2001 Ford Taurus calls for 5w20 but i put 5w30

[boostedtsiawd]

My car calls for 5W20 but i figured its ok to use 5W30? Its summer here so i thought it would benefit using the 30 instead of 20. Its a 2001 Ford Taurus 3.0 v6 with 127K miles and i put the Castrol High Mileage Syn Blend 5W30 in it. what do you guys think is better to use?

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Your engine will be just fine with ANY 5W30 in it.

 

[SR5]

All good, not a problem

 

[boostedtsiawd]

I read online that your engine can be damaged and other stuff can happen if your car calls for 5w20 and u put 5w30=

Due to the increased resistance of the thicker 5W-30 oil, your engine will produce slightly lower fuel economy and horsepower output. You also risk engine damage when using 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, as the internal engine components are specifically designed to be used with 5W-20 motor oil.

is this true?

 

[Wolf359]

For the Taurus, the 3.0 V6 isn't very descriptive as there are two engines for that year and they were both 3.0 V6, one was the Vulcan which was more common and the Duratec. Duratec had the 200 hp engine and the Vulcan was 155hp engine. In any event, it's fine to use 5w30. the engines were originally designed for 5w30 anyway, they just changed the spec to 5w20 for better gas mileage. I used mostly 5w20 in the Taurus I had until the transmission failed when it had well over 200k. The oil pan gasket leaked on the Duratec and it leaked less with 5w30 than with 5w20.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

I read online that your engine can be damaged and other stuff can happen if your car calls for 5w20 and u put 5w30=

Due to the increased resistance of the thicker 5W-30 oil, your engine will produce slightly lower fuel economy and horsepower output. You also risk engine damage when using 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, as the internal engine components are specifically designed to be used with 5W-20 motor oil.

is this true?

Do you believe EVERYTHING you read/hear/watch on the internet?

 

[SR5]

is this true?

No damage to the engine, oil isn’t going to bend steel in your engine.

Yes probably a very small hit to fuel economy, but you will never see it, as it’s too small. And possibly a very small decrease in wear, but again you will never see it, as it’s too small.

A minor head wind will probably affect the fuel economy more, and the car body will probably fall apart before the engine wears out.

 

[CharBaby]

My daughter's '06 Mazda3 called for 0W20 and 0W20 ONLY. Not only on the oil cap in the valve cover but in the owner's manual. I ran just as much 5W30 in that engine in the 9 years that she owned it.

 

[SR5]

My daughter's '06 Mazda3 called for 0W20 and 0W20 ONLY. Not only on the oil cap in the valve cover but in the owner's manual. I ran just as much 5W30 in that engine in the 9 years that she owned it.

Oh the humanity!

 

[Orthos]

For the Taurus, the 3.0 V6 isn't very descriptive as there are two engines for that year and they were both 3.0 V6, one was the Vulcan which was more common and the Duratec. Duratec had the 200 hp engine and the Vulcan was 155hp engine. In any event, it's fine to use 5w30. the engines were originally designed for 5w30 anyway, they just changed the spec to 5w20 for better gas mileage. I used mostly 5w20 in the Taurus I had until the transmission failed when it had well over 200k. The oil pan gasket leaked on the Duratec and it leaked less with 5w30 than with 5w20.

Oh so THAT'S where that came from.

My family used to say the same thing. Early 2000s. We were squabbling about it even back then.. (use what it says to use! vs that)

 

[BMW Dom]

I read online that your engine can be damaged and other stuff can happen if your car calls for 5w20 and u put 5w30=

Due to the increased resistance of the thicker 5W-30 oil, your engine will produce slightly lower fuel economy and horsepower output. You also risk engine damage when using 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, as the internal engine components are specifically designed to be used with 5W-20 motor oil.

is this true?

Did you read that on Quora,

 

[Ram02]

My car calls for 5W20 but i figured its ok to use 5W30? Its summer here so i thought it would benefit using the 30 instead of 20. Its a 2001 Ford Taurus 3.0 v6 with 127K miles and i put the Castrol High Mileage Syn Blend 5W30 in it. what do you guys think is better to use?

Oh you done messed up smh. Mobil1 5w20 was all u needed ahhh boy

 

[demarpaint]

I'd run 5W30 in it all year long.

 

[ET16]

I think this engine speced 5w-30 a few years before (2001).

 

[BMW Dom]

Oh you done messed up smh. Mobil1 5w20 was all u needed ahhh boy

The 5w30 will be fine.

 

[Orthos]

I think this engine speced 5w-30 a few years before (2001).

Correct me if I am wrong, but assume the time the car was under warranty. I was always under the impression - or read or saw, regarding this subject matter - that Ford would deny your warranty claim ? if it was found out that you used

5W-20 in a 5W-30 application
or vice versa. 5W-30 in a 5W-20 application
Regardless of what was spec'd "the year before"

Again, if I am wrong, please specify, I am here to learn as well as un-learn mistruths.

 

[kschachn]

We’ve had at least one long thread about that subject, and no one was able to post any excerpt out of the owner’s manual or the warranty booklet that ever said that the warranty would be denied due to the oil grade. Manufacturers are required to strongly encourage the use of the oil grade that was used to obtain their CAFE credits, someone here posted an actual CAFE award letter and a described how this is necessary.

From a technical standpoint however, the manufacturer cannot care if you use an oil that has a higher grade than the one listed in the owners manual. This is because it protects the engine better than the lower grade. Many people interpret the warnings about a “different” grade causing harm incorrectly, thinking that this would be an a heavier grade. It does not, it cannot. It means using one that is thinner could be a problem.

Film thickness keeps parts separated and this prevents wear. With any SAE grade no one is going to damage an engine with a higher MOFT.

 

[BMW Dom]

Correct me if I am wrong, but assume the time the car was under warranty. I was always under the impression - or read or saw, regarding this subject matter - that Ford would deny your warranty claim ? if it was found out that you used

5W-20 in a 5W-30 application
or vice versa. 5W-30 in a 5W-20 application
Regardless of what was spec'd "the year before"

Again, if I am wrong, please specify, I am here to learn as well as un-learn mistruths.

They would only know if they tested the oil

 

[Tdbo]

Having owned a 2000 Taurus, and having put over 275K on the original Vulcan in it (with 99.9% of the oil utilized being 5W30), I feel confident in saying that 5w30 is the proper oil for that engine.

 

[tasch72]

5w-30 is fine to use.

With the increased pressure of CAFE legislation around 1999-2000, Ford changed a number of vehicle's oil specifications from 5w-30 to 5w-20 without any changes to the engines themselves to get an increase in fleet MPG's to help avoid fines.

With Taurus' being a popular fleet vehicle like Crown Victoria's, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some had been filled up with 15w-40 diesel oil.