It’s all a matter of the laws of physics; when liquids are cooled, they tend to thicken. In some cases, they thicken until they become solids. This is the case with water and other fluids. In the case of oils, they will not freeze but they can thicken substantially. These are important considerations when another McHenry winter is approaching and you want your car to continue running in spite of the cold and elements.

We all know that water freezes at 32-degrees Fahrenheit or below. If the temperature never reached this level or lower you wouldn’t need antifreeze for your car. Rather, the fluid in your radiator, that then flows through your engine, would only need to serve as a coolant ensuring that the engine didn’t overheat.

According to Wikipedia, the minimum point where antifreeze will freeze is 36-degrees-below zero. But this depends on the quality of the antifreeze. Typically, antifreeze is rated to freeze at 34-degrees-below zero. But, if it’s old and weak, it can freeze at temperatures higher than that. When the antifreeze freezes inside an engine block it has the potential to crack the engine block. This is very expensive, indeed.

Getting back to engine oil, though it will not freeze, its consistency will thicken causing it to lose its viscosity, which refers to the rate at which the oil will flow. In the process, it is less able to perform its designed function, lubricating your engine. This is particularly troublesome when starting the car on a cold, winter day. If the oil is too thick, it will have trouble traveling through the oil passages to reach parts of the engine where it needs to reduce friction. The result is that the engine can experience significant damage while moving parts are rubbing against other parts without proper lubricant.

Additionally, when the oil is thick, it’s harder to make those parts move. You’ve probably noticed this at some point when you started your car on a particularly cold day here in McHenry. You turn the key to start the car and the engine just seems to turn rather slowly. Because it’s turning so slow it’s harder to get the engine to start. If the oil is too thick the car may not start at all. In either case, you’re asking the battery and starter to work harder to start the car.

To avoid this potential problem, the first thing you can do is to make sure you change your car’s oil on schedule. As the oil is used it collects dirt while the detergents and chemicals in the oil breakdown. This can affect the car’s viscosity and its ability to lubricate the engine.

The other thing you should do is to make sure that you’re using the right oil for the McHenry area and the current season.

When you change the oil in your car, you’ll want to consider the proper viscosity of the oil you use. For instance, 10W-30 is an oil that is common for cars in this area during the winter The viscosity rating of oil is determined by the American Petroleum Institute (API).

When considering the viscosity of the oil, the ‘W’ in the rating refers to ‘Winter’ and the number before the ‘W’ refers to the rate of the oil’s flow at 0-degrees Fahrenheit. The second number refers to the oil’s rate of flow – viscosity – at 212-degrees Fahrenheit. The lower the first number, the better the oil will react to cold weather. The higher the second number, the better the oil will react to high temperatures, as those attained while the engine is running.

While you may, or may not, find this interesting as a consideration of the physical attributes of oil, it can have a significant effect on how your engine reacts to the coming winter. What this means is that you want to choose your engine oil wisely.

Even with the explanation given, you may not feel that this has properly equipped you to make that decision. The best bet is to refer to your car’s owners manual or ask a trusted auto repair technician.