What Does Viscosity Mean (and How Does it Affect Your Engine)?

Written by Daisy Quaker, AMSOIL Inc.

Why does honey flow more slowly than water?

Because of the difference in its viscosity.

Viscosity is the measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. Water, for example, flows much faster than honey or maple syrup (if you prefer that in your morning coffee) when poured from a container.

• Thin and light describe fluids with low viscosity
• Thick and heavy describe fluids with high viscosity

What causes differences in viscosity?

Molecules, honey (get it?)

I think best in visuals, so let’s think of molecules as a group of people in a room. In one group everyone is holding hands very lightly. It’s flu season and they don’t want to get sick. On the other side of the room, everyone is holding hands fairly tightly. It’s a close-knit group, that one.
If you weave through both groups and break through the chains of people, you have an easier time weaving through the first group than the second. This is essentially how molecules are bonded in liquids. The looser the molecular bonds, the weaker the inter-molecular forces. This equates to a lower viscosity. The tighter the molecular bonds, the stronger the inter-molecular forces. This equates to a higher viscosity.

How does viscosity affect engine protection?

So what does this all mean to protecting your engine? Put simply, viscosity is the most important property of a lubricant. How lubricant viscosity reacts to changes in temperature, pressure or speed determines how well the oil protects your vehicle. Lubricants with too low of a viscosity for your engine may cause:

• Increased metal-to-metal contact
• Increased friction and wear
• Increased oil consumption
• Leaking seals

Lubricants with too high of a viscosity could also hurt your engine by causing:

• Increased fluid friction
• Increased operating temperatures
• Poor cold-temperature starting
• Reduced energy efficiency

How temperature affects viscosity

When cold, lubricants thicken and flow more slowly and require more energy to circulate. That’s why it may be tougher to start your car on a frigid winter morning – the crankshaft has to churn through cold, thick oil before it spins fast enough for the engine to start. Since the oil flows more slowly, engine components may be vulnerable to wear until the oil warms enough to flow throughout the engine.


The opposite happens when the temperature soars. Say you’re towing a camper down the interstate at the height of summer. The intense heat your engine generates causes the oil to become thinner. If it becomes too thin, it can fail to adequately separate metal components during operation, inviting wear.
The greater a lubricant’s viscosity, the greater pressure or load it can withstand, allowing separation between moving parts to be maintained. But there are limits to this relationship. If the viscosity is too high, it won’t flow as readily and your engine will work harder and burn more fuel.

Different vehicles require different viscosities

The key is to use a lubricant with the correct viscosity for the application. Not only that, but you want to use a lubricant that resists thickening when cold, yet maintains its ability to protect against wear when hot. Synthetic lubricants, such as AMSOIL synthetic lubricants, offer better cold-flow when the temperature drops and improved protection once your engine has reached operating temperature.
Vehicle manufacturers specify in the owner’s manual which viscosity of motor oil you should use. You can always use the AMSOIL Product Guide to find that information, too. But keep in mind that your vehicle’s viscosity requirements may change if you’ve modified your engine. If you have questions, contact AMSOIL Dealer, Mike Ford @ 763-257-3130.