[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by CruzySS

That's funny! Well I'm an engineer

Not easy to pick up on that, since engineer-bashing on internet forums almost never comes from within the engineering community itself. I would blame engineering management if a task beyond an individual's competence was assigned to him/her without sufficient oversight, especially if the weakness of that decision was then compounded by a weak review process.

It's hard to place all the blame on engineering when the whole story is unknown. Things like who gets the earliest claim to or receives priority over the available space, and overly aggressive/optimistic schedules immediately come to mind.

I can't offhand think of a reason why oil specs and weights would not be well-understood and proven by testing appropriate to the expected use(s) of any given vehicle & engine combination.


Norm

[Deakins]

To be honest, high end engine oils are very complex, specialised, and so well done that viscosity isn't quite as important as it once was. The film strength, resistance to thermal degradation, and sacrificial additives really add up to oils being able to "hit outside their weight class" so to speak. Most of the left and right limits outlined in the white papers are there for reasons that either don't concern actual engine failures, or are there for the very few remaining low end oils out there. Just my .02

[Ryephile]

Originally Posted by CruzySS

That's funny! Well I'm an engineer and said the statement since it's true. Look at the A8 transmission and the torque converter. That was an engineering failure. How about the HVAC system fogging up the windshield. Another engineering failure. So these must be the competent people you are talking about?

Your strawmen are no good here.

[Ryephile]

Originally Posted by Deakins

To be honest, high end engine oils are very complex, specialised, and so well done that viscosity isn't quite as important as it once was. The film strength, resistance to thermal degradation, and sacrificial additives really add up to oils being able to "hit outside their weight class" so to speak. Most of the left and right limits outlined in the white papers are there for reasons that either don't concern actual engine failures, or are there for the very few remaining low end oils out there. Just my .02

Thank you for your contribution.

Keeping mindful of the flow-control oil pumps ability to moderate pressure is also a key facet of the oiling system.