Oil type in my car

hi guys i have a 2001 kia sportage. currently has i think almost 90k miles on it. um a while back i did an oiul change and ever since then when ever the car would start up cold it would knock like crazy and now its due for another oil change (past due actually i just dont have money to get the stuff yet).



anyway i was cleanign my car out a couple days ago and i found an oil bottle that im sure was the left over from the previous oil change. its weight was 20W-50 and then i realised that it might be the oil thats causing the knocking.



so my question is will. changing the oil and putting the regular 10W-30 back in it fix the problem?

What have the winter temperatures been like in your area over the past couple of months?
If they have been very low, then–yes, the 20W-50 oil could be the source of the problem.

today its below freezing and a couple of weeks ago we were in the teens all week and it sounded horrible then. mostly been in the 50s but the colder it gets the worse the noise is

Have you CHECKED the oil level lately?? What does it look like? Thick black goo?

20W-50 is really thick at below-freezing temperatures, and could definitely cause enough strain on the starter to keep the engine from starting. When you have been able to start the engine, that thick oil did not readily get into some of the most sensitive areas of the engine, and could have led to poor lubrication until the engine was fully warmed-up. Enough of that poor lubrication could have led to enough damage to result in “expensive” noises from the engine.

You should get the right oil in there now, but that won’t reverse the wear and damage that’s already been done.

i would be worried that putting the correct oil in at this point will let you find out if you have damaged the engine by using the wrong weight oil in it. however if you don’t replace with the correct oil (as per your owners manual) you WILL undoubtedly kill it. So, since you started this by using the wrong oil, you may as well find out sooner rather than later.

your question about oil and knocking. Yes this could definitely be related. hopefully changing it back to the correct weight oil is all you require to eliminate the knock. Just so you know, the weight of oil is a specific weight (thickness) depending on the engineering design for the engine. They specify certain weight (thickness) of oil taking into account the expected usage, and type of vehicle. using 20-50 means (in a really simple explanation) the oil operates at an acceptable performance at varying temps and maintains between 20 and 50 weight viscosity at the normal temperatures. 5-30 oil operates in the same way, it remains effective at temperature and stays between 5 and 30 weight and viscosity wise. you have been using a totally different oil, that has a different viscosity level than what the engine requires.

OOC, why did you use 20-50 weight? what are the symptoms you were dealing with? what oil weight is recommended in your manual? There may be logical reasons to use a heavier weight oil, but these reasons usually have to do with trying to prolong an engine instead fo doing a rebuild, or dealing with leaking gaskets, seals and other parts. you dont mention any other reason. Possibly did you get a great prices on a case of the wrong oil, and not realize it?

i accidently grabbed the wrong type of oil when i went to get oil change supplies and i just realised that about not even a week ago.

i just called autozone and they said that 10w-30 would be best for my car. so hopefully i havent caused to much damage to the engine maybe just made the lifters loose. i guess we will find out once i get the stuff to do an oil change in it. ill try to get it done real soon.

classical knocking is the result of bearing wear. Using the wrong oil for temperature conditions can contribute to this kind of wear. Are you sure it is knocking and not pinging, which is caused by bad timing? If you have run the engine low on oil in the past, that could have been a major factor in this problem. Do you know a mechanic you can trust? Get him or her to check this out soon, at least you will know what the damages are, and what to expect in terms of the future.

no i dont know a mechanic i do all the work myself if i can the noise sounds like the lifters it just sounds worse the colder it is outside do you think it could also be the valves?

checked it last week it just looked dark. i kno i have to change it i just dont have the money right now

Check your owner’s manual and follow the instructions there for what weight oil to use in your engine. I wish you luck on any damage that may have been done, or may not have been done. BTW most oil change places don’t even know where the oil goes in let alone what oil you should use. They will recommend whatever is in the big barrel of oil they get cheap. An independent mechanic is usually the best choice.

i actually do the oil changes myself i dont like taking my car to shops and stuff like that. ive been able to do most the work thus far my self. i just need to pay more attention to what oil i grab from the shelf next time and not rush. but ya im hoping i didnt do to much damage if any

I assume that while you don’t have the money for oil this week, you will have the money for a replacement engine next week?

no im a high school grad and still unemployed