Honda Car Forum

"Kevin McMurtrie wrote:> The problem with using too thick of an oil is
that it pries apart moving > parts, flows slower, and generates more
friction heat. 10W-30 is > probably fine in hot climates but I'd drain
the 10W-40."

You mean I gotta get back under my car and change the oil again?!? Oh
gawd!

Steven

"Sparky Spartacus" <Sparky@universalexports.org> wrote
> Elle wrote:
>> I also think the 1996 study Consumer Reports did on this
>> reinforces how ridiculous it is to change the oil ever 3k
>> miles. See the article at
>> http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.htm
>
> Thanks for the link, Elle, very interesting to note that
> it's 10 years old and the "3,000 mile oil change" ROT is
> still dominant.

Perhaps particularly when the maintenance schedule for
American Honda years from 2001-2005 have been specifyng a
10k mile (and sometimes, but not always one year) interval
for, for one, the specified 5W-20 non-synthetic. At least,
according to the American Honda site's Owner's Link section.

I always thought the hazard of not changing oil regularly,
per the maintenace schedule, was just some accelerated wear.
Finally found something really profound when googling for
friends who recently experienced a thrown rod on their
Isuzu: Thrown rods, for one, do occur when the oil is so
dirty that parts start seizing from lack of proper
lubrication. The net has some interesting "True Confession"
reports from car owners in this vein, like folks that go
over a year without changing the oil.

Using an oil that is too heavy may accelerate engine wear too. It can take
too long to get to bearings on cold starts, and it may not permeate porous
bearing material completely.

http://www.geneberg.com/article.php?ArticleID=237

Earle

"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:SE_mg.233$NP4.61@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink .net...
> <stevenqrdh@gmail.com> wrote
> > 2001 Civic LX - Supposed to use 5W-20 (I think that's what
> > it says on
> > the cap). I used 10W-40. It's what a mechanic recommended.
>
> What weight does your owner's manual say to use?
>
> I would bet it specifies 5W-30.
>
> Using an oil that is too heavy reduces fuel mileage.
>
> Too light, and engine wear may accelerate.
>
> > Not the 1st time I've used a diff oil than spec. Just
> > wondering if
> > there can be bad consequences if I use the wrong motor
> > oil?
> >
> > Also, what exactly do those numbers and letters stand for?
> > I think it
> > refers to viscosity but I don't remember which number?
>
> Googling will turn up much discussion of this. Try, for one:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil
>
> Synthetic oil is a whole other discussion, but probably a
> relevant one for you.
>
>




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I appreciate the citation and understand (and agree with)
your point, but I am not wild about the line at the link
below that says, "... the heavier the oil, the less it
lubricates." I see the author qualifies this subsequently.
In which case the line I quote above is "just" bad writing,
albeit writing that can mislead.

The extent of lubrication will be a function of temperature,
among other things, as you know. In very hot temperatures, a
heavier oil will lubricate better than a lighter one yada.
Basic stuff.

My viscosity guide chart in my 91 Civic Chilton's manual
shows, generally, higher weight oils to be applicable to
ahigher temperature range than lower weight oils. That also
suggests to me that engine wear is less of a concern with
higher weights and lower temperatures than loss of fuel
economy. That is, engine wear is likely worse with heavier
weights and lower temperatures, but it's not as bad as
engine wear with lighter weights and higher temperatures.

"Earle Horton" <earle-NOSPAM-horton@msn.com> wrote
> Using an oil that is too heavy may accelerate engine wear
> too. It can take
> too long to get to bearings on cold starts, and it may not
> permeate porous
> bearing material completely.
>
> http://www.geneberg.com/article.php?ArticleID=237
>
> Earle
>
> "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
> message
> news:SE_mg.233$NP4.61@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink .net...
>> <stevenqrdh@gmail.com> wrote
>> > 2001 Civic LX - Supposed to use 5W-20 (I think that's
>> > what
>> > it says on
>> > the cap). I used 10W-40. It's what a mechanic
>> > recommended.
>>
>> What weight does your owner's manual say to use?
>>
>> I would bet it specifies 5W-30.
>>
>> Using an oil that is too heavy reduces fuel mileage.
>>
>> Too light, and engine wear may accelerate.
>>
>> > Not the 1st time I've used a diff oil than spec. Just
>> > wondering if
>> > there can be bad consequences if I use the wrong motor
>> > oil?
>> >
>> > Also, what exactly do those numbers and letters stand
>> > for?
>> > I think it
>> > refers to viscosity but I don't remember which number?
>>
>> Googling will turn up much discussion of this. Try, for
>> one:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil
>>
>> Synthetic oil is a whole other discussion, but probably a
>> relevant one for you.
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from
> http://www.teranews.com
>

Gene Berg drag raced air cooled VW engines in the Southern California heat,
using 20 weight oil. I have to laugh when I see people buying 20W50 at the
local Autozone, to put in the family wagon. When you say "very hot
temperatures" you are talking about a helicopter or an over the road freight
truck, not a Honda Civic, unless it is used for racing.

