Snake oil.
@circuitsmith is way ahead with that response.
Take your pick, snake oil or snake in the grass, or free grass.
I am used to seeing a Prius with left-leaning political stickers but once saw one where every panel and window was covered with “Don’t tread on me” and other similar stickers. This sure broke from the typical stereotype for these cars.
Besides the politics, I would assume the Prius calls for a 0W20 or similar thin weight oil to maximize mileage since that is what these cars are meant for. The Mitsubishi Mirage calls for 0W20 although it looks like the same engine has a wide range of specified oils in other countries where CAFE standards don’t apply.
I don’t try to understand, I just do what the book says. On our 2012 Acura it called for 0-20, but the same car with the same engine and trans with AWD called for 5-20. Now the new one with AWD calls for 0-20. I expect most are going with 0-20 which would usually be a synthetic these days.
A 0W20 has to be synthetic, while a 5W20 can be either. My son’s 2004 Mazda 3 specified 5W20 while my wife’s 2012 Mazda 3 says 0W20 right on the filler cap. In 2004 0W20 was not in widespread use. By 2012 it was universally available and the car companies started specifying to get that little extra gas mileage.
you can get 0w-20 Mobil 1, 5 quarts Full Synthetic, for $22.88 AT Walmart
5W-20 Full Synthetic is the same price.
Mobil Super 5W-20 Conventional Motor Oil, 5 qt. $14.17 Walmart
BUT, is it worth saving $9 and voiding the warrantee?
Of course not,@billrussell. You already know that. Are you an attorney? Lawyers never ask questions they don’t already know the answer to.
A 0W20 has to be synthetic...
…or a blend.
Yeah, Acura sells a 0-20 blend for the same price as Mobil 1, which is why I do my own with Mobil 1.
Save yourself some money and buy your oil on line or Wallmart…any place but the dealer.
I just bought a 5 qt container of 0-20 Mobil 1 for $22.
I don’t think Honda actually specifies a blend though, just 0-20. Strange that when I bought a quart from the Acura dealer in 2012 to have in the car it was full syn 0-20. Then the next time it was a blend. I don’t understand why they would have downgraded to a blend. In 2008 I asked if Mobil was ok to use and they told me that’s what they used in the shop. Interesting as all but I guess I’d just as soon pick my own oil to know what’s being used.
I agree with @MikeInNH. Buy oil at a less expensive stor that meets the requirements lists on the back of the Hnda oil label. It should tell you what the API requirements are Ina edition to the viscosity.
“I don’t think Honda actually specifies a blend though, just 0-20.”
The manual says, “Premium grade 0W-20 oil with an API Certification Seal on the container”. Then it says, “You may also use synthetic motor oil if it is labeled with the API Certification Seal and is of the specified viscosity grade”.
That’s what my Acura manual says. I guess they don’t classify a blend as synthetic or else there is 0-20 dino somewhere.
That always confused me. How do they make a blend when there isn’t a Dino oil of the same weight.
Bing, Blackstone supplies a code which tells you where the metals are used. i forget if it comes with the report or on their web page, but they supply that info. Perhaps you missed it.
I just explained in great detail on another thread that the real value of the oil analysis has nothing to do with how long the oil lasts. it’s cheaper to just replace it. When I had it done, I did so because I wanted to know what was correct with all the wild opinions on Car Talk. I was actually surprised that the real value had to do with engine condition information.
And, as I said on the other thread, top mechanics probably do not need that data. Most of us can benefit from it. Even the Blackstone guy said he benefits from his oil analysis on engine condition.
Yeah I see that now. I guess I overlooked it before. There is a sample with pop ups referring to what that line item means.
it was late when I posted just above. After I went to bed, I realized that on this board we often recommend to used car buyers that they pay a mechanic to check it out. While top mechanics may (or may not) benefit from an oil analysis to give engine condition, anyone who needs to pay a mechanic before buying a used car also needs oil analysis from time to time to know engine condition. We can’t have it both ways.