Fuel, Oil, Cleaners & Other Maintenance Extending the life of your Civic requires the proper fuel, oil, and cleaners, along with other regularly scheduled maintenance.

Is 10w30 ok to use in our motors?

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Old Feb 20, 2006
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Is 10w30 ok to use in our motors?

I found out when I got my oil changed last weekend the bums put 10w30 in my motor rather than 5w20, will this cause any problems down the road, I'm going to get a valve adjusment done this weekend so I was wondering if this will make the valve tapping noise better or worse and/or will this oil affect the valves after the adjustment? Sorry so many Q's so little time. I should have gone back and had the bums put the right oil in but it was already closed for the rest of the weekend.
Old Feb 20, 2006
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where did you get it done, jiffy lube???
Old Feb 20, 2006
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Formula H in Middletown, NY-They are supposed to specialize in Honda/Acura only services, but from what I have seen so far from them is a waste of money IMO, they can't even read the oil fill cap.
Old Feb 20, 2006
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yea i was gonna say it says it write on the oil cap, take it back and ask them to put the right fluid in and ask for your money back, make sure you have the receipt tho cause they will most likely ask for it, im sure it wont do too much damage if you dont drive a lot with it but im not positive
Old Feb 20, 2006
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Yea, I'll have to wait till the weekend tho, too bad its only been averaging about 30 degrees around here lately otherwise i'd be out there fixing it right now, time to clean out the garage
Old Feb 20, 2006
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10w30 should work fine...that is usually high mileage oil because of the weight(as in ur engine has high mileage)...(fyi the w doesnt stand for weight it stands for winter)
Old Feb 20, 2006
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it should be fine, I would change it quickly though
Old Feb 20, 2006
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It'll be fine. I've used 10w30 in my car for as long as i had my car. Makes no difference from what i can see. Car still runs the same and has 90000kms on it.
Old Feb 20, 2006
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Originally Posted by ragingSPAM
(fyi the w doesnt stand for weight it stands for winter)
You're kidding, right? Please tell me that this is a joke.



The only reason honda specs 5W20 is because it's energy conserving. Burns less gas. Try running 20W50 and you'll see what I mean.
Old Feb 20, 2006
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yes, it will be fine, just the next time you go in make sure they give 5w20...honda is a stickler about that oil...if something may go wrong in the engine and the oil is the cause of it (using 10w30) they may not fix it for you. that being, if your car is still under warranty!
Old Feb 20, 2006
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Originally Posted by Axxe
The only reason honda specs 5W20 is because it's energy conserving. Burns less gas. Try running 20W50 and you'll see what I mean.
The manufacturer don't spec 5W20 just for energy conserving. They spec that because the engine was engineered for that.

The viscosity of the oil affects its flow capacity. If an engine was made to use 5W20 is because the clearances and sizes of the parts are for that oil grade. Also be careful using oil treatments and additives.

The manufacturer specs 5W20 but you can use 5W30 if you drive in hot weather. Is all in the owner's manual. The older hondas uses 10W30.

Run 20W50 and your engine will not have enough oil between bearings, cylinder wall and piston, etc. Doing that, is like adding you are adding grease instead of oil.

Last edited by gmcuajo; Feb 20, 2006 at 10:38 PM.
Old Feb 20, 2006
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so 10w30 fully synthetic on FI d17a2 is no go? lol
Old Feb 20, 2006
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Originally Posted by gmcuajo
The manufacturer don't spec 5W20 just for energy conserving. They spec that because the engine was engineered for that.

The viscosity of the oil affects its flow capacity. If an engine was made to use 5W20 is because the clearances and sizes of the parts are for that oil grade. Also be careful using oil treatments and additives.

The manufacturer specs 5W20 but you can use 5W30 if you drive in hot weather. Is all in the owner's manual. The older hondas uses 10W30.

Run 20W50 and your engine will not have enough oil between bearings, cylinder wall and piston, etc. Doing that, is like adding you are adding grease instead of oil.
That's exactly why it's more fuel efficient. Thinner oil takes less force to pump, which takes less force from the oil pump, which takes less energy from the crank, which burns less gas. Not only that, the cranks meets less resistance from the oil in the pan.

I just said 20W50 as an example of the extreme opposite. Do not run this oil in your D17.
Old Feb 21, 2006
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Originally Posted by Axxe
You're kidding, right? Please tell me that this is a joke.



The only reason honda specs 5W20 is because it's energy conserving. Burns less gas. Try running 20W50 and you'll see what I mean.
yes the W stands for winter. the first number specifires the viscocity at cold temps, the seconds number at high temps.
Old Feb 21, 2006
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^^ haha...that pretty much cleared up what "W" stands for
Old Feb 21, 2006
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Originally Posted by gmcuajo
The manufacturer don't spec 5W20 just for energy conserving. They spec that because the engine was engineered for that.

