Which oil

[jbuffethed]

I have heard several different times and oils to use on the new Hondas. Even had a dealer tell me two different mileages. And what weight oil for extreme cold weather?

[Inspector1]

How extreme??The recommended 5w20 is pretty thin you could go to 0w just get it changed out before temps go back up.
Most people fall under extreme catagory in service guidelines...
I drive alot of hiway and usually go 6k-7.5k
Just check often and watch, if I notice it getting dirty I will change it more often, But with the quality of todays lubricants If you follow manufactures guidelines you will be in good shape...

I1

[jbuffethed]

Minot, ND. gets down to -40 sometimes colder

[Redondo Red]

Here's an interesting article on that subject from the Canadian Driver website.

Opinion:
The politics of 5W-20 engine oil
by Phil Bailey


The subject of the use of 5W-20 motor oil has become a topic of frequency in my e-mail inbox and at the shop of late. A good many 2003 and 2004 cars and trucks now specify the use of this viscosity of engine lubricant. Because it is relatively scarce and not easily available everywhere, the dealers are charging high prices and telling their customers that they cannot use anything else, or their warranties will be null and void.

My answer: You do not need to use a 5W-20 oil. Do not let your dealer scare you by telling you that you have to use it for your warranty. That is a tactic that some dealerships use to intimidate customers. Once you know the facts you will be much better informed to protect your rights and use the type of oil you want to use.

The main reason 5W-20 was specified for your engine is to increase the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) reported to the US Federal Government. CAFE is the average fuel economy of all of a vehicle manufacturers’ product line. Minimum CAFE levels are specified by the US Federal Government. In order for a vehicle manufacturer to continue selling profitable large trucks and SUVs, which typically have poor fuel mileage ratings, as compared to smaller cars, and still meet mandated CAFE requirements, they must also sell enough of the smaller cars which have much better fuel economy ratings to offset the poor fuel economy ratings of the larger vehicles.

Changing to a 5W-20 oil increases overall CAFE by a very small amount, typically in the tenths of a mile per gallon range. 5W-20 oil is a lighter viscosity than a 5W-30 oil and therefore has less internal engine frictional losses, or less drag on the crankshaft, pistons and valve train, which in turn promotes increased fuel economy. This increased fuel economy is virtually undetectable to the average motorist without or their warranties will be null and void.

My answer: You do not need to use a 5W-20 oil. Do not let your dealer scare you by telling you that you have to use it for your warranty. That is a tactic that some dealerships use to intimidate customers. Once you know the facts you will be much better informed to protect your rights and use the type of oil you want to use.

The main reason 5W-20 was specified for your engine is to increase the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) reported to the US Federal Government. CAFE is the average fuel economy of all of a vehicle manufacturers’ product line. Minimum CAFE levels are specified by the US Federal Government. In order for a vehicle manufacturer to continue selling profitable large trucks and SUVs, which typically have poor fuel mileage ratings, as compared to smaller cars, and still meet mandated CAFE requirements, they must also sell enough of the smaller cars which have much better fuel economy ratings to offset the poor fuel economy ratings of the larger vehicles.

Changing to a 5W-20 oil increases overall CAFE by a very small amount, typically in the tenths of a mile per gallon range. 5W-20 oil is a lighter viscosity than a 5W-30 oil and therefore has less internal engine frictional losses, or less drag on the crankshaft, pistons and valve train, which in turn promotes increased fuel economy. This increased fuel economy is virtually undetectable to the average motorist without the use of specialized engine monitoring and testing equipment under strictly controlled test track driving when compared to a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 viscosity motor oil.

So could using a 5W-30, 10W-30, 0W-30 or even a 10W-40 or 20W-50 oil in your vehicle, which specifies a 5W-20 oil, void your new car warranty? Absolutely not. In the first place there isn’t a technician or service manager at any dealership I know of that could tell the difference between one viscosity and another in the 5W range. It is, however quite easy to tell the difference between mineral oil and synthetics.

Vehicle manufacturers only recommend using motor oils meeting certain viscosity grades and American Petroleum Institute (API) service requirements. Whether a motor oil is a 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30, 0W-30, 10W-40 or 20W-50 (for racing and high performance applications in, for example, a Cobra R Mustang) or even a synthetic versus a petroleum based oil, will not affect warranty coverage. The manufacturer is required by US Federal Law to cover all equipment failures it would normally cover as long as the oil meets API service requirements and specifications and was not the cause of failure.

In addition, in the USA, the Federally mandated Magnuson - Moss Act states that a manufacturer may not require a specific brand or type of aftermarket product unless it is provided free of charge. If your dealership continues to tell you that you must use 5W-20 motor othe use of specialized engine monitoring and testing equipment under strictly controlled test track driving when compared to a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 viscosity motor oil.

So could using a 5W-30, 10W-30, 0W-30 or even a 10W-40 or 20W-50 oil in your vehicle, which specifies a 5W-20 oil, void your new car warranty? Absolutely not. In the first place there isn’t a technician or service manager at any dealership I know of that could tell the difference between one viscosity and another in the 5W range. It is, however quite easy to tell the difference between mineral oil and synthetics.

