10-30W but manufacturer recommends 5-20W. Will my engine blow up?

[weirdichi]

It's shit like this that I do my own oil changes. Also, any way for me to test if they actually put in synthetic oil and not conventional oil?

I'm sure it's going not that big of a deal, but I'd like to be consistent in what I put in my car. I've been using 5-20W mobil-1 synthetic since I got it.

69k miles
2009 Mazda 3 sedan
Manual transmission

 

[Ferzerp]

If you paid someone to change your oil and they documented using a weight that is not the manufacturer's prescribed weight, just make them change it again with the proper oil.

It's that simple.

This time, watch where it comes from.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It'll only blow up if you don't torque your lug nuts correctly or shave your new tire to match the existing ones.

Ask the shop doing the oil change what product they're using.

 

[weirdichi]

I just dropped it off and was at work. If I had a place to do it, I'd just do it myself. Many people at the company I work at recommended this guy too.

Lesson learned. Never going to a shop anymore. I'll go do it at the park if I have to.

 

[LTC8K6]

Manual says 5W-30 is okay so I doubt 10W-30 is a problem unless you live where it gets pretty cold.

 

[Throckmorton]

I don't know the specifics of your car but there is a chance that 10W-30 is BETTER for your car, but 5W-20 is recommended because it produces slightly better gas mileage on the EPA tests... Mazda doesn't care how long your car lasts past warranty.

My 1996 BMW requires 10W-40, but essentially the same engines now take 5W-30. Why do you think that is? Do they run cooler? Nope. They recommend an oil that doesn't protect as well because it allows inflated EPA mileage numbers.

 

[phucheneh]

Large thread on this a little while ago.

Unless you live in Antarctica, you'll probably be fine.

 

[skyking]

Put back what you have been running. I thought I could use 10w40 in place of the 5w30 in my camry, and in about 1500 miles I had a sticky lifter. tick tick tick.........
I changed back to the 5w30, and in about 1000 miles, it was gone. That was 90,000 miles ago.

 

[CraigRT]

You may notice a slight MPG drop and slightly slower cranks in the cold but it will realistically not harm the engine.

I would run the oil for the duration and just use 20 weight again next oil change.

 

[Xecuter]

Fine, but there's no reason to use 10w-30 anymore

 

[wirednuts]

I don't know the specifics of your car but there is a chance that 10W-30 is BETTER for your car, but 5W-20 is recommended because it produces slightly better gas mileage on the EPA tests... Mazda doesn't care how long your car lasts past warranty.

My 1996 BMW requires 10W-40, but essentially the same engines now take 5W-30. Why do you think that is? Do they run cooler? Nope. They recommend an oil that doesn't protect as well because it allows inflated EPA mileage numbers.

truth. on rangers, ford actually changed the recommended oil for engines 5+ years old. When they were made they claimed 10w-30 was the proper weight, and then they tsb'd that to 5-30w claiming 1-2mpg better gas mileage. i believe they stated there was negligible difference in engine wear, and i suppose i can attest to that myself as my truck has 230k on it now and for the last 100k ive been using 5-30 with great results. i use it because you really can feel a difference in the way the motor runs. not much, but you can tell.

i used to think it was to get their mpg stickers to look better, but i do think it has to do with oils being better too. blended oils do a much better job then what we had a couple decades ago...