0-20 Weight Oil

allbrandauto wrote:
...they do not make a 0-20 in conventional oil only in syn...

Correct.

I switch to synthetic and a quality filter and bump my oil change to once a year or 10,000 miles whichever is first...I spend less time and the cost is less than buying 2 dino oil changes...

Being we winter in Arizona I use 5W20 synthetic in my CRV and I don't think it knows the difference. The change oil reminder came on around 10,000 miles with Mobil 1. I used a different no-name synthetic and it appears it will go close to the 10,000 mile mark also. With dyno oil the change oil light reminder came on at around 5000 miles.;)

Tvov wrote:
Read your manual closely - yes, it "recommends" synthetic oil, but it may not require it. My wife's new Ford recommends synthetic oil, but in small print it says dino oil is fine, and will not affect warranty.

At a minimum, while under warranty I would recommend going with the manual's recommendation.

(lots of recommendations being thrown around! lol)

My manual says. You may also use synthetic motor oil if it is labeled with the API Certification Seal. It does not recommend synthetic oil, only Genuine Honda Motor Oil which may be synthetic??

Read your manual closely - yes, it "recommends" synthetic oil, but it may not require it. My wife's new Ford recommends synthetic oil, but in small print it says dino oil is fine, and will not affect warranty.

At a minimum, while under warranty I would recommend going with the manual's recommendation.

(lots of recommendations being thrown around! lol)

And we have a winner. It's all about fuel economy and meeting the government imposed standards for the model year. If going with a lighter oil gains a mile or two per gallon manufactures will make the switch. Same with synthetic over conventional.

lryrob9301 wrote:
It may surprise you but manufacturers went to 0w20 oil not for cold engine start lubrication but for fuel mileage. 0w20 reduces the drag imposed on the engine crankshaft running in the crankcase. This drag, called windage, reduction helps the engine produce more horsepower without increased fuel consumption, thus increasing miles per gallon. Vehicle manufacturers will do anything to reach federal mileage standards and this is one little thing that helps meet that goal. Actually 5w20 or 10w30 or 10w40 oil will run just fine in your Honda engine.

I also own a Honda CRV and if I'm not mistaken they recommend that you use synthetic. I would check on this so it won't void your warrantee. I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil 5W-30W (Gold Cap) in my Riding lawn mower, Harley Davidson, CRV and my Winnebago. It's gives you way more protection in a engine than regular oil (it's slipperier). Good Luck using the regular oil.

Go by the book, 0-20
5-20 will do nothing except reduce fuel economy. The extra gas will cost more than the synthetic oil.

When all else fails - read the manual.

In your case I'd follow it for what oil to use. As well - as stated above, use the OLM (Oil Life Monitor) to determine when to change the oil. There is no downside for your engine using synthetic. The additional cost is very minimal. if the only 0-20 you can get is synthetic.

0-20 oil is used to protect your engine during startup and for better mileage.