5W40

[fluidculture]

I currently have 5W40 Synthetic in my car. I can't seem to find a quart at my local shop. Can I mix something close to that number or should I stay away from doing that?

[msharifi]

I currently have 5W40 Synthetic in my car. I can't seem to find a quart at my local shop. Can I mix something close to that number or should I stay away from doing that?

You shouldn't mix different oil grade.

[risc427]

Personally I would avoid doing that. However, I do not know what the repercussions of mixing different weight oils are.

www.pap-parts.com - Total Quartz 5w40 (aka Elf)

[kwimberly]

If you're that low, why not just do a complete oil change?

[fluidculture]

thanks for the advice. i'll ask the shop where they got it from. not stocked on the shelf around here.

[infernocl]

you can mix oil no problem, chances are the old stuff sheared thinner and some widely available mobil 1 10w40 would actually improve viscosity.

[A6.S-line]

Why would you want to add 10W-40 (with the existing 5W-40) in a Chicago winter?

[jessefrank]

You shouldn't have any issues mixing any of the major brands of off the shelf oil. I personally wouldn't do it often, but in a emergency or till your next oil change...so what if it's a different brand.

What brand 5w40 do you have in it now? IMO If I couldn't find any 5w40 I'd go with either Mobil 1 0w40, any synthetic 5w30 or 0w30 (5w30 being the most common), especially during the winter.

If you add a quart of Xw30 oil, the 1.8 holds roughly 4.5 quarts...so thats 3.5 quarts 5w40 and 1, lets just say 5w30...which would effectively give you a 5w38 oil...so even with one full quart of oil at alower vicosity it won't really make much of difference.

[diagnosticator]

I agree with the prior replies advising no problem mixing oil grades as a top up when the main fill oil is not available. It's much more important that the oil level is topped up, compared to any unlikely (not an issue at all,) chance of negitive effects by mixing grades.

[3ohAvant]

my rule of thumb is to refill/top off with the same brand, same weight.

if not avail, then same brand, and different, but similarly close weight.

if thats not avail, then same brand, same line, diff weight, but close to what you want.

if thats not avail, then diff brand (a good name brand one) and your weight of choice.

i would stick with oils that are all synth though.

there is nothing wrong w/ mixing. people make "cocktails" all the time. typically for the tranny, but nothing wrong with it. esp if you're in a pinch.

[Plasticar]

yea, most of these guys are right. As long as you are using synthetic and something pretty close to what is in there, you should be fine. The slight difference in viscosity makes less difference than running a quart low. Is it exactly what you would want under perfect circumstances, no, but it is better than doing without. Just like if you were driving through the desert and the only gas at the station was regular. What you want? No, but better than doing without and running out. They test these things through the Arabian desert at 125 deg and above the Arctic Circle at -40 or more, so I think it can survive adding a quart of oil.

[Papachristou]

put some oil in your car

[B6480Avant]

do it

[B6Lovin]

only thing i'd stay away from is some 0w30. your winter might make it ok but if you put too much of an oil that thin in you can run into oil pressure problems. I had an intermittent light due to some 5w30 that i ran for awhile.

[braker15]

If you running low pour in any type of oil, crapy oil is better then no oil at all.

[monkey323i]

Personally I would avoid doing that. However, I do not know what the repercussions of mixing different weight oils are.

www.pap-parts.com - Total Quartz 5w40 (aka Elf)

+1 for Total 5w40 european formula. (elf)

They're true full synthetic class 4 oil while Mobil 1 is semi-synthetic class 3 oil.

[A4 Moda]

0 w 40?

Seems like cold winters could use some of that.

I use it all year round, and I"m in SoCal

[EBG 18T]

i find it hard to believe you can't 5w-40 synthetic at any local shops.

[diagnosticator]

only thing i'd stay away from is some 0w30. your winter might make it ok but if you put too much of an oil that thin in you can run into oil pressure problems. I had an intermittent light due to some 5w30 that i ran for awhile.

The situation with the GC Syntech 0w-30 is actually not what many believe. Specifically, the GC has less VI extenders, and the base synthetic fluids are sourced from non petroleum chemical feed stock more like a good 40 wt, but wont shear down and loose viscosity like many other lubes will due to the high content VI extenders used to achieve the 0w-40, and 5w-40 multi viscosity ratings.

Audi used GC as the OE fill, so it is fully capable all weather lubrication.

[dirtybrd]

If you running low pour in any type of oil, crapy oil is better then no oil at all.

Ding, Ding, Ding! The best answer yet.