That makes no sense neither from a marketing nor a technical standpoint.
Confessions of a Recovering Thickie
- Thread starter Hohn
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I honestly have no idea why they do that, I just see every single car that comes through my shop with their sticker filled with 0w-8.
Do they hand write 0w-8 on it , or is it printed on the sticker?
I’m still trying to figure out how a Toyota dealership will work on a Mazda. If they are using non spec oil, then every one of those people would have a bone to pick with the dealer. And a legit claim against them. And why are they coming to see you if they’re getting work done at the Toyota dealership?
They don't write anything on it but the mileage and shop logo, but as a technician who does hundreds of oil changes a week 0w-8 and 0w-16 are unmistakable. Even cold it's thin like antifreeze.
I think they have some sort of quick lane style oil change at that particular dealership.
I'd think it would cheaper for a dealer to use a bulk 0w20 or a 5w30 than putting 0w8 in cars that don't recommend it.
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Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Yes. I meant clearances. Thanks for clarifying that.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
When I was in high school I mowed yards for most of my neighbors and others in the neighborhood, as well as my family's HUGE yard. I used an old Toro that my dad bought 9 years earlier. My dad never once changed the oil, but worse than that he didn't check the oil level. My grandpa probably checked the oil level once a year or less.
The mower was 3 years old when I was 10. At age 10 I figured out that I needed to check oil level and how to do it. So from that point on, at least oil level was checked regularly. I also started cleaning the air filter once a year.
Our yard was huge. That mower got used hard and used a lot. The mower's 4 cycle engine was already worn out and smoking when I was 11.
In high school I began changing the oil in it annually using Pennzoil 30 grade. I also began mowing yards for a dozen neighbors using that old worn out mower.
I got tired of breathing clouds of blue smoke. So I drained the Pennzoil grade 30 out of it and put in Pennzoil 40. It then smoked a lot less. Thicker oil noticeably reduced the blowby.
After that, I mowed a dozen yards a week with it for 2 more years in spring and summer. It still smoked a little using grade 40, but much less than it had with 30.
That mower was clapped out, but thicker grade oil helped me get a couple more years of heavy use out of it, and reduced the amount of smoke I had to breath.
Having learned from that, I applied same philosophy to the old clapped out high mileage cars I had in high school and my early 20s. There was no oil labeled "for high mileage cars" in the 70s & 80s. If it smoked or leaked, we went up a grade and it helped by reducing smoking and leaking.
Today I look for an HM that's thicker (within same grade) than a non-HM, and slightly thicker (within same grade) than the thin HM. I say thicker within same grade because my current car is old and high miles, but it doesn't burn oil. It's in good condition for an old car. If it was an old clapped out oil burner, then I'd go up one grade thicker HM oil.
The mower was 3 years old when I was 10. At age 10 I figured out that I needed to check oil level and how to do it. So from that point on, at least oil level was checked regularly. I also started cleaning the air filter once a year.
Our yard was huge. That mower got used hard and used a lot. The mower's 4 cycle engine was already worn out and smoking when I was 11.
In high school I began changing the oil in it annually using Pennzoil 30 grade. I also began mowing yards for a dozen neighbors using that old worn out mower.
I got tired of breathing clouds of blue smoke. So I drained the Pennzoil grade 30 out of it and put in Pennzoil 40. It then smoked a lot less. Thicker oil noticeably reduced the blowby.
After that, I mowed a dozen yards a week with it for 2 more years in spring and summer. It still smoked a little using grade 40, but much less than it had with 30.
That mower was clapped out, but thicker grade oil helped me get a couple more years of heavy use out of it, and reduced the amount of smoke I had to breath.
Having learned from that, I applied same philosophy to the old clapped out high mileage cars I had in high school and my early 20s. There was no oil labeled "for high mileage cars" in the 70s & 80s. If it smoked or leaked, we went up a grade and it helped by reducing smoking and leaking.
Today I look for an HM that's thicker (within same grade) than a non-HM, and slightly thicker (within same grade) than the thin HM. I say thicker within same grade because my current car is old and high miles, but it doesn't burn oil. It's in good condition for an old car. If it was an old clapped out oil burner, then I'd go up one grade thicker HM oil.
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0w-20 has been a thing for a while now.
What if putting 5w-30 in an engine designed for 0w-20 made as much sense as putting 10w-40 in an engine designed for 5w-30?
What if putting 5w-30 in an engine designed for 0w-20 made as much sense as putting 10w-40 in an engine designed for 5w-30?
Engines aren’t designed “for” a grade. Any grade that isn’t too low of an HT/HS can be used.
Plus your use of winter ratings in the examples show you don’t really understand this.
Why wait until they are “clapped out” from the oil? Why not help to prevent excessive wear in the first place?
And why try and fine tune it within the same grade? What does that get you?
Engine is not designed for only 0w-20. Many times it was shown that the same engine has multiple viscosities recommended in other countries. Engines are designed to work with a range of viscosities, but due to CAFE manufacturers are required to put only the lowest one in US manual
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Just have to ask if these owners went after the Toyota dealer for their repairs?
If you were to verify that they put the wrong oil in their car, and the bearings got wiped out, that would be an easy court case. The dealer would have deep pockets to pick.
Dealerships are known to put incorrect information for oil viscosity on service invoices, it would be impossible to prove anything once you are outside the warranty
One of the greatest, basic misconceptions about motor oil. It’s oil. It’s there to provide lubrication and protection. It needs to not degrade to the point of causing problems within an engine (deposits, loss of MOFT, heat transfer, etc) OR be too thin out of the bottle; outside of shearing from use (rare outside of fuel dilution). “Too thick” isn’t a grade off of OE spec: that’s more of an issue adding some crazy thick gear oil or grease, yeah, that’s too thick. But most engine oils are suitable, whereas the scope of most debates we have are optimization, not whether it’s an actual problem with engine health. It’s more of a preference and how much headroom one wants in a given application. That’s it regarding grade of oil. I actually believe the type of oil selected for use is often times just as if not more important these days; than the grade itself.
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I agree. Not all engines. I think in GDI engines where fuel dilution is an issue and pushing subpar oils too far, will eventually cause ring issues that lead to oil consumption. Is it a problem? No not unless you hate adding oil per OCI (I do). This is why some see a drop in oil consumption after using VRP or HPL.
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Most people never lift the hood of their car - unless the "squirters" stop working.
The TPMS will force most people to at least take care of their tire pressure.
Many here on BITOG don't realize how few people care about oil, the way they do.
People that participate in this discussion care about oil, its not a discussion for most people
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