Mildly interesting: TIL 0W16 oil is being used in some passenger cars in America

spitfirebill said:

alfadriver said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

I'm not sure that is even legal.  And if someone put in 0W20, it would still run fine- it's not that much thicker, and it's also incredibly common.

Subaru voided warranties if they found autocross results for some of their cars.  

IIRC this was happening with STIs that Subaru had ironically included complentary SCCA memberships with the purchase of the car because the car was "made for competition".

In reply to Schmidlap :

Haven't thought about that in a long time... I also seem to recall owners were resorting to covering their license plates and VIN's at events due to reports of Subaru voiding warranties after company representatives actually attended autox's and recorded proof of participation of individual vehicles.

rslifkin said:

Tim Suddard said:

I have been using 0-20 for 300,000 miles in various Honda Ridgelines. The stuff obviously works because I have had zero engine issues, but man it looks weird to pour what looks like pee into your engine at every oil change.

Definitely one of those cases where the first couple times you just have to remind myself "the engineers knew it needed to run on this stuff when they designed it, so..."

That said, I always get a little nervous when a manufacturer suddenly decides that an engine should have thinner oil, back-dates that recommendation to older years, etc. and yet has changed nothing about the engine.  But if it's designed to be lubed with slippery water from the start, it's all good. 

This. I put 0-20 in my Mazda 3, since that's what the engine was designed for. But Mrs VCHs vortex 350 powered suburban calls for 5-30, and I was brought up with the SBC needing 10-30, just like every other engine. Not to mention when I did run 5-30 in it, it burned it up at the rate of a quart every couple tanks. Back on 10-30 it would go over a thousand miles a quart. 

Schmidlap said:

spitfirebill said:

alfadriver said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

I'm not sure that is even legal.  And if someone put in 0W20, it would still run fine- it's not that much thicker, and it's also incredibly common.

Subaru voided warranties if they found autocross results for some of their cars.  

IIRC this was happening with STIs that Subaru had ironically included complentary SCCA memberships with the purchase of the car because the car was "made for competition".

I remember being at a National Tour and Mitsubishi peeps were walking around copying VIN for Evo owners to void warranties.