Warm up Your Vehicle this Winter with Pennzoil Synthetics - Engine Builder Magazine

Warm up Your Vehicle this Winter with Pennzoil Synthetics

Winter weather can be harsh on your vehicle with cold temperatures, snow, sleet and the inevitable potholes. One of the simplest ways to protect your engine against the possible effects of cold weather is using a low viscosity full synthetic motor oil.

In extreme cold, starting your vehicle in the morning, or after it has not been run for an extended period of time, can be rough on your engine as it can take some time for motor oil to flow through the entire engine to provide proper lubrication. In winter, the last area of the engine to receive motor oil is the upper valve deck (cams and lifters) which can take more than 90 seconds.

It’s vital to get motor oil throughout the engine quickly to prevent engine wear. Conventional and some synthetic blend motor oils can thicken in cold weather leading to difficulty for the oil pump to push motor oils to those critical parts.

Pennzoil PlatinumPennzoil Ultra Platinum and Pennzoil Platinum High Mileage Full Synthetic motor oils in SAE 0W-16, 0W-20, 0W-30, 0W-40 and 5W-20 are designed to quickly flow to all parts of the engine even in extreme cold temperatures. This is more important if you have a vehicle that has “start-stop technology” where your engine turns off at a stop light or an intersection. Having a motor oil that quickly heats up and flow to engine parts will help with proper lubrication and wear protection during the harsh winter months. Rapid motor oil flow to critical engine parts provides early protection from wear and allows the engine to get to operating temperature faster.

It’s important to remember that you can switch to lower viscosity motor oils in winter without harming your engine. If your engine calls for a 5W-20 you can safely use a 0W-20 motor oil and still have the same level of engine protection. 5W and 0W refers to pumpability in cold weather, so the lower viscosity motor oils will flow better in cold weather. Learn more about the benefits of Pennzoil’s low viscosity (0W) motor oils here:

All Pennzoil Full Synthetic motor oils are the first motor oils made from natural gas, not crude. Base oil made from natural gas is 99.5% free from engine clogging impurities. Because it is made from natural gas, Pennzoil Full Synthetic motor oils flow better1 in extreme low temperatures, that means your motor oil will still pump even when it’s extremely cold outside! Pennzoil Full Synthetic motor oils also provide a number of benefits in cold weather to help keep your vehicle running at top performance including:

  • Flows faster in a cold engine on startup and can reduce strain on the battery system by reducing the amperage needed to crank the engine over. 
  • Quicker flow to critical engine parts provides protection from wear. Repeated starts with thicker motor oil can cause wear and reduce the efficiency of the engine, which over a period of time can result in a reduction in engine power and a loss of fuel economy. 
  • The carefully curated additive package, including wear additives, provides complete engine protection. It is important to have a motor oil that provides immediate benefits upon startup. 
  • Warms the engine faster to bring it to optimal operating temperature and efficiency.

Once your vehicle is started in cold weather; you should allow approximately 30 seconds for the engine as well as your transmission to be fully lubricated before driving. Quick acceleration is not recommended until the engine is fully warmed up. The temperature gauge on your vehicle’s dashboard should be in the normal operating range which indicates the engine and other systems are fully warmed up and ready for the road ahead.

Despite cold temperatures, you can count on Pennzoil Full Synthetic motor oils to help your engine to start quickly and to maintain engine protection at any time of year. By giving your engine a little time to warm up during those cold morning starts, you can help extend the life of your engine and possibly save you from costly repairs.

You May Also Like

The Road to AAPEX Season 2, Ep 1

Last year, the idea was simple: Find a junker, fix it up with the best from the automotive aftermarket, and drive it to Las Vegas for AAPEX 2022. This year, it’s anything but simple. The automotive aftermarket is at the crossroads of change. Electric vehicles, driver assistance systems, autonomous vehicles, sustainability—it’s a shifting landscape. This

Last year, the idea was simple: Find a junker, fix it up with the best from the automotive aftermarket, and drive it to Las Vegas for AAPEX 2022. This year, it’s anything but simple.

The automotive aftermarket is at the crossroads of change. Electric vehicles, driver assistance systems, autonomous vehicles, sustainability—it’s a shifting landscape. This year, the Big Bosses at AAPEX, Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of Auto Care Association, and Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of MEMA Aftermarket, offered a challenge. Babcox Media’s Joe Keene, an ASE-certified technician, couldn’t refuse: Find and fix a rare Lincoln Blackwood and drive it down the Lincoln Highway to AAPEX 2023.

What’s a Ford Sidevalve Engine?

It looks like an ordinary inline 4-cylinder flathead engine. Essentially it is, but it has quite a cult following here in the UK.

The Drag & Drive Revolution

Following that first drag-and-drive event back in 2005, spinoffs of Drag Week have been happening all over the country, and the world, both large and small. In recent years, the trend has been completely blowing up!

The Evolution of Pro Mod Diesels

The advancements within the performance diesel world over the past 20 years have been nothing short of phenomenal. In fact, within just the last five to 10 years, that progress has been even more rapid and impressive, but few progressions have been more astonishing than those within the Pro Mod Diesel realm.

Top Fuel and Funny Car Engines

They’re the pinnacle of drag racing, and the engine builders, crew chiefs and teams who make these cars function at peak performance all season long are looking at every single area of the engine and the car to make it down the track as fast as possible.

Other Posts

AMSOIL OE 0W-40 100% Synthetic Motor Oil

AMSOIL OE 100% Synthetic Motor Oil is now available in the following viscosities: 0W-16, 0W-20, 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30 and 0W-40.

AMSOIL Adds Two New Viscosities to Synthetic European Motor Oil Line

AMSOIL has expanded its Synthetic European Motor Oil line to include new 0W-30 and 10W-60 viscosities. These additions are part of an AMSOIL-exclusive formula designed for the unique demands of gasoline, diesel and hybrid European vehicles. Related Articles – Liqui Moly USA Promotes Two to VP of Sales – Formula Drift and Partners to Launch

Pennzoil and API on Developing Motor Oil Standards

For more than 90 years, Pennzoil has worked alongside the American Petroleum Institute (API) to ensure Pennzoil products meet – and often exceed – the stringent requirements of motor oil specifications implemented to best help protect the performance of your engine. Related Articles – Shop Solutions – February 2024 – Degreeing the Camshaft and Checking Valve-to-Piston Clearance

Pennzoil Answers the Top 5 Most Searched Motor Oil Questions

To help maintain high performance and a longer life expectancy for your engine, motor oil is essential. Not only does it help to lubricate your vehicle’s engine, it also offers many additional benefits, including reducing friction and wear on moving parts, cooling the engine down, and keeping it clean. Related Articles – The Importance of a