be in perfect form and significantly improve your fuel economy.
On the other hand, if you use 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil in high temperatures, you will have the opposite result. As a result, there might not be any improvements in your fuel economy.
Hot Weather
The motor oils have their ranges of temperature in which they will operate best. The 0w shared grade is the temperature range of negative thirty-five degrees Celsius in border pumping temperature.
The 0w30 motor oil has a temperature range of twelve points five in kinematic centistokes. On the other hand, the 0w40 motor oil has sixteen point three at the maximum. The minimum is nine point three and twelve point five.
Oil Grade
One of the characteristics of motor oil is the oil grade. In definition, the oil grade is the grade given to the motor oil according to automotive engineers or SAE society. The grades of the motor oils are according to the viscosity level of the motor oil.
The numbers 0w meant the effectiveness of particular motor oil in frigid temperatures. Both 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil are similar in terms of their performance in cold weather. But they are not the same when it comes to heated temperatures.
The number after the w means the possibility of the motor oil thinning out. So, therefore, if we will talk about thinning out, the 0w40 motor oil is much better in hot weather than the 0w30 motor oil.
Price
There is also a difference between 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil when it comes to the price. The 0w30 motor oil is more affordable than the 0w40 motor oil. But the good news is that both 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil are not very expensive.
Can I Use 0w30 Instead of 0w40?
Yes, you can use 0w30 motor oil instead of 0w40 motor oil, but you have to make sure that your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends the 0w30 motor oil. If you want to, you can use it, but sticking with the recommended motor oil for your engine is wiser.
Accidentally Used 0w30 Instead of 0w40: Is It Ok?
If you ask if there will be damages or harmful effects to your vehicle, it will be pretty unlikely. There will be no damages that can happen.
However, there is a reason why your vehicle’s manufacturer is recommending a specific motor oil for your engine. One possible reason is that the recommended motor oil must be doing so much to benefit your engine.
0w30 vs 0w40 High Mileage
Using a 0w30 motor oil is okay. It can provide superior strength and fantastic protection. On the other hand, it was not really specified if the 0w40 motor oil can be used in high mileage cars. You just have to make sure if your vehicle will recommend it.
Which Is Better, 0w30 or 0w40 Oil?
This is a tricky question. The better motor oil between 0w30 motor oil and the 0w40 motor oil is the motor oil that is recommended by your manufacturer to be used in your engine. You should always stick with the motor oil that is recommended for your engine.
When Should I Use 0w30 And When 0w40?
Motor oil is the grade of oil known for the ability to preserve the life of your engine. It is also to save fuel for the vehicle. In addition, motor oil is a grade of oil that also can prevent anti-wear and anticorrosion.
It is also good in preventing any abrasive wear. The 0w30 motor oil is used in places or even times that have freezing weather. In freezing weather, this motor oil will make sure that your engine will be much lubricated.
This motor oil is used in aviation engines that are part of a two-cycle. But you still need to make sure if this motor oil is suitable and recommended for your engine.
On the other hand, the 0w40 motor oil is good for extreme weather in start-ups. Therefore, a lot of manufacturers also recommend this motor oil.
0w30 vs. 0w40 Toyota
The recommended motor oil for all Toyota engines is 5w30 motor oils. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil. However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing.
On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. But given this, you should still refer to the recommendation of your vehicle’s manufacturer.
0w30 vs. 0w40 Nissan
The recommended motor oil for Nissan vehicles is 5w30 and 10w30. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil. However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing.
On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. Still, you should refer to your owner’s manual.
0w30 vs 0w40 Subaru
The most common recommended motor oil for all Subaru engines is 0w20 and 5w30. There is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil. However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing.
On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. But given this, you should still refer to the recommendation of your vehicle’s manufacturer.
0w30 vs. 0w40 Mazda
According to Mazda, almost all their vehicles and SUVs will need 0w20 motor oil. Their lone standout might be used with some 5w30. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil.
However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing. On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. Still, you should refer to your owner’s manual.
0w30 vs 0w40 BMW
For all BMW engines, they are recommending 5w30 motor oil. There is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil. However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing.
On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. But given this, you should still refer to the recommendation of your vehicle’s manufacturer.
0w30 vs 0w40 Ford
In the 2020 ford owner’s manual, almost all engines must be using a 5w30 motor oil or 0w30 motor oil. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the 0w40 motor oil.
However, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. But given this, you should still refer to the recommendation of your vehicle’s manufacturer.
0w30 vs 0w40 Chevrolet
For Chevrolet, the recommended oil is 5w20, 5w30, or 10w30 in some engines. There is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil. However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing.
On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. Still, you should refer to your owner’s manual.
0w30 vs. 0w40 Jeep
The recommended viscosity for jeep vehicles is 0W20, 5W20, 5W30, or 10W30. There is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil. However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing.
On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. But given this, you should still refer to the recommendation of your vehicle’s manufacturer.
0w30 vs. 0w40 Volkswagen
For Volkswagen, their recommendation is only 5w30 and 0w20. There is no mention of the 0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil. However, you can use 0w30 motor oil in times or places where the weather is freezing.
On the other hand, you can use 0w40 motor oil for extreme weather because it is suitable for start-ups. Still, you should refer to your owner’s manual.
Summary
In summary, the motor oil that is used for your vehicle is essential. Therefore, you need to know about the recommended motor oil for your engine for every specific engine.
0w30 motor oil and 0w40 motor oil have their differences, but they also have similarities. So with that, it is essential to know what your vehicle would recommend in terms of using motor oil.
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