It was all so simple way back in 1968 when Castrol and Esso launched their legendary GTX and Unif low household name engine oils – 10W-30 for winter months and the thicker 20W-50 for the summer.
But over the preceding 57 years, engines have advanced out of all recognition and their lubricants have had to follow suit. From staving off ‘Black Death’ in the 1980s, dealing with wet timing belt woes to now preventing hybrid harm due to their unique ‘duty-cycle’ which involves major working temperature swings leading to acute internal condensation problems. The cure is yet another dedicated brew joining the already bulging ranks – 0W-8 – to further confuse and confound motorists and workshops alike.
Not that the average driver is concerned about what oil they use for topping-up – indeed the majority can’t actually be bothered! A study by Kwik Fit revealed more than threefifths
