Recommended vs Required oil for a 2012 Honda Pilot

[Keats]

Bought a 5 qt bottle of Mobil 1 Performance full synthetic at Amazon. Free delivery. Bought a 20 pack of "Crush Washers" for the drain plug too. 6.99 Free delivery.
Have a Hastings oil filter. Will do all my own from now on.

It was not a matter of the $$ but the offer of a $19.95 oil change that jumped up to $29.95 because it had to use 0W-20 Synthetic ( maybe a blend - I'm not sure) and the very lousy attitude of the service manager.

I'll never go back to Arrowhead Honda in Peoria, Arizona again. Many other Honda dealers out here so I don't need them...

Thanks again,
Keats
Peoria, Az

 

[Panzerman]

That manager that said a engine warranty could be denied because of using 5w20 instead of 0w20 is exactly the reason why we should have experienced people in management and not manual readers that don't know anything about oil.
There is absolutely no way to determine what grade oil was in the engine because of shearing and grade differences between manufactures and second there is no way 5w20 would cause engine failure instead of 0w20.

 

[dblshock]

Posts like this make me chuckle. I’m a service advisor at a Ford dealer and I’ve found that people can be really nearsighted in this regard. Sure, we like higher customer-pay repair orders. But ya know what I like more? Keeping customer’s warranties intact. I’ve had people bring in Chrysler, VW and GM products that require full synthetic oil. Do I loook forward to telling them their oil change will cost over $60? No. Would I enjoy the butt-chewing I’d get if I put 5W-20 blend in a vehicle that requires 0W-20 syn and a customer has a warranty claim denied because of it? Absolutely not. My philosophy as an advisor is to always use wht the manufacturer recommends or requires and deal with the price shock later. I can adjust the cost if needed. I can’t adjust the warranty coverage if the unspecified oil was used.

/rant [/quote]

bet you've never even heard of this swap being an issue, most will chg, the $60 and do a 5/30 semi.

 

[FZ1]

$29.95 was a deal.

 

[EricBeau]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
That manager that said a engine warranty could be denied because of using 5w20 instead of 0w20 is exactly the reason why we should have experienced people in management and not manual readers that don't know anything about oil.
There is absolutely no way to determine what grade oil was in the engine because of shearing and grade differences between manufactures and second there is no way 5w20 would cause engine failure instead of 0w20.


You’re right, there isn’t a way to tell what oil was used in the vehicle. But I can tell you in the engine replacement claims I’ve processed the first thing Ford asks for is maintenance history. Most shops will put on the invoice what type of oil was used. All I’m saying is that I do the best I can to prevent any headaches for my customers for any potential future warranty claims.

I had one customer with a 2015 Jetta (I believe it was a 1.4T?) that was still under manufacturer warranty who said she didn’t want to run synthetic because she didn’t want to pay extra for it. I explained, with experience from coworkers who have worked at VW dealerships, that VW will flat-out deny a warranty claim if specified oil is not used. She finally understood and agreed to the synthetic oil.

Despite what people may think there are actually service department employees who want what’s best for their customers. I’m sorry if any of you have been burned but I’m doing the best I can.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: EricBeau
I had one customer with a 2015 Jetta (I believe it was a 1.4T?) that was still under manufacturer warranty who said she didn’t want to run synthetic because she didn’t want to pay extra for it. I explained, with experience from coworkers who have worked at VW dealerships, that VW will flat-out deny a warranty claim if specified oil is not used. She finally understood and agreed to the synthetic oil.

Correct, but there is a huge difference between an oil that would meet the required specification (but be a 5W-20 instead of a 0W-20) and one that would not. The focus on "synthetic" in your example is misguided, the discussion should be about required specifications not type. I agree that there likely aren't any non-synthetics that would meet the requirements, but at the same time there are synthetics that would not carry the required specification. Your customer should not walk away with the notion that as long as it is "synthetic" she is good to go. She should be looking for specs and forgetting about ancillary designations.

 

[Danh]

Originally Posted By: Keats
Bought a 5 qt bottle of Mobil 1 Performance full synthetic at Amazon. Free delivery. Bought a 20 pack of "Crush Washers" for the drain plug too. 6.99 Free delivery.
Have a Hastings oil filter. Will do all my own from now on.

It was not a matter of the $$ but the offer of a $19.95 oil change that jumped up to $29.95 because it had to use 0W-20 Synthetic ( maybe a blend - I'm not sure) and the very lousy attitude of the service manager.

