My son's 2010 Accord EX was brought in to the dealer for an oil change. The oil fill cap has imprinted on it 5W-20 but the service writer said Honda changed their recommendations to 0W-20 synthetic (full or blend). I went ahead with this; they charged $58 for the oil change.

Is this accurate--Honda recommends 0W-20 and for an older model, the 2010? Up until today, the car has had 5W-20 conventional/organic oil at every change.

 

For a 2010 Accord, the recommended oil is 5W-20; but, 0W-20 is acceptable.

For 2011 to current Accords, the recommended oil is 0W-20.

 

Insist on 5W-20 if that is what you prefer and also to save some money for the 2010 Accord.

Honda usually publishes engine oil applications guides annually. The service writer may have been mistaken.

I don't recall them all at this moment; but, there were a few powertrain changes to the 2011 Accord vs. 2010 Accord.

 

FWIW, 0W-20, while it may cost a bit more, is superior to 5W-20 in every way. Personally I would insist on 0W-20.

 

I don't have a preference and while the synthetic blend is expensive, I'm okay if it benefits the car.

Shipo--what do you see as superior about using 0W-20 over 5W-20?

BTW: I live in northern Alabama where it's hot in the summer but in the winter, once in awhile overnight temps. fall to low teens. Not sure if that makes a difference.

 

Oil in the 0W-20 grade is a full synthetic (at least I've yet to see a lesser oil in that grade), which by definition means it will exceed the performance of a 5W-20 semi-synthetic due to the superior quality of the base stocks for the oil and the need for significanly fewer additives (which in turn means the oil has a greater capacity to safely carry contaminates).

Base stocks aside, 0W-20 will pump up to the top end of your engine quicker following a cold start, even if said "cold start" is in the middle of an Alabama summer.

 

5W-20 is available in full synthetic, semi-synthetic, or conventional.

 

Okay, well, I appreciate the answers and I now know more about the differences in oil. Just one more question: if you use full or partial synthetic ("blend" as my dealer calls it), do you do any harm if you get an oil change with conventional / organic oil on occasion? I ask because I had a blend in a 1999 Accord and then forgot about it when I went to a quickie oil change place. Thanks again!

 

Should be no harm.

 

No issue what-so-ever. That said, I don't believe there is such a thing as a true conventional/organic oil in the 5W-20 weight. As I understand it, the "conventional" 5W-20 specification requires a fairly significant percentage of the base stock to be at least a Group III synthetic. Said another way, in the 5W-20 grade, your two choices are Semi-Synthetic or Full-Synthetic.