For the last couple of months I've been putting in 10w30 in my 2k2 DX engine. Now I've been reading the Manual on the protege and they say it is ok to use it. Only thing they recommend me to use 10w30 n warmer weather. And to use 5w-30 during cold weather. Now I took my car in for a maintaince check up today and Mazda fill my car wit 5w20. At first I'm like WTF!! I didn't even know 5w20 existed. So I asked the lady, 5w20 you sure this is the right oil? She said yea. Then I asked, can I use a different grade of oil, she said no. Mazda recommeds that you only use 5w20. So I'm like ok. At the same time I'm like hold up!? Now I'm confused. So I just left and came back home and got on my PC. Am I damaging my engine by going through these different grades of oil??? Even though 5w30 and 10w30 is listed in my manual but fuggin 5w20 isn't??!!! Someone let me know something before my engine blows up. lol


2K2 DX

 

5w-20 is what I had to use in my previous 2001 Civic. But I dont remember even seeing this grade in my owners manual for a 2002 P5. I would go by whats in your manual... Ive had to many dealership folks be wrong about things. A lot of times they just seem to make stuff up because they might think they will look stupid if they took a second to look something up or double check.

If your manual offers a choice between the 3 grades, my preference would be to use the thicker grades to offer a bit more cushioning for the engine internals. 5-20 is probably fine for engines with really tight clearance, like Honda engines usually have, but my P5 strikes me as a bit rougher around the edges drivetrain wise, and could probably benefit from thicker oil.

I think the main goal of the thinner oils is slightly better gas mileage anyway, so I not going to risk more engine wear for that.

 

yea I agree with you. I drive my DX rough. I put alot of highway miles on it and I kinda have a heavy foot @ times. So it would be best if I use the 10w30 right?

 

Your motor will be fine with 5W30, provided you change it regularly. Modern engines are designed to run thinner oil for fuel economy and emissions reasons. And since it's winter, 5W20 should be fine.

I've run either 5W30 or 10W30 synthetic in my 1st-gen car since new. And I have autocrossed my car that whole time. Right up until the time when my crank-snout failed (180k miles), it still wasn't burning any oil. It was leaking a bit though (darn seals).

 

thanks. I get much better advice and Info from this forum then the actual dealership. lol Thats a shame but I love this club!!!

 

just use 10w-30, if you live int he south where it doesn't really get that cold, then you shoul dbe able to use that year long without switching grades. the 5w-30 is jsut a little thicker.

dont go to the dealer, half the time they are just saying ****. here is a test, call the dealer and ask then what size bulb the rear turn signal is. I Can gurauntee that they wont know what it is. i've went to 3 different dealers and 3 different dealers said they dont even know what kind of bulb my car takes for a rear turn signal.

for anyone out there with that problem, just file the pin off one sie of a 1156 bulb and you got ya sefl a bulb that works in the rear turns.

=)

got off topic, but oh well.

pz

 

that is such a shame. these dealers should be smacked.

 

Interesting, this is the first I've heard of a Mazda dealer using a 5W-20. 5W-20 is for fuel mileage at the expense of engine wear. It doesn't hold up well at all in a motor that is driven hard. I would change it fairly quickly if it where my car. On all the sheets that I have, not one Mazda shows a requirement for 5W-20, so I suspect the dealer has an interesting reason why they're using it.

 

how do you know if they're using the engine oil you specify at the dealer? I guess you don't get to "monitor" their job, right?

 

I didn't specify to be honest. I figured since its a new car and I bought it from this dealer, they would be very familiar with that it needs. The car only has 7819 miles on it. The other shop I normally go to for an oil change put in 10w-30. But when I went to Mazda, 5w-20. Hhmm. I even asked the lady, what grade of oil is this, 5w-20. I asked her, is the only grade of oil I should use and she said yes. Mazda specifically use this grade gof oil for the car. As I was driving off, I came to the conclusion that they were full of shyt.

 

Damn. This sucks.
Too bad that I don't have equipments to do the work myself.
Maybe I should find a good friend's garage whom I can trust.