Running thinner oil raised temps?

[Joggernot]

Originally Posted by arcosine

Going to 0w20 hasn't changed my engine temperature.

+1

[Miller88]

If anything - evidence points that cooler oil cools the metal parts of the engine better than heavier oil. Flows easier, quicker and is able to move throughout the system better.

[oil pan 4]

A temperature spike is never good.
Many years ago I ran 0w-30 oil in my camaro for a long time then one summer I switched to 10w-40 and saw a 10 to 15 degree temperature reduction and have ran 5w and 10w-40 ever since.

I agree, I would not run 5W-20 in anything higher milage even if speced for that oil.
Remember manufacturers recommend 0w-20 or 5w-20 for their benefit, not yours.

Cummins did a fuel economy test on their engines and found that there was only a 3% fuel economy difference between 15w-40 oil and 5w-20 oil. And only a 1% difference between 10w-30 and 5w-20 oils.
I posted a link to that study on here some where on another oil question post.

[oil pan 4]

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...els-25942.html

[RobertISaar]

the extra heat came from somewhere.... either from more friction within the engine itself or the oil is absorbing more of the heat created by combustion....

if one were to have a consistent history of used oil analyses(sp?), then you could determine which pretty easily. if not, kind of guessing.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by RobertISaar

the extra heat came from somewhere.... either from more friction within the engine itself or the oil is absorbing more of the heat created by combustion....

if one were to have a consistent history of used oil analyses(sp?), then you could determine which pretty easily. if not, kind of guessing.

IMHO, this is discussion is too much based in theory and too little in practical knowledge.

As an engine gets older and after it has had more wear on it, it might benefit from using a heavier weight oil. Where (in what climate) does the OP live? That has a bearing on choosing a multi-viscosity oil that would be best for the climate involved. There is no "one size fits all" best solution.

When it comes to oil choice and oil viscosity, living in Alaska is different than living in Florida...

The age of the engine matters. And its operating enviornment matters.

OP: ultimately, there may be another problem that is affecting your FE in coincidence with your recent oil change.

[Baltothewolf]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm sorry it took so long for me to reply but that's my life as it is now. Anyway, I figured out what the problem is, my rad fans refuse to kick on unless I turn on the AC. I know they used to kick on before but even unplugging the thing I did last time (the name of it escapes me) which forced them to come on doesn't do it anymore. I'm stumped and don't really have time to fix this. Sigh.

Also, I live in the high desert. 90+ degree summer days but the nights I know where it ran cooler it was within 5 degrees the same.

Also to answer a couple other things brought up...

My car only has 91k miles so I wouldn't consider the motor 'old' (please don't take that the wrong way, I'm just saying).

@Mech, Yea it's the original rad, but again, the car only has 91k original miles. It has seen 16k miles over 6 months though... (76,400 to 91,600 in 6 months).

[user removed]

Radiators are like arteries in humans, they clog up over time. An easy check is put your hand on the top and bottom radiator hoses. If the temp of both hoses is similar that indicates your radiator is not removing enough heat. The difference in temperature needs to be about 60 degrees. At the point where overheating occurs the grunge in your radiator has reached a critical point and the radiator should be replaced. You are there due to age, I'm surprized it is not leaking at almost 20 years age, and replacements are not that expensive.

The symptoms ususally occur in springtime when ambient temps are on the rise. The cooling fan issue needs to be resolved, or unplug the compressor and see if the fans come on with the compressor unplugged.

A decent low milegae car like yours can be destroyed by serious overheating and engine damage. I didn't think it was related to the change in oil viscosity alone. In fact I don't think the oil viscosity has anything to do with it , which is why I asked about the radiator. Radiator degradation is very common and the processis so gradual many people miss the symptoms and loose a good car to a $120 radiator.

I think your cooling fan temp sensor is bad as well if I understand your last post. Fix that and the radiator and SAVE that old Camry. Make sure the cooling system is properly bled to get rid of air pockets when you replace the radiator.

regards
Mech

[serialk11r]

I put 5W-20 blended with Lubromoly, a little 5W-30, and a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil in my 10W-30 spec 1ZZ-FE (the additives just make me feel good, snake oil). My reasoning is that my engine is not up to operating temperature over 70% of the time the engine is running (read: mostly cold starts and 1-2 mile trips) so using a 5W-20 means it'll be at the correct viscosity more of the time. If operating temp is noticably higher I'd be concerned though, I do notice higher oil consumption with 5W-20 which is mildly concerning.

[digital rules]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

I do notice higher oil consumption with 5W-20 which is mildly concerning.

Yes, that is strange. Been using Mobil 1 0w-20 all winter in my 1ZZ-FE with no consumption issues. How many miles on your engine?