Accord oil specs,US vs Australia

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Honda in the US has always recommended 20wt oil since 2000. It went from 5W20 to 0W20. My owner's manual lists 0W20 and no other options. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to see if that was a worldwide recommendation. Shell Australia's lube match recommends Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 for my car. I know this gets beat to death a million times over,but is a 20wt the best oil protection wise for the Honda 2.4? Or is it fuel economy-driven only? I'd thought about meeting it in the middle with a 5W30. Who here uses a 30wt in their Honda 2.4? Here's a copy and paste from Shell Australia Lube Match:

http://www.shell.com.au/motorists/oils-l...zJmNmd5M2EyT04=


Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40
is recommended for your HONDA
Search again
All Lubricants

Accord 2.4i (K24Z3) (Accord Euro) (P) (2008-2015)

Application Recommendation Capacity (ltr) Data Sheets
Engine (P) Helix Ultra 5W-40 4.2
Manual Transmission Refer Owners Manual (a)
Automatic Transmission Spirax S5 ATF X (b)
Coolant Refer to dealer 5.6 AT=5.5
Brake Fluid DOT 4
Clutch Fluid DOT 4
Power Steering Refer Owners Manual 1.1
General Notes
Lubricant / Capacity Notes
a. Use Refer Owners Manual.
b. Fill transmission with specified amount. Start engine. Run engine to normal operating temperature. Switch OFF engine. Within 60-90 seconds check ATF level and top up if necessary. Reset transmission oil change indicator. If replacement of ATF was not due, transmission oil change indicator can only be reset using diagnostic equipment.
 
People run thin, people run thick. No ones Honda engine blows up. I conclude it just doesn't matter what viscosity you use. Might as well get the slight gas mileage increase.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
is a 20wt the best oil protection wise for the Honda 2.4?
Or is it fuel economy-driven only?


I think it's driven by CAFE standards more than anything else.

I have never noticed a significant fuel economy change with engine oil viscosity.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
I think it's driven by CAFE standards more than anything else.

I have never noticed a significant fuel economy change with engine oil viscosity.


That's always been my thought as well,especially with all these car companies pushing the limits with thinner and thinner oil specs every year. I think I read here that full sized GM trucks are now spec'd for 0W20? I couldn't imagine an oil that thin in a full sized V8 tuck.
 
Australia is upside down compared to the U.S. as well as the water spins the opposite direction when going down the drain hence the difference in viscosity requirements.
 
My Ford modular V8 and Ecoboost powered trucks always get significantly better UOA results on 10W-30 vs the required 5W-20. Strangely, I don't have any "cam phaser" issues either....

My oldest F150 just topped 355K miles. M1, 10W-30, 5K OCI's. Still has the crosshatch in the cylinders.

So, while I can't say that the slightly higher viscosity is better for your situation, it is for mine. In fact, the local Ford dealer was using higher viscosity to eliminate warranty problems with the cam phasers and timing chains.
 
I don't have a honda but I do have a car spec'd for 0w20 and I have had good UOA's showing that it is being protected adequately. Having said that, I switched to 5w30 last oil change to see about limiting consumption in my car and have noticed no difference in fuel economy or power. I have yet to get a UOA on it as I will wait until after next change to flush out the old 0w20.
 
In the US, CAFE Requirements prompted the move to SAE 20, and soon SAE 16 engine oils.
In the rest of the world we don't have CAFE, so manufacturers still spec 5W-30 or 5W-40 oils.
You don't have to use a 0W-20 in your Honda, but you will probably do no harm by using it either.
Unless it has some complex variable valve timing system ( i'm completely unfamiliar with the engine in question ) you can use 30 or 40 grade oils no problem.
 
Euro Hondas recommend an A5/B5 oil so basically a 30 GRADE.

Mazda is silmilar. If you own a SkyActiv engine in the US or Canada, 0w-20 is the only recommendation. Mazda genuine is recommended for best fuel economy. Castrol is the only brand mentioned. All markets outside the US and Canada use 5w-30 with 5-w20 being acceptable.
 
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The US spec for CAFE regs and that last 0.1% of fuel economy that nobody seems to notice in the real world.

Australia always spec as if your daily commute is something like a scene from a Mad Max movie. It's not that a 40 grade protects more in regular gentle applications, it's that a 40 grade has a greater reserve for an extreme situation. Such as towing a overloaded horse float up hill at WOT with a major bush fire licking your tail.

