Honda's 0W oil in other cars...

[dberns]

Just wondering... would using the Insight's 0W-20W oil in a regular car engine improve mileage over the usual 10W-30?

I've got a minivan which, well, gets painful numbers... and I'm going to be using it for multiple thousand mile trips.

It seems to me that it should, but I'm just wondering if anyone's tried it. (Or, for that matter, the Mobil One 0W or another's).

I'm not worried about burning or leaking a bit of oil (within reason) as I figure the mileage and gasoline improvement (if there is one) would far exceed any oil usage.

I am a bit worried about engine wear, but that shouldn't be a problem. Should it?

Thanks

[boogetyboogety]

Couldn't hurt. And no damage should accrue with synth oils.

I have used nothing but Mobil 1 in all my personal vehicles for years and years and years, using 10W-40 for the most part. When we got the Insight, we started having the oil changes performed exclusively at the dealership (that way, if anything goes wrong -- leaks, busted magnesium pan, lost plug, whatever -- I can say, "...but you did all the changes! Here's my paperwork...") and having them return the partial container to prove they used the right stuff. The sewing-machine-feeling of the Insight engine is measurably different from our other engines, I can just imagine how sluggish it would feel with a heavier-weight oil... but I can't imagine the reverse if I went to a lighter oil (I don't think I'd be able to tell on the other cars, in other words). Let me know if you do and if you do, if you do... it'd be nice to have just one oil request on the menu for everything we drive...

[dberns]

Originally Posted by boogetyboogety

Couldn't hurt. And no damage should accrue with synth oils.

I have used nothing but Mobil 1 in all my personal vehicles for years and years and years, using 10W-40 for the most part.
[snip]

In my older car, 1990 time frame, Mobil One had _just_ come out (or at least I just noticed it...). While I didn't do any serious scientific study, I'm pretty sure that when I switched it from an older brand of 10W-30 to the Mobil One synthetic, it got much better mileage.

Anyway, everything suggests that the thinner, slipperier, oil such as the 0W-20 should improve mileage on the minivan.

I'm asking around a bit more...

Thanks

[Dougie]

I'm not so sure I would use 0w-20 oil in an engine designed for 10w-30. Going too low in viscosity could reduce the oil pressure... I would look for 5W-30 synthetic.

[jat1793]

I just watched an episode of Motorweek a few days ago and they had some chemist or something that formulates oil for engines. He said that you need to put whatever the manufacturer says because the engines are designed to work with that specific visosity.

The downsides he mentioned was lower hp or lower mpg. I don't think you can get lower mpg by using a lower viscosity oil, but maybe lower hp? Lower hp isn't really a bid deal, but there could be other consequences I guess. I don't know; I'd do some research before switching to a lower visocity.

[boogetyboogety]

In my older car, 1990 time frame, Mobil One had _just_ come out (or at least I just noticed it...)

First time I used it was in my 1975 Corolla S5... in 1975!

Going too low in viscosity could reduce the oil pressure...

It wouldn't reduce the oil pressure, but it would alter the lubrication properties designed for the particular engine (I'm sure for the better). If 10W-40 dino oil is called for, 0W-40 Synth oil would be the difference between swimming in molasses or swimming in water. And synth oil lasts lots longer than dino oil.

He said that you need to put whatever the manufacturer says because the engines are designed to work with that specific visosity.

Absolutely true. But all engineering is compromise, and manufacturers use the least-expensive, longest-lasting, most-idiot-proof-type lubricant readily available to the public as their lowest-common-denominator oil. Synth oil is by-and-large the best choice for most applications, and virtually mandatory for high-performance and high-stress engines (which is why my old 'Vette and My Beloved's BMW use it exclusively per manufacturer's demand, for example). I can't believe mileage and/or horsepower would be adversely affected by more generous lubrication, but then again, I'm not an engineer, so I could stand correction from my more enlightened brethren out there.