Used 0w20 instead of 5w20....

[OilUzer]

Interesting stuff!
Can't believe they advised you to switch from 0Wx20 to 5Wx20! Waste of $ imho.
vii wise, there can't be that much difference between the two. Also my understanding is that 0Wx20 in general is a much better oil than 5Wx20 and has a better base oil ... or used to in older days ...
If I was forced to choose between 5Wx20 or 0Wx20, I would pick 0Wx20 but maybe things (better base oil theory) have changed!

 

[OilUzer]

from Acura? by acuariuscsm:

"Be absolutely sure that you don't accidentally use 5Wx20 in a vehicle that is made for 0Wx20"

Crazy stuff

So many issues/question with the above statement:
a) it violates the less vii the better, as suggested by oil-film-movies which in general I agree with.

b) however it agrees with my understanding that 0Wx20 is a better oil than 5Wx20 in general. But that's just my preference.

c) it does not talk about temperature (W rating). What's wrong with using 5W over 0W if you have mild temperatures?

d) i didn't know cars are "made for 0Wx20" !

e) doesn't the word "accidentally" scare consumers???

Overall i agree with their statement and the idea of not using 5Wx20 over 0Wx20 (refer to b) but the way it is worded, either Acura is smoking something or I need to spend more time on bitog and catch up

 

[Linctex]

I have seen turbocharged diesel engines running at full power, with diesel fuel spewing out of the crankcase vent tube (because a seal let loose on the injection pump) - - for HOURS!!! (discovered late)

One particular engine, an International Harvester DT-436, had run over 80 GALLONS of fuel through the crankcase, running at full boost and 2700 rpm for hours. I swapped the pump out with a spare, drained and filled the crankcase oil, and that sucker still runs great to this day (over 15 years later).

To think a 0W-20 is 'worse' for an engine than 5W-20 is simply absurd.

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I could dump it an put it in her 2018 RX450h, right?
She loves her TSX...

Maybe I'll mix in some old school Rotella?
All good. Thanks guy.

That is ridiculous. Run it and stop worrying.

 

[wemay]

Besides a probably insignificant, slightly lower Noack for the 5w20, i never believed there to be a quality difference when comparing Synthetics.

To add to my previous post, my initial belief as to why Hyundai/KIA chose 5w20 is because they wanted to allow their customers to use Conventional oils whereas Honda wanted you to go with at least a blend. Hyundai/Kia use a conservative 7500 max OCI and no OLM as seen in Honda and other Japanese brands.

 

[Jimzz]

You will be fine. But I would personally use a 5w30. Your area does not get cold enough and the 5w30 will protect a little better, esp with your miles.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Originally Posted by Lubener
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I could dump it an put it in her 2018 RX450h, right?
She loves her TSX...

Maybe I'll mix in some old school Rotella?
All good. Thanks guy.

That is ridiculous. Run it and stop worrying.


I was joking.

 

[Kira]

I knew you were joking. Earlier I was going to say, "Just add some Rislone" and fugettaboudit" but sometimes jokes don't read as well as they should....especially my bad ones!

 

[oil_film_movies]

OIlUzer, When you see Acura or anybody insisting on 0w20 over 5w20, its because they are most worried about very-cold start viscosity. Engineers recommend oils based on the worst thing that can happen.
For example, they're afraid somebody will start that engine on a -15F morning and rev the snot out of it. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gif7mN6rZLw if you're curious as to super cold starts.

 

[CT8]

I'll never understand the people feeling so good about using a Xw20 over a Xw-30.

 

[mazdamonky]

No. In fact, I would convert over to only 0w20. Better cold startup, the same hot startup, and slightly better fuel economy when the engine is cold. If 0w20 was available in 2006, I can bet that is what Honda would have prescribed.

 

[ka9mnx]

Better cold startup in Arkansas? I gained 1-2mpg (documented) in my Ranger when I went from (back spec'd) 5w-20 to 5w-30.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by ka9mnx
Better cold startup in Arkansas? I gained 1-2mpg (documented) in my Ranger when I went from (back spec'd) 5w-20 to 5w-30.

If you saw such an increase it wasn't due to the oil. You may believe that but such a determination and conclusion outside of a controlled environment is not possible.

This thread has degenerated into the typical mess of unsubstantiated opinion and guessing as usual.

 

[ka9mnx]

Really? Sorry you feel that way. No opinion or guessing...

 

[OilUzer]

Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
... See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gif7mN6rZLw if you're curious as to super cold starts.


Poor car, It had a good battery!

 

[Artem]

@ the text Honda put in there.

"Be sure you don't accidentally pour in 5w20 in an engine that spec's 0w20... or else!"

Come on Honda. I know 99% of the buyers are clueless when it comes to oil viscosity and all but, if I put in 5w20, DOES THE ENGINE REALLY CARE??? Lol.

 

[StevieC]

I think they might be using the 0w20 as a way to make sure you use a synthetic and not a blend or conventional which are available in 5w20 because most people don't read the manuals.

 

[ABomb369]

Originally Posted by Artem

@ the text Honda put in there.

"Be sure you don't accidentally pour in 5w20 in an engine that spec's 0w20... or else!"

Come on Honda. I know 99% of the buyers are clueless when it comes to oil viscosity and all but, if I put in 5w20, DOES THE ENGINE REALLY CARE??? Lol.


Reminds me of my GMC OM.

Viscosity Grade
SAE 5W-30 is the best viscosity
grade for the vehicle. Do not
use other viscosity oils such as
SAE 10Wâ€30, 10Wâ€40, or 20W-50.

Since when did 10W-30 become so evil as to be unable to work in a vehicle that specs xW-30?

 

[Balrog006]

Originally Posted by ABomb369
Originally Posted by Artem

@ the text Honda put in there.

"Be sure you don't accidentally pour in 5w20 in an engine that spec's 0w20... or else!"

Come on Honda. I know 99% of the buyers are clueless when it comes to oil viscosity and all but, if I put in 5w20, DOES THE ENGINE REALLY CARE??? Lol.


Reminds me of my GMC OM.

Viscosity Grade
SAE 5W-30 is the best viscosity
grade for the vehicle. Do not
use other viscosity oils such as
SAE 10Wâ€30, 10Wâ€40, or 20W-50.

Since when did 10W-30 become so evil as to be unable to work in a vehicle that specs xW-30?


Or an engine so sophisticated that it can tell the difference between 5w and 10w30!

 

[Gokhan]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
What I want to know is what exactly changed inside of these engines between 2004 and 2011.

Don't read too much into manufacturer's oil recommendations. They are pretty random. Especially when they attempt to distinguish between 0W-20 and 5W-20, it gets borderline nonsense, as technically 0W-20 and 5W-20 are equivalent except for the extreme-cold-start performance. Toyota has similar nonsense charts where they distinguish between 0W-20 and 5W-20 and then on the TGMO 0W-20 bottle, it says OK to use in any 5W-20 application. How 0W-20 and 5W-20 differ, such as subtleties regarding the base-oil and viscosity-index improver properties, is way beyond a typical engine-designer engineer's knowledge -- it's rather a subject for oil designers and researchers (and some folks here on BITOG).

European OEM's do a better job than Japanese OEM's because instead of recommending a SAE viscosity, they recommend an OEM certification or ACEA category, which also specifies in it the acceptable viscosities along with other subtle properties that could be a concern for engine makers.