# Motor Oil Weight

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/motor-oil-weight/61164>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** engines, ford, ranger, oil\
**Created:** [February 11, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/motor-oil-weight/61164 "2011-02-11T00:03:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bob\_Lindsey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f07891/32.png) [@Bob\_Lindsey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bob_Lindsey)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/motor-oil-weight/61164/1 "2011-02-11T00:03:02Z")

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I bought a pre-owned Ford Ranger from a used car dealer. I changed the oil three times (every 3K mi.approx.) using 10W-30 weight before noticing the owner manual recommendation to use 5W-30. I don’t know whether the previous owner used 5W-30 or 10W-30. Harm done? Which weight should I use now?

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/motor-oil-weight/61164/2 "2011-02-11T00:07:14Z")

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No harm done.

Next time you change oil use 5W30, as the manual recommends.

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**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/motor-oil-weight/61164/3 "2011-02-11T00:08:09Z")

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Almost certainly no big deal - but it depends a little on climate. IF you live in a place that gets really cold a lot - like below zero then I’d be sure to run the 5-30 in the winter. But if your climate is somewhat mild and rarely all that cold the engine probably won’t notice.

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**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/motor-oil-weight/61164/4 "2011-02-11T02:53:28Z")

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[www.bobistheoilguy.com](http://www.bobistheoilguy.com) has a lot of technical information on oil, and what it means to you.