Engine Oil query
Discussion
My 14 year old Hondas due for a service in a fortnight and the recommended oil is 0w - 20w ,it will be done at a local garage who are happy for me to supply the needed parts and oil
the price of a 0W - 20W is much more than the readily available 5W - 30W
my question is will it make a big difference if I use the latter (5W - 30W) will it be detrimental to the car in a big way? ,the reason for me being skint on this is due to the fact that the car has done 119k and the clutch is slowly starting to show its wear hence i might change the car soon
0w20 is usually selected for fuel economy. A reasonable fully synthetic 5w30 will be fine - it would only come into play at absolute extremes of temperature, which is very unlikey in the UK. In fact, with high mileage the slightly heavier oil may be beneficial to give better pressure and protect worn bearings.
Al U said:
If only we had a resident expert on suitability and recommendation of different oil for cars, in a thread at the top of general gassing?
I thought that thread was just a salesman looking at manufacturer oil recommendations and telling people what they already know?It's better to just stay with what the manufacturer recommends, it's about how quickly the oil pump can keep up with the oil being flung off the crankshaft, too slow (thick) and you get engine wear as the oil can't get through the oil galleries fast enough, too fast (thin) and the oil forms too thin a protective "cushion between moving parts", which then causes the oil to overheat and vaporise on the bearing surfaces, causing wear.
Also you then have to think about whether you have hydraulic lifters, far too many Ford (CVH) engines died a horrible death in the 1980's and 1990's due to boy racers filling cars with 0w5 engine oil, in the misguided belief that it would give them more POWA.
If I put 0w5 synthetic into my Westfield, it would turn the car into a smoke machine.... It currently runs on "Valvoline Racing" mineral oil 20w50, otherwise known as treacle
lyonspride said:
I thought that thread was just a salesman looking at manufacturer oil recommendations and telling people what they already know?
It's better to just stay with what the manufacturer recommends, it's about how quickly the oil pump can keep up with the oil being flung off the crankshaft, too slow (thick) and you get engine wear as the oil can't get through the oil galleries fast enough, too fast (thin) and the oil forms too thin a protective "cushion between moving parts", which then causes the oil to overheat and vaporise on the bearing surfaces, causing wear.
Also you then have to think about whether you have hydraulic lifters, far too many Ford (CVH) engines died a horrible death in the 1980's and 1990's due to boy racers filling cars with 0w5 engine oil, in the misguided belief that it would give them more POWA.
If I put 0w5 synthetic into my Westfield, it would turn the car into a smoke machine.... It currently runs on "Valvoline Racing" mineral oil 20w50, otherwise known as treacle
Interestingly just gone the other way from a 10w40 semi [as recommended by indy and in the book for 6 monthly servicing] to a motul 0-20 ester synthetic.It's better to just stay with what the manufacturer recommends, it's about how quickly the oil pump can keep up with the oil being flung off the crankshaft, too slow (thick) and you get engine wear as the oil can't get through the oil galleries fast enough, too fast (thin) and the oil forms too thin a protective "cushion between moving parts", which then causes the oil to overheat and vaporise on the bearing surfaces, causing wear.
Also you then have to think about whether you have hydraulic lifters, far too many Ford (CVH) engines died a horrible death in the 1980's and 1990's due to boy racers filling cars with 0w5 engine oil, in the misguided belief that it would give them more POWA.
If I put 0w5 synthetic into my Westfield, it would turn the car into a smoke machine.... It currently runs on "Valvoline Racing" mineral oil 20w50, otherwise known as treacle
The difference is it gets up to temp very quickly compared to the previous dino oil, which is good right?
Thanks I was thinking of Shell 5/30 as its widely available
btw Gulf oil or Petronas seem cheaper but im a bit wary of getting them,have you tried it or know how they are ?
btw Gulf oil or Petronas seem cheaper but im a bit wary of getting them,have you tried it or know how they are ?
Sardonicus said:
2004 Accord? 0/30 or 5/30 fully syn will be just fine dont skimp on oil quality you want to keep all that VTEC mech running cleanly and smoothly
Kccv23highliftcam said:
Interestingly just gone the other way from a 10w40 semi [as recommended by indy and in the book for 6 monthly servicing] to a motul 0-20 ester synthetic.
The difference is it gets up to temp very quickly compared to the previous dino oil, which is good right?
