Vinart Blog

We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately at Lehigh Valley Honda about motor oil.  A lot of customers are now driving Honda’s that call for  0W-20 motor oil which is slightly more expensive than the more commonly used 5W-20 but it also performs better.   Until recently, 0W-20 motor oil was only being used in hybrids.  That’s not the case anymore.  If you drive a 2010 Honda CR-V, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2010 Insight, 2003-2010 Civic Hybrid or a 2000-2006 Insight, then you will be impacted by this.  The good new is that our Honda auto service center team can explain why.  If you have any questions about this topic, please do not hesitate to contact us.  Hybrid driver’s should be accustomed to this by now as Honda hybrids have always used this type of motor oil.  Here is Honda’s explanation for the migration to 0W-20 motor oil in the more common Honda products:

Without a doubt, oil plays a major part when it comes to an engine’s performance and health. 0W-20
engine oil is fast becoming the recommended service fill for many new Honda models (and those from
other automakers), replacing the ever-popular 5W-20. Why? Because in engines designed for its use,
it provides superior starting performance and fuel economy without the risk of premature engine wear.

Engine wear typically happens when you start the engine cold and it’s warming up, so it’s really important
for the engine oil to get to work right away. 0W-20 is a very low-viscosity oil that’s specially formulated to
quickly reach critical engine components when the engine is started. It also helps the engine use less fuel.
The zero in 0W-20 doesn’t mean zero viscosity; it means superior low-temperature performance.

Honda has been developing and testing engines for a number of years now with the expectation that
someday 0W-20 would become the oil of choice. It’s been used in many Honda models sold in Europe and
Japan since 2001 with no reported problems, and it’s been the factory fill for all Insights and Civic Hybrids
sold in the U.S.