Vehicle manufacturers only recommend using motor oils meeting certain viscosity grades and American Petroleum Institute (API) service requirements. Whether a motor oil is a 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30, 0W-30, 10W-40 or 20W-50 (for racing and high performance applications in, for example, a Cobra R Mustang) or even a synthetic versus a petroleum based oil, will not affect warranty coverage. The manufacturer is required by US Federal Law to cover all equipment failures it would normally cover as long as the oil meets API service requirements and specifications and was not the cause of failure.

In addition, in the USA, the Federally mandated Magnuson - Moss Act states that a manufacturer may not require a specific brand or type of aftermarket product unless it is provided free of charge. If your dealership continues to tell you that you must use 5W-20 motor oil and/or a specific brand of 5W-20 motor oil, then ask them to put it in writing. Their position is inaccurate and, in fact, violates existing laws, at least in the USA.

Additionally, if there is ever a question of whether or not a particular motor oil was the cause of an engine failure make sure to get a sample of the used oil in a clean bottle, typically 6 oz. minimum. The oil can then be sent to two independent testing labs for analysis. This is standard procedure for most commercial vehicles, trucking, construction/excavation and fleet companies and there are numerous certified test labs all over the country. Remember, a knowledgeable and informed consumer is your best defence against being taken advantage of by a car dealership service center.

For those consumers that feel they still must use a 5W-20 oil, even after reading this article, AMSOIL manufactures a 5W-20 synthetic motor oil, called XL-7500 5W-20. It is a 7500 mile/6-month motor oil. AMSOIL's 5W-20 synthetic motor oil, as with all PAO synthetics, provides outstanding wear protection and increased power, performance and fuel economy in high and low temperatures and also meets and exceeds mnaufacturer specifications.

For even better performance and protection you can also use a 0W-30 synthetic motor oil. This is the top performing synthetic lubricant for gasoline powered light trucks and passenger cars. It uses race-proven technology and provides unsurpassed fuel il and/or a specific brand of 5W-20 motor oil, then ask them to put it in writing. Their position is inaccurate and, in fact, violates existing laws, at least in the USA.

Additionally, if there is ever a question of whether or not a particular motor oil was the cause of an engine failure make sure to get a sample of the used oil in a clean bottle, typically 6 oz. minimum. The oil can then be sent to two independent testing labs for analysis. This is standard procedure for most commercial vehicles, trucking, construction/excavation and fleet companies and there are numerous certified test labs all over the country. Remember, a knowledgeable and informed consumer is your best defence against being taken advantage of by a car dealership service center.

For those consumers that feel they still must use a 5W-20 oil, even after reading this article, AMSOIL manufactures a 5W-20 synthetic motor oil, called XL-7500 5W-20. It is a 7500 mile/6-month motor oil. AMSOIL's 5W-20 synthetic motor oil, as with all PAO synthetics, provides outstanding wear protection and increased power, performance and fuel economy in high and low temperatures and also meets and exceeds mnaufacturer specifications.

For even better performance and protection you can also use a 0W-30 synthetic motor oil. This is the top performing synthetic lubricant for gasoline powered light trucks and passenger cars. It uses race-proven technology and provides unsurpassed fuel efficiency and better wear protection than conventional motor oils. It is a 35,000 mile/1-year change interval motor oil.

[Inspector1]

I've used 20+ brands over the last 20 years... i have heard stories and tales about 100's more.....
I change as needed ... not by miles but level and condition(dirty)I check it daily.
I am using Castrol Gt 5w20 at this point but will switch to another brand in 04.......I do that every year in every vehicle I have owned...
When I was a teenager and worked for this 70 yr old German he told me to change brands every so often....
Due to the components in oil blends that are brand specific and that using one for the entire life of car could lead to sludge due to bonding of like components.. Sounded like common sense to me so I have adopted that regieme.... May not be as prevalent today with all the new technology.
But I have not had engine failure in over 20 years???

Maybe its Luck!!:confused:
:) I1

[benjamming]

This is an old post but I haven't seen much of these questions on the site so far in my few days of being a member.

Most people will probably think I'm crazy for this, but I used the factory fill on my 02 Accord V6 until 6800 miles then did an oil analysis. I changed to an AMSOIL filter & filled with AMSOIL Series 2000 0W30 & did an oil analysis at ~9700 miles on oil changing the filter halfway thru with another AMSOIL filter. Very good results (i.e. low wear metals, stable viscosity, and good TBN). The oil change interval will probably be about 12K miles (1 year) with 1 filter change this time around - working my way up.

You would benefit from the 0W when it's cold - very low pour point. You don't have to change the 0W oils when it gets warm. The 30 in 0W30 will protect you at engine temperatures.

Not everybody is as comfortable doing this while the vehicle is under warranty. But I am. I am prepared to fight if need be. I can back up my work with oil analysis & know it could be a little bit more difficult getting warranty repairs should something go wrong. I bought the Honda b/c I don't think anything will go wrong.

There are lots of good oil sites out there such as www.bobistheoilguy.com/ with pretty good information.