0w-20 safe to use in Australia

[MVAgusta]

I currently own a Honda Accord Euro 2.4 litre which is the same as the Acura TSX 2.4litre in the US.

I've recently changed from the FF Mobil 1S 5w30 to Amsoil 0w-20. I'm not sure that the S means from Mobil 1.

The car has 8000km and stock standard and its used as a daily driver.

The reason I changed to Amsoil 0w-20 was because on the FF Mobil 1 5w30 the car would ping with the aircon switch on and with load going up the hill.

With the Amsoil 0w-20 similar condition, same hill,same fuel(98RON) the car does not ping.

I know the FF in the US is 0w-20 but in Australia its still 5w30.

So my question is, is it safe to use 0w-20 in the Honda, even though 0w-20 has been use on millions of cars in the US.

My feeling is that 0w-20 is still rare and hard to get on the shelf in Australia. Amsoil 0w-20 was available and even though the book states to use 5w30.

I found the 0w-20 stops the pinging straight away. This could be due to better flow and hence cooling of the Amsoil, enough to stop the engine from pinging.

 

[yonyon]

Oh, you silly Australians with your lederhosen and your sausages and your chocolate bars.... don't you know that pinging is bad? Did you get your license from a toblerone?

 

[MVAgusta]

Nah mate, everything is just upside down.

I'm running 0w-20 but my main concern is that on a technicality I could be voiding my warranty using a 0w-20 instead of the 5w30 recommended in the Aussie manual.

I feel 0w-20 is safe to use in Australia as there are millions of Hondas in the US running 0w-20 viscosity.

 

[dave1251]

I would not worry about it. I am surprised you could even find a 5w30 in Australia. Is not law the min viscosity is a 5W-40 for the Australian market?

 

[TFB1]

Cause you're upside down oil flows better to the upper regions in the engine, 5w30 is fine...

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: yonyon
Oh, you silly Australians with your lederhosen and your sausages and your chocolate bars.... don't you know that pinging is bad?


Code:
al

Parliament Haus der Austr^ia.

Couldn't resist.

 

[crinkles]

Oil should have no effect on pinging! Doesn't the euro take premium anyway? Did you use regular? Are you sure it's pinging and not something else?

I'd follow the OM while under warranty. It's not just a technicality, it's a real reason to be denied repairs. What the true risk is we don't know.

 

[nepadriver]

Does the book state that you can use thicker oils in warmer climates and thinner in cooler?

 

[MVAgusta]

Yeah I use premium unleaded 98RON only.

The only change I did was go from the factory fill 5w30 to 0w-20 and the pinging completely stopped.

The theory is that the 0w-20 flows just a little bit better than than the 5w30. The increase in oil flow across the metal surfaces cools the engine just enough for it not to ping.

 

[MVAgusta]

The factory fill 5w30 is a Mobil 1S, not sure if the S means its semi synthetic or full synthetic.

It did ping from the day I got it. The service department said it was normal for these engines to ping slightly as its constantly on the limit of pinging.

 

[Hokiefyd]

This is interesting. Normally we Americans point to overseas oil specifications as justification for putting THICKER oil in an engine. Now an Aussie is pointing to American oil specifications as justification for putting THINNER oil in an engine.

I would continue to use 5w30 (or 0W-30), especially if you have the 201-hp K24 with the 3-lobe VTEC system. In the United States, 5w30 has been the oil specification for that engine for years, even as other Honda engines were using 5W-20. That continued into 2011, with the Civic SI using 5w30 while every other Honda was on 0W-20 or 5W-20. I don't know if that changed in 2012, but I personally would continue using the 5w30.

 

[Eddie]

If your owners manual states to use 5w30 then I would not use a 20wt.

 

[MVAgusta]

0w-20 is the standard factory fill for the Acura TSX 2011+

http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5819-en

 

[MVAgusta]

And this is from Honda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAYkigNbzgs

 

[SwampSurvivor]

If I had a brand new car that was pinging I'd bring it to the dealer

 

[D189379]

Obviously the 20 wt oil has been well proven to be safe, but you might run into warranty issues if they find out your using it.

 

[nepadriver]

Yeah don't tell your dealer you are using it. If you can swing it maybe try a UOA at 4k to be on safe side?

 

[Indydriver]

Nope. In the southern hemisphere it inverts to a 20W-0.

 

[Shannow]

You are using a non recommended (per your manual) lubricant, of a non recognised brand.

Almost certainly no harm done, but you are on your own if something does happen.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

I find it hard to believe a stock Honda would ping on 98 and even harder to believe that 0W-20 would cure it.