- 3/5/2025
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Engine Oil Viscosity
We hear the term viscosity a lot when we talk or read about engine oil, because it has a great relationship with the oil and is one of its most important elements that help it perform its functions, as the physical properties of engine oils are measured by properties such as viscosity, performance at high and low temperatures, as well as resistance to water and its change of state.
Global oil manufacturers optimize the performance of their oils by managing these properties using different base oils and additives, and the viscosity of the oil and how it changes under different temperatures and engine operating conditions is one of the most important properties that determine the performance of the oil and maintain it and the engine.
As the engine works, the oil is greatly affected and its viscosity is affected by heat, gravity, pressure and several other things, and here its molecules begin to interact against each other, which leads to higher friction with its resistance to flow inside the parts, and the greater the internal friction, the greater the viscosity of the oil, which means that how the oil's viscosity reacts to changes in temperature and pressure is determined by its ability to perform its work efficiently.
The cars that Motorgy offers you are used cars for sale in Kuwait whose engines are intensively examined to know its performance and the condition of the oil used in it, and all this information is attached to the comprehensive inspection report with each car, so you can choose your dream car knowing its full condition before buying.
Read more: How do I choose the right engine oil for my car?
What are the symbols on the engine oil canister?
As we mentioned to you earlier, the viscosity of the oil is its resistance to flow inside the engine during high and low temperatures, and engine oil cans contain numbers indicating the viscosity of this oil and viscosity coefficients, and the numbers are in this form 5W-30, 10W-40, 15W-50 and other different numbers.
The right oil for your car's engine is mentioned in your car's owner's manual and contains these numbers, which means that you should buy an oil that matches those numbers recommended by your car's manufacturer because they are the viscosity and flow numbers that are suitable for your specific car's engine.
We now come to these numbers and what they mean, we take for example a 5W-30 oil, the first section of the numbers is 5W, the letter W means winter, and the number with the letter 5 means the viscosity of this oil in winter or at low temperatures when starting the engine.
This means that the lower the number, the higher the viscosity of this oil at low temperatures, which often reaches below zero in the Arab world and perhaps even lower, so the lower the temperatures in the country where you live, the number accompanying the letter W should be low, with consultation with the agency, of course.
Read more: Causes of low engine oil in a car
As for the next number, 30, it indicates the viscosity of the oil at high temperatures or at the normal operating temperature of the engine, meaning that the viscosity and flow rate of this oil at high normal engine temperature is 30.
Like the first number 5, the lower the viscosity of the oil, the faster and smoother it moves through the engine, so you must choose the correct oil for your car in order for the oil to work efficiently through various high and low temperatures, and for the engine to operate at its best performance.
Be sure to refer to your owner's manual, dealership, or reliable websites for oil information for your car's engine, and be sure to put in a good quality and well-known brand to get the best performance and conserve fuel consumption.
Poor quality oil reduces engine performance, increases fuel consumption, and wears out engine parts with frequent use because it is not qualified to reduce friction between parts, so the engine will overheat, wear and tear, and may even fail completely.