Going for thinner oil carries risks, namely it's fails to form a protective layer between moving parts as flows right through too quickly, to thick and it fails to properly get between said moving parts in the first place. There is no hard/fast rule, it depends on too many factors, factors which only the manufacturer of the engine is going to know/understand.The difference is it gets up to temp very quickly compared to the previous dino oil, which is good right?
carboy2017 said:
Thanks I was thinking of Shell 5/30 as its widely available
btw Gulf oil or Petronas seem cheaper but im a bit wary of getting them,have you tried it or know how they are ?
I've been using Petronas for a few yrs. It's fine. btw Gulf oil or Petronas seem cheaper but im a bit wary of getting them,have you tried it or know how they are ?
Sardonicus said:
2004 Accord? 0/30 or 5/30 fully syn will be just fine dont skimp on oil quality you want to keep all that VTEC mech running cleanly and smoothly
lyonspride said:
Kccv23highliftcam said:
Interestingly just gone the other way from a 10w40 semi [as recommended by indy and in the book for 6 monthly servicing] to a motul 0-20 ester synthetic.
The difference is it gets up to temp very quickly compared to the previous dino oil, which is good right?
Going for thinner oil carries risks, namely it's fails to form a protective layer between moving parts as flows right through too quickly, to thick and it fails to properly get between said moving parts in the first place. There is no hard/fast rule, it depends on too many factors, factors which only the manufacturer of the engine is going to know/understand.The difference is it gets up to temp very quickly compared to the previous dino oil, which is good right?
To be honest im a bit cautious of buying stuff like Engineor Brake oils from eBay or Amazon as there could be Chinse made fakes too
I also tend to avoid medicine or colognes/perfumes too
Sardonicus said:
es I use it often 
I like the rep 
this seller AKA Euro Car Parts better price than yours too https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Engine-Oil-SHELL-Helix-...
I like the rep this seller AKA Euro Car Parts better price than yours too https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Engine-Oil-SHELL-Helix-...
this seller is a subsidiary of Euro Car Parts like I said already Order66 said:
0w20 is usually selected for fuel economy. A reasonable fully synthetic 5w30 will be fine - it would only come into play at absolute extremes of temperature, which is very unlikey in the UK. In fact, with high mileage the slightly heavier oil may be beneficial to give better pressure and protect worn bearings.
That^^.0w20 is specified purely for economy/emmisions reasons. 5w30 is almost certainly better for engine longevity.
Hell, that 14 year old engine was probably originally designed for 10w40...
One wee question for all the experts.
What is the difference in viscosity between a 20 weight and 30 weight oil at 105C ?
On one of my vehicles, which runs Fuchs titan 5w-40 ester, had a seep from the top of a newly replaced oil "cooler" which manifested itself as a drip every 40 or so seconds @ 110c oil temp.
This drip displayed all the viscosity of water then it dropped onto surrounding structure....
Secondly, you do realise that an oils given "weight" is actually within a band of viscosity per weight and that generally the higher the oil quality the closer it is to the lower demarcation point.
Your cheapo 30 weight will be full of additives to both thicken it and retain its shear strength whilst at the lower end of the viscosity band but say for example, motul 0w-20 ester based eco-lite, as is now the uk reccomendation, has none of the setbacks and a lot of, oil performance attractions due fully to its chemical make up.
And it's SM rated, mid saps too..
What is the difference in viscosity between a 20 weight and 30 weight oil at 105C ?
On one of my vehicles, which runs Fuchs titan 5w-40 ester, had a seep from the top of a newly replaced oil "cooler" which manifested itself as a drip every 40 or so seconds @ 110c oil temp.
This drip displayed all the viscosity of water then it dropped onto surrounding structure....
Secondly, you do realise that an oils given "weight" is actually within a band of viscosity per weight and that generally the higher the oil quality the closer it is to the lower demarcation point.
Your cheapo 30 weight will be full of additives to both thicken it and retain its shear strength whilst at the lower end of the viscosity band but say for example, motul 0w-20 ester based eco-lite, as is now the uk reccomendation, has none of the setbacks and a lot of, oil performance attractions due fully to its chemical make up.
And it's SM rated, mid saps too..
Edited by Kccv23highliftcam on Saturday 3rd November 11:09
DJP said:
0w20 is specified purely for economy/emmisions reasons. 5w30 is almost certainly better for engine longevity.
Hell, that 14 year old engine was probably originally designed for 10w40...
Not so. In motorcycle drag racing 0W20 is used for its performance benefits. Admittedly they aren’t worried overly about longevity but equally they want protection at extremes of performance too.Hell, that 14 year old engine was probably originally designed for 10w40...
0W20 is very much a high tech option to be embraced imo. I get fully synthetic Petronas for my Suzuki swift for £20 for 5L so cost isn’t really a consideration.
Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff