Due to a $5 coupon, I took my Honda to a dealer for an oil change. The car is supposed to get 0W20.
When I got home, I noticed that the receipt said 5W20 synthetic had been put in. I called them, and
they assured me that it would have been the correct oil (as stated on filler cap), but it was just coded wrong when the ticket was written up. Should I take it back and insist on them draining and refilling it?
Certainly you are watching your info that is great, I would think you would be fine, but ask for a free oil change in 3k due to your concerns.
2 Likes
Unless you live in extreme cold climate I wouldn’t give it a second thought.
2 Likes
http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/
0W20 and 5W20 will be equivalent from operations standpoint, unless you live next to North Pole and need very cold weather starts
moreover, having less difference in numbers means less viscosity improver additives, which is good, given all other things are equal
There’s actually some overlap in the 0W-20 and 5W-20 specification. I really wouldn’t worry about it at all.
Agreed; this is not an issue at all.
I wouldn’t worry about it. Generally speaking the guys on the lube rack would look at the oil cap or underhood decal for the correct oil. And even if they used 5W20 instead of 0W20, your car will never know the difference.
Just for kicks, since you probably keep track of your fuel economy, note and tell us of any mileage changes over the next month or so.
2 Likes
I don’t look to see which oil is billed on every service that I perform, I use the oil that is required for the vehicle. Late model vehicles generally only call for one oil, there are no options. If the service writer bills the wrong package that is his problem, I don’t have time to correct them.
Dealerships take the post-service surveys that they send out and post-visit follow up calls pretty seriously. When you get them, be sure to rate the service appropriately and note that, according to the paperwork, the dealership did not use the correct oil. Just my $0.02. Curious to see what they will do when they get a 1-star survey back with proof of a mistake. That said, all of the folks above are correct. No biggie. I assume you did check the oil is actually in the car and that it is clean? I did a story based on the many oil change posts here. Surprising how many times something so easy goes wrong.
1 Like
" I did a story based on the many oil change posts here. Surprising how many times something so easy goes wrong." I’m not surprised. Something stressed over and over in the Army aviation accident prevention/investigation school was complacency. When people perform the same tasks over and over for long periods of time it sneaks up on you. A tech who has been changing oil and filters for many years may miss installing the new oil because their brain tells them they did because they have always done it every time hundreds of times.
We had safety briefings daily at the beginning of each shift when I worked at the steel mill. One of the frequent topics was that the two least safe employees were the newbie and the old timer. Newbies don’t know, of course, but the old timers know everything and don’t stop to think about what they are doing. I recall one death where the employee deliberately overrode three or four safety devices. He may have seen his family many times when he did that before, just not the last time.
That was addressed in my aviation safety training. Newbies are closely monitored and corrected. Complacency can occur at any time. The signs can be subtle and when addressed are most likely met with resistance. Auto insurance companies statistics have verified the drivers most at risk are the least experienced and the most experienced but ageing.