My wife's 2002 Honda CRV-EX with 177K miles calls for 5W-20. She drives 20 miles each way to work primarily highway miles. What would the risks be to use Mobil synthetic 10W-30? Plan is to keep this vehicle another 30K miles but I don't want to kill it in the meantime. I have a stockpile of this Mobil 1 that I would like to use up if the risk is not too great.
Signed,
Oil moron
What are risks of not using 5W-20?
- Thread starter OutlawTitan
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That late in the engine's lifetime, I'd stick with what its been getting all along and not change anything.
Keep using the 5W-20. Switching to 10W-30 will have zero benefit, unless it's burning a ton of oil.
Whats the original spec? If it called for a 30W youll be fine. I know some honda engines called for 30W and we're back speced to a 20W.
Yeah I wouldnt change either.
I know that changing to the mobil 10W-30 won't help the engine and would not be anyone's first choice. What I am asking is will it hurt to use it? I have 4 gallons that I would like to use up if I am not doing significant damage.
I would expect consumption (currently uses none between 9K OCI) to possibly increase and MPG to suffer but I only know enough to be dangerous at best.
The original specs were for 5W-20 (this was the first year model that called for it in the USA but was still 5W-30 in other countries).
FWIW I have used both Schaeffer's 5W-20 and 5W-30 for almost the entire 177K miles.
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I dont think it would "hurt" it, but may/may not loose some pep & mpg`s.
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It actually will not hurt your engine. Maybe a slight MPG loss, but nothing really noticeable. M1 10-30 is an excellant oil which myself and other family members have had very good results with. My son in law uses it in their 05 MB V-6 with no pronlems at all. I used it in my 96 Mer 4.6 for 218K before I sold it. Since you have a stash, use it.
You aren't going to do any damage, certainly not in 30K. Over 100K, I could see you causing some engine oil seal wear you wouldn't otherwise (how many engines using 10W30 have no noticeable consumption after 170K? None that I've ever seen...). Over 30K, no big deal. You could always pick up a gallon of 0W20 and mix it if you want to thin it up a bit--but if you're just looking to get rid of the oil and you're ditching the car at 200K, I'd just use it. I'll still be much better-maintained than most cars on the road...
it wont hurt and I doubt you will notice unless your end up doing some super cold starts.
my .02
The benefit of the 10-30 is that you already have it. Yes, use it. The K24 in that CRV will be fine on it. Plenty of K20 and K24's are specd for 30 weight in the TSX, SI, RSX... etc and the fact it's 10-30 and not 5-30 won't matter in your climate.
Or send it to me and I'll pour it in my Accord (same engine).
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Originally Posted By: OutlawTitan
What would the risks be to use Mobil synthetic 10W-30?
Originally Posted By: OutlawTitan
My wife's 2002 Honda CRV-EX with 177K miles calls for 5W-20. She drives 20 miles each way to work primarily highway miles. What would the risks be to use Mobil synthetic 10W-30? Plan is to keep this vehicle another 30K miles but I don't want to kill it in the meantime. I have a stockpile of this Mobil 1 that I would like to use up if the risk is not too great. . . .
No risks whatsoever. For the record, 20-weight oils are not commonly available here in europe and Hondas live long and happy lives with Mobil 1 0w-40. Only downside might be a small increase in fuel consumption, however, I have seen no difference in the Toyota where I swithced to a thinner oil.
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Won`t hurt a single thing. Fwiw,my Z gets the same mpg whether I use a 10W30 or 20W50.
Simple solution.....Why not sell the M-1 10w30 through Craigslist. Price it well....and then purchase the M1 5w20 you need with the proceeds.
After all....the 10w30 is SM GF-4...isn't it?
Risks? thats funny, but a good question. The 0w20/5w20 lubricant is for short trip fuel mileage gain ONLY. If 2-4 cst diff in hot viscosity harms an engine (in a near non viscous fluid), the engine is improperly designed. I see a mileage GAIN in your future (if winter wasnt coming). Cold starts will be fine to well below zero. Make sure to shake them old oil bottles and turn 'em upside down a couple days before you plan to use them - just to get the full DP % in the mix.
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Back to mechanical risks: The Main and Rods clearance is not "tightened up" or reduced for light viscosity oil (more about bearing /surface/ area later). Main journals are typ built to the current limit of stacked tolerances in production on a deep skirt and web block casting technique, which will be around 1.5 +/- 1.0 mils. This amazing tol. is due to various factors and variables e.g: crank runout, harmonic induced distortion (i.e: crank whip), and block web creep as well as automated machining capabilities - not limited to an oil molecule size. Recall these clearances are taken on a cold and non running engine. Piston-to-wall clearance is more of a materials and form issue and is not viscosity driven rather at: expected long term MAX POWER which is yet again more at heat dissapation. If you have hydraulic VVT then heaven help you anyway when adding yet another unproved technology variable. Note that the hondas employing traditional VTEC on the inlet valving (sans vvt) is not controlled via mains drill operating pressure. Run it and hope is not a "misformulated" batch. Maybe Ashland can give you the lot #'s 
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Originally Posted By: TaterandNoodles
Originally Posted By: OutlawTitan
What would the risks be to use Mobil synthetic 10W-30?
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Maybe Ashland can give you the lot #'s
Stupid question from a newbie. If he is concerned could he use the 10w30 and mix it with say a 0w20 and make his own blend? That way he wouldn't waste his stash and might alleviate some of the possible drawbacks of going with a thicker oil?
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