Im not the expert to turn to when making choices about your oil. However, it does bug me when I see people running 20W-50 in cars designed to run 5W-20.
I like a little chocolate topping on my ice cream but that doesnt mean that I want to put a gallon of hersheys best on a single scoop of ben and jerrys.
I think this is what the starter of the thread was pointing towards when he brought the issue up for debate.
People who run 5w30 in Honda's or Fords arent going to see their cars explode tomorrow. But that doesnt mean that a straight 50 weight is the best choice for them either.
There is certainly a lot of distrust in the 5W-20 and/or the OW-20 world of oil and its been debated many times on these boards without a census opinion coming to development.
I came to these boards initially because I wanted to buy a Honda and I didnt trust 20 viscosity oils. I still want the best 20 that I can find so I will have a little fudge factor. And Ive never planned on going 10K between oil changes and abusing the oil to get every last drop of performance out of it.
Certainly there are questions and the answers are debatable. I believe that there may be reasons that Honda engineers recommend the 20 beyond Cafe requirements. Its hard to argue with consumer reports quality ratings of the recent Honda's. We will certainly have a clearer picture as time marches onward.
Bad advice does bug me however and there is lots of bad advice in the world of motor oil and there is lots of misinformation.
A few months ago, I watched an engine explode on a very cold day as the engine was locked down and frozen and the owner insisted on trying to start it over and over to the point where when even the battery was run down he hooked it up to jumper cables. I know in my heart that a OW oil would have cranked to life. The death of an engine involves really ugly noises.
I know if I could go back in time and stand next to him as he bought his oil that a lower W rated oil would save his engine that hed laugh at me and tell me that his grandad in Mississippi ran straight 30 in his truck for 50 years and never had a problem. And hed destroy his engine again.
People dont listen and they dont care and their cars die messy deaths. Its not our problem until we see costs go up because of warranty claims and car values drop because of amortized depreciation numbers and the like.
Then it becomes our problem whether we admit it or not.
If 30 viscosity oil runs fine and you feel its better for you then fine give it a try. It still doesnt mean that if you get some 80W-90 gear oil off the shelf that it would be even more better than the 10w30 you are running.
At some point in time it has to end. People assume that if they hear from somebody who "knows" that 10w30 is better than 5W-20 that 15w40 is better yet and 20W-50 is the best of all. And if you want to put some of that 80W-90 gear oil in your crankcase then that wuld be rally gud ya know.
Sometimes the cars rebel and die horrid deaths and its shameful.
The dealer that denies claims based on improper oil usage gets slammed with lawsuits and lemon laws and it just gets ugly.
Overkill delivers its message.
Happy Motoring All,
Bugshu
