This article, by Dr. A E Haas, may give you a better understanding of motor oil and lubrication vs pressure, thick vs thin, operating temp vs below operating temp, the 1st number being more important than the 2nd number.I have just purchased a 2016 CR V EX L with 45,000 I have always used Mobil 1 10W30 and I see the V calls for 5W20. This is my first Honda and I want it to last a looooong time. Why does it need such a low viscosity oil?
There is mythology and then there is CAFE.Internal engine tolerances have become more 'refined' in time and some internal oil channels are smaller then they were even five years ago.
The lower first number (5) is the viscosity when the engine is cold. Honda has determined that '5' is correct for proper lubrication when your engine is starting up.
New CR-V's call for 0-20...I presume the internal oil runs are even smaller in diameter than in your seven your old (designed year) engine.
Best to you.
As someone stated, the CAFE standards explain why they've gone to 0W20. The 2011 Fit called for 5W20 but the 2012 is 0W20 despite both engines being identical. Since CAFE tests probably go from cold start and immediately driving the vehicle, it's pretty clear that a 0W20 oil will have less drag on the engine when it's stone cold than a 5W20 oil with ambient temp at 32 degrees F. However, if you live in a warm climate like I do where the lowest ambient temperature is probably 70 degrees, I can run 5W20 without any issues at all in an engine specifying 0W20. These newer engines have much tighter tolerances than engines from decades ago so it would be wise to run the oil with the same "second" number, that is, the viscosity when the oil is at normal operating temperature. If the oil temperature is 200 degrees (warm engine) there is no viscosity difference between the 0W20 and 5W20. However, at 0 degrees F there is a noticeable difference.I have the same engine in my '15. The oil cap says 0-20. Which is synthetic. I've never used anything else. Like has been noted the internal oil channels are so small that you want to be as close to "water" as you can and still call it oil. Been that way for many years. Long gone are the "good old days" where I would use 10-30 in the cold seasons, 20-50 in the warm, in my small block chevy.
The '16 2.4 isn't known to be much of an oil user, so use 0-20 and call it good. Won't need to be changed again for a while!
........and that is supposed to mean what?good to know. What do you use in yours? You are another on this Forum that would be right at home as a guest on "Coast to Coast AM".
Same engine around the world in similar climate conditions runs just fine on anything from 0W--xx where xx=16,20,30,40 and in hot climates on anything xW-yy where x=0,5,10Steve Wil said:Why does it need such a low viscosity oil?
This article, by Dr. A E Haas, may give you a better understanding of motor oil and lubrication vs pressure, thick vs thin, operating temp vs below operating temp, the 1st number being more important than the 2nd number.
http://www.positivespin.us/MotorOil.htm
His comments to me suggest that conventional common thinking about oil viscosity for your engine is incorrect. He makes a very good case for focusing on oil viscosity at cold start temperature, NOT viscosity at full running temperature. Further.. this all goes to the actual flow rate of the oil in the engine, which is most critical at cold start up.Dr. Haas believes that oil is much better being too thin than too thick. In recent years manufactures have been specifying thinner and thinner oils despite hotter engines with turbos and the like. The tendency is that people figure they need a 40 grade oils but then use a 50 instead. Better thinking is that if you think you need a 40, use a 30 grade oil instead.
The thickness of moving oil is measured in centiStokes or cS. Most engines want the oil viscosity to be around 10 cS at normal operating temperature. The really thick multi-grade oils have a viscosity of 20 cS at operating temperature. One is not twice as thick as the other, it is only 10 cS thicker.