Most engines run fine on most oils, select based on application and climate. I suspect a nice 5W30 Dexos or a 10W30 synthetic will work well for you.

Yes we don't hear of cars blowing up on 0W20, but most don't notice any significant economy gains either from what I have read here. The thing I seem to read about more from my American friends on BITOG, but I don't hear from my Australian friends, is all these oil consumption issues with what I consider to be fairly young vehicles. Like all those Toyota oil burners you have, same cars here, but I don't know any that burn oil, we do run them on 10W40 semi-synthetic from day one.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Honda in the US has always recommended 20wt oil since 2000. It went from 5W20 to 0W20. My owner's manual lists 0W20 and no other options. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to see if that was a worldwide recommendation. Shell Australia's lube match recommends Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 for my car. I know this gets beat to death a million times over,but is a 20wt the best oil protection wise for the Honda 2.4?


No.


Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Or is it fuel economy-driven only mostly?


Yes.


It is proven that if oil temps climb that the oil will thin. It stands to reason that in some conditions, oil temperatures will rise above 100°C and thin out of specification.

I maintain that for a city car, low speeds, frequent starts and stops that 0w20 is probably adequate and saves fuel. Take the same vehicle across the mountains in 40°C weather with a heavy load, and a 20 weight may not be providing the best protection.
 
It would be really interesting to see the fluids recommendations page from the Australian owner's manual.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: Linctex
I think it's driven by CAFE standards more than anything else.

I have never noticed a significant fuel economy change with engine oil viscosity.


That's always been my thought as well,especially with all these car companies pushing the limits with thinner and thinner oil specs every year. I think I read here that full sized GM trucks are now spec'd for 0W20? I couldn't imagine an oil that thin in a full sized V8 tuck.



Those GM trucks take around eight qts. of oil, complete nonissue...
 
My Accord has the F23 engine (predecessor to the K24). The 98-02 Accords used this engine but starting from 01, Honda switched from 5w30 to 5w20. Same engine, nothing changed, but thinner oil spec'd. CAFE pressure obviously had something to do with this.

That being said, I've got 200k+ running mainly 5w20 (used 5w30 here and there) and the car runs like a top.
 
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Originally Posted By: SR5
...The thing I seem to read about more from my American friends on BITOG, but I don't hear from my Australian friends, is all these oil consumption issues with what I consider to be fairly young vehicles. Like all those Toyota oil burners you have, same cars here, but I don't know any that burn oil, we do run them on 10W40 semi-synthetic from day one.


You're getting a much larger cross sections here than your personal friends in Australia. In any case, not sure what you're talking about in regards to "Toyota oil burners". I don't think it's a huge problem other than the "stealth recalls" on some Camrys years ago because the engine was improperly cooled (mainly when using conventional 5W-30). The only other ones I know of are the older Corollas that will actually, in some cases, burn more oil if you use thicker ones because they essentially develop a clogging problems impeding oil flow that is exacerbated by thicker oils. I believe a New Zealand poster (Silk?) reported a problem like that on a Corolla he was dealing with, despite thicker oils being used...
 
Originally Posted By: mclasser
My Accord has the F23 engine (predecessor to the K24). The 98-02 Accords used this engine but starting from 01, Honda switched from 5w30 to 5w20. Same engine, nothing changed, but thinner oil spec'd. CAFE pressure obviously had something to do with this.

That being said, I've got 200k+ running mainly 5w20 (used 5w30 here and there) and the car runs like a top.



CAFE probably also had something to do with you using 5W-30 instead of 10W-40. So what?
 
Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
your personal friends in Australia.


Some areas of Australia get the Internet I hear.
 
Originally Posted By: Silk
Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
your personal friends in Australia.


Some areas of Australia get the Internet I hear.


I use carrier pigeon myself. But I take Nick's point, plus Internet magnification of problems.

But according to Joe, the blocked ring issue starts with high volatility fuel economy oils, with a light bottom end. People then switch to a thicker oil to cure the problem, but by then it's too late and doesn't help.
My argument is that if you start with thick oils from the beginning, then the problem is far less likely to develop. Playing the odds here, there will always be exceptions to the case in both directions.
 
Originally Posted By: Silk
Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
your personal friends in Australia.


Some areas of Australia get the Internet I hear.


And on it we get to see overseas OEMs stating that the ability to entirely consume a sump volume inside the recommended service interval is entirely normal for a brand new engine...it's laughable.
 
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