2003 Accord 2.4 oil question

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I have a 2003 Accord with the 2.4 engine.This is the first year for this engine in the Accord. My question is do you think it is possible that this engine was specificaly designed to use the 5w/20 oil and a thicker oil like 5w/30 could do harm.If the engine has tighter tolorences and smaller oil passages maybe the thicker oil would gum up the works so to speak. I am a new member here and a apoligize if this seems like a stupid question.I have read a lot of the old questions in this forum and it seems the more I learn the less I know.. Thanks
 
The topic of 5w20 is definitely a hotly debated one, and I will say this. If the engine calls for 5w20 I don't see 5w30 doing any harm at all, especially those 5w30s on the lower end of the viscosity scale such as Mobil 1. But at the same time, I see no harm in the 5w20 oils either. A lot of people here think that this oil is too thin to protect, but yet they use Mobil 1 5w30 and we all know it works just fine. Keep in mind, most 5w20 oils are around 8.5 to 9.0 cst at 100c. Mobil 1 5w30 is 9.7 cst at 100c. So there isn't a huge difference in thickness between these two. So it makes me curious how people are so scared of 5w20, yet they use Mobil 1 5w30 and don't feel scared at all. Obviously these thinner 5w30s are protecting well, so the 5w20s will do the same. So far we've seen no bad 5w20 oil analysis results on here at all, certainly nothing that would show that engine wear is out of the normal range.
 
I read a bunch of these 5w20 vs. 5w30 posts and was wondering. Does anyone remember Mobil-1 when it first appeared in the 70's? Wasn't it a 5w20 back then?

[ January 01, 2003, 11:38 PM: Message edited by: jsharp ]
 
Yes, the original Mobil 1 was 5w20. About the nice new Honda- if that was my car I'd run whatever type of oil the warranty required. When the warranty was over, I'd run whatever oil seemed best to me. Personally, I think all the 5w20 business is politically correct, CAFE-driven nonsense. JMO.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Stuart Hughes:
Yes, the original Mobil 1 was 5w20. About the nice new Honda- if that was my car I'd run whatever type of oil the warranty required. When the warranty was over, I'd run whatever oil seemed best to me. Personally, I think all the 5w20 business is politically correct, CAFE-driven nonsense. JMO.

I'm not disagreeing with this statement. I do believe it was born out of a need for lower fuel economy, much like 5w30 was. But I also believe that the oil companies aren't going to just sit back and put out an inferior product either. They are going to put some of their best quality stuff in the 20wt oils to ensure that there isn't a problem.

[ January 02, 2003, 05:26 AM: Message edited by: Patman ]
 
I don't know what you guys would do but if I had a new Honda calling for a 5.
/20 I would hunt down the Conoco Syncon 5/30 PP -55F Vi 59 @ 40c and 10.0 at 100c,,seems close enough . This oil cannot be obtained in a SL designation,probably has some good additives in the package still,,I will soon know.
I am not certain this oil would be out of the picture for me,Conoco HD 20/20 Hydrocracked base oil with -40 F Pour Point and 66vi @ 40C 9.01 at 100C
Anyway I can remember driving the living you know what out of a car with straight 20 wt in the cold of winter back in 1972,of course this was a new motor with less than 10k miles,domestic V-8

[ January 02, 2003, 07:06 AM: Message edited by: dragboat ]
 
Dragboat, the one flaw with your idea is that a new car specifying 5w20 would most likely specify SL formulation as well, so by you going with the SJ formulation you'd lose your warranty anyways.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Patman:
Dragboat, the one flaw with your idea is that a new car specifying 5w20 would most likely specify SL formulation as well, so by you going with the SJ formulation you'd lose your warranty anyways.

Not if analysis was kept and or receipts for the oil bought and used in the beater car not the Honda,not that I am recommending cheating this way.Just remember I said if " I " owned a new Honda or will add any other car requiring a 5/20 wt,,I am not recommending others to help their motors last longer at all
smile.gif

Scrap the analysis idea,it would show a healthy dose of supposed cat converter killer

[ January 02, 2003, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: dragboat ]
 
I noticed you live in Canada, so I'd run Mobil 1, 0w-30 year round if you can find it. The Amsoil 0w-30 is also excellent stuff - I've been using it for 8 years - but will be considerably more expensive in Canada than Mobil 1 ....

TooSlick
 
I'm not sure where exactly he lives in Canada, but he'll probably have a hard time finding the 0w30. I don't know anywhere in Ontario that sells it. Funny thing is, the Mobil 1 brochures I got from a fast lube place last week show all the viscosities in it, but yet Walmart and Canadian Tire only carry 3 viscosities (5w30, 10w30 and 15w50) The 0w40 is only found at MB dealers (and possibly BMW)
 
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