MPG vs oil vis.......

[Hankrr]

Just thought I'd post on this since I keep reading others results.....

I've been keeping miles per gallon tabs on my 2000 Honda Accord V6 since I bought it new.

A couple of weeks ago I changed the oil in it to the new Mobil-1 5w40 Truck/SUV oil. My first test of MPG was 25.5 which is just about the same average since it was new and since I was using the 0w30 weight mobil-1.

I had similar results when I switched my 2003 Honda CRV from the 5w20 to the new Mobil-1 0w30 regular oil and now the new racing oil. No detectible difference.

My conclusion is oil vis. has little noticible effect on gas mileage at least in my two cars.

Possibly biger or more extreme jumps between vis. may make more difference.

 

[blsnelling]

My experience has been the same as yours.

 

[Schmoe]

I noticed no difference going from 5W-20 to 5W-30 in mpg on my 02 V6 Accord. Your running the 5W-40 in yours? Wow. What made you decide to go that high up in viscosity? Are you loosing oil?

 

[Schmoe]

I know and that is EXACTLY my problem. I just got it in the brain that great oils have moly and a good ZDDP package. Yes, I too have been frequenting the UOA's and the non-moly/boron formulas have been excellent. But my argument is that the moly/boron combination has been around for decades and has never failed. Now, why mess with success? Are the manufacturers trying to find different formulas that show good results but are cheaper for them to manufacture to increase their profit margin? I know there is a problem with the phosphorus amounts and catalytic converters. Is the wave of the future for motor oils going to get rid of the ZDDP altogether like the future SM oils?

 

[csandste]

My tastes are at the proletarian end of the scale compared to other posters. I seem to be getting about 1.5 more mpg using 5w30 ST v. 10w30. Dealer service switched me to Castrol 5w30, it seems the same as the ST (although plugs and wires were swapped).

My experience will probably cause me to stay with 5w30 for 9 months a year v. 3 months.

 

[crashz]

Same here. I notice a little bit better mpg with 5w-20 than 5w-30. But at what price? My truck runs like crap. Idles like its gonna fall apart and accelerating is harsh with poor response time. Almost feels like I lost torque out of the motor. At 80K miles on it, I never should have even entertained the idea. Now I'm torn between riding it out to get an UOA or thickening up the oil with some 10w40 and saving my engine.

 

[Hankrr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Schmoe:
I noticed no difference going from 5W-20 to 5W-30 in mpg on my 02 V6 Accord. Your running the 5W-40 in yours? Wow. What made you decide to go that high up in viscosity? Are you loosing oil?

---

Schmoe I actually went thicker by "accident" in my Accord.

See last year when I went to get the normal 0W30 mobil-1 that I'd always used in it I couldn't find it anywhere. Seems it had been replaced on the shelves by the newer 0W40 Mobil-1. I was reluctant but needed to change it so I tried the 0W40.

What I noticed was my engine seemed both quieter and smoother with it. I posted about it back then and people here said I'd be even better off with the Delvac 1 5w40 which is better than the 0W40.

I saw from the posts that the new Mobil-1 truck/suv 5w40 is the SAME oil as the Delvac 1 so I put it in on my last change. It's almost summer anyway.

I haven't decided yet for sure but I may go SLIGHTLY thiner in it again for next winter.

I really 'THINK' this engine likes the 0W40 or 5W40 though.

[ April 08, 2004, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: Hankrr ]

 

[Schmoe]

Hmmmmmm....may have to think about that. We average about 23K a year on ours. My only problem with the Delvac or Mobil SUV oil is that there is no moly. Personal thing to me. That's why I've stuck with M1 5W-30.

 

[n8wvi]

Schmoe, IIRC, the 0W-40 has moly.......

 

[haley10]

yep, Schmoe all the Super Syns have Moly. The 0W-40 does for sure. I'm not advocating this to run, just saying if you want moly....

Think about this....GC has no moly or boron, but look at the results.

The new Amsoil Euro formula 5W-40 voa also looks a little weak, by traditional reasoning.

Maybe our mindset for moly and boron etc. might be keeping us from getting some of the best formulations????