Do engines change by country?

[PimTac]

In regard to the different engines question, the same vehicle will be marketed in different countries with different engines depending on a variety of reasons. Needs, economy and regulations being the bigger ones. But, if your Fit has the 1.2 liter engine, that is the same 1.2 liter engine wherever it’s made and sold.

Here is a Wiki that shows all the various engines as well as the assembly plants worldwide for the Fit. It is not a popular vehicle in the US but in other parts of the world it’s a huge seller.

Honda Fit - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[KL31]

No 1 - You really don't know unless you know for certain that your engine in other markets has the same oil pump and/or the same VVT system.

No 2 - There's no proof that the lifespan of engines running fuel efficient oils has any correlation with the lifespan of the vehicle. Basically if a FE oil causes the bearings to grenade at 375k miles vs 400k miles nobody gives a [email protected] because the vehicle itself is used up at 275k miles.

No 3 - 20w oils have been used extensively for almost a generation. Zero issues related to oil weight.

I'd put money on the engines and all their bits being exactly the same everywhere in the world. There will be exceptions to that rule but you'd have to cherry pick them.

I'd debate point No 2 if 10W40 stops all oil consumption.

I think people are frustrated with closed minded mentalities of manufacturers who demand an oil spec when everyone knows the user manual elsewhere in the world says otherwise. But you know, there's people who were told as kids not to wee in the pool because it would turn purple so they didn't. Then there were kids who ****** straight in there with nil effects and felt that great sense of relief having emptied their bladder. Those are the people who know 30 grade is fine in a 20 grade car

 

[Falcon_LS]

There are a number of factors that come into play here; the market the vehicle is intended for, emissions requirements, fuel quality, oil grade availability, climate, etc. etc. etc.

Long story short, the engine itself is often the same, but other factors dictate the choice of oil for a particular application. It's not just Japanese, Korean or German manufacturers that do this either, even domestic manufacturers like GM and Ford will have a different set of oil requirements for export vehicles than those intended for sale in the United States.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I'd put money on the engines and all their bits being exactly the same everywhere in the world. There will be exceptions to that rule but you'd have to cherry pick them.

I'd debate point No 2 if 10W40 stops all oil consumption.

I think people are frustrated with closed minded mentalities of manufacturers who demand an oil spec when everyone knows the user manual elsewhere in the world says otherwise. But you know, there's people who were told as kids not to wee in the pool because it would turn purple so they didn't. Then there were kids who ****** straight in there with nil effects and felt that great sense of relief having emptied their bladder. Those are the people who know 30 grade is fine in a 20 grade car

Perhaps owners are frustrated but their thought process regarding why there's a different starts and ends at CAFE = More Wear. They've never thought that perhaps the heavier oils are in fact the compromise but they're recommended in a particular market because because fuel is cheap and 20w are more expensive.

Anecdotally I know that Mazda uses the same engine in the US and Europe but the the US model has a lower compression ratio. VW uses the same engine across markets but different fuel injection setups (ex, US DI only, Europe is DI + Port).

 

[kschachn]

I think people are frustrated with closed minded mentalities of manufacturers who demand an oil spec when everyone knows the user manual elsewhere in the world says otherwise. But you know, there's people who were told as kids not to wee in the pool because it would turn purple so they didn't. Then there were kids who ****** straight in there with nil effects and felt that great sense of relief having emptied their bladder. Those are the people who know 30 grade is fine in a 20 grade car

I think your frustration is misguided as to the source of the problem. When you say elsewhere, you mean besides Australia?

 

[OM605]

I can't believe people are asking this question ad nauseam but never ask about other things that are rarely discussed like the differences (or lack of) between a gas and a E85 or LPG engine and things like that.

 

[Blinker]

There are vehicles that have different horsepower/torque ratings in the US vs other countries. I would suspect it’s the result of ECU changes but I have no solid evidence of this.

