FAQ

Q: Are you sure my car can use ?W-30 viscosity oil?

A: Yes, nowadays even service centres like Honda also provides 5W-30 oil for all new Hondas during oil change. As long as the engine is in good condition, i.e. not consuming oil, u can even use 0W-20 oil w/o problem. Read the Thin Oil Myth FAQ for more info.

Thin oil = less protection used to be true, but oil technology has since advanced a lot, so much so that the oil viscosity doesn't determine the protection level anymore. In fact, modern engines have increasingly tighter tolerances that actually REQUIRE thin oils to work well! Check the owner's manuals of new cars to verify this fact.

Thinner oils also flow faster & easier during start-up to build up protection faster compared to thicker oils. The faster it reaches the part, the sooner it can start lubrication & protection.

Generally speaking, as long as an engine is not consuming oil while on a certain viscosity, it's safe to try an oil which is of 1 grade lower (eg. from ?W-50 --> ?W-40 or ?W-40 --> ?W-30). If there's still no oil consumption, this means the engine is in a good condition and may be suitable for an even lower viscosity. However, if there's oil consumption after using a lower viscosity oil, just top up with a higher viscosity oil, and switch back to the previous higher viscosity oil for the next oil change.

Q: My owner's manual recommends 20W-50 grade oil, can I still use 0W/5W/10W-30?

A: Yes, any engine can use oils with viscosities lower than that recommended as long as it has no noticeable oil consumption issue. Even old or high mileage cars can use low viscosity oil, as old or high mileage don't necessarily mean the engine must be in a bad condition. Well-maintained cars have reported no problem using ?W-30 grade oil.

On the other hand, just because an engine is quite new, it also doesn't necessarily mean the engine will be in a good condition, as poor maintenance or driving habits can damage engines very fast, and make them consume oil even though the age or mileage is still quite low.

Q: Are oils listed here suitable for my 4T bike engine?

A: 4T bikes can refer to the API C? part for diesel engines, so only Royal Purple 5W30 & Chevron Supreme Synthetic 5W30 aren't suitable as they don't have the API C? rating. Oil without the API C? rating may have friction modifier that makes it too slippery for bike's wet clutches to work properly.

Q: Why are there some fully-synthetic oils that last only 12,000 km/6 months while others can last 24,000~56,000 km/1 year?

A: This depends on the specific oil's formulation. Oils made for extended drain intervals have extra anti-wear & acid-neutralising alkaline additives for this purpose, so they generally cost more, but is worth it for those clocking high mileage within short intervals. Such oils also minimise pollution due to less waste oil produced, and many newer cars, especially European makes, are heading towards this direction of minimal pollution