Available Mobil 1 Viscosity Grades

For more than forty years, Mobil 1™ has been a trusted name in lubrication technology. As the world leader in synthetic motor oil, Mobil 1™ is recommended by more car manufacturers than any other brand of motor oil and meets or exceeds the most rigorous standards of automakers in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Mobil 1™ also boasts an impressive track record with NASCAR and Formula 1 racing and has endured testing in the most extreme real-world conditions.

Far beyond the capabilities of conventional motor oils, Mobil 1™ full-synthetic is engineered in a laboratory from select compounds and contains molecules of extremely uniform shape and size. This allows for reduced friction and longer engine life. Mobil 1™ includes additives that are state of the art to clean and protect engine parts and improve engine performance. The advanced synthetic formula of Mobil 1™ helps to prevent engine deposits and sludge buildup, provides superior wear protection, and has excellent extreme temperature tolerance. It also boasts superb viscosity control.

Viscosity refers to a liquid’s ability to resist flow – essentially how thick or thin it is. Honey is considered to have a high (thick) viscosity, whereas water has a low (thin) viscosity. Motor oil with a low viscosity is able to seep into the tight spaces between the components inside a modern motor. But it might have a tough time holding up to the heat and filling the wider gaps of an older engine. Oil with a high viscosity might seal better and provide a better lubricating film, but if it is not able to get into the small spaces in an engine – it will not offer full protection.

So, when automakers design their engines, they take into account the level of viscosity that will work the best. And they make that recommendation to vehicle owners in the owner’s manual. The recommendations found in the manual (or printed on the oil fill cap) will look something like “5W-20” or “5W-30”. Those designations are standardized in the automotive industry and refer to the grade, or viscosity, of the oil.

Many years ago, automobile engines relied on single-weight oils. “Weight” is another term used to describe viscosity. So, 30-weight oil is grade 30 or has a viscosity of 30. Unfortunately, a single-weight oil that performs well in warm temperatures is too thick when cold. That makes a car difficult to start in winter. Multi-weight oil is the solution to that problem. An engine would be easier to start in the cold with oil that is, say, 5-weight. But oil thins out as temperatures rise, and that lightweight oil will not hold up when the engine runs for a while and gets hot. Multi-weight oil contains special viscosity-improving additives that allow a 5-weight oil to act more like a 30-weight oil when warm. That is what 5W-30 (where “W” stands for Winter) motor oil is – 5-weight when cold, 30-weight when hot.

Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oil is available in more than a dozen formulations, from their Annual Protection blend to Mobil 1™ High Mileage, or Advanced Fuel Economy. And, of course, the original Mobil 1™ advanced full-synthetic blend, which comes in four different grades: 5W-20, 5W-30, 1-W-30, and 15W-50. Each formulation accommodates a different set of engines, as designated by the auto manufacturer. And each grade meets a different set of specifications.

Every Mobil 1™ full-synthetic product features its own range of viscosities – and the technical specs for those different grades. See below for technical specifications related to the original Mobil 1™ advanced synthetic motor oil as an example.

Mobil 1™ 5W-20 synthetic oil meets or exceeds API SN, SM, SL, SJ, SN PLUS, SN PLUS RESOURCE CONSERVING, and ILSAC GF-5 requirements. It also has General Motors Service Fill dexos 1™ Gen 2 approval and meets the following manufacturer quality levels: Ford WSS-M2C930-A; Ford WSS-M2C945-B1; and General Motors GM 6094M.

Mobil 1™ 5W-30 synthetic oil meets or exceeds ACEA A1/B1, A5/B5, API SN, SM, SL, SJ, SN PLUS, SN PLUS RESOURCE CONSERVING, ILSAC GF-5, Ford WSS-M2C946-A/B1. It also has General Motors Service Fill dexos 1™ Gen 2 and Honda/Acura HTO-06 approvals. Mobil 1™ 5W-30 is also recommended for General Motors 4718M, 6094M, and Ford WSS-M2C929-A applications.

Mobil 1™ 10W-30 synthetic oil meets or exceeds ACEA A1/B1, A5/B5, API SN, SM, SL, SJ, SN PLUS, SN PLUS RESOURCE CONSERVING, ILSAC GF-5 requirements and is of the General Motors 4718M, 6094M, and API CF quality levels.

Mobil 1™ 15W-50 synthetic oil meets or exceeds the requirements of API SN, SM, SL, SJ, and ACEA A3/B3, and is API CF quality.