Using 5W-20 in an older car that Ford recommends it for

[brianl703]

I have a 1996 Ford Contour 2.5L V6 with 119,000 miles on it.

I've used 5w30 in this car since I got it with 71,000 miles.

Would there be any issue at all with using 5W-20 in it? Ford recommends it, and I'm curious to find out if I'll get any noticeable fuel economy improvement from it.

My understanding is that typical 5w30 oil shears down to a 5W-20 after a thousand miles or so anyway, is that correct?

 

[wiswind]

My '96 3.8L Ford windstar has the following TSB listed on Alldatadiy 5W-20 is "approved".
I am still using Mobil 1 5w30....which is on the thin side of the 30 rating.
I guess the point would be to check the wording on the "recommended" oil. "Recommended" vs "Approved".

 

[brianl703]

The Contour is listed in that same TSB, which has been revised a number of times to include more and more engines. The Contour was on the very first TSB Ford ever issued, way back in 2000 as I recall.

 

[Whimsey]

I have 1996 Contour also, but mine has the 2.0L 4 cyl Zetec engine. When the TSB came out for using 5W-20 in "older" Ford's the 2.0L Zetec was excluded from the list. Later on they put it on the 5W-20 is OK to use list. While I'm a proponent of 5W-20 in my 2002 F-150 I'll stick with using Schaeffer's 5w30 Supreme blend. The Contour is run much harder than the F-150 and the Schaeffer's doesn't shear back to a 20 wt like most 5w30 conventionals. You have to wonder why Ford excluded the 2.0L Zetec originally then added it afterwards

.

Whimsey