What Should You Pay Attention to When Changing Motor Oil in Winter?

When it comes to vehicle maintenance and care during the cold season, oil changes are a matter that requires special attention. So what should you pay attention to when changing your car's oil during the cold season? Is changing oil in winter different from summer? The following article from Huynh Chau will help you answer all these questions. Let's explore together!

See also:

• Why is your car leaking oil?
• Guide to checking engine compression pressure in your vehicle
• 4 types of motor oil every car owner should know

Pay attention to changing your car's oil during the cold season to ensure smooth vehicle operation

1. Oil Viscosity

The viscosity of engine oil changes according to environmental temperature. In low temperature conditions, the oil becomes thicker, making it difficult to properly cover and lubricate all engine components, which causes difficulty in starting and ignition.

Additionally, cold weather slows down the oil flow rate and creates accumulated pressure at the oil filter location. This can lead to damage to components such as seals, separator clips, and oil lines.

To avoid these issues, you should change your car's oil to a thinner viscosity grade during winter to prevent oil from freezing when temperatures drop.

Below are some important points regarding viscosity that you should note:

• The viscosity of multigrade oil is expressed as 0W20, 5W30, 10W40, etc.
• The smaller the number before the letter W (Winter), the thinner the oil and the easier it flows in low temperature conditions. For example, in winter, 0W20 oil will perform more effectively and help your car start faster than 10W40 oil.
• For Vietnam's winter weather conditions (particularly in northern provinces), 0W20 or 5W30 are the recommended viscosity grades. These types of motor oil have moderate thinness, so they can be fluid enough to operate at low temperatures while being thick enough to reduce friction in the engine at high temperatures.
• Don't forget to consult the manufacturer's manual and seek advice from authorized service centers to find the most suitable oil.

Choose thinner oil in winter to ensure proper oil mobility and fluidity

Additionally, you should also pay attention to regular oil checks and changes during winter. This is extremely important. Because oil degrades over time and becomes thicker again, and this condition becomes even more severe when temperatures drop. Therefore, our recommendation is to change