I'll never go back to Arrowhead Honda in Peoria, Arizona again. Many other Honda dealers out here so I don't need them...

Thanks again,
Keats
Peoria, Az


With Honda's maintenance schedule requiring a filter change every other OCI, a really good alternative is an oil extractor (MityVac is one) that will draw oil out through the dipstick tube. Fast, easy, effective and neat - no need to get under the car, break out wrenches or even change clothes.

 

[FZ1]

Originally Posted By: Danh
Originally Posted By: Keats
Bought a 5 qt bottle of Mobil 1 Performance full synthetic at Amazon. Free delivery. Bought a 20 pack of "Crush Washers" for the drain plug too. 6.99 Free delivery.
Have a Hastings oil filter. Will do all my own from now on.

It was not a matter of the $$ but the offer of a $19.95 oil change that jumped up to $29.95 because it had to use 0W-20 Synthetic ( maybe a blend - I'm not sure) and the very lousy attitude of the service manager.

I'll never go back to Arrowhead Honda in Peoria, Arizona again. Many other Honda dealers out here so I don't need them...

Thanks again,
Keats
Peoria, Az


With Honda's maintenance schedule requiring a filter change every other OCI, a really good alternative is an oil extractor (MityVac is one) that will draw oil out through the dipstick tube. Fast, easy, effective and neat - no need to get under the car, break out wrenches or even change clothes.
That's right Danh..When is Doubt....Extract it out!

 

[Keats]

O.K. I can understand your point of view. My complaint was the lousy attitude of the service mgr. Also, there is nothing that says requires. I can't stress this enough. It recommends 0W-20 but a recommendation is just that.
If there was a warranty issue, the oil can be checked and if it still meets the minimum requirements for lubrication, the warranty will be enforced.
Take a look at the Amsoil web page and you'll see information about warranties and laws. Also, there is a federal law that required manufacturers to provide maintance items for free if they specify a specific brand.
It's really worth a look.
I've been running 0W-20 since I bought the car is 10/2012 brand new. The B.S. about voiding the warranty by this service mgr. was just that. It was a scare tactic to make me think I'd be risking my warranty. That may work on the little old lady from Sun City but I'm not that naive.
I've been changing oil and repairing automotive concerns for almost 60 years now. I can still do my own oil and the dealership coupon offer was worth not having to get dirty under the car. So I'll just wash up and I can be sure it's done to my satisfaction...
Keats
Arizona.

 

[Danh]

Originally Posted By: Keats
O.K. I can understand your point of view. My complaint was the lousy attitude of the service mgr. Also, there is nothing that says requires. I can't stress this enough. It recommends 0W-20 but a recommendation is just that.
If there was a warranty issue, the oil can be checked and if it still meets the minimum requirements for lubrication, the warranty will be enforced.
Take a look at the Amsoil web page and you'll see information about warranties and laws. Also, there is a federal law that required manufacturers to provide maintance items for free if they specify a specific brand.
It's really worth a look.
I've been running 0W-20 since I bought the car is 10/2012 brand new. The B.S. about voiding the warranty by this service mgr. was just that. It was a scare tactic to make me think I'd be risking my warranty. That may work on the little old lady from Sun City but I'm not that naive.
I've been changing oil and repairing automotive concerns for almost 60 years now. I can still do my own oil and the dealership coupon offer was worth not having to get dirty under the car. So I'll just wash up and I can be sure it's done to my satisfaction...
Keats
Arizona.


You could call Honda as I did. You'll be told 0w-20 is required without the wiggle-room the required/recommended verbiage may imply.

 

[fdcg27]

Most dealer shops won't deviate from manufacturer's grade recommendations with good reason.
They figure that engine makers know more about what works than they do, so they're not inclined to use non-spec grades in most cases.
Can't fault the service writer for that and you also can't fault him for making you as a stranger with a discount coupon rather than a regular customer.
There are blend 0W-20s, but they aren't all that commonly available.
Check the various retail shelves and you probably won't find any.
Since you've now decided to DIY, you won't face this issue again.
The dealer telling you that a conventional 5W-20 is okay was doing you no favors.
Incidentally, by buying your M1 from Amazon, you've excluded yourself from the $12/jug rebate on offer, since Mobil specifically excludes oil bought on Amazon from MIR eligibility.