Needs oil what weight do i use? - 1996 Ford Explorer

Use only the oil weight on the oil cap or owners manual if the cap does not list the oil weight. Most older vehicles called for eather 10w30 or 5w30 depending on the ambient temp. In the past 10 or so years, manufacturers updated engines for better fuel efficiency by tightening tolerances in the engines, thereby needing a lighter oil weight to provide sufficient lubrication for the parts So manufacturers started requiring 5w20 oil in their engines. I work as an Auto Care Technician at Walmart, and we will NOT do an oil change for any weight other than the recommended weight by the manufacturer. If it calls for 5w20, we use 5w20, regardless of what the owner wants. This is to avoid any possible engine oil related problems. People will blame someone else if they have a warranty issue the dealer refuses to honor for whatever reason, and it would go back to the last place the vehicle had the oil changed at. So therefore at Walmart, we follow the manufacturers recommended oil weight for all oil changes.

10w30 standard oil is what factory recommends.

With any multi viscosity oils the first # represent the viscosity(thickness) at start up temp. The second # represents the viscosity at operating temp. The smaller the # the less the viscosity. So a 10w30 starts at a 10 weight and turns into a 30 weight. The 10w40 starts at a 10 weight and turns into a 40 weight. the w stand for winter. Most people use multi viscosity oils. While some don't likel them they opt to use a SAE30 (straight 30). It is 30 weight all the time. But in most areas in the U.S you should use a multi viscosity oil

Yes. 10-w30 will act like a 10 weight oil when cold and a 30 weight oil when hot. 10-w30 will act like ten weight when cold, but like (thicker) 40 weight oil when hot. Your profile only says Cadillac and doesn't say model or year, but most cars since the early- mid 80's use 5-w30. Always use the oil weight recommended in your owners manual. If you are unsure call the dealer and they will tell you what is right for your car.

The proper weight for your oil should be written on the oil fill cap located under your hood. It's like a 20 weight oil.

5 qts of 5w-30.

I personally prefer MOBIL1 brand ..You can decide as per your wish..


SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

There are many grades of oil weights whichever you want to call it. Heres how it works
Oils main job is to keep the engine clean, lubed, running cool ect. The grade usually 5w20 5w30 or 10w30 ect. Theres many of them as well which can be consfusing at times. Oil weight is measure by cold and hot . For ex: 5w30 The 5 weight is when the oil is cold and 30 is the weight when its hot. The reason being is the the less the weight when its cold the easier the oil can get to the top of the engine and lube it to prevent cold engine damage. Once its heated up its a 30 weight and is thick enough to protect your engine.( most engine damage is caused when the engine is cold )You should use the proper grade that your engine calls for. Being toyota its probably 5 or 10w 30.If you live up north i would recommenda 5w30 weight.You can easily find out which grade you should use by your owners manual or under the hood on the oil cap. However there are synthetic oils as well. Synthetic oils have man made additives to help the engine run cooler, the oil is naturally slicker to help it move around easier and boost performance of the engine resulting in better mpgas well. They have alot of additives to prevent engine wear ect. One good thing about a synthetic oil is you can go longer on the oil change. Instead of the normal 3,000 miles oil change you can go 4 or 5 k. Theres also synthetic blends. Which are good too but youll have to read about it more to decide for yourself what you think you need. Synthetic oils are better for someone who travels alot or puts extreme conditions on an engine such as idling for long periods of time stop and go traffic its really good for anything to be honest.. I would recommend using synthetic if you decide to keep the car for a while. It has many benefits.

The weight of engine oil is dependant on the climate you are in. When you go to the parts store or where ever you get your oil, read the back of the oil container and it will tell you the temperature variations for that grade of oil. For colder climates you will need a thinner oil or lighter weight, and for hotter climates you will need a thicker oil or heavier weight. The higher the number ie... 30, 40, 50, the thicker the oil, the lower the number the thinner it is.
Some manufacturers put the grade on the fill cap or the dipstick.

Drain engine oil and replace oil filter(your local automotive store will have a book telling you what oil filter you need to buy). You've probably been using a multi-grade 10-30 or 10-40 weight oil. Or a straight 30 weight oil. Regardless, replace that oil with one grade heavier, single-weight of oil. During warm months, use 40 weight; in the winter (depending on how far the mercury dips in your part of the country) use 20 or 30 weight. Slightly thicker oil won't hurt that worn engine, and if your battery is good, it'll turn over fast.

The correct oil weight is 5W20, but 5W30 can be used also. Be consistant when using oil, try to use the same brand and always use the same viscosity. This vehicle requires 4.5 liters of engine oil.