The viscosity of the oil affects its flow capacity. If an engine was made to use 5W20 is because the clearances and sizes of the parts are for that oil grade. Also be careful using oil treatments and additives.

The manufacturer specs 5W20 but you can use 5W30 if you drive in hot weather. Is all in the owner's manual. The older hondas uses 10W30.

Run 20W50 and your engine will not have enough oil between bearings, cylinder wall and piston, etc. Doing that, is like adding you are adding grease instead of oil.

Actually the D series engine was designed for 5w30. The new R series engine is designed for 5w20, not that it makes much difference.

Yeah, your car will be fine as long as you are not starting in any super cold temps like I am here in Ohio.
Old Feb 21, 2006
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haha W does NOT stand for winter, thats what mechanics tell customers to shut them up (im a mechanic)....10w30 is perfectly fine...personaly i would use 5w30 but theres no worrys....winter time is 5w30, summer time is 5w50.
Old Feb 21, 2006
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W does not mean winter. It means weight. Try to show me proof otherwise.
Old Feb 21, 2006
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Originally Posted by jamie_civic
haha W does NOT stand for winter, thats what mechanics tell customers to shut them up (im a mechanic)....10w30 is perfectly fine...personaly i would use 5w30 but theres no worrys....winter time is 5w30, summer time is 5w50.
"multiviscosity oil, or multiweight oil, will exhibit operating characteristics of a thin, light oil when cold and a thicker, hevier oil when hot. A multiweight oil can be numbered SAE 10W-30, 10W-40, or 20W-50." -from a book-

Hey mechanics, please see also the questions about the fuel rail and injector o-rings.
Old Feb 21, 2006
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Originally Posted by Axxe
W does not mean winter. It means weight. Try to show me proof otherwise.
Yes, its weight. A multiweight oil.
Old Feb 21, 2006
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Lets see who else on here is about to get a lesson in automotive. And NO, W does not stand for Weight, it stands for winter. Any ASE master certified Tech will tell you this, any Engineer will tell you this. Here are some statements to let you know

"5W-30 or 10W-30 is better in colder climes. By the way, the 'W' does not stand for 'weight', as many erroneously assume. In fact, the 'W' that is in the S.A.E. designation for an oils viscosity stands for 'winter', indicating that the oil will flow at its rated viscosity in 'winter driving conditions', as defined by the S.A.E."

And a statement directly from the Society of automotive engineers

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Viscosity Grade
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's thickness, or resistance to flow. Lower numbers indicate thinner oil and higher numbers indicate thicker oil. There are two types of motor oils, single grade and multi-grade. Multigrade oil such as a 10W-30, are designed to have the viscosity of an SAE 10W oil at cold temperatures combined with the viscosity of an SAE 30 oil at engine operating temperatures. The "W" or "Winter" designation indicates that the oil meets viscosity requirements for low temperatures (below 30° F). this is from cheverons website http://www.chevron.com/products/prod...motoroils.shtm

Need I keep going. For all of you who say W stands for weight is wrong.

Originally Posted by jamie_civic
haha W does NOT stand for winter, thats what mechanics tell customers to shut them up (im a mechanic)....10w30 is perfectly fine...personaly i would use 5w30 but theres no worrys....winter time is 5w30, summer time is 5w50.
Exactly you are a mechanic, not a technician. And even then, any decent "mechanic" will know the W stands for winter. And any decent mechanic would NOT recommend 5W-50 for any car in the summer unless otherwise specified by the manufacture.

No wonder people complain about the auto industry these days. too many people out there who say they are "techs or mechanics" telling customers the wrong ****.

Last edited by streetglower; Feb 21, 2006 at 09:42 PM.
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by jamie_civic
haha W does NOT stand for winter, thats what mechanics tell customers to shut them up (im a mechanic)....10w30 is perfectly fine...personaly i would use 5w30 but theres no worrys....winter time is 5w30, summer time is 5w50.

Holy crap! Are you serious, 5w50? Do you know what sheering viscosity is? You realize as the difference between the cold and hot weights get larger the sheering viscosity goes down, hence more stress is put on the oil and it breaks down faster. 5w50 wouldn't last more than 2,000-2,500 miles, if that, in a normal car assuming it was driven by grandma. Drive that car hard and it will die even faster. Don’t believe me, fine, get an analysis done on that oil and see what it looks like after 3,500 miles. You're sheering additive will be depleted in weeks, insane. You want to keep the cold and hot number as close as possible to prevent premature ware of the oil.
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by streetglower
Lets see who else on here is about to get a lesson in automotive. And NO, W does not stand for Weight, it stands for winter. Any ASE master certified Tech will tell you this, any Engineer will tell you this. Here are some statements to let you know

"5W-30 or 10W-30 is better in colder climes. By the way, the 'W' does not stand for 'weight', as many erroneously assume. In fact, the 'W' that is in the S.A.E. designation for an oils viscosity stands for 'winter', indicating that the oil will flow at its rated viscosity in 'winter driving conditions', as defined by the S.A.E."

