Glossary / General

oil viscosity

15 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

Oil viscosity is how thick or thin the oil in your engine is. When it's cold, the oil gets thicker, which can make it harder for the engine to start.

Technical Definition

Oil viscosity refers to the thickness of the engine oil, which can change with temperature. In colder weather, oil becomes thicker, making it harder for the engine components to move smoothly, which can affect starting.

Hear It Discussed

"Well, there's a theme there with class action. Uh, GM says a possible solution is to change the recommended oil viscosity."
Blame It On The Oil And Other Engine Excuses | Subaru Trailseeker | Wet and not so Wild | Auto History In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show 02:41

"we were talking about oil consistency and quality in an early part of this hour this week's show, and we're talking about viscosity, incorrect oil viscosity. You know, we'll create a start stop..."
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - July 11, 2026 Hour 2 - The Little Things That Make Cars Last Ron Ananian The Car Doctor 27:18

"...people are talking about, no, no, no, you need thicker oil and higher viscosity or higher quality oil. ... we're going to talk about oil viscosity, oil quality..."
S3, E91 - All About Oil The Truck Show Podcast 01:25