Oil too thick

[DaGr8Tim]

Once again this is not an I6 question, but I'd like some advice from the guys with more automotive experience than me.

I'm having a hard start/no start issue with my car. I've already had the alternator and battery checked. I pulled the plugs and inspected the wires and they look good. The cap and rotor are are in decent shape. I changed the fuel filter and added a bottle of injector cleaner with an additive to remove water from the fuel system.

After all of that it still isn't a consistant start. Sometimes it will hard start. Usually during the day when it warms up a bit. Then about dark when it really starts to cool off, it doesn't want to start. When you turn the key, the fuel pump primes, and when when you fully turn the key the starter turns. I can hear it an see the tach move a bit.

After checking the oil it was very thick. It almost looked like 10w40. Ford calls for 5w30 for my car. Is it possible my starting problem has something to do with the oil being too thick?

 

[Falcon62]

Excessively thick oil can create enough of a drag to make a car hard to start in cold weather. Under those conditions, if the engine is slightly out of tune, and the battery not fully charged, you may have a no start scenario.

Even so, based on your description, 10-W40 shouldn't be too thick to cause hard/no start conditions in cold weather. There isn't that much of a difference between 5 & 10W oil in cold weather - straight 30 or 40 weight maybe. To me, it sounds as though the problem lies elsewhere.

 

[Lazy JW]

You will definitely see easier cranking in cold weather by switching from 10-40 to 5-30 oil. That's a good place to start.
Joe

 

[Anonymous]

Tim;
What kind of car/engine is it? Is it fuel injected?

 

[CobraSix]

I know my old truck, which I ran 20w50 in during the summer HAD to be switched to 10w40 in the winters because it had a hard time cranking in the morning.

I'm not sure you'll see a big difference going from 10w40 to 5w30. maybe if you went to 0w40...that's what I run in my 98 Volvo.

Slade

 

[DaGr8Tim]

Tim;
What kind of car/engine is it? Is it fuel injected?

This is my 91 Topaz. 2.3L 4 cylinder.

While talking to my father in law, he told me about an old boss 302 mustang that he ran 30 weight in the summer, and during the cold Michigan winters he had to run 10 weight. That's what gave me the idea in the first place.

It's due for an oil change so the first day I get off, I'm going to be changing the oil. I think the current ford spec for 4 cylinders is 5w20.

 

[MustangSix]

Another option would be to bite the bullet and pay the extra money to switch to synthetic for the winter. Synth oils maintain their viscosity in cold much better than dino oil. A 10W-30 synth will have better flow characteristics at low temps than an equivalent regular oil.

 

[BIGREDRASA]

I echo Jack's comments. I had a '75 Dodge van with slant 6, in which I had always used Quaker State 10W-40. The first hard freeze we had, it wouldn't turn over fast enough to start. Switched to 10W-30, and had no more probs. At that time, there was also an issue with most 10W-40s, and the manufacturers recommended against using them. Quaker State also had issues at the time (1981).
I also used to have a '79 Pinto with 2300. When winter came along, I would switch from 10W-30 to 5W-30, and immediately picked up about 1.5 MPG, meaning reduced resistance, specially in the coooold Nebraska mornings.
I'd give Mobil 1 5W-30 a chance in the winter.

 

[Falcon62]

Jack's right about the synth over the petrol based oils, but if your 2.3 leaks, it will be worse with synth. Current Ford spec for the 2L four is API Certified 5-W30. That is what's called for in my wife's 98 Mystique and my son's ZX2 Sport.

I'd go with whatever your owner's manual recommends for the average low temperature in your driving area. 5-W30 should be more than sufficient for the cold temps you have in OH.

One thing that helps both our 4 bangers are factory block heaters. I don't use them until overnight lows dip into the teens, but they sure do make a difference. My wife's car blows heat out the ducts before she gets to the end of the driveway. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Make sure you have a real good ground on all electrical circuits also.
DaveP

 

[DaGr8Tim]

Thanx guys. I've been over most of the electrical system of the car. And all of the major grounds are in place and very secure. The worst thing I found was a slightly loose negative battery terminal.

Tommorrow is payday so I guess I'll be laying on the cold ground tomorrow afternoon.

Thanx for all the advice.

 

[DaGr8Tim]

A million thanks to you gentlemen for all of your great suggestions and help.

After checking everything obvious that I could think of, twice. I finally discovered what was wrong with my car. After the morning that I went out to go to work and it just clicke clicked, I got over my stupid attack and realized it was the solenoid. The screw driver test confirmed it.

Thanx again. You guys have taught me afew new tricks out of this thread and many other's.

Tim