 

[Hall]

If you change to a 5W30, like I did with my truck that specifies a 0W20 and has VVT, you won’t notice a single difference. I see no change in MPG with the 5W30

You and I (and everyone else here) won't see a difference in our MPG values unless we drive in a fairly controlled environment and measure MPG down to the tenths (or more). From the automaker's standpoint though, they extrapolate those tenths of an increase across the hundreds of thousands of Fits that Honda builds (or Ford with Mustangs or Chevrolet with Malibus and so on) and it improves their EPA rating.

Is there anything wrong with 5W-20, 0W-20, 0W-16, etc ? Nope ! No automaker will use them if they cause their engines to disintegrate.

 

[Skattered99*]

Some time ago I was following an argument on a jeep forum regarding oil type for a mid 90ies 4.0 jeep Cherokee with a South America owner. Nor Amercian guys ragged on this dude about using the must of using 5/30 and nothing else. Then he posted a pic of the engine bay and the O/E oil cap which recommended 15/40. IMO its all about averages of temp and emissions rules. The best for the engine or the best for Al Gore's knuckleheads?

 

[Breanna]

Hello fellow Fit owner.
I use 5W30 in mine, fully synthetic.
Enjoy your car.

 

[KL31]

I think your frustration is misguided as to the source of the problem. When you say elsewhere, you mean besides Australia?

I mean people in the US using Australia and other countries as a comparison. I'm not frustrated though. Seems to be many threads here about the issue though.

 

[wpod]

It is probably more than just the oil the dealer used.

 

[wpod]

Perhaps owners are frustrated but their thought process regarding why there's a different starts and ends at CAFE = More Wear. They've never thought that perhaps the heavier oils are in fact the compromise but they're recommended in a particular market because because fuel is cheap and 20w are more expensive.

Anecdotally I know that Mazda uses the same engine in the US and Europe but the the US model has a lower compression ratio. VW uses the same engine across markets but different fuel injection setups (ex, US DI only, Europe is DI + Port).

Particulate emissions in Europe is the reason for the DI and port.

 

[Shel_B]

New user, joins today and first question out of the box is one that is probably the most contentious and most asked question on the site.

Color me skeptical.

Just curious ... skeptical of what?

 

[Bill_W]

Perhaps owners are frustrated but their thought process regarding why there's a different starts and ends at CAFE = More Wear. They've never thought that perhaps the heavier oils are in fact the compromise but they're recommended in a particular market because because fuel is cheap and 20w are more expensive.

Anecdotally I know that Mazda uses the same engine in the US and Europe but the the US model has a lower compression ratio. VW uses the same engine across markets but different fuel injection setups (ex, US DI only, Europe is DI + Port).

Yes… The European Skyactiv engine had a compression of 14 to 1 and the North American version had a compression of 13 to 1 when they first came out. Maybe that changed, I do not know. The Euro version allows for 5w30 and 0w-20, NA version 0w-20 only.

 

[PimTac]

Yes… The European Skyactiv engine had a compression of 14 to 1 and the North American version had a compression of 13 to 1 when they first came out. Maybe that changed, I do not know. The Euro version allows for 5w30 and 0w-20, NA version 0w-20 only.

That was in part due to the gasoline in the US. Europe has or had higher standards for gasoline at that time. That may have changed now. It is still the same engine though.

 

[Bill_W]

That was in part due to the gasoline in the US. Europe has or had higher standards for gasoline at that time. That may have changed now. It is still the same engine though.

The compression ratio change says the engines are not identical.

 

[PimTac]

The compression ratio change says the engines are not identical.

From what I gather the computers are programmed differently.

The SKYs the Limit: Looking into Mazda's SKYACTIV Engine Technology - Engine Builder Magazine

Mazda’s ultra high-compression, direct injection gasoline engines are achieving fuel economy numbers that rival many hybrids. Related Articles - Import Engines: A Look at the 2JZ - Complete Engine Packages - April Shop Solutions 2023 Mazda isn’t one of the high-volume automakers. With only 1.9%...

www.enginebuildermag.com

 

[Bill_W]

Going from 13 to 1 to 14 to 1 is purely mechanical volume.

 

[Zaedock]

Just curious ... skeptical of what?

Skeptical of Trolls, Shel.