New oil for Hybrid engines

[nwprius]

Shell Oil will announce today that it has developed an engine oil tailored to the frequent stopping and starting of some gas-electric hybrid engines. The oil will be marketed as part of Shell's Pennzoil Platinum synthetic oils, in 0W-20 viscosity, and will cost about $4.75 a quart. The hybrid oil will be at service shops early next year and auto-parts stores in March.

This is in the USA TODAY paper tuesday 2 Nov.

Bob

[john1701a]

This type of oil is not new.

In fact, the Honda hybrids have *REQUIRED* it from the start. Only, it wasn't available from anyone but Honda. Recently though, Mobil 1 just began to offer it.

[Frank Hudon]

just a quick question John would you use 0-20 in your Prius in MN in the winter time?? I looked at it the other day at WalMart and thought no, but were a lot warmer here in the winter than you guys in the "center for winter".

[DaveinOlyWA]

4.75 a quart??

couldnt get us at the gas pump so trying another way?

[jayman]

just a quick question John would you use 0-20 in your Prius in MN in the winter time?? I looked at it the other day at WalMart and thought no, but were a lot warmer here in the winter than you guys in the "center for winter".

Mobil 1 0W-20 has superior low-temp pumpability compared to regular and synthetic 5W-30 oils. A regular 5W-30 oil only has to be "good" at -30 C per SAE J300 specification, where a 0W-30 or 0W-40 must work at -40.

Mobil test data confirms their Mobil 1 0W-30 and 0W-20 are good to -58 to -60 F. So I would most definitely use a 0W-20 during the winter in MN or in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or North Western Ontario.

I never used to believe in water-thin motor oils, except for cold winter use, but my attitude has changed over the years. Any motor with frequent stops/starts, especially our Prius motors, would benefit from a motor oil with very rapid flow properties.

[TimeFor]

-58 degrees? Whenever does it get that cold? Mean I know some states get cold... as I'm sure it gets colder in Canada... But that’s COLD. -58 F is way too cold. I think the coldest I've seen where I live was 31 degrees F. And that was cold.

[DaveinOlyWA]

i have seen it get to 20º in riverside before. and as far as the rest of the world, - 58º aint nowhere near as cold as it can get

[karmavore]

Your ignorance of cold must be pure bliss. Did you know the rivers freeze over? I'm constantly amazed by how many people think I'm BSing them when I mention this.

*sigh*
Brad

[Canuck]

and how about heating oil becoming so thick it won't pour. Not here on Vancouver Island but used to in Aklavik, NWT a few years ago -54*F

[jayman]

A few years ago while still living in Utah I watched a neat documentary on PBS about severe weather: Savage Skies - The Winters Tale, narrated by Al Roker. He mentioned a God-awful place in Siberia called Oimyakon where it can dip below -70. They have to use tiger torches to heat up the axles and transmissions before they can drive. They also have to burn coal on top of the ground before digging a grave to thaw the ground out - yes they have Permafrost there. As far as the heating oil freeze, I have personally had #2 diesel fuel (Summer blend fueled by mistake) turn into Vaseline in the tank at -38 F. No fun at all, just about froze my b**** off thawing things out. So it's a very reassuring thought that on the "wrong" side of 0 you're using an oil good to -58 or -60. Not to mention that a 0W-20 will flow so much quicker in stop/start cycles compared to conventional oils. I'm still leery of using it in summer, but Honda's have been over four years and how often do they blow up? Same as Ford pickups, they now run a 5W-20 year round with no apparent ill effect. At the very least I would run a synthetic 0W-20 in our winters. BTW: in the Duluth, MN, Walmart last month I saw Mobil 1 0W-20 at $4 on sale.