Wear Performance of an SAE 0W-30 Partial-Synthetic Motor Oil Under High Speed Driving Conditions

Three pairs of cars were each driven over 80 000 km at predominantly highway speeds and summer ambient temperatures. One car of each pair used an SAE 0W-30 partial-synthetic motor oil, and the other used an SAE 10W-30 all-mineral motor oil. These oils were of similar chemistry.

The test has demonstrated that the low viscosity, SAE 0W-30 oil offered comparable performance to the SAE 10W-30 oil, in terms of engine wear and cleanliness. Excellent connecting rod and main bearing wear, and valve train wear protection was observed for both oils, even though their viscometric properties at high temperatures and under high shear rate conditions are less than the minimum proposed by some engine manufacturers and researchers.