I found this thread on InsightCentral that eventually discusses 0W-20 vs 5W-20, and the consensus is they are identical except in below-freezing weather before the engine has warmed up. The first number is the viscosity when cold and the second number is the viscosity after the engine has warmed up, so they behave identically when the engine is warm, and allegedly even when the engine is cold they're barely different unless it's very cold outside.
So you can use 5W30 instead of 0W30, unfinkc. In my case I'll be buying Mobil1 5W20 when I get my oil change done.
I will shortly be doing my first at-home oil change on my '03 HCH. I have done many oil changes on my other cars throughout the years and wanted to know if their is anything special that I should know.
The only thing I can see to add is to clean up any oil spills after you're done. It'll keep gunk from building up.
What's the benefit of doing one's own oil change? I mean it costs $40 to get it done at the oil change place.
When I figured the cost of paying Honda to do the oil change versus buying the parts from Honda and doing it myself, it was less than $1 (with a $19.95 coupon - I have an HAH).
...I inquired about the $40 oil changes and the service manager said they use a very good oil.
The HAH uses the standard oil change price ($21.95 at my dealership), since it doesn't require 0W-20. I went through this with my dealership as well. They insisted since my HAH was a hybrid, that there was a hybrid surcharge (totalling $40). When I asked them why, they said it was because the 0W-20 cost more than the standard oil. I had to remind them that the HAH takes 5W-20, the same weight just about every other non-hybrid Honda takes.
I HATE letting anyone touch my vehicles to do any sort of MX on them.
MX... yeah, you're definitely military!
I saw a car just like yours today! Guess it's a good bet that you didn't take a trip out here to Phoenix today, huh? It's only something like the 4th or 5th Insight I've ever seen. And the first in 'wasabi' color.
I know I'd hate to pull off those underbody fastners if I had to crawl under the car. I've used 2 small screwdrivers to pull them out, always went to the dealer and bought extra fastners as at least 2 normally always break.
If those are the same connectors that I'm thinking of, they're the same type that are used on Honda motorcycles. You can get replacements at Lowes or Home Depot in their nuts and bolts section. I think they're cheaper there, too.
Hybrids: '00 Insight, had an '03 HCH for 41k miles
Posts: 587
Re: First Oil Change
Here's what they look like. (Oh, MX is so much simpler to say instead of MAINTENANCE. )
The Fasteners:
Quote:
Originally Posted by bar10dah
If those are the same connectors that I'm thinking of, they're the same type that are used on Honda motorcycles. You can get replacements at Lowes or Home Depot in their nuts and bolts section. I think they're cheaper there, too.
'00 Insight "Wazabi" -75,000+ miles
'03 Toyota Matrix - 81,000+ miles '03 HCH-CVT-OSBM-41,000+ miles (retired 04-10-06) "I'm very secure with my little Insight, no Prius envy here."
Yeup, need a new crush washer each time. You nead about 3.8 quarts of oil... and there is a tool designed to take out those clips. It looks like pinchers with flat ends that grab both sides of the clip. Even with the tool those clips are brittle so make sure to warm them up (hair dryer maybe).
actually have used the washer twice and no leaks but am not going to push my luck and have to get one for my next change.kevin
Re: First Oil Change
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