Question.
So, I thought I had oil pretty much worked out, but now I have an oil pressure gauge in the Cherokee, it has got me thinking.
Let's take 15w/40 as an example.
I know that 15 is the winter viscosity of the oil, so 15w is thicker than 5w -right?
I also know that /40 is the running temperature of the oil. So, 40 is thicker than 30.
I know that modern cars are designed with increasingly tighter tolerances, so prefer a thinner oil - 5w/30 or 0w/30 etc.
I know that older engines prefer thicker oils as putting an oil in which is too thin can cause pick-up problems, oil to run past the piston rings and result in burnt oil and general leaks.
BUT, here is what I am now not understanding:
Presuming that - the higher the number, the 'thicker' the oil, or the more viscous it is.
Why does oil pressure decrease as the engine warms?
Why does warming the oil before doing an oil change make it flow better?
The above suggests that the warmer the oil, the
THINNER it is, where as the the oil specification states the warmer the oil, the
THICKER it is?