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All You Need To Know About Motor Oil Cold Flow

Written by Charleen

Winter (Cold) flow wear factors in your engine

Engineers agree that most engine wear occurs during cold starts. While the exact percentage depends on several factors and is difficult to define, the reasons include the following…

  • A richer air/fuel mixture at startup washes oil from the cylinder walls
  • Condensation forms inside the engine that causes rust and corrosion
  • Cold piston rings and cylinders don’t seal as well, causing combustion gases to “blow by” the rings and contaminate the oil
  • Gravity causes much of the oil to fall back into the oil sump, leaving components unprotected
  • Cold oil doesn’t flow immediately at startup, temporarily starving the engine of oil

While all these factors are important, lack of oil due to poor cold-flow properties is the biggest culprit. Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it.

“Cold” isn’t just for winter

First, it’s important to define a “cold” start. While true that oil thickens more in sub-zero winter weather and causes increased starting difficulty, an engine is considered “cold” after it’s sat long enough to cool to ambient temperature, typically overnight. Even in warm climates, cold-start wear is a problem.

The oil inside your engine cools as it sits overnight. As it cools, its viscosity increases (it thickens). When it’s time to start your vehicle in the morning, the thicker oil doesn’t flow through the engine as readily as it does when it’s at operating temperature. It’s during this time that vital engine parts can operate without lubrication, increasing wear.

The problem is more pronounced the colder it gets, particularly if you’re using conventional motor oil.

Waxes solidify in the cold

Conventional lubricants contain paraffins, or waxes, that solidify when the temperature drops. These waxes cause the oil to thicken. In the comparison shown here, we cooled a conventional oil and AMSOIL Signature Series 5W 30 Synthetic Motor Oil (ASL) to -40ºF. The conventional oil on the left thickened so much it barely flowed from the beaker. If that oil were inside your engine on a cold morning, it could prevent the crankshaft from spinning fast enough to start the engine, leaving you stranded. Even if the engine started, you wouldn’t be out of the woods. Thick, cold oil can fail to flow through the tiny screen openings on the oil pickup tube (see facing page), starving the engine of oil for several vital moments before the oil begins to heat up and flow throughout the engine.

In addition, thick oil can fail to flow through the tiny passages in the crankshaft to lubricate the main bearings. Similar oil passages in the camshaft ensure the engine’s upper end is lubricated (see facing page). The further away from the oil pump these oil passages reside, the longer it takes the oil to reach components at startup, placing your engine at increased risk of wear.

Poor lubricant cold-flow properties can also affect variable valve timing (VVT) systems. Engines equipped with VVT have solenoids with tiny openings through which the oil flows and acts as a hydraulic fluid to actuate VVT components. The solenoid pictured to the right, from a Ford* 3.5L EcoBoost* engine, contains openings .007 inches across – about the thickness of two sheets of paper. Oil that fails to flow through these tiny passages reduces VVT performance and can trigger a check-engine light.

Here’s how to protect your engine

AMSOIL synthetic motor oils provide better cold-flow properties than conventional oils. Our synthetic base oils don’t contain the waxes inherent to conventional oils. As a result, they demonstrate reduced pour points and provide increased fluidity during cold starts. This translates into oil that flows almost immediately through the oil pickup screen and other tiny oil passages when you start your engine, protecting it against wear.

Look at the oil’s pour point to gauge its ability to flow quickly at startup, typically reported on the oil’s data bulletin. Pour point is the coldest point at which an oil will flow. Lower values equal improved cold-flow and maximum wear protection. AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil, for example, provides a pour point of -50ºF (-58ºC).

Pique prospects’ curiosity

This type of information can help you create curiosity about AMSOIL products and lead someone from not looking for lubricants to looking for AMSOIL products. Ask pointed questions or provide useful information, such as…

  • Most engine wear occurs during cold starts. Do you take steps to guard against start-up wear?
  • Even in warm climates an engine is considered “cold” after it’s sat overnight.
  • Do you ever have trouble starting your truck on cold mornings?

Once they’ve shown interest, offer more technical explanation if required and offer AMSOIL synthetic motor oil as a solution to difficult cold starts and accelerated cold-start wear.

