Noob question re: Motul Specific LL01-FE 0W-30 for non-BMW

[FranklinJL]

Hey Everyone,
This is my first post here, so please be gentle. I just sold my two BMW M cars in favor of downsizing to a manual trans "fun car" which ended up being a 2025 Acura Integra Type S. I love it!

I intend to do a post break-in oil change, and the manual recommends 0W-20 or 5W-30 (the former for fuel efficiency and the latter for greater high temp protection). I'll probably run the thinner oil in the winter and the thicker oil in the summer, as I will be tracking this car.

All my cars for the past ten years have been BMWs so I still have two fresh 5L bottles of Motul Specific LL01-FE 0w30 oil, and I want to ask you wise folk if it would be a terrible idea to use this oil for the break in change, and then switch to the Honda-spec oil at the first official drain interval and beyond. I'm less concerned about warranty than i am about engine protection and performance.

I await the flames.
-Ash

Hondas dont really care about oil type, or viscosity. Ive got a roughly 500hp K24 swapped Civic thats run everything under the sun......mostly franken brews from leftover jugs from my other fast cars.....Right now I think I have a mix of Redline 0w40, Amsoil 5w40 Euro, and Amsoil SS 5w30.....it doesnt care

That Integra really handle better than a G80/G82? Im a Mercedes guy, but respect BMWs suspension work. The S58 might be the best engine ever made.....even though it sounds terrible

 

[edyvw]

Nope. I kept the Honda.

You're both right of course. A 0W-anything should be fine in the winter.

But I'd still use up the 0w30 weight oil in the summer. I'm not opposed to 30 weight oil, but for everyday driving on an engine that's not very demanding, that's designed for, and that specs a 20 weight oil, a 0W-20 weight oil will be just fine.

I am putting my money where my mouth is too. I use a 0W-20 oil in my 18 year old Honda Accord V6 6MT that still sees occasional red-lines (when thoroughly warmed up of course). And it doesn't use any oil either.

I want to hear this: what summer has to do with 20 or 30 grade?
Does your car run hotter in summer? Or you think engine will be able to wipe the sweat better from rod bearings with 30 grade?

 

[SureshR]

I want to hear this: what summer has to do with 20 or 30 grade?
Does your car run hotter in summer? Or you think engine will be able to wipe the sweat better from rod bearings with 30 grade?

I used to own a Honda from 2014 that specced 5w40. Honda later updated their documents as well as dealer stocks to 5w30 and then to 0w20. For the very same engine, mind you.

 

[edyvw]

I used to own a Honda from 2014 that specced 5w40. Honda later updated their documents as well as dealer stocks to 5w30 and then to 0w20. For the very same engine, mind you.

Well, that is kind of story with all manufacturers.

 

[ecotourist]

I want to hear this: what summer has to do with 20 or 30 grade?
Does your car run hotter in summer? Or you think engine will be able to wipe the sweat better from rod bearings with 30 grade?

In the olden days (1960s and 1970s) people used 5W-20 oil in the winter and 10w30 oil in the summer.

On a very cold night in 1968, my friend started his parent's beautiful 1963 Cadillac that was parked in a snowbank and had been plugged in for hours. They had neglected to change to 5W-20 oil and that poor engine thump, thump, thumped with the oil pressure light blazing for minutes. "No leave it on" he said. I remember it like yesterday. That experience left an impression. He recently told me that lovely car didn't last very long. With cold starts like that I'm not surprised.

I think the point here is that when the weather is very hot, while your car's cooling system will probably keep the engine's temperature in the proper range, if there are problems around the edges it would be on the hot side, and if that happens, a thicker oil would be more protective. That happened to my Volvo which had an actual temperature gauge (oil cooled turbo, slowed down after high speed driving, very hot day, and needed the radiator cleaned out). According to the gauge it began running quite hot. The reverse applies on very cold nights especially if you don't have a block heater and ever leave your car outside on a very cold night. So out of an abundance of (probably unnecessary) caution if you're using up your old stock of 0w30 oil it makes more sense to do it in the summer.

Having said all that I run a 0W-20 in my Honda Accord V6 year round and used to run a "thicker" 0w30 in my BMW year round.

 

[edyvw]

In the olden days (1960s and 1970s) people used 5W-20 oil in the winter and 10w30 oil in the summer.

On a very cold night in 1968, my friend started his parent's beautiful 1963 Cadillac that was parked in a snowbank and had been plugged in for hours. They had neglected to change to 5W-20 oil and that poor engine thump, thump, thumped with the oil pressure light blazing for minutes. "No leave it on" he said. I remember it like yesterday. That experience left an impression. He recently told me that lovely car didn't last very long. With cold starts like that I'm not surprised.

I think the point here is that when the weather is very hot, while your car's cooling system will probably keep the engine's temperature in the proper range, if there are problems around the edges it would be on the hot side, and if that happens, a thicker oil would be more protective. That happened to my Volvo which had an actual temperature gauge (oil cooled turbo, slowed down after high speed driving, very hot day, and needed the radiator cleaned out). According to the gauge it began running quite hot. The reverse applies on very cold nights especially if you don't have a block heater and ever leave your car outside on a very cold night. So out of an abundance of (probably unnecessary) caution if you're using up your old stock of 0w30 oil it makes more sense to do it in the summer.

Having said all that I run a 0W-20 in my Honda Accord V6 year round and used to run a "thicker" 0w30 in my BMW year round.

