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Anyone use 5W20 oil? (1 Viewer)

Marvin

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I have a 2003 Honda CRV, and they recommend you use hard-to-find 5W20 oil, supposedly for increased fuel economy. I did some web searching on this oil and there seems to be a couple of schools of thought on this. One is that the increased MPG is negligible, but the engine won't last as long with 5W20 so it's better to switch to 5W30. The people that say this usually recommend a synthetic 5W30 (esp. Mobil1 or Amsoil).

The other side says it's better to use some xW20 oil as the dealer recommends, particularly Mobil1 0W20. (I don't think they make a 5W20.) I think the rationale is that the thinner oil is needed to lubricate the smaller gaps in thsse engines, or something like that.

So I was wondering what people here that have cars for which 5W20 is recommended use, and/or what do the oil experts out there recommend?

Also, would 6K miles be too soon to switch to a synthetic oil?
 

Bob Graz

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2001 Windstar and 2002 Taurus, both call for 5W-20 so that's what I put in. I wouldn't feel bad about using 5W-30 though. My understanding is that Ford went to 5W-20 to meet federal fuel mileage requirements.
 

Erik.Ha

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Redline makes a 5w20. Buy it online by the case... A tad more expensive, but worth it. They make great synthetic lubricants... I especially like their differential and tranny oils...
 

Brett DiMichele

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My car came with Mobil-1 and that's all that goes in it..

I would switch to synthetic after the initial break in
period and with the synthetic you can run thinner oils
since there is barely no chance of thermal break down and
the thinner oils can penetrate further plus they are pushed
through the system more quickly than the thicker viscosity
oils and that can be a life saver when you turn the key.

Ohh yeah and Mobil-1 rocks :)
 

brentl

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I'll be changing over in a few months. It will be 1 year for my baby(civic coupe), and I'll be moving to Mobil 1 5w30 with a Honda filter.

I've heard the same Mileage story, but it'a a very minor thing. I also asked a Honda tech if it was OK to switch to the 5w30, and they said it's fine and won't affect warranty.

Hope I never find out though!

Oh, and take a look at the cutaway of a Honda oil filter, it's VERY well made.

Brent
I figure 1 year is a good break in period, and since my first oil change was free my first thought was that I'd change to synthetic on the second change. The only problem was December was too damn cold to try my first oil change on my car.
 

Matt Stryker

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I just did my first change (6000 miles) in my 2003 Element, and went to Mobil 1 5w-30 full syn. The motor in the Element is pretty similar to the CRV (the CRV makes a bit more low end torque, the E a bit more HP).

Wal-Mart seems to be the best place to get Mobil 1, their 5 gallon jugs were around $20.

If you can find a good price on the 0W20 stuff, I'd use that. Evidently the first 2003 VTEC engines that honda made had 0w-20 on the filler cap, and they switched to 5w-20 later on. They are very insistent on keeping the break-in oil in for the first 6K though.

http://www.hondasuv.com/main2/index.php?c=1 is a good place for CRV questions. And http://www.handaaccessories.com/ is good for getting parts/accessories for cheap(er).



Some better than others. Some of the older filters for the Element/CRV engines were made by Fram (yuck!) and just branded Honda; the newer ones are made by Dana/Wix, and are quite good. To check, look at the business end of the filter, and you should see a diamond symbol between the holes...if you do, you have a good (Wix) filter. I bought a PureOne for mine, simply because the cost was the same as me driving to honda or getting HandA to ship me one.
 

Todd Hochard

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Japanese vehicles have been more reliable than European vehicles for a long time.

I use Mobil 1 5W-30 and Purolator PureOne filters in my 2002 TL-S. I use an oversized filter (Purolator P/N 24458), instead of the smaller one specified.

My car also calls for 5W-20, but living in FL, I didn't feel it was that important. My occasional oil analysis shows no real wear, even with 8000-9000 miles between changes. I am thinking of switching to Mobil 1 0W-20 or mixing the 0W-20 and 5W-30 50/50 for my next change, just to see if I can hear/note a difference. I track my fuel mileage closely.
 

Dennis Nicholls

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It will be interesting to hear Schaefer's take on this, as he is a Toyota mechanic and not beholden to Ford or Honda's corporate line.
 

brentl

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" They are very insistent on keeping the break-in oil in for the first 6K though."

That's an understatement, the dealership refused to do my change at 3000 miles saying something about additives used in the oil for breakin.

Brent
 

Brett DiMichele

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The problem with running synthetic in a brand new engine is
that the oil lubricates so well that it takes much longer
for the piston rings to seat to the cylinder bores. This is
not hearsey either I own a C5 Corvette and numerous C5
owners had to have thier cars re-ringed because they used
oil since the rings never seated fully. Of course GM blamed
the rings rather than the oil used.. And it's true it was
not the oil's fault.. Vehicles should be broken in on a
conventional dino oil and then switched over to a full
synthetic, or... leave the synthetic in for a longer period
of time before the first oil change is done.

I left the factory fill Mobil-1 5w30 in my Corvette for
roughly 7 thousand miles. And when I did change the oil it
was still very clean...

Many mechanics have reported extremely low wear on engines
even with 100+K Miles when run on Synth all thier lives. It
really is good stuff...

I run 5w30 Mobil-1 and AC Delco Filters.
 

Philip Hamm

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It is very common for manufacturers of large 4 cycle engines to have a specifically designed "break-in" oil. I remember reading an extensive oil article in Motorcycle Consumer News a couple of years ago on the subject and one of the oils they tested was the oil that came in a Suzuki GSX-R, it was forumlated significatly different than any of the many oils they did analysis on.
 

Todd Hochard

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It may well be the rings. GM keeps trying to use ever-lower tension rings, in a quest for reduced friction and improved fuel mileage. The finish spec that most new manufacturers are putting on their cylinder bores is completely adequate for using synthetic from the beginning, IMO. Rebuilds are another story, though.
 

Brett DiMichele

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Todd,

Actually GM blamed it on the plant workers saying that the
rings were not properly phased. But I will stick by my
beleif that an engine should not be broken in on full synth
oil or if it is the oil should be left in for a much longer
interval the first time around.

But I also agree GM has been using super low tension rings
and numerous other designs to increase fuel economy. Hey
something must be right because I can average 30MPG out of
a 360+ Horse (not stock) LS1... Gotta luv it ;)
 

Marvin

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Thanks for the responses and the links. There's some interesting reading on those sites.

I guess there's no definitive answer as to which oil I should use but right now I'm leaning towards using Mobil1 5W30 on my next oil change and then maybe switching to Mobil1 0W30 or 0W20 for the winter (Walmart sells 0W20).

Of course, I may end up changing my mind a dozen times between now and then.

I guess I also need to get different oil filters as I'd been buying Frams by the 3-pack at BJs. From what I read, Frams seem to be universally despised (someone called them the "orange can of doom").
 

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