A little known fact

The differences in brands comparing a 5W-30 to the protection of a 10W-30 or 0W-30 can even be critical to the prevention of wear in the 50 to 65 degree F range. So just because you may live in a southern climate doesn’t mean you are in the green with a older specification viscosity.. A more advanced oil brand allows you to take advantage of the tech of the latest (lowest allowable) start-up viscosity year round.

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Can I Use The Same Oil Filter Twice?

Written by Charleen

Oil Filter Questions Answered – Use an Oil Filter Twice?

John Baker|

In theory, your filter has a simple job: capture wear-causing contaminants and hold them in the filter media so they don’t run amok inside your engine.

But lots of factors can throw a wrench into this plan, which can raise filtration questions.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • Can I use the same filter twice?
  • How long do filters last?
  • I forgot to change my filter when I changed oil. Is it too late?
  • Should I pre-fill the filter before installing?
  • Should I use a conventional or synthetic filter?
  • What’s inside an oil filter?
  • Can I use synthetic oil with a conventional filter? Or vice versa?

Can I use the same filter twice?

The filter is designed to capture contaminants and hold them within the filter media. Over time, the media fills with dirt particles, agglomerated soot, metal particles and other junk. If the filter plugs, the pressure differential will open the bypass valve, which allows oil to bypass the filter, preventing oil starvation. Sure, dirty oil is preferable to no oil, but it’s not a long term plan you can trust.

A new filter is far less expensive than a new engine. Don’t cheap-out – replace the filter with every oil change.

How long do filters last?

It depends on filter quality and your driving conditions.

A low-quality, cheap conventional filter doesn’t offer the capacity of a filter using synthetic media, meaning it fills with contaminants faster and requires more frequent changes. Plus, if you drive in dusty, dirty conditions, your engine is exposed to increased levels of airborne dirt particles that can enter the engine, especially if you haven’t changed the air filter in awhile or there’s a leak in the intake system.

Some modern direct-fuel-injection vehicles experience elevated fuel dilution, which also takes a toll on the filtration system. In diesel engines, soot particles can agglomerate into larger contaminants and lodge in the filter. This all adds up to more contaminants and more stress on the filter.

Follow the filter manufacturer’s service guidelines. If none are given, go with what’s recommended in your vehicle owner’s manual.

Shop AMSOIL Oil Filters

I forgot to change my filter when I changed oil. Is it too late?

No. Just change the filter as normal.

After the new filter is installed, run the engine for a couple minutes, then shut it off and allow several minutes for the oil to settle in the sump. Check the oil level and top-off as needed to make-up for the oil removed with the old filter.

Should I fill the filter before installing?

The Internet is full of pre-fillers and anti-pre-fillers, all of whom seem able to reference a high-mileage conversion van or pickup they’ve serviced for decades either pre-filling or never pre-filling the filter.

Some filter manufacturers say pre-filling the filter isn’t necessary. But remember – they make filters, not engines. There’s a reason engine manufacturers recommend 0W-XX or 5W-XX motor oils, and it’s so the oil flows readily at startup when it’s cold and the engine doesn’t go without vital lubrication while it builds oil pressure.

To help ensure the engine doesn’t start dry, we recommend you pre-fill the filter if you can.

Horizontally oriented filters can pose a problem, but even they can be pre-filled with some oil. I typically pour a little oil into the filter and tip it sideways and check the oil inside. If there’s room for more before it begins to spill out of the opening in the filter, I add a little more oil before installing the filter.

When you remove the old filter, make sure the o-ring comes with it.

Should I use a conventional or synthetic filter?

Use a filter made with synthetic media for best protection. Synthetic oil filters offer the following benefits:

  • Increased efficiency – Efficiency describes the filter’s ability to capture contaminants. You can usually find a filter’s efficiency rating on the package or the manufacturer’s website. It’s reported as a percentage followed by a micron rating (e.g. “99 percent at 20 microns,” which is the efficiency of AMSOIL Oil Filters). It refers to the percentage of contaminants 20 microns and larger the filter traps in industry-standard (ASTM D4548-12) testing. The higher the percentage, the better.
  • Increased capacity – Capacity refers to the amount of contaminants a filter can hold while still remaining effective. While there’s no industry-standard capacity rating, similar to the efficiency rating noted above, full synthetic media offers greater capacity than conventional media. The smaller fibers in synthetic media allow more room for contaminants to lodge without restricting oil flow.
  • Improved durability – Hot oil slowly degrades the resins that hold some filter media together. Extreme temperatures also degrade the anti-drain valve and baseplate gasket. Use a filter with reinforcement on the media, such as a wire backing, to withstand increased heat and longer drain intervals. Look for an anti-drain valve made of silicone for maximum durability. This ensures the oil stays in the filter after the engine is shut off, preventing dry starts the next day.

