5w-30 is what Honda recommends for my 97 Accord, but would 10w-40, or 20w50 be ok? I have 200,000 miles now and live in a fairly warm climate.

 

keep using 5w-30... why do you want to change? what will this cure?

 

Generally on higher milage hondas, if they are a wee bit smokey and tired, it would be a good idea to run a slightly thicker oil than factory reccomended.

A 15w 40 or 20w 40 should do the job.

 

If you aren't burning or losing oil then just stick with what you have been (factory recommended)

 

use the recommended weight.

think about it... if a thicker oil won't seep out and leak as easily as a thinner oil, it also will have more trouble flowing into all of the lube points of the engine. not awesome.

on a high mileage engine it's more important to keep the fill level in check.

<rant> if it's not worth rebuilding it's not worth different (or fancy..) oils and additives. fill it with the cheapest 5w-30 you can find and keep plenty on hand so you never run low.

 

My engine uses oil but never smokes. 200,000 miles. I figured going to thicker viscosity will help with oil consumption.