0W-30 vs. 0W40 Motor Oil – What’s the Difference?

Motor oil is one of the essential things of the engine that keeps it running smoothly and protects it from various damages.

Besides that, it also ensures that the engine operates optimally in extreme weather conditions.

That is why you should not skimp at all when you are choosing motor oil for your engine.

Now, with all the types of available viscosity options, it gets a bit to choose. But mostly, drivers tend to narrow it down to two choices and put 0W20 vs. 0W30 motor oil.

While putting them against each other, they also fall into a never-ending dilemma.

If you are finding yourself in the same dilemma, then you have come to the right place that can get you out of it. We are going to help you get out of the predicament.

0W30 Oil or 0W40 Motor Oil?

After going through all of our recommended oils, you probably know about the similarities between the two oils.

But to make an efficient decision, you should know the main differences that lie between them. They are:

Heat Resistivity

While the heat resistivity characteristics of both oils are the same when the temperature is low, the difference can be seen when it rises up.

Under extreme pressure, that is when the temperature is high, 0W40 performs slightly better than 0W30.

Viscosity

Under extreme temperatures, the thickness or the weight of motor oils changes dramatically.

Both the 0W30 and the 0W40 behaves a bit differently when it comes to higher temperature.

Under extreme pressure and high temperature, the 0W40 would edge the 0W30 by a negligible amount.

0W30 thickens up faster than 0W40. The difference in performance is not that substantial, but it is enough to make a difference.

Fuel Economy

This point also depends highly on temperature. In low temperatures, both fuels are basically the same.

But when it comes to a higher temperature, because of a bit higher heat resistivity of 0W40, it beats 0W30 in the case of efficiency.

That is why 0W40 is a bit better when it comes to fuel economy.

0W30 Motor Oil

Let us kick things off with the 0W30 motor oil. Among all the synthetic oils that are available in the market, this is one of the ones that has a substantially lower viscosity.

This oil is one of the lower viscous lubricants that gets chosen over 5W-30 and 10W-30 because of the performance upgrade that it offers.

One of the upgrades that it offers is efficiency. It can improve the overall efficiency of the engine substantially.

Because of this, it can provide a significant bump in the fuel economy compared to other higher viscous lubricants that are out there. It will help drivers save a few bucks.

Other than that, it also offers adequate protection from extreme temperatures.

The operation weight is quite low too, which means it will be able to provide decent performance when the engine is under heavy load.

It will not degrade that much when the vehicle is on the top speed.

Recommended 0W30 Motor Oil to Buy

Not all the 0W30 motor oils that you are going to find in the market will be able to offer you a decent overall performance.

For your convenience, we went through the most popular ones and picked only the best ones. These are:

Liqui Moly 20204 Special Tec V 0W30 Motor Oil

Among all the 0W30 oils that are available in the market now, the ones that can offer a low-friction operation will be able to increase the efficiency the most. A perfect example of such lubricants would be this one.

First of all, the lubricant is compatible with most of the engine types that are out there.

It will go well with the state of the art petrol and diesel engines that most of the modern vehicles are coming featured with.

Alongside that, it is also compatible with the ones that do not feature multi-valve, turbocharger, Valvetronic technology.

To add more to the compatibility list, it does not require any type of particulate filter for diesel or any sort of intercooling mechanism to operate optimally.

You will get all the things that 0W30 fuels have to offer without having to get an advanced engine.

In the case of functionality, it can offer a steady performance in high loads. Most of the engines suffer performance loss when it is in extreme load, but with this in them, the performance loss will not be that substantial.

Lastly, it can reduce operational friction significantly. With that, the power-robbing friction lowers substantially across all speeds and extreme loads.

Latest Guide: Castrol EDGE Oil Review

Mobil 1 44516 0W-30 Full Synthetic Racing Motor Oil

While you are browsing through all the 0W30 fuels, you are going to stumble upon a plethora of options. But not all of them are going to come packed up with cleaning agents like this one from Mobil 1 does.

To start with, unlike most of the available options, it comes featured with a plethora of active cleaning formulas.

