[MrPrescott]

I brought my X in for the first oil change today. The manual says to use 5W-20, but the oil cap says 5W-30. What gives? Has anyone else been noticed this?

I decided that it was more likely that the manual was misprinted and went with the 5W-30.

 

[conradsmith]

Yes, I noticed that right away. I called my local dealer's service department, and they said they use Honda 5W-20. I hear it is supposed to improve gas mileage, but that seems pretty thin oil for 90-100 degree days. I think I will go with 5W-30 in the summer.
- Conrad

 

[octavian]

Yep, agreed, 5w30 works in Texas, and last I checked, Mississippi (whew, glad I can still spell!) and Kentucky can get pretty warm in the summer!

 

[HerbTarlek]

I just had the MDX in for its first (6000km) oil and filter change and the invoice says they put 5w 30 in it....I guess the dealer is unaware of the spec in the owners manual......

Rich

 

[Guest]

2001 Manual Says 5W-30 Preferred

Page 262 of the 2001 MDX Manual states:

"An oil with a viscosity of 5W-30 is preferred for fuel economy and year-round protection in your Acura. You may use a 10W-30 oil if the temperature in you area never goes below 20deg. F (-7deg C)."

There is absolutely no mention of using 5W-20 in the 2001 MDX at all. Also the oil fill cap says 5W-30 (See owner's manual).

Must be a misprint in 2002 owner's manual! Also I've never heard of any manufacturer recommending 5W-20 oil. I've never even seen 5W-20 oil although I must admit it could exist.

 

[conradsmith]

2002 Manual Says 5W-20 Preferred

Page 262 of the 2001 MDX Manual states:
Must be a misprint in 2002 owner's manual! Also I've never heard of any manufacturer recommending 5W-20 oil. I've never even seen 5W-20 oil although I must admit it could exist.

We've been around this block before . See my post on this thread containing extensive quotes from the 2002 manual:
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=45199#post45199
Apparently this was a major change between model years. One oil change place told me that Ford is also recommending 5W-20 in some of their 2002 models. Apparently this improves gas mileage and helps meet some California emissions requirement, but does it adequately protect the engine in 100F weather?

The 2002 manual makes a point of saying that you can use 5W-30 in an emergency, but should return to 5W-20 as soon as possible. Sounds fishy to me.

- Conrad

 

[renov8r]

multi-vis oil

I had to some research about oils several years ago and found that the modifiers that make multi-vis oil thinner in cold and "not so thin" in warm are pretty heavily engineered substances.

Apparently tests have showed that modern high tolerance engines would destroy older oil formulae, so that the newest oils are much more capable of staying "in viscoity range". That is the key. In other words it isn't so much that your engine "needs" a more viscous oil as it heats up, as that new oils behave differently. A modern 5W20 provides all the protection that the engine needs AND the lower viscosity means there is less lost power slinging around a thicker oil.

Put another way, it isn' t so much that 30 weight oil does a better job at 90 or 100 degrees, its the new additives allow the 5W20 oil to stay 5W2o REGARDLESS of conditions, while the older formula 5W20 would "breakdown" and go out of range (usually btw to a more viscous, harder to put non-uniform sludgy mess -- not as some people might think to a "watery" less viscous/less clingly/less protective disaster).

I think the Pennzoil site still has some of this info, though I haven't checked lately.