Is it bad mixing oil such as 10W-30 with 5W-30 or mixing brand name?

Answer 1

It is not a good practice but can do if yo have no oil. Mixing brands is ok as long as the weight is the same

Answer 2

1st: understand that the 'w' stands for winter weight (meaning the cold weight of the oil), the other number (30 in this case) is the viscosity the oil will attain when heated to engine operating temperature, through an additive in the oil called an viscosity inducer (which ALL multiviscosity oils have - regardless of brand). The only true way to figure what you have when combining 5w30 with 10w30 would be to conduct a viscous test on the oil - but very little affect.

2nd: brand name has very little to do with the makeup of the oil. All the oil companies buy their petroleum stock from one of the three operating refineries, so the base stock (which makes up about 90%+ of a bottle of motor oil) is basically the same. The rest of the 'oil' is the additive package (detergents, viscosity inducers, anti foaming agents, etc) that the oil companies are required to add to the oil to reach the minimum standards required by API. The additives are the same, the amounts of each is what makes them different - therefore, brand has little to do with oil. Not to mention, some oil companies produce multiple brands to compete against each other to gain bigger market share.

3rd: synthetic oil and conventional motor oil are completely, and I stress, COMPLETELY, compatible with one another, there is absolutely no adverse affect by combining a synthetic, a blend or a conventional oil with one another. In other words, you can put synthetic oil in your car this time, conventional next time, a blend the time after... or you can mix all 3 together (of the same weight, i.e., 5w30) into the engine, and will have absolutely no adverse affect.

When you are looking at oil, look at the back label and find the API Standard circle - if you have a gasoline engine, you want an oil that has SM rating - highest standard at his time (the rating started at SA then SB then SD, etc. until the most recent standard of SM).

Most people tend to be a 'fan' of particular brands for one reason or another, but oil is oil, as long as the API rating is the same.

Answer 3

It is best not to mix oil of differing weights, but if your vehicle needs oil put oil in. More damage will be done by no oil than by oil of the wrong weight. But never mix regular with synthetic oil as mentioned my others.

As for brand, the big oil companies would like to think that you should stick to their brand and their brand alone, but the dinosaurs and ancient plants that died and rotted deep under the ground to produce your oil would tell you that all that oil comes from the same place. Oil is oil (of course independent of any promised additives.)

Answer 4

Go for it. Just remember that mixing different weights like 5W-30 and 20W-50 will result in a viscosity somewhere in the middle. Also try to avoid mixing syntehtic and conventional oils. Semi-synthetic oils will mix with either, but if you are running full synthetic oil, changing back to semi-synthetic or conventional oil can cause damage to the rings, decreasing the engines life.

Answer 5

You should be ok mixing oils and brands. It is not recommended but there are no serious side effects from doing so. If there where there would be tons of people driving messed up cars from doing so. I do suggest however that you dont mix synthetics and regular oils.

www.cobaltperformanceparts.com

Answer 6

no, it's fine for the engine, as long as the mixture is within the parameters set by the manufacturer. Just average out the numbers. If you are running a newer engine, synthetic is better, but for older engines, a normal oil will be best. As someone else mentioned, don't mix synthetic and regular oils.

Answer 7

The weights are ok to interchange as long as you don't go thicker than 10W-40 or thinner than 5-W30, however don't mix different brands unless you want to have to install new rings at a later date.

Answer 8

really it is not recommended but if u need oil it is better to mix than t run Ur engine on low oil...just make sure that both of them are synthetic or mineral Cuz if u mix synthetic with mineral is not such a hot idea

Answer 9

It really wont hurt anything to mix different weights of oil but never mix conventional oil with a synthetic it will mess up your engine

Answer 10

No, it will not hurt anything, you will affect the viscosity a little, like 10W40 added to 5W40 will then be 7.5W is equal amounts are added, but that really isnt much of a difference, like say 80/90 added to 10W40 then thats a problem....