04 honda pilot engine oil

Hi, honda recommends to use 5w-20 oil but can i also use 5w-30 oil instead.
Cause they are easier to find in stores and are cheaper.

you can put in vegetable oil if you want




"mike113" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
> Hi, honda recommends to use 5w-20 oil but can i also use 5w-30 oil
> instead.
> Cause they are easier to find in stores and are cheaper.
>

I don't know about you, but if the engineers who develop the
engine say that their engine needs
5w-20, I would not take the chance with another grade. Also, more
and more stores have 5w20 and
its is only a few dollars more an oil change. So let me see.. 30k
for the car... and I want to
save a measly 5$ per oil change... don't think so.

Cheers


"mike113" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
> Hi, honda recommends to use 5w-20 oil but can i also use 5w-30
> oil instead.
> Cause they are easier to find in stores and are cheaper.
>

Honda recomends 5w-20 weight oil for emission and fuel economy reasons.
5w-30 weight oil will probably will not cause any problems to the
engine. If the engine had a turbo I would be concerned. Check out
http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/ford5w20.htm

mdsimon80 wrote:
> Honda recomends 5w-20 weight oil for emission and fuel economy reasons.
> 5w-30 weight oil will probably will not cause any problems to the
> engine. If the engine had a turbo I would be concerned. Check out
> http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/ford5w20.htm
>
to paraphrase: "using another grade of oil doesn't invalidate your legal
rights. so let us sell you amsoil."

what a tech-free croc. i wouldn't buy amsoil on principle. /anyone/
attempting to distribute a product through an ariadne's web of hype like
that will never get my dollar.

"mike113" > wrote in
lkaboutautos.com:

> Hi, honda recommends to use 5w-20 oil but can i also use 5w-30 oil
> instead. Cause they are easier to find in stores and are cheaper.
>



5W-30 will do fine.

The part-synthetic 5W-20 is intended so that Honda can more easily comply
with government CAFE fuel economy regulations.

--
TeGGeR®

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

Frank wrote:
> I don't know about you, but if the engineers who develop the
> engine say that their engine needs
> 5w-20, I would not take the chance with another grade. Also, more
> and more stores have 5w20 and
> its is only a few dollars more an oil change. So let me see.. 30k
> for the car... and I want to
> save a measly 5$ per oil change... don't think so.

Well - Honda didn't redesign many of their engines when they made the
official switch to 5W-20. Ford is back dating their recommendations
to use 5W-20. I doubt 5W-20 is some magic potion, but its use is
possibly a concious decision that fuel economy is more important than
ultimate engine longevity.

The cheapest 5W-20 oil I've seen is Coastal at an AutoZone. I wouldn't
use it, but it's a fully API certified oil with the donut, starbust,
etc.

For those who are really freaked out, Mobil 1 now comes in a 5W-20
version. I know it won't be an option for the original poster because
of the price, but it might work for those what are squeamish about
usingeven a semi-synthetic 5W-20. I'm supposing the biggest problem
would be excessive thinning out at high ambient temps, and the Mobil 1
will likely be better in that regard.

Some manufacturers that normally recommend 5W-30/10W-30 also say
that other (heavier) weights can be used with lots of towing and/or
in hot climates. Most engines are alleged to be fairly tolerant of
a wide range of oil viscosity. If I lived in (let's say) Texas, I'd
seriously consider using a 5W-30 (or even 10W-30) during the Summer.

In article outautos.com>,
mike113 > wrote:
>Hi, honda recommends to use 5w-20 oil but can i also use 5w-30 oil instead.
>Cause they are easier to find in stores and are cheaper.
>

There have been lots of discussions about Pilots and oil at
http://www.hondapilot.org/.


--
Mike Iglesias Email:
University of California, Irvine phone: 949-824-6926
Network & Academic Computing Services FAX: 949-824-2069

jim beam wrote:
> mdsimon80 wrote:
> > Honda recomends 5w-20 weight oil for emission and fuel economy
> > reasons. 5w-30 weight oil will probably will not cause any
> > problems to the engine. If the engine had a turbo I would be
> > concerned.
> > Check out http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/ford5w20.htm
> >
> to paraphrase: "using another grade of oil doesn't invalidate your
> legal rights. so let us sell you amsoil."

Redline fudges with many specs too, but they don't get much scorn for
it. They seem to be more realistic in their sales and advertising.

> what a tech-free croc. i wouldn't buy amsoil on principle. /anyone/
> attempting to distribute a product through an ariadne's web of hype
> like that will never get my dollar.

I don't care for Amsoil's sales practices, and I never intend to buy
any of their products. I don't believe they're garbage either, and
its use seems to be working well for people without an axe to grind
for or against them.

That being said, Honda never redesigned their engines for 5W-20. The
"mandating" of 5W-20 was likely more a business decision than an
engineering choice. The same (or similar) Honda engines sold elsewhere
in the world are doing fine on 5W-30 or 10W-30. In a temperate
climate where I live, it might be fine. If it gets really hot, I'd
worry that the oil might be excessively thin. I'd think anyone who's
really freaked out, but still wants to follow the 5W-20 recommendation
might consider installing an aftermarket (fin type) oil cooler.

y_p_w wrote:
> jim beam wrote:
>
>>mdsimon80 wrote:
>>
>>>Honda recomends 5w-20 weight oil for emission and fuel economy
>>>reasons. 5w-30 weight oil will probably will not cause any
>>>problems to the engine. If the engine had a turbo I would be
>>>concerned.
>>>Check out http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/ford5w20.htm
>>>
>>
>>to paraphrase: "using another grade of oil doesn't invalidate your
>>legal rights. so let us sell you amsoil."
>
>
> Redline fudges with many specs too, but they don't get much scorn for
> it. They seem to be more realistic in their sales and advertising.

can't say i've waded much farther than their 4-ball test. that is /so/
unrealistic for vehicle engine apps, it's not even funny. it makes no
account of changing chemical load, changing particle load, thermal
breakdown - it's just a joke.

>
>
>>what a tech-free croc. i wouldn't buy amsoil on principle. /anyone/
>>attempting to distribute a product through an ariadne's web of hype
>>like that will never get my dollar.
>
>
> I don't care for Amsoil's sales practices, and I never intend to buy
> any of their products. I don't believe they're garbage either, and
> its use seems to be working well for people without an axe to grind
> for or against them.
>
> That being said, Honda never redesigned their engines for 5W-20. The
> "mandating" of 5W-20 was likely more a business decision than an
> engineering choice. The same (or similar) Honda engines sold elsewhere
> in the world are doing fine on 5W-30 or 10W-30. In a temperate
> climate where I live, it might be fine. If it gets really hot, I'd
> worry that the oil might be excessively thin. I'd think anyone who's
> really freaked out, but still wants to follow the 5W-20 recommendation
> might consider installing an aftermarket (fin type) oil cooler.
>
you don't need to reengineer the engine - you reengineer the oil. as
long as it maintains its film & lubricity in the face of the kinds of
conditions the 4-ball test doesn't consider, who cares? as far as i'm
concerned, any oil, dino or syn, that uses the same technology as that
which can keep a 18,000 rpm, 1,000+ hp, at i-don't-know-how-many-degrees
F1 engine on the track for two hours is quite good enough for me thanks
very much. "thinness" is irrelevant.