5w-30 shearing vs. 5w-20

[slipperysam]

I've heard it here many times that because 5w-30 shears down to a 20 anyway that one should just start out with a 5w-20 from the beginning. Well doesn't the 5w-20 shear down as well? won't you end up with something less than a 20 weight.Or is there some property to the 5w-20 that makes it less prone to shearing. My
Honda calls for 5w-30 but I wouldnt mind using 5w-20 as it uses no oil. However with 130k miles perhaps I'm better off with the original 5w-30. THoughts please

SS

 

[mechtech2]

20 weights are generally very well made, and don't shear as much.
It would be sane and safe to use 5-20 in the winter, and 5-30 in the summer.
What year is the vehicle?

 

[Black_Thunder]

that and some 30 weights are borderline, they could pass for 20 weights.

 

[Patman]

I've often wondered if oil companies make their 5w20 and 5w30 formulas virtually the same and just simply add a bit more VII in the 5w30 to thicken it up? Therefore the 5w20 version of that oil would be a lot more shear stable since it might have little to no VII in it.

In either case, I think 5w20s are generally more stable simply because they don't need much VII in them.

 

[slipperysam]

My car is a 2000 Honda Accord 3.0 v6

SS

 

[mitchcoyote]

You should stick to 5w-30....

 

[Triple_Se7en]

They both shear - but the 20W generally shears less. Your vehicle may like 10W-30 more at this 130K stage - than 5W-20.

 

[slipperysam]

10w-30 is reccomended by Honda for temps over 20 F
5w-30 for all year reound.
The dealer was using 5w-30 originally but went to 5w-20
in my car a couple of years ago and now I am doing my own
since I am out of warranty. This car has no oil issues,
engine looks spotless from looking inside the valve cover.
No burning or leaking.Been using Mobil Clean 5000 5w-30
and a purolator filter since doing it myself. Just wanted
some views on this 20 vs 30 thing. Would like to see this car go over 200k w/ no oil related problems.I have a feeling from reading many posts here that Honda engines are so easy on oil that you could run them on almost any weight/brand if you had to.

2000 Honda Accord 3.0
2004 Honda Pilot 3.5

SS

 

[BearZDefect]

I have no experience with your particular engine model, but have used 5w-20 on my two early '90s Honda four cylinder engines for a year and a half with good results. One is a 1991 Accord with F22A6 engine and 180k miles, the other a 1994 Civic with D15B7 engine and 232k miles. The only difference that isn't 'good' is the Civic uses half a quart of 5w-20 in a 4,000mi OCI where with 5w-30 it used barely half that.

The 5w-20 oils I have used are Havoline conventional, Pennzoil conventional and Platinum. In the winter especially, I'll take a lower viscosity for the short trips the Civic does every day.

So, I would not fear using 5w-20 in your 2000 Accord V6. But then again, I have never done a UOA, if that would prove anything about this matter.

 

[55Test]

Well, I'll offer up my Honda engine experience. Myself, I had a 92 Accord with the F22A1. When I first got it, I changed the oil and used Quaker State winter blend 5w30. I don't know what it was but that engine sure went through a lot of that oil. The engine did burn a bit of oil, especially at upper RPM's, and probably leaked a bit too. I got tired of how much oil it was using so I changed it again to Maxlife non-syn 5w30. The consumption went down by a lot. I kept using Maxlife in it for the rest of the time I had it.

My brother had a 93 Civic with a high mileage D15B7. It had something like 245000 miles on it when he bought it and over the 2 1/2 years he had it he put another 30,000 or more on it. I can't remember which oil my brother was using, but that engine hardly used any oil. That car ran great but the body finally killed it. It had the 5 speed and routinely got 40+ mpg on the highway, and one time got nearly 55 miles out of a single gallon, although the last 6 or 7 miles on that one gallon were sputtering and coughing, but it did it nonetheless.

 

[PT1]

I have run both 5w30 & 5w20 in Hondas and can tell no difference in performance from either.