Hello,

I 've got one year old HONDA Accord 2.2 CDTi, 103 HP, 15.000 km, and I must do 1. st service. I'm confused, because different services recommend different type engine oil.

One says CASTROL 0W-30, one BP 5W-30 and the third MOTUL 5W-40.

I live in Italy (it can be cold in the winter (-20 C) and hot in the summer (+ 40)).


Which oil is the best for my car and why?

Is MOTUL 5W-40 enough good, because is the cheapest?

What’s the difference between them ?

 

What does the oil cap on the engine's valve cover say? That is most likely your best bet for what oil you should use. Also, the owner's manual (if you have one) will give you two different oils to use for cold and warm temperature, and severe vs. normal driving conditions.

-20*C to 40*C (-4*F to 104*F) is about the same temperature range for where I live (Minnesota, US) and I use 5W-30 all year round.

As far as the brands, I think Europe lucks out a bit more than the US and has a good selection of oils to choose from. All of those brands would be okay for the car, are they all synthetic or conventional oil?

 

Finch, you don't have a diesel engine...

Owner's manual should give an oil spec, which can be different from what we get here in USA. API spec S{something} is for spark-ignition engines while API C{something} is for diesels. Many oils HERE are rated for both, like SM/CD for example. If it's not rated for "C" something, you probably don't want to use it in a diesel.

But Europe has ACEA ratings (or something like that) which sorta correspond to our API specs. ACEA A3/B2 or whatever your owners manual says???

 

Owners manual says: Use only synthetic oil

0W-30 ACEA A1/B1 (PREFERRED)

0W-40 ACEA A3/B3
5W-30 ACEA A1/B1
5W-40 ACEA B3

But why then some authorizedmechanics use 5W-30 or 5W-40 ?

Has choice effect on engine lifelength?

Maybe on fuel consumption ?

 

kthanksbye

 

Hot viscosity (the 2nd number, 30 or 40) affects fuel consumption, lower the better.
Hot viscosity also affects engine lifespan, but higher is better.
Cold viscosity (1st number) affects engine wear during starting, lower is a little better.

Petrol engines here in USA, they call for 5w-20 (yes, 20) so they can advertise lower fuel consumption. Many people around here prefer to use 5w-30 for better engine life.

The more you dig into the facts, the more confusing it becomes.

If your selections are all synthetic, then try to match the ACEA spec. I really don't understand the numbers, so I don't know whether higher numbers or lower numbers are 'BETTER'. In any case, the differences are pretty small. Unless someone's making counterfeit oil in their basement, you don't have to worry too much. It's more important to change on (or before) schedule, & keep it clean with a good filter.