Schleprock

First off let me thank Stirling Six for all his help on my questions.

These are 3 simple questions from a simpleton ha ha!

I have a 2000 Ford Taurus and I live in the Northeast(New Jersey)

A friend of mine recently gave me a case of 10W-30 and my car takes 5W-30

1. The case is maybe two years old. Does oil degrade over time?

2. When can I use 10W-30? Is it during the colder months or the during the
hotter months?

3. I am blind as a bat could someone recommend new headlights for my car
that are dramatically better than the standard ones that come with the
car?

Thanks for all your help this site rocks!

foggysail

Others may disagree, I refuse to use 5W anything in any of my engines. That stuff is like water. I switched over to straight #40 for both my 2002 Econline Van, my 1999 Taurus along with my boat. Yes, the oil is heavy but at least things will get lubricated. Ford recommends the 5W stuff with hopes of improving fuel mileage.

The original reasons for multiple viscosity oils go back to when cars were powered with 6 volt batteries. They were difficult to start in cold weather with heavy grades oils. With 12 volt systems along with better ignitions starting problems are almost a thing of the past.

Important to understand that the additives to oil that allow it to have a multiple viscosity lack lubrication properties. Crusader who markets a marine version of GMC's 454 truck engine states that if a multiple viscosity oil is used, it will void the warranty. They recommend 40 grade oil.

Oil storage--- if it is in a sealed container, the stuff should last for decades.

Foggy

jwko

Not to my knowledge.

Warmer months. I use it year round in my Taurus.

I have a 01 Taurus and the headlight are horrible. To me brights are what dim should be. I replaced mine with GE High Output (I believe thats what there called) and it didn't help much. Still can't see far on dim

SHOZ123

Best thing for the lights is an aftermarket relay system and brighter bulbs.

sho_ted

i would use the oil year round

tbird100636

The Sylvania SilverStars give a marginal improvement, but not much. If the lenses are oxidized get them restored. There are many kits available to remove the oxidation. Otherwise, you'd have to replace the lenses, and this gets quite expensive.
Set some time aside and read this site. Great info about automotive lighting.
Daniel Stern Lighting Con******cy and Supply

__________________
Master ASE Certified L1 Chrysler Technician- still a Ford fan at heart.
1964 Thunderbird Hardtop- Chantily Beige- 390 FE 4V V8-Uncle's Car
1966 Thunderbird Convertible- Red- 390 FE 4V V8- Uncle's other car- waiting for paint and body work!!!
1967 Mustang Convertible- Blue- 289 V8- helping a friend re-assemble this classic

chipset

I can answer one question for you. When do you use 10-30 oil in your Taurus ?
Answer. NEVER. The engine wasn't designed for 10-30. The newer engines use 5-20.
The lighter oil is needed for start up lub on a cold engine. Lighter oil is needed to return back to the pan faster and lighter oil disapates heat faster. Heavier oils have been known
to partially open the bypass plunger on the oil pump reducing proper oil pressure at cold start up. My 94 3.8 taurus has 85 lbs. on cold start up and if you watch the pressure
gauge you can see the pressure drop to 70 when the by pass opens. It runs at 65 lbs.
hot and 40 lbs at hot idle. My older taurus had 10-30 in it when i got it and used 1 lt.
of oil in 500 miles. It also knocked at cold start up. I put 5-30 back in it and it stopped burning oil in about 3 months. Doesn't knock any more on start up either. Wrong oil in an
engine will automaticaly void all warranty.

SHOZ123

You can use the 10-30 in the summer with no problems, or if your outside temps don't drop below 30F you can use it year round. Ford did nothing different to the engines when changing the recommended oil weight. This is strictly a CAFE thing.

chipset

You seem to be missing the point. When it says 5-30 or 5-20 they mean it. The new engines are not designed to run with heavy oil. Prime exp. The new thin oil is needed for the cam phazing that is hydrolicly operated in most new ford engines. This cam phazing
is also used for ignition timing. If these parts don't get oil immediatly you have a starting
issue. Also the tolerances of the motors are different needing the oil to get to the proper
places NOW. Read the owner's manual. The oil recomendation is also printed under the
hood on the fan gaurd. 10-30 is old school. I don't think there are too many new engines
on the market that use it and the Taurus is one of them. My 86 Taurus uses 5-30. So
does my wife's 96. I have a S.H.O. that red lines at 6000 R.P.M. 5-30 oil.

jwko

I guess I'm "old school" because I run 10/30.

Either way, It's Recommended but not Required....