These advanced formulas will clean out the oil deposits that remain inside the engine and will clear out the sludge that interferes with the flow of the oil. That means the flow will be butter smooth inside the engine.

Other than that, it offers an outstanding amount of oxidation stability along with excellent thermal performance.

That means you will not have to change the oil that frequently. You will be good for at least ten thousand miles and will not have to change the oil inside under that mileage.

As it comes featured with an advanced fully synthetic blend, it can offer a low viscosity operation.

This low viscous nature will not only increase the efficiency of the engine but also will increase the fuel economy substantially.

Lastly, because of the precisely balanced formula that it comes with, it will be able to offer unsurpassed protection against wears and occasional engine damages.

0W40 Motor Oil

Let us move on to the other start of the show, the 0W40. This oil is one of the lubricants that is chosen by professionals for getting adequate performance under extremely low temperatures. It can protect the crucial components of the engine in harsh winter seasons.

Other than that, it also offers decent performance in extremely heated-up conditions.

The performance remains consistent when under heavy load, and under extreme pressure, the drop is not that significant.

It also creates a durable film around the crucial components of the engine that ensures that there is a minimal amount of metal-to-metal contact during combustion.

This low amount of contact will not only reduce the wear but also will enhance the overall performance.

Lastly, the cleaning capability of the oil is quite efficient too. It will be able to clear out the leftover deposits and ensure a smooth flow between the pistons, which will enhance the performance even further.

Related Guide: Top Quaker State Oil

Recommended 0W40 Motor Oil to Buy

While there might be a plethora of options in the case of 0W40 in the market, not all of them will be able to offer you all the benefits that the oil has to offer.

For your convenience, we went through the most popular ones and picked only the ones that do. They are:

Mobil 1 (120760) 0W-40 Motor Oil

In your search for one of the best 0W40 motor oils in the market, you are going to stumble upon multiple options that are going to be from different brands.

But not all of them are going to exceed the expectations of OEM car manufacturers and industry standards.

First of all, this fuel does not only meet the requirements of industry standards but exceeds them.

For that reason, it is now used by the leading car manufacturers around the world as an OEM factory fill. You can guess how reliable this oil is just from this.

Other than that, it offers excellent protection to the engine when the temperatures are extremely low.

The heat resistance at low temperatures is quite outstanding, and it will be able to start the engine up almost instantaneously, even in the harshest winter days.

It also comes packed with an advanced formula. This formula lets it offer excellent frictional properties.

With that, it can reduce the friction inside the engine substantially when it is combusting.

This reduction will also enhance the efficiency fo the engine and improve the fuel economy.

Lastly, the oil has excellent cleaning capabilities too. It will be able to clean up the oil deposits from the engine and ensure a smoother oil flow. This feature also enhances the protection against wears.

Castrol 06518 EDGE 0W-40 A3/B4 Advanced Full Synthetic Motor Oil

One of the reasons behind opting for meticulously engineered synthetic oils is the protection that they can offer.

Among all the synthetic oils, there are hardly a few that can match with this lubricant in the case of providing the right combination and performance.

First of all, it can create an oil film around the essential parts of the engine that is about thirty percent stronger than most of the other options that are out there.

With this, it will not only be able to protect the components from damages but also will be able to reduce the power-robbing friction.

Other than that, the fuel deposit reduction capability of the oil is quite efficient too.

It can clean out the old fuel gunk and reduces any further deposit. By cleaning the engine, it will be able to ensure a smooth flow of oil inside the engine.

That means it will be more efficient and will be able to improve the fuel economy substantially.

Alongside that, because of the unique blend that it comes featured with, it will be able to protect the engine better in harsh temperatures.

It can provide about ten times stronger protection against high temperatures and hinders the oil from thickening.

That means the performance will not deteriorate even when the car is under pressure.

Conclusion

Most drivers fall into a dilemma when looking for motor oils. And we hope that we were able to provide you with enough information about 0W20 vs. 0W30 motor oil that you are not in a dilemma anymore.

We would like to end it here by wishing you good luck and hoping that your engine remains clean and performs optimally.