I bought a case of 5w-50 thinking it was 5w-30. Anyway just wondering if there any big differences.
I live in Hawaii where it never goes below 60. Thx.

 

i dont think it will hurt anything but it is a thicker oil so it may be different i dunno really haha sorry , emphasis on i dont think it will hurt anything

 

just exchange it yo!

 

that would be a good idea! just go back and get 5w-30 or if you like 10w-30.

 

i actually use 5w-50 and i think it works great. I was thinking of switching to 5w-30 when i get the b18c put in though...my friend suggested me using 5w-50 said it would be better than using 10w-30 and it does feel better...i use some lucas stuff too...oh well.

DEF

 

honda recommends 5w30 for all b series and 92-95 d series

i might be wrong about all d-series from 92-95..im trying to think, i was at the honda parts counter last week and they had a diagram of all honda/acura engine oil recommendations. but i know i checked on the b18c and my engine in my 94ex coupe, they were 5w30, but something took 10w30 and i thought it was the ek civics but if you say its in your owners manual then i am mistaken and it possible that the lower trim egs take 10w30. at any rate ill try to find somewhere online that lists them.


[Modified by euclid, 9:09 PM 1/19/2003]

 

and 96-00 D series. its on my oil cap and owners manual.

 

Depends... 5-weight oil is 5-weight oil. If it's synthetic; no problem. If it's dinosaur juice, then it's got mad VI and I wouldn't run it. Are you sure it isn't 15W50? What brand oil is it anyway?

 

ive been using 10w-30 up to now in all the cars for daily driving..but my G3 stay s garage d most of the week..but, when i do take it out i drive it pretty hard and now im considering using a heavier weight oil..make sense?

 

Yes there is a difference. Oil is basically composed of
1. Lubricating stuff
2. Detergent <-- to clean motor and prevent sludge.
3. Stabilizer <-- Keeps viscosity
4. Other chemicals.

Oil is basically to lubricate and transfer heat on engine parts.
Basically what you want is more of the lubricating stuff and anti friction chemicals.

Stablizers keep oil flowing on a certain temp range. This is good but this part does not lubricate. Since the content in a bottle is always constant, you want the least amount of this as possible.

So a 5-50w will have more sabilizers than a 5-30w. But 5-50 is more flexible when it comes to operating temps.

As a conclusion, what you want is a narrow viscosity range (more lubricant) for a specified operating temp. 5-30w will be good for winter and 15-50w for summer.

 

Do what you want. 15W50 Mobil 1 can be used year 'round anywhere in North America with no problems, except for decreased gas mileage. Dinosaur oil is a different matter. Honda 'makes' an OEM 20W50 motor oil. They sell it at my Honda dealer, but I wouldn't suggest you go any heavier than that if you plan to run mineral oil.

Generally speaking, you want the spread to be as small as possible when you run multi-grade oil, especially dino juice. 20W50 has a spead of 30 (50-20=30), which is pretty bad. 5W30 has a spead of 25 (30-5=25), which is better. 10W30 has a spead of 20 (30-10=20), and so forth. Get the idea?

The bigger the spead, the more VI (plastic polymer) they have to add to the oil. VI's are bad because they will shear (multiply) with use and your oil will get thicker the longer you run it. With 20W50, for instance, you'll start off with 20-weight oil in your car when you first change it, but if you leave it in long enough, it will start creeping closer to 50-weight.

For most cars, 10W30 is the best multi-grade oil to run. If I remember correctly, 10W30 Mobil 1 has NO VI's added to it, which is the best of all possible worlds.

Personally, I would stick with 10W30, but it's your choice...

 

beware of oil additives: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm

 

i have the correct info now, honda recommoends 5w30 for all 94+ b series, and all 92-00 d series... but from 96-00 d series you can use 10w30 also. then from 01+ it's only 10w30.

 

 

what about 5-20.....

used 5-20 for a year without any problems......

 

The first number refers to cold weight of the oil and the second number refers to the hot weight of the oil. The higher the number the thicker the oil is.

So if you live in Hawaii, where it dosen't get below 60, you can run a higher first number, like a 10w or 15w. It is not recommended to run a higher second number than what is recommened from the factory as the hot weight of the oil is taken into account when the engine tolerances where designed.

- wei