Earle

"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in message
newsvBng.2265$ii.1376@newsread3.news.pas.earthli nk.net...
> I appreciate the citation and understand (and agree with)
> your point, but I am not wild about the line at the link
> below that says, "... the heavier the oil, the less it
> lubricates." I see the author qualifies this subsequently.
> In which case the line I quote above is "just" bad writing,
> albeit writing that can mislead.
>
> The extent of lubrication will be a function of temperature,
> among other things, as you know. In very hot temperatures, a
> heavier oil will lubricate better than a lighter one yada.
> Basic stuff.
>
> My viscosity guide chart in my 91 Civic Chilton's manual
> shows, generally, higher weight oils to be applicable to
> ahigher temperature range than lower weight oils. That also
> suggests to me that engine wear is less of a concern with
> higher weights and lower temperatures than loss of fuel
> economy. That is, engine wear is likely worse with heavier
> weights and lower temperatures, but it's not as bad as
> engine wear with lighter weights and higher temperatures.
>
> "Earle Horton" <earle-NOSPAM-horton@msn.com> wrote
> > Using an oil that is too heavy may accelerate engine wear
> > too. It can take
> > too long to get to bearings on cold starts, and it may not
> > permeate porous
> > bearing material completely.
> >
> > http://www.geneberg.com/article.php?ArticleID=237
> >
> > Earle
> >
> > "Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in
> > message
> > news:SE_mg.233$NP4.61@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink .net...
> >> <stevenqrdh@gmail.com> wrote
> >> > 2001 Civic LX - Supposed to use 5W-20 (I think that's
> >> > what
> >> > it says on
> >> > the cap). I used 10W-40. It's what a mechanic
> >> > recommended.
> >>
> >> What weight does your owner's manual say to use?
> >>
> >> I would bet it specifies 5W-30.
> >>
> >> Using an oil that is too heavy reduces fuel mileage.
> >>
> >> Too light, and engine wear may accelerate.
> >>
> >> > Not the 1st time I've used a diff oil than spec. Just
> >> > wondering if
> >> > there can be bad consequences if I use the wrong motor
> >> > oil?
> >> >
> >> > Also, what exactly do those numbers and letters stand
> >> > for?
> >> > I think it
> >> > refers to viscosity but I don't remember which number?
> >>
> >> Googling will turn up much discussion of this. Try, for
> >> one:
> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil
> >>
> >> Synthetic oil is a whole other discussion, but probably a
> >> relevant one for you.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Posted via a free Usenet account from
> > http://www.teranews.com
> >
>
>



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Elle wrote:

> "Sparky Spartacus" <Sparky@universalexports.org> wrote
>
>>Elle wrote:
>>
>>>I also think the 1996 study Consumer Reports did on this
>>>reinforces how ridiculous it is to change the oil ever 3k
>>>miles. See the article at
>>>http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.htm
>>
>>Thanks for the link, Elle, very interesting to note that
>>it's 10 years old and the "3,000 mile oil change" ROT is
>>still dominant.
>
>
> Perhaps particularly when the maintenance schedule for
> American Honda years from 2001-2005 have been specifyng a
> 10k mile (and sometimes, but not always one year) interval
> for, for one, the specified 5W-20 non-synthetic. At least,
> according to the American Honda site's Owner's Link section.
>
> I always thought the hazard of not changing oil regularly,
> per the maintenace schedule, was just some accelerated wear.
> Finally found something really profound when googling for
> friends who recently experienced a thrown rod on their
> Isuzu: Thrown rods, for one, do occur when the oil is so
> dirty that parts start seizing from lack of proper
> lubrication. The net has some interesting "True Confession"
> reports from car owners in this vein, like folks that go
> over a year without changing the oil.

Probably when they change their undies & socks.

mahadragon@gmail.com wrote in
news:1151126494.098917.9670@y41g2000cwy.googlegrou ps.com:

> TeGGeR® wrote:
>> You can use 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, but don't use
>> 10W-40.
>>
>
> Thanks for your response Tegger! Very helpful. Unfortunately I don't
> know what a straight 10-weight pours like because I have no idea what
> "10 weight" means.


Engine oils are graded by those "weight" numbers. The number is calculated
from the results of tests that are appiled to engine oils to determine
their thickness, or "viscosity". The smaller the number, the lighter the
oil. The higher the number, the heavier the oil.

A "straight-weight", like the 30-weight that's still common in lawnmowers,
has only one viscosity rating, the "30" part. It gets very thin and watery
at high temperatures.

If you don't want it to get thin and watery when hot, but to stay more like
it was when cold, then you have to play with the oil's structure and
additives to make it stay more-or-less the same within a certain
temperature range. That's where "multigrade" comes in, and the oils are
described using two numbers, such as 10W-30. The first one is always
succeeded by a "W". I think this means Winter.

GEAR oils derive their ratings via similar tests, but those tests are
carried out at lower operating temperatures. Thus their numbers are higher
than engine oils for oils of identical viscosities. 30wt engine oil is
about equivalent in pour-ability to 75wt gear oil.



>
> Also, I failed to mention in my previous post that I live in the San
> Francisco Bay Area where it never gets really cold. That's why my dad
> told me it's ok to use the 10W stuff because we never ever get snow.



He's right. Actually, even a 5W is fine. 5W helps ensure the oil starts
circulating slightly faster than it would if it were 10W.


Some synthetics cover an even wider temperature range then regular mineral
oils, such as 0W-40.




--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

mahadragon@gmail.com wrote in
news:1151225465.827734.168930@b68g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com:

> "TeGGeR® wrote:> You can use 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, but don't use
> 10W-40."
>
> I used the 10W-40. Is that bad?
>


Don't worry about it.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/