Probably keep temperature? Issues around the edges? What are issues around “edges?”
It is low altitude environment. Heat is an issue once you start climbing above 5,000ft. And even than, unless you have radiator type oil cooler , cooling system is what matters. Take into consideration that 30 grade has higher resistance due to higher dynamic viscosity which contributes to higher temperatures.

 

[ecotourist]

Probably keep temperature? Issues around the edges? What are issues around “edges?”
It is low altitude environment. Heat is an issue once you start climbing above 5,000ft. And even than, unless you have radiator type oil cooler , cooling system is what matters. Take into consideration that 30 grade has higher resistance due to higher dynamic viscosity which contributes to higher temperatures.

See story about my Volvo. A previously good running car that had never run hot before suddenly began running hot. Altitude was 2260'.

The only way I even knew it was running "hot" was the real temperature gauge. Most new cars today (the ones that even have a temperature gauge) just show the needle in the middle of the range. So I checked the fans (good) and had the radiator cleaned out (lots of crap inside and outside). But I was happy to have a 30 weight oil in it when it started running hot (on a trip of course, 970 km from home).

 

[edyvw]

See story about my Volvo. A previously good running car that had never run hot before suddenly began running hot. Altitude was 2260'.

The only way I even knew it was running "hot" was the real temperature gauge. Most new cars today (the ones that even have a temperature gauge) just show the needle in the middle of the range. So I checked the fans (good) and had the radiator cleaned out (lots of crap inside and outside). But I was happy to have a 30 weight oil in it when it started running hot (on a trip of course, 970 km from home).

That generally happens when a problem occurs. It runs good, but then it does not.
But I am glad 10W30 saved the day.

 

[JamusMcFamus]

Nvm

 

[Nessism1]

If you’re not worried about warranty, use it.

If your engine blows up from using it, it had other problems.

Didn't take long before the "warranty" issue popped up. Thing is, no OEM is going to question about oil viscosity. It's a BITOG concern, not an OEM concern.

 

[BrendanC]

i run 5w-40 in both of my accords without issue. i would personally keep it on the 30w rather than switch back and forth. no reason to do so.

 

[edyvw]

Didn't take long before the "warranty" issue popped up. Thing is, no OEM is going to question about oil viscosity. It's a BITOG concern, not an OEM concern.

It depends. If it has specific requirements, it will.
The whole point behind dye in VW508.00/509.00.

 

[Nessism1]

It depends. If it has specific requirements, it will.
The whole point behind dye in VW508.00/509.00.

No. OEM's have better things to do than challenge customers regarding what oil was used. It's almost never comes up regardless, because cataphoretic engine failure, related to oil failure, never comes up.

 

[edyvw]

No. OEM's have better things to do than challenge customers regarding what oil was used. It's almost never comes up regardless, because cataphoretic engine failure, related to oil failure, never comes up.

There is saying, assumption is mother of all screw ups.
Remember, you are not only one who worked in automotive industry here.

 

[ashmostro]

Didn't take long before the "warranty" issue popped up. Thing is, no OEM is going to question about oil viscosity. It's a BITOG concern, not an OEM concern.

To be fair, it came up because I myself mentioned it in the OP when I said (for the sake of context) that I am not concerned about warranty matters, only performance.

 

[ashmostro]

That Integra really handle better than a G80/G82? Im a Mercedes guy, but respect BMWs suspension work. The S58 might be the best engine ever made.....even though it sounds terrible

The G8x is a beast, no doubt. But it's obscenely heavy. BMW has invested a ton into tire technology and AWD trickery to make the thing a rocketship, but you can't ever completely mask the weight. Actually, a better way to say it is, the way BMW masks the weight introduces a numbness and clinicality that makes the drive boring until you are doing illegal things on the street. And even on the track, it can feel a bit like an appliance for speed. This is why I tracked the F8x platform for so long and never bought the G8x. It's also why I owned two F90 M5's but found them to be a bit boring, despite 650 HP and AWD.

The integra weighs almost a ton less than the G8x, and yes, it's slower. But it's so.much.fun all the time. It's light on its feet, changes direction willingly, and the tires don't scream bloody murder as soon as they do on the heavier BMWs. Will the BMW be the faster car around a track in the same hands... yes. but it's still less fun.

IMHO, YMMV, TLDR, YOLO.

 

[HemiBenny]

Didn't take long before the "warranty" issue popped up. Thing is, no OEM is going to question about oil viscosity. It's a BITOG concern, not an OEM concern.

Yeah, it didn’t take long, it was mentioned in the OP’s original post.
I just threw that part in because the OP did. He said he’s less concerned about the warranty, so I say he should use it since that’s not a concern.

 

[ashmostro]

Yeah, it didn’t take long, it was mentioned in the OP’s original post.
I just threw that part in because the OP did. He said he’s less concerned about the warranty, so I say he should use it since that’s not a concern.

hehe, I had your back.

Anyhoot. All good on the interwebs. you guys are great - thank you for setting my mind at ease. i will be using the Motul for my break in rinse and fill this week!

 

[SureshR]

It depends. If it has specific requirements, it will.
The whole point behind dye in VW508.00/509.00.

Now once you run that oil for even 2500 miles and it becomes black just how are they going to test for that dye, in a chemistry lab?

 

[edyvw]

Now once you run that oil for even 2500 miles and it becomes black just how are they going to test for that dye, in a chemistry lab?

Those oils have specific chemistry as they are approved by VW.
They are what they are bcs. VW requirements.