I just purchased my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid and was told I need to use
0W-20 oil. Is this really necessary or is this just a way for Honda to get you to use their dealers for oil changes? If it is necessary, I've called around and I'm having a hard time even finding anyone who stocks this type of oil. Any suggestions?

You could likely use 5w20, but the fuel economy would suffer. I would reccommend purchasing 0w20 from Honda. And if you want to save DO NOT bother changing the oil more often than the maintainence minder recommends. Should be about 9500-10000 miles.

You might also find Mobil 1 0w20 at WalMart stores.

I use Mobil 1 0W-20 synthetic. Usually it can be found at Wal-Mart. I've been quite happy witht he synthetic over regular Honda oil.

Actually, I would suggest you do not skimp on the oil. The 0W20 is the ideal oil for your vehicle and as many have said, using any other specification will affect its fuel efficiency and even its engine life.

As an owner, the key to realizing the savings is - as some have suggested - to follow the vehicle's maintenance minder as Honda intended. Do not follow the recommendations of the oil shops or even some dealerships if they suggest otherwise - especially for the first oil change.

I should say however that my dealership recommends following the maintenance minder instead of the traditional maintenance schedules. This should be a good indicator of technical honesty of a given shop you are considering for your oil changes.

Cheers;

MSantos

Honda recommends 0W20, but they say you can use 5W20 in a pinch. Our dealer is having trouble getting it because it's on back-order. We ended up having to use the 5W20, but we'll switch for 0 before the cold weather sets in.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the viscosity difference going to go away when the engine is warm? So I wouldn't expect much mileage shift overall.

Would-be hypermiler

I use Mobil1 0-20w in my 2004 Civic that I buy at Walmart. About 4-5 dollars per bottle. Castrol also has a 5-20w syntheic oil(Walmart).

I have yet to notice any FE improvements by switching to Mobil 1 0w20 over the honda 0w20 maybe because at the time of the switch the gasoline changed to 10% ethanol here in MA. The oil may have improved the FE a bit but the ethanol worsened it so its a wash. At least I didn't see a large drop. My summertime mpg is over 50 so I'm very happy.

It depends on several other factors as well as the oil brand you are referring to. There are significant differences between 0W20 and 5W30, not just in viscosity but also general chemistry. While it is true that a warm engine with 5W20 can operate OK, it should only be used as a temporary replacement for the recommended oil. It is not meant to be a direct or permanent replacement oil specification.

The colder the starts the harder it becomes on the HCH-2 engine especially if it has 5W20 in it. Using this lower grade oil too often will definitely lower the fuel efficiency and longevity of the engine.

Cheers;


MSantos