What’s inside an oil filter?

Most spin-on filters contain the following:

  • Filter media – the heart and soul of the filter. It’s where contaminants go to die. Once they lodge inside the filter media, they can’t circulate throughout your engine and cause wear.
  • Anti-drain valve – prevents oil from draining out of the filter when you shut-off the engine, ensuring immediate oil pressure at startup.
  • Gasket – technically it’s on the outside of the filter, but the gasket that creates a seal against the engine block is critical to preventing oil leaks.
nanofiber oil filter 20 micron

Can I use synthetic oil with a conventional filter? Or vice versa?

Yes, it’s perfectly safe to use either type of filter with either type of oil.

If you practice extended drain intervals using synthetic oil, however, a conventional oil filter may not offer the required service life, meaning you’ll have to change it in the middle of the oil drain interval, which is inconvenient.

That’s why AMSOIL Oil Filters are constructed to last up to 25,000 miles between changes, coinciding with the 25,000-mile drain interval of Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil. AMSOIL Oil Filters designated with product code EA15K offer 15,000-mile change intervals.

Find an AMSOIL Oil Filter for Your Vehicle

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How Engine Sludge Forms. And How To Prevent It.

Written by Charleen
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How Engine Sludge Forms. And How To Prevent It.

Ed Newman|

It’s ugly. It’s sludge.

Sludge.

It’s a disgusting phenomenon. Even the word sounds gross, like the thing it’s describing. The word for this is onomatopoeia, a strange word that many of us learned in high school English class. Splash. Grunt. Whoosh. Swish. Hiss. Frumpy. You know what I’m talking about.

What is sludge?

Sludge is a black gelatinous goo that renders equipment inoperable if not dealt with. And long before the engine’s demise, sludge can foul its sensors and interfere with performance. Some mechanics call it the “black death.”

How does motor oil, which is fluid, become a semi-solid paste or gel inside an engine?

How engine sludge forms

Essentially the formation of engine sludge is the result of a series of chemical reactions. The lubricant itself degrades as it is exposed to oxygen and elevated temperatures. The higher the temperature, the more rapid the rate of degradation. The by-products of this reaction form highly reactive compounds that further degrade the lubricant. Their by-products then react with other contaminants, forming organic acids and high-molecular-weight polymeric products. These products further react, forming the insoluble product known more commonly as sludge. What begins as a thin film of lacquer or varnish deposits on hot or cold metal surfaces eventually bakes into an expensive mess.

Synthetic base oils help prevent sludge

Fortunately, sludge and varnish deposits are something we oil manufacturers have a measure of control over. Using thermally stable base oils reduces the rate of initial degradation (oxidation). A good example of this is the use of common synthetic base oils such as API Group III, PAOs and Esters. Anti-oxidant additives help reduce the rate of degradation as well. One of the most widely used is zinc dithiophosphate. Not only is it an excellent oxidation inhibitor, it is an outstanding anti-wear additive as well.

So do high-quality additives

We can further address many of the issues occurring after the initial oxidation stage. Additive chemistry such as detergents and dispersants are commonly part of motor oil formulation. They help promote the suspension of contaminants within the oil and keep them from agglomerating. Detergents, which are also alkaline in nature, assist in neutralizing acids that are generated in the sludge-building process. Anti-oxidant, dispersant and detergent additives are consumed during use. To achieve maximum life expectancy, use an oil with high concentrations of these additives.

Severe service invites sludge

Good lubricants minimize sludge and varnish issues. How the equipment is used also has a bearing on the likelihood of sludge or varnish issues.

Stop-and-go driving, frequent/long-term idling and operation in excessively hot or cold weather can all increase the likelihood of sludge and varnish, especially if using more volatile conventional oils.

