MOTUL SCHOOL CHOOSING VISCOSITY GRADES For Your Car Developing & distributing the highest quality performance lubricants since 1853. Most oils these days are “Multigrades”, which simply means that the oil falls into 2 viscosity grades as shown by the numbers on the bottle. They were developed some 50 years ago to avoid the routine of using a thinner oil in winter and a thicker oil in summer. Understanding Viscosity Grades You will probably recognise these numbers on a bottle of oil, they are known as viscosity grades. Viscosity is the measurement of a fluids resistance to flow. Viscosity grades essentially let you know what temperatures the oil can handle. - Like how thick your oil is at its normal operating temperature, - Or how cold it can get before your oil stops flowing, - And how thin your oil is at hot temperatures. Reading Multgrades Understanding the numbers Multigrade Oil - Winter Grade ‘W’ - - - Summer Grade - Maintains the lubricant viscosity over extreme temperatures. Therefore giving your engine protection across a wide temperature range. The ‘W’ stands for ‘Winter’. The lower the number infront of the ‘W’, the lower the temperature the oil will remain liquid. It tells you the thickness of the oil and the absolute lowest temperature the oil will remain liquid in. Indicates the thickness of the oil at operating temperatures. This is important to know for those hot days when sitting in traffic. Viscosity Index Improver Clear Polymer How can the same oil work when it’s really cold and really hot? By adding a clear polymer powder to the oil known as a Viscosity Index Improver. The polymer expands as the oil gets hot, making the oil thicker. The Right Oil Changes Everything Choosing the right multigrade engine oil makes all the difference. The 3 key areas of benefit are; For Australia, where we regularly see 35deg C days in summer, having the right hot viscosity grade is essential for extending the engine life. The most common reason for oil to break down and damage your engine is excessive heat or inability to handle heat. MOTUL School Choosing Viscosity Grades
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