I just went in for my first oil change on my 2007 HCH2 and on the invoice it says they put in 5W-30 oil. Doesn't the HCH2 require 0W-20 oil? Will this damage my engine? Should I go back to Honda Santa Ana and tell them to put in the right oil?

 

I don't think it will hurt the engine but I would take the car in and have them put the correct oil in and maybe they will smarten up in the future?. I would also look for another dealer. They are obviously not familiar with the Hybrid, and that would bother me. They should be, as it may be there big seller in the future.Good luck,H

 

Harold is absolutely right.

5W30 oil is *only* to be used when 0W20 is not available. But what is almost unforgivable is that the dealership likely did not have it and neither did they order it in time for your oil change. For the service people to see the 0W20 clearly printed in the oil cap and then fill it with 5W30 and call it business as usual is very disturbing to say the least. That too would make me very uneasy and I would seek another dealership for future servicing.

The 5W30 oil will not damage your engine but it will have a measurable impact on your fuel economy.

Nevertheless, yes... do give them a call and demand they refill it with the proper oil. If they abject then give up on them as they are not worthy of your business or continued trust.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

I agree with Harold and MSantos.
0W20 is the right oil. I *think* it says you can use 5W20.
5W30 is too thick cold (5W) AND too thick hot (30W). This WILL affect your MPGs.

In CALIFORNIA, that's almost unbelievable. Here in TEXAS, I make sure they use the right stuff (I watched 'em pour it from the 1-quart bottles).

Also, if they used 5W30, I hope it was cheaper than their 0W20 oil!

If you can't get them to change it, I'd:
(1) DEMAND a partial refund (for the difference in oil price, at the least),
(2) NEVER use them again,
(3) Change the oil (elsewhere), earlier than your usual mileage interval.

 

This is a reply to a similar question used on another oil's website:

Question: My owners manual species 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil. Do I really need to use 5W-20 oil?

Answer: You certainly can use a 5W-20 or 0W-20 if you choose to, however you do not need to use a 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil. You do not have to use 5W-20 or 0W-20 to maintain your warranty, even though some dealership personnel may lead you to believe that you have to use a 5W-20 or 0W-20. Your warranty is still valid and has to be honored whether you choose to use a 5W-20, 0W-20 or another viscosity of oil, such as a 5W-30 0r 0W-30 for example. Once you know the facts and the Federal Magnusson Moss Act law you will be much better informed to protect your rights and use the type of oil you want to use.

One of the main reasons 5W-20 and 0W-20 was specified for your engine is to increase the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) reported to the Federal Government. CAFE is the combined average fuel economy of all of a vehicle manufacturers product line. Minimum CAFE levels are specified by the Federal Government. In order for a vehicle manufacturer to continue selling profitable large trucks and SUV's, which typically have poor fuel mileage ratings, as compared to smaller cars, and still meet mandated CAFE requirements, they must also sell enough of the smaller cars which have much better fuel economy ratings to offset the poor fuel economy ratings of the larger vehicles. The change to a 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil will allow and an auto companies overall CAFE to increase by a very small amount, typically in the tenths of a mile per gallon range. 5W-20 or 0W-20 oil is a lighter viscosity than a 5W-30 oil and therefore has less internal engine frictional losses, or less drag on the crankshaft, pistons and valvetrain, which in turn promotes increased fuel economy. This increased fuel economy is virtually undetectable to the average motorist without the use of specialized engine monitoring and testing equipment under strictly controlled test track driving when compared to a 5W-30, 10W-30 or a 0W-30 viscosity motor oil.

The main gst of the article is the only real effect you will notice from your Hybrid is lower MPGs. No damage to your engine will occur.

 

I had my 1st oil change done at Honda Santa ana where I bought my car and I watched the guy put in the 0w-20 oil. Take it back. Reason for low weight oil is to provide the fastest possible oiling to the top end because of the auto-stop feature on the car. Much of engine wear occurs upon startup which happens dozens of times daily in a hybrid as opposed to several times in a regular car. Of course the lighter weight oil also reduces friction for better fuel economy. Take it back now.

Dave

 

To be clear; Honda says 0W-20 or 5W-20, but NOT 5W-30.

Wal Mart sells Mobil 1 in 0W-20, but they're frequently out of stock. I had to call a few stores in the area to find some available. But it was worth the effort.

Harder to find are the engine air and cabin air filters. Just ordered those on Ebay.

.

 

My dealer put in 5w-20 and I did not know the difference until I read the manual...I know...who reads this stuff..but I did since this is the first hybrid I ever bought.

And yes, 0w-20 is because of the auto stop...the engine needs it so it does not damage it with the start -stop that the HCH does all the time.