Interestingly, most auto manufactures note in their owner’s manual that operation under any of the above conditions is considered severe service and requires more frequent oil changes. From a mechanical standpoint, things like adding too much oil to the oil sump, antifreeze contamination, excessive soot loading, excessive oil foaming, poor engine combustion efficiency, excessive blow-by and emission-control-system issues can all lead to the formation of sludge and varnish.

By practicing good maintenance and using properly formulated, premium synthetic lubricants, like AMSOIL synthetic motor oil, your vehicle won’t succumb to the “black death.”

LOOK UP MY VEHICE

 

All ADVANCED AMSOIL products are available NOW in Sioux Falls at your full time AMSOIL store: The Synthetic Warehouse at 4610 W. 12th St. Sioux Falls, SD 57107

Just 1 block west of I29! 605-274-2580

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Exploring Causes of Motor Oil Consumption

Written by Ches Cain

What Causes Motor Oil Consumption?

amsoil marketing ed newmanEd Newman|

 

Everyone who owns a vehicle knows you need to regularly check the oil level. (Note: If you do not know this, you’d better go check your oil. and Check your tires too!!

Sioux Falls drivers check often for signs of oil consumptionA certain amount of oil loss is normal due to motor oil volatility – that is, boil-off due to the high-heat conditions inside an engine. I once attended two days of training at a quick lube (part of a major oil company chain) wherein they showed how their conventional oil lost up to 30 percent of its weight and their synthetic only 12 percent in a volatility test. It drove home the message I’d already adopted that synthetics were more resistant to oil consumption than conventional oils. AMSOIL synthetic motor oils are even more resistant to volatility. (Read about AMSOIL performance in the NOACK Volatility Test.)

Volatility isn’t the only reason you need to replenish your oil supply now and then. The problem of abnormal oil usage is far more complicated and, in fact, most of the causes are mechanical, not lubricant-related at all.

One of the major causes is engine leaks. An AMSOIL technical service bulletin titled “The Reasons for Motor Oil Consumption” says:

Some of the many points where external oil leaks may occur include oil lines, crankcase drain plug, oil-pan gasket, valve-cover gaskets, oil-pump gasket, fuel-pump gasket, timing case cover and camshaft bearing seal. No possible source of leakage should be neglected because even a very small leak can cause extremely high oil consumption. For example, it has been estimated that a leak of one drop of oil every 20 feet is approximately equal to a loss of one quart of oil every 100 miles. One way to check for external leaks is to road test the vehicle with a large piece of light-colored cloth tied under the engine. Oil on the cloth will indicate a leak, which should be traced to its source.

I recently burned a lot of cash trying to get an oil leak fixed. The first task is accurately locating the source of the leak. The problem may be front or rear main bearing seals, worn or damaged main bearings, worn or damaged connecting rod bearings, worn or damaged camshaft bearings, worn crankshaft journals, distorted cylinders, worn ring grooves, cracked or broken ring lands, problems with the wrist pins, clogged oil passages or even unequal tightening of bolts.

Sometimes a defective cooling system can cause engine overheating, which may result in localized hot spots in some of the cylinders that can lead to scuffing and scoring of cylinders, pistons and rings, resulting in high oil consumption.

If you really want to sink your teeth into it, causes for oil consumption can include too much oil in the crankcase, worn or broken piston rings, improper valve timing, incorrect oil pressure, piston slap, an internal gasket intake breach, spark knock, aftermarket performance chips and modifications, lugging engines, inappropriate operation of overdrive, leaking turbocharger seals, a restricted air intake and fuel dilution.

In short, few things are as simple as they might initially appear. When all is said and done, however, even though there may be multiple reasons for oil loss, in a mechanically sound engine it boils down to one: oil volatility. In this matter, synthetic motor oil provides better resistance to oil consumption. If you have a mechanically sound engine, you should be using synthetic oil to reduce oil consumption and to protect your investment. In addition to reduced oil usage, synthetics can reduce emissions and improve fuel economy.

During my three decades of writing about oil, I’ve always recommended a synthetic solution.

Local note: From our Sioux Falls store staff we hope you enjoy Ed’s blog. We will be posting more from his decades in the industry. It’s our quest to serve and inform Sioux Falls drivers and auto enthusiasts to the highest degree and always provide products which not only out perform but solve problems just the same.

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