Recommended vs Required oil for a 2012 Honda Pilot

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 6, 2017
Messages
6
Location
Arizona
10/23/17

I have a 2012 Honda Pilot Touring with 41K miles on it. I bought it brand new. Over the years that I've owned it, 10/2012 to date, I've had the oil changed at the recommended intervals. Soon after I bought it I was told by a "Service Mgr" at the Honda dealership where I bought it, that I could use 5W20 conventional oil in the car and that Honda recommended 0W20 synthetic oil.

I brought my car to a different Honda dealer today with coupons for a special price oil change and the "Service Mgr" insisted that I had to use the Honda 0W20 synthetic oil or he would not do an oil change for me. I explained that another Service Mgr had told me it was O.K. to use a conventional oil and he said that he didn't care and that the oil filler cap read 0W20 oil and that's all he would put in the car. Naturally the Special Sale price would not apply to the synthetic oil. I told him to just use the 5W20 conventional oil and he refused and took my car out of the service line and told me he would not do an oil change for me. Period... Wow ! Very rude behavior.

I told him that the service manual said that 0W20 was "recommended" but it does not say "Required" anywhere. He said he would not do the oil change and walked away.
I drove home and checked the service manual again in case I missed something and on page # 576 it reads:

"RECOMMENDED ENGINE OIL.
Oil is a major contributor to your engine's performance and longevity. Always use a premium - grade oW-20 detergent oil displaying the API Certification Seal. This seal indicates the oil is energy conserving, and that it meets the American Pertoleum Institutes latest requirements. It is highly recommended that you use Honda motor oil in your vehicle. Make sure the API Certification Seal says "For Gasoline Engines."

Please note that no where does it read "Required" only "Recommended".

So, my question is, must I use a 0W-20 "Synthetic" oil or can I use a different oil such as a conventional 5W-20 or a Synthetic Blend in similar weights.?

On page # 577 it reads:

"Synthetic Oil"
You may use a synthetic motor oil if it meets the same requirements given for a conventional motor oil: it displays the API Certification Seal, and it is the proper weight. You must follow the oil and filter change intervals shown on the odometer/trip meter display or on the multi-information display"

Apparently this "Allows" you to use a synthetic oil but does not require it.

So is Honda pulling a fast one? Does anyone know if the use of a synthetic oil is a requirement or is it merely a recommendation?

I know that I'll be contacting Honda Corporation as well as the dealership and regional manager to file a complaint about the very rude Service Mgr.

Thanks,
Keats
Peoria, Arizona.
 
I dont think there is a 0w20 that is not "synthetic."

Can you use 5w20. Sure but if there is a problem down the road you will always question yourself if that 5w20 is the reason.

Put what the book and cap says and sleep easy.
 
Honda designed and built the engine. The manual says use 0w-20. The cap says use 0w-20. 0w-20 thus far is only available in full synthetic. That's actually a good thing. Why are you adverse to using what Honda recommends?

But in the end, it's out of warranty so use whatever you want in it. Manuals and cap stickers can't stop you.
 
Synthetic is not required, but since you can often get a quality synthetic for the price of dino, why not just use the synthetic?
smile.gif


But if you want the absolute cheapest oil change, get a ST filter from Walmart, and get the 5w20 Smitty's oil from Kmart when it goes on sale (a few times a year, it's $7-8 for a 5qt jug). This will only cost about $10 total, and will do just fine for the full OCI recommended by the MM
 
Welcome to BITOG.

Some dealerships earn the term "stealership" better than others. Be glad you only lost time (at least that's what I glean from your post) and nothing else at that outfit.

All that matters imho is to use a name brand oil with the API "donut". And the term "name brand" is broadly defined,especially since your ride is presumably out of warranty. I personally use the weight specified on the oil cap of the engine at least in warranty, but I sincerely doubt 5W-20 has hurt yours in 41,000 miles.

Honda markets two distinct "0W-20" motor oils, one that is labeled full synthetic and the other is a so-called 'blend'. Two sources listed below. And I'm pretty sure I've seen more than one post on this site where some Honda dealers use other than Honda-branded motor oil. Maybe that dealer was out of the blend but that is still no excuse from my perspective. Certainly all the data I've tried to absorb over time on this site leads me to believe that the difference between most 0W and 5W 20s is not that significant, especially post warranty.

