2019 HRV with R18z engine and 30 weight oil?

[Oil fan 47]

I've got a 2019 Honda HRV with the R18z 1.8L naturally aspirated engine. I've found both the US and UK owners manuals and have included snippets of the oil weight recommendations of each. The US manual calls for 0W-20 and only 0W-20. The UK manual states that 0W-20, 0W-30, and 5W-30 can be used, depending on ambient temperature. My question is whether or not the US engine and the UK engine are identical? If so, is there any reason I can't use a 30 weight oil when inside of the correct ambient temp parameters? I know that many state that 0W-20 oils ore only recommended by manufacturers due to CAFE. I'd only feel comfortable using a 30 weight if I could be reasonably certain that both manuals are referencing the same exact engine.

 

[SavetheRimBrake]

You probably can, but why? It's not particularly powerful or high stress. I don't understand the fascination people here have with "thiccness". My wife has one and we've put 0w-20 in it for the last 63k miles and the engine is one of the few parts of the car that isn't prematurely failing (transmission leaks, shocks are blown). The R18 is fairly reliable aside from the blocks tending to crack but thicker oil isn't going to save you there

Different countries have different detergents in their fuels, different oil availability, different climates, difference oil change intervals, etc. It's really not wise to change stuff around willy nilly just because the self proclaimed brainiacs on this forum have a fetish with thick lube

 

[PimTac]

You will get a long life from that engine running 0w-20.

 

[Oil fan 47]

You probably can, but why?

I want to consolidate my oils and standardize on 5W-30. That's really it.

The condition of you HRV is very concerning. I was under the impression that these were well made, albeit less fancy than other models. Do you believe that you simply got a lemon?

Also, I haven't heard of the blocks cracking. Is the reason for this known

 

[SavetheRimBrake]

I want to consolidate my oils and standardize on 5W-30. That's really it.

The condition of you HRV is very concerning. I was under the impression that these were well made, albeit less fancy than other models. Do you believe that you simply got a lemon?

Also, I haven't heard of the blocks cracking. Is the reason for this known

I believe they are just extremely cheaply made, it drives cheap and feels cheap and sounds cheap, and she has the nicer EX-L. We just got the wife a new CR-V and it's night and day. My mom also has a 2018 HR-V LX and same complaints, feels cheap and has no personality and drives like an appliance. I don't know if there's necessarily anything wrong with that, people need more affordable cars, but I have higher standards and notice all the little stuff. My wife borrowed my Sport Touring Civic which has a firmer factory suspension, 18" wheels, and low profile tires, and commented about how much better it rode than her HR-V

The blocks had a tendency to crack on the 8th gen civics, maybe the HR-V has a better block but its the R18 still AFAIK. A google search "Cracked R18" will give some info, though it does seem isolated to the earlier models.

 

[kschachn]

Different countries have different detergents in their fuels, different oil availability, different climates, difference oil change intervals, etc. It's really not wise to change stuff around willy nilly just because the self proclaimed brainiacs on this forum have a fetish with thick lube

Willy nilly? That’s a silly statement. Going up one grade is not “willy nilly.” And fetish? There are sound technical reasons for doing so.

Talk about just pulling junk out of the air or elsewhere and having no technical understanding. You’ve nailed it.

 

[SavetheRimBrake]

Talk about just pulling junk out of the air or elsewhere and having no technical understanding

That’s actually what majority of the posts here seem to read like. Someone spends a few hours on a boutique oil manufacturer’s website having their irrational hysteria validated with 6 kinds of snake oil and suddenly they’ve outsmarted the engineers at every major auto and major oil manufacturer.

Sound technical reasons would be regular towing, a car that sees track time, extreme environments. Not “but HTHS AND cAfE”

 

[kschachn]

That’s actually what majority of the posts here seem to read like. Someone spends a few hours on a boutique oil manufacturer’s website having their irrational hysteria validated with 6 kinds of snake oil and suddenly they’ve outsmarted the engineers at every major auto and major oil manufacturer.

Sound technical reasons would be regular towing, a car that sees track time, extreme environments. Not “but HTHS AND cAfE”

Less wear with a higher HT/HS is not snake oil unless you are confused or ignore basic science. The only advantage of a lower viscosity oil is a slightly higher fuel economy. Nothing else. The rest are disadvantages.

Oil manufacturers do not promote the use of lower viscosity oils. And you should know by now the sole reason why auto manufacturers do. They are required to do so. Read a CAFE award letter and you’ll see why.

The tired old “outsmarted the engineers” is just that, a worn out cliche that does not have basis in fact.

 

[Oliveoil2]

Willy nilly? That’s a silly statement. Going up one grade is not “willy nilly.” And fetish? There are sound technical reasons for doing so.

Talk about just pulling junk out of the air or elsewhere and having no technical understanding. You’ve nailed it.

What???

 

[slacktide_bitog]

There is nothing wrong with 0w20 or 5w20 or 0w30 or 5w30 in the HR-V R18. It is not a picky engine

I once used Rotella T6 5w30 on an R18 Civic and had no problems.

All the R18 blocks that will crack have already cracked by now, and they got replaced for free by Honda.

 

[2010Civic]

The R18 blocks in the 2006-2009 Civic's had a problem with cracking but was fixed in 2009. No need to worry.

 

[JustN89]

Are the engines identical between the US and the UK? I don’t know, but it seems likely. Will a 5W-30 work? If your climate allows, yes it will.