Low Viscosity Motor Oils Are Here To Stay!

As petroleum resources continue to be used at astounding rates, the use of lighter viscosity motor oils has become a necessity in the automobile industry. The American Petroleum Institute (API) now calls low viscosity oils that meet their latest API SN designation as “Resource Conserving.” European OEMs like BMW and Mercedes-Benz only recommend using 5W-30 or 5W-40 viscosity motor oils, and other OEMs like Ford and Honda now tell consumers that 5W-20 or fully synthetic 0W-20 motor oils make their vehicles’ engines operate best.

Compared to high viscosity motor oils like 20W-50s, low viscosity motor oils maximize energy efficiency for improved fuel economy. Although thicker oils do have the inherent capability to provide better anti-wear protection for the engine, the robust additive package technology that is now available offsets any of the anti-wear advantages thick oils provide. These additive packages are now fortified with additives called anti-wear agents that repress the oxidation of metal inside an engine. Also, the light viscosity properties of these motor oils reduce drag, which has important friction reducing consequences that help to reduce engine wear anyways.