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-Fluid-08798-9036-Synthetic/dp/B007P5RFRO
http://www.collegehillshonda.com/product/08798-9037.html

Kevin
 
Everyone knows that using anything other than 0w20 in a Honda engine will make it blow sky high or just plain seize up. You are out of warranty so use what you want.
 
I believe Pennzoil Gold Synthetic Blend is available in 0W-20, just for what it’s worth.

This is an interesting discussion. My 2010 Odyssey (with roughly the same motor) calls for 5W-20 on the cap and in the manual, though I believe it’s been back spec’d to 0W-20. I’m about to do an oil change using PPHM 0W-20 and I’m not worried in the slightest. The van has been fed a steady diet of 5W-20 syn blend for as long as I’ve known. I don’t foresee any issues with 0W-20; my understanding is that 0W-20 and 5W-20 are, by and large, interchangeable.

I’d say stick with a good 0W-20 and call it a day. That’s what I would do.
 
I had the same recommended vs required question regarding viscosity. I called Honda and was told there was really no difference between the two terms. As far as Honda is concerned, the only appropriate viscosity for its current engines is 0w-20.

I expect one of any OEM's challenges is keeping the dealer network in line. The dealer that would use 5w-20 could cost Honda warranty claims (maybe) and should be dinged by Honda.
 
I commend the service advisor for only willing to use a 0W20 in your car,that's what Honda says to use. What if he pulled your car into the shop and said "Who cares what Honda says to use,I'm filling it up with 20W50".
 
My friend has an 01 Odyssey and the quickie lube always puts 10W30 in it. I changed her oil one time with PP 5W20 (what the owner's manual says to use),and it was like night and day how much better it ran.
 
Honda’s VCM problems caused a lot of oil usage issues at the dealer/owner level. It’s funny to see the hangover from that. I use a major brand “full synthetic” 0W-20 in my VCM. I started with Honda brand, had it tested a few times and found it was nothing special. Since I DIY, I now use M1 as it is readily available, competitively priced and of high quality.

Just make sure you check the dipstick once a week and daily on long trips. The most critical concept is that you have oil on your dipstick.

Funny story about how particular we are with our oil.....

Just helped my daughter buy a 2.0L 4-cyl Mazda CX-3, which I will be servicing. The manual is quite emphatic that for “US, Canadian and PR cars” it is required that only 0W-20 of Mazda or Castrol brands be used. On the next page, for Mexican cars, it specs 5W-30 with no brand specified. Same engine. I spoke to the Mazda dealer’s Parts Manager about buying a case of Mazda High Moly oil and he says, “I don’t stock it. We only use bulk oil from Valvoline. They sponsor the owner’s NHRA cars so that’s all we carry.”
 
Last edited:
What's your interval and what is the sump capacity? Do you follow the maintenance minder or change it more frequently?
 
Originally Posted By: JC1
And you live in Arizona. Those cold starts must be killer.


We have mountains and even snow in Arizona.
 
Lots of great answers but no one actually addressed the question I asked. Must I use Synthetic 0W-20 (REQUIRED) or can I use a conventional similar weight ?
I guess is just boils down to must or should. One is REQUIRED and one is RECOMMENDED.
I have an extended 10 yr. warranty thru Honda but by using a conventional oil will it void the warranty?
I suppose that having a coupon for a $19.95 oil & filter change that becomes $29.95 because they want to use a synthetic oil is like a bait and switch scam.
If the owners manual read Required to use 0W-20 synthetic than it might be a bit easier to understand.
I'll just do my own oil changes from now on.

Thanks for all the good replies.
Keats Peoria, Az.
P.S. cold starts here may be as low as the upper 20's in January. No need for a 0W weight. All that does is increase the CAFE rating by a fraction of a MPG for the feds..
 
Originally Posted By: Keats
Lots of great answers but no one actually addressed the question I asked. Must I use Synthetic 0W-20 (REQUIRED) or can I use a conventional similar weight ?


You can use whatever oil you want if you DIY at home.
 
If blue outranks yellow, that means that 5W-20 is the PREFERRED viscosity.

"Preferred" always outranks "Acceptable."

But I wonder why they chose brown for 5W-30.
grin2.gif
 
I very plainly see the word "always" in there. They recommend Honda genuine, but say you should always use 0w-20.

Since Honda geniuine is only recommended, you may use another oil assuming it meets the criteria in the other paragraph. But Always still applies to the 0w-20 imo.

Sometimes manias have an emergency clause if no oil of the required grade can be found.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top