On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 02:11:22 GMT, "Steve" <abc@123.com> wrote:

>My 2003 HX coupe (CVT trans.) calls for 5W-20 motor oil. It says so in the
>owners' manual and there's a sticker right on the engine block that says
>"5W-20".
>
>I'm due for an oil change but none of the places around me have 5W-20 --
>they all tell me just to use 5W-30 (which is all anybody around here seems
>to stock).

Most of the lube mfrs now make 5W/20 in some of their grades so it is
available - your local vendors are probably just reluctant to dedicate
shelf space to oil which is recommended by only two auto mfrs, Ford and
Honda. The one notable exception is Mobil1 which is not available in
5W/20; to tell the truth I think it may be quite difficult to make a true
synthetic with such a narrow viscosity range.

>Q: Why does the HX coupe w/CVT call for 5W-20 (instead of a more "common"
>weight) ?

The question has been much discussed here in the past if you want to search
for previous posts at http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search

It's everything from a plot to make our engines fail earlier to the
advancement of metallurgy and lubricants technology.:-) My POV is that
it's something the EPA is ramming down our throats by way of the auto mfrs
as an "energy conserving" measure. The difference in mpg is barely
measurable and easily voided by different individual driving habits.

>Q: If I use 5W-30 (instead of 5W-20), what are the consequences?

My opinion: the 5W/30 willl give you a slight extra margin of engine
protection, over the 5W/20, at high ambient temps, say >90F. I'd use the
5W/30. In fact, if you don't live in the frost belt, I'd use 10W/30.

The next time you go to the Honda/Acura dealer parts dept, they may have a
counter mat which lists the oil grade reqts by model. Take a good look at
at it and ask yourself why Honda still recommends 10W/30 for the S2000 and
NSX.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??