Honda 0W-20 Oil Mfg.

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Johnny

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Well, I found out for sure who makes the Honda 0W-20 oil, but they would not give me any real information. They did send me a MSDS but the way it's worded it does not tell much. Here is the email I received from them today.

Dear Mr. P,

Thank you for your interest and inquiry into Genuine Honda 0W-20 Engine Oil.

This product represents the culmination of Honda and Idemitsu’s extensive research and development performed in Japan. This oil was designed and tested to provide superior performance, and has been specially formulated for use in Honda passenger vehicles.

Regarding your question about the specifications, we are not at liberty to divulge this information without the approval of Honda Motor Corporation. The Engineering and Development teams at both companies have spent an enormous amount of time and resources in the testing and evaluation of the product and have chosen to keep this information confidential.

I can assure you that this product has passed all of Honda’s stringent tests and has been fully approved by Honda engineers.

Please do not hesitate to send me any comments or other questions that you may have.

Please see the attached MSDS sheet you requested.

Sincerely,


Damian Seipel
Sales & Marketing Manager
Idemitsu Lubricants America Corp.
Los Angeles Sales Office
2041 Rosecrans Ave Suite 355
El Segundo, CA 90245-4707
 
Ummm..not to burst your bubble, or come across as a goof or anything, but I posted this information back in the winter of 2006/2007. Here in Canada, all other weights of Honda oil are made by Petro Can. The only exception was the 0w20. I used the oil in my Odyssey that winter, but did not get a VOA or a used oil analysis done. No longer have the vehicle.

When I called Petro Can way back, they told me that Honda had some spec that the Petro Can 0w20 didn't meet. Petro Can were the ones that told me Idemitsu made the 0w20 for Honda.

Now if we could only find out who makes the 0w20 for Toyota...I just posted a VOA of that oil. You have any connections, Johnny?
 
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Johnny, thanks for confirming it is indeed Idemitsu and therefore
an imported Japanese formulated product.

The VOA of the Toyota 0W-20 was just posted this morning and it's amazing how similar the Honda and Toyota products are. Nevertheless I believe the Toyota oil is made by the Nippon Oil Company.
 
The oil is actually blended and packaged in Indiana.

Headquarters and Manufacturing Facility
Idemitsu Lubricants America Corporation
701 Port Road
Jeffersonville, IN 47130-8425
 
Thanks to rcy and Johnny we now know the Honda 0W-20 is made at the Idemitsu plant in Indiana.

The Toyota 0W-20 is made in the USA (says so right on the bottle).
The Canadian 1 litre packaged versions of the Honda and Toyota oils are very similar; both bottles are black with very similar labeling. The VOA spec's of both oils are very similar; both are high moly oils with 200 plus VI's.
IMO the similarities are too compelling to be just coincidence.
I now think the Toyota 0W-20 oil must also be made by Idemitsu.
The only other company that makes an oil with those spec's is the Nippon Oil Company but they do not have a manufacturing facility in the States that I'm aware of.
The only observational difference between the two oils is the colour. Toyota's oil is a light bright yellow. Honda's has a slightly more typical brownish tinge.
I did email Idemitsu directly but have not received a reply.
 
Here is the contact at Idemitsu I talked with.

[email protected]

Damian Seipel
Sales & Marketing Manager
Idemitsu Lubricants America Corp.
Los Angeles Sales Office
2041 Rosecrans Ave Suite 355
El Segundo, CA 90245-4707
310-563-1931 - Direct
310-741-1475 - Mobile
310-563-1939 - Fax
 
Well I've had no luck getting a response from Idemitsu but from their website I see they are " multi-year award winners for quality and delivery from Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. "

There's no doubt left in my mind they make the Toyota Brand 0W-20.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Well I've had no luck getting a response from Idemitsu but from their website I see they are " multi-year award winners for quality and delivery from Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. "

There's no doubt left in my mind they make the Toyota Brand 0W-20.


I know you and others have done lots of sleuthing to determine the actual manufacturer of this Toyota 0W20. With the internet at our finger tips I wouldn't have thought that it would be so hard to get such information.
21.gif
Crazy.
 
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Now that we've confirmed it for Honda (and likely Toyota), they'll go and switch suppliers in the new year...hahaha.

Just posted updated Visc@40c and Visc@100c for the Toyota in the VOA section, by the way.
 
Exactly, it's hard to pin down car manufacturer suppliers, even for the same country/year. This fact used to disturb me, but it's business as usual for International companies. They scour the world looking for the best bang for the buck. We consumers do the same thing, searching the Internet for best products/buys.

Now, I just enjoy the random, unpredictable nature of it all. I get a kick out of it when unlikely alliances form across great distances, yet they're surprisingly complimentary to each other.
 
Originally Posted By: rcy
Now that we've confirmed it for Honda (and likely Toyota), they'll go and switch suppliers in the new year...hahaha.

Just posted updated Visc@40c and Visc@100c for the Toyota in the VOA section, by the way.


In this case I don't think so with all the manufacturing Toyota and Honda do in NA they and Idemitsu are intrinsically linked.
Besides no one else at the present time can make a 200 plus VI syn oil.
 
i want to use 0w2o in my civic but every time i ask the dealer they say its only for the hybrid and the new cross over
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Besides no one else at the present time can make a 200 plus VI syn oil.


...or rather wants to.
 
Originally Posted By: donny939
i want to use 0w2o in my civic but every time i ask the dealer they say its only for the hybrid and the new cross over


They refuse to sell it to you?
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Well I've had no luck getting a response from Idemitsu but from their website I see they are " multi-year award winners for quality and delivery from Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. "

There's no doubt left in my mind they make the Toyota Brand 0W-20.


Idemitsu finally got back to me. As it turns out they don't currently make a 0W-20 for Toyota. Or as they put it, a Toyota 0W-20.

So who's left in the States that could possibly make the Toyota oil? The Nippon Oil Company who do make a high VI 0W-20 that they sell under their own brand ENEOS, have a lubricant and grease production plant in Childersburg, Alabama.
The company is called Nippon Oil Lubricants (America) LLC. It's quite new only being established in 2005. They don't have a website so that is all I have at this time.

BTW, the Idemitsu spec's for the Honda 0W-20 from the MSDS are as follows:

40C vis 39.94 cSt
100C vis 8.52 cSt
VI 200
Flash Point 218C
 
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