The Garage 54 team has braved the frigid temperatures of -30°C to bring you an eye-opening experiment on the effects of extreme cold on engine oil.
In areas prone to harsh winter weather, it’s not uncommon for drivers to face challenges related to the viscosity of their engine oil.
Using a transparent sump and rocker cover, the video showcases how the oil in the team’s Lada behaves as the temperature drops, making it clear that the colder it gets, the thicker and more resistant to flow the oil becomes.
The team observes that the oil pump struggles to pump the sludgy oil and the timing chain has a tough time distributing it.
The vast majority of us here in Australia don’t need to be concerned about such extreme conditions, but it’s interesting to see how other parts of the world handle extreme temperatures, and why some vehicles are fitted with engine block heaters.
This is also a good representation showing why you should allow your engine to warm up slowly and limit the revs and load for a period of time to get the oil to a suitable viscosity in order to properly lubricate your engine.
Thanks to Garage 54 for braving the cold so we don’t have to.
