Lexicon
Viscosity
A measure of how thick an oil is , central for motor oil.
Definition
What viscosity describes
Viscosity states how thick a liquid is. For motor oil it is decisive: too thin does not lubricate, too thick does not flow fast enough on a cold start.
Multigrade oils like 5W-30 solve both , thin enough at start-up, stable enough at operating temperature. The „W“ stands for winter.
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Motoröl 5W-30
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In brief
- First number (e.g. 5W): cold behaviour , the smaller, the better the oil flows in the cold.
- Second number (e.g. 30): thickness at operating temperature (100 °C).
- Follow the spec: the right viscosity is set by the vehicle manufacturer, don’t change it yourself.
Cooking oils also differ in viscosity, but the term is less common there.
Source
- Motor oil viscosity grades , Wikipedia