0W-16 is here!

[Daox]

I'm sure this stuff isn't going to just grenade your engine instantly. However, it will probably wear things more quickly. An oil analysis over the next 5k miles should help out to see how much faster its wearing, but only really if you have an oil analysis of 5k from the regular oil...

[rmay635703]

Something to remember is that 0w16 is s completely different add pack and even base chemistry from a 0w20.

This means it may still provide as much wear protection as 0w20 or it may not since it’s not tested for every application. It also isn’t actually 16w oil so you can’t compare its weight apples to apples with 0w20 you would need to see the data sheet. Where the real magic happens is when we move away from SN+ to the completely incompatible next gen oils (which are all base 8 oils)

It’s also less mixable with the base 10 oils so no more random oil top offs if you follow an extended fill duration

[Fat Charlie]

A: 0w20 is the correct application for my car.

B: Fat Charlie is not The Oil Guy.

C: I have a large supply of cheap 0w20 and am immune to the pressures of p&a.

On a related note, oil changes are very predictable, especially synthetic ones. What any particular store has on the shelf in any given week shouldn't affect your oil change supplies. If you buy oil at Walmart, you probably go there more than once every 6 months.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

The Insight calls for 0w20. If I want the engine to last for several hundred thousand more miles I'm going to go with what Honda specified, rather than risk any small chance of something bad happening by using a thinner oil, just to try and capture some probably infinitesimally small fuel savings.

[hayden55]

1,000 miles in and the engine still turns. Warm idle is 0.22 gph vs 0.25 gph now. Interesting.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by hayden55

1,000 miles in and the engine still turns. Warm idle is 0.22 gph vs 0.25 gph now. Interesting.

12% improvement at idle at least

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

The Insight calls for 0w20. If I want the engine to last for several hundred thousand more miles I'm going to go with what Honda specified, rather than risk any small chance of something bad happening by using a thinner oil, just to try and capture some probably infinitesimally small fuel savings.

In Japan and Europe Honda calls for an oil thinner than 0w20, for what it's worth.

I suspect it's safe to go thinner on the cold weight, but wouldn't go thinner on the warm. My new engine calls for 5w30 and I feel safe putting 0w30 in, but not 5w20 or 0w20.

[oil pan 4]

Might use it to lube uncooperative
Semiautomatic rimfire guns that use a blow back or delayed blow back gas system and don't like thick lubes.

[raylit20]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

There is only about a 1% difference between that thin stuff and what you are supposed to be using.
According to Cummins there is only about a 3% difference between 15w-40 and 0-20 oil, for fuel economy.

I interviewed for Cummins to work in their engineering department and they are so mixed up and confused I would not put full faith in any information from them.

Some of the world's best engines though. But it's an old formula they keep repeating.

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by Ecky

In Japan and Europe Honda calls for an oil thinner than 0w20, for what it's worth.

I suspect it's safe to go thinner on the cold weight, but wouldn't go thinner on the warm. My new engine calls for 5w30 and I feel safe putting 0w30 in, but not 5w20 or 0w20.

Wasn't the 2010+ Honda Insight back spec'd for 0w-16 like 5 years ago?
At the time they were the only one's who sold the stuff, but it was always nationally back ordered... and was like 45$ for 4 quarts which is a no for me. Ravenol also has had a 0w-16 as well and crosses over into the 0w-20 areas but was 45$ for 5 quarts. I use ravenol ATF spec'f for the Prius CVT for a while, but figured I would wait for 0w-16 until it dropped under 20$ for 5 quarts.