When I take my 2000 Accord (V6) to the Honda dealer for a oil change they put 5w20 in it. My book, oil filler cap, and every thing else says 5w30. What the heck is going on the Honda Tech says 5w20 is just fine but I have 101K on the car and in West Texas it gets hot for most of the year. My question is the tech right about 5w20 oil?

 

Tech probably put the wrong oil in. Use the recommended oil weight, and you should have no problems.

 

That's what I thought I pointed out that the recommended oil was 5w30 he said it didn't matter that 5w20 was fine. I did notice on one of their desk covers that said 5w20 for the 2000 model it smells fishy to me and just a way to up their mileage numbers. I'm a bit leary of letting someone else change my oil because one of those quick oil change places stripped my drain plug. Cost me a new oil pan.

 

5W-20 is acceptable for your car.

 

If you are still leery, you could always install an oil temp gauge, take note of how hot the oil gets. And at your next oil change take a sample of the oil and send it off to Blackstone Labs(http://www.blackstone-labs.com/) and get results.

 

Thanks for the chart, that looks like the one I saw at the Honda shop. I can feel more comfortable now but it still seems strange.

 

Ford was doing that for a while, even in their big trucks and SUVs. Those of us familiar with engines were very skeptical. They can do things with anti-wear additives, though. Not sure if Ford is still doing that. It was of course to boost fuel economy.

 

If you don't get the oil that hot then 20 is fine. If you use a proper full synthetic oil you will also be fine. If you plan on hauling loads regularly and get the oil temps up high then you may want to look into increasing the oils viscosity to compensate for the added heat.

Again the only real way to know what your engine needs would be to monitor oil temp actual and have the oil checked for excessive wear particulate matter.

Check out bobistheoilguy website for a more indepth explanation on oil ratings.

 

Its fine. Unless you are racing the engine,the oil temp will be stable, even in hot weather. That is what the thermostat is for. There is a misconception on the internetz that thinner oil is bad. It isnt. Tribology is probably one of the most misunderstood/misinterpreted subjects on the web.


Almost all new vehicles cars and trucks use 0W20....

 

definitely worth a read - http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/

 

Yeah, I know, old thread. Still, thanks for the infos. I'm a fifty some year old guy who also grew up with the "it's hot here, doesn't get cold, run a heavier oil" concept.

Which is lore and outdated. Still hard to walk past the shelf of straight 40.

 

I noticed that with the fords as well on the TSB's. They started recommending 5w20. I would guess (As I am no oil engineer) that the difference in 5w20/5w30 is very minimal. It is smart however to be on the ball with dealerships. They make money somehow and are very good at finding reasons. You sir are a smart man.