Break in to Mobil 1 oil change

[Bob Calvary]

I don't want to start WW3 but I'm from Florida and want to run Mobil 1 5-30 oil as soon as I can after the rings have seated. How many miles do you think I need to run before I switch? I now have 1100 miles on the 2004 Accord EX L4.

[BenjiBoy650]

Up to you, depending on other factors (how much free time I have, if the car needs other service, things like that) I would probably change it anywhere between 1500 and 5000 miles. If I left it up til 5000 miles I might have done one or two oil and filter changes already, but would have used regular. IMO it doesn't hurt to change under 5000 but if you do you might wanna take it easy and give it a lot of time to break in. Mercedes come with Synthetic from the factory and personally I consider their break in period to be about 10,000-15,000 miles. There is a noticeable increase in performance and fuel economy up until about that mileage.

[Bean]

You'll get opinions all over the place on this one, as I'm sure you know w/ your comment about not wanting to start WWIII!

On my '04 Sedan, I'm following the owner's manual and leaving the break-in oil in there for the suggested amount of time.

The break-in oil is unique in that it contains a very high dose of "Moly" (molydenum) which will adhere to the parts and coat them. If the factory fill is taken out to soon, this may not happen.

Also, 5w20 is the only weight allowed per your owner's manual. Of course, you can put in whatever you like, but you could have problems on a warranty claim down the road if they figure out you did not go w/ 5w20...I know, unlikely, but why chance it?

If you really want to educate yourself about motor oil, here is the best place you will find online:

Used Oil Analysis (UOAs) @ Bob is the Oil Guy.com (http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=3)

I had originally planned on going w/ Mobil1 myself, but after reading on that site about how well the 5w20 dinos are doing, especially Pennzoil, I will probably use a dino 5w20. Most all of the 5w20s dinos are semi-synthetic anyway.

No doubt Mobil1 is a great oil. Is it worth the premium you pay for it?...Each of us must decide that on our own. If you decide to go that route though, I'd use the Mobil1 0w20. It is made specifically for newer Hondas and Fords. They don't make a 5w20...yet, anyway.

[BenjiBoy650]

Honda can't deny you a warranty claim for not using their oil unless they provide it for free. However, the warranty is only 36,000 miles, so if you're looking to keep your car a long time probably would be a good idea to use 5W-30 or 10W-30 depending on your climate. I know the owners manual says only 5W-20. If you look at the Odyssey's though, they've gone all the way down to 0W-20, and that's just downright unsafe for most of us. I think Honda is pulling a fast one here, there should be no reason why 10W-30 should be harmful. Something like 20W-60 might be a different story. It could be because of emissions. Your car might have the PZEV emissions, in that case it probably is because of emissions...

[Redondo Red]

Here's a relevant article 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 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 the use of specialized engine monitoring and testing equipment under 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 oil and/or a specific brand of 5W-20 motor oil, then ask them to put 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 efficiency and better wear protection than conventional motor oils. 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.

[according2me]

I had always read to wait 10K before going to a full synthetic, so I did. I ran 5w20 (original fill and two changes) and then switched to Mobil1 5w30 and sometimes 10w30 in the summers. I'm now at 110K miles and I still have no consumption and no leaks @6K intervals.

For those interested, the Mobil 1 oils are very low in the 30w viscosity category.

[CatchMe]

Dont change your oil before the factory specifies. They use an abrasive in the original oil to help let the rings and such seat properly, failure to do this will result in future oil consumption. There is no need to switch to Mobil 1 before 10,000 miles. I am now running the 0w-20 Mobil1, for 4000 mile intervals. 21000 on the car now.