And a statement directly from the Society of automotive engineers

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Viscosity Grade
Viscosity is a measure of an oil's thickness, or resistance to flow. Lower numbers indicate thinner oil and higher numbers indicate thicker oil. There are two types of motor oils, single grade and multi-grade. Multigrade oil such as a 10W-30, are designed to have the viscosity of an SAE 10W oil at cold temperatures combined with the viscosity of an SAE 30 oil at engine operating temperatures. The "W" or "Winter" designation indicates that the oil meets viscosity requirements for low temperatures (below 30° F). this is from cheverons website http://www.chevron.com/products/prod...motoroils.shtm

Need I keep going. For all of you who say W stands for weight is wrong.



Exactly you are a mechanic, not a technician. And even then, any decent "mechanic" will know the W stands for winter. And any decent mechanic would NOT recommend 5W-50 for any car in the summer unless otherwise specified by the manufacture.

No wonder people complain about the auto industry these days. too many people out there who say they are "techs or mechanics" telling customers the wrong ****.
i didnt say it stands for weight. but i know for certain it has nothing to do with the season. first number at cold, second number at opperating temp.
i think were about done.

10w30 is fine.
5w50 is fine too...if you dont beliebe me then i guess you could come see my engine thats been running on 5w50 since the beggining.
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by jamie_civic
i didnt say it stands for weight. but i know for certain it has nothing to do with the season. first number at cold, second number at opperating temp.
i think were about done.

10w30 is fine.
5w50 is fine too...if you dont beliebe me then i guess you could come see my engine thats been running on 5w50 since the beggining.
How often do you change the oil? How many miles on the engine? Do you have any UOA's to back up that your engine is not degrading, in other words what is the metal content in the used oil?
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by Jrfish007
How often do you change the oil? How many miles on the engine? Do you have any UOA's to back up that your engine is not degrading, in other words what is the metal content in the used oil?
well the engine has 23000 km's.......i change quite often not just because i decide to change it but recently because of my turbo install iv been taking off the oil pan and whatnot.....my tuner (who happens to do all the race cars that compete around here) recomended i use 15w50 mobile 1 synthetic but 5w50 seems a little safer.



anyways on the topic of what the "W" stands for im in the process of finding out, seeing as we have seen some proof it means winter im gonna ask the top mechanics around here....my teachers in school told me it did not mean winter, but people like to hear that, makes them feel better inside...
so ill let you guys know soon...and if im in fact wrong and it does mean winter, i will tell the truth, just means my teachers were wrong.
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by jamie_civic
well the engine has 23000 km's.......i change quite often not just because i decide to change it but recently because of my turbo install iv been taking off the oil pan and whatnot.....my tuner (who happens to do all the race cars that compete around here) recomended i use 15w50 mobile 1 synthetic but 5w50 seems a little safer.

Using that oil in a race car is one thing, using it in an everyday car is something else.
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by jamie_civic

anyways on the topic of what the "W" stands for im in the process of finding out, seeing as we have seen some proof it means winter im gonna ask the top mechanics around here....my teachers in school told me it did not mean winter, but people like to hear that, makes them feel better inside...
so ill let you guys know soon...and if im in fact wrong and it does mean winter, i will tell the truth, just means my teachers were wrong.
I dont know of anyone who tell people it means winter because it makes them feel better inside, they tell people its winter because thats what it means. there is no need to ask anyone, according to SAE it means winter. NOT WEIGHT. End of story.
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by streetglower
I dont know of anyone who tell people it means winter because it makes them feel better inside, they tell people its winter because thats what it means. there is no need to ask anyone, according to SAE it means winter. NOT WEIGHT. End of story.
fine just let me find it in an acctual SAE book...and believe me when people are asking you every 2 seconds "is that winter oil???, i need winter oil or my cars going to blow up...make sure its made for winter"
you tell them the W stands for winter, doesnt matter if thats true or not.
Old Feb 22, 2006
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This is why no one works on my car but me (and i know what i'm doing), leave it to the bozos at the repair shops to F&^$k up your car. Oh and the W does stand for winter..
Old Feb 22, 2006
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Originally Posted by EM2 Shinobi
This is why no one works on my car but me (and i know what i'm doing), leave it to the bozos at the repair shops to F&^$k up your car. Oh and the W does stand for winter..
ya man forsure, only shop i go to is for tuning....
but i gotta tell you, monday mornings i love the modified cars on tow that idiots tried to work on themselves.
but ya if you know whats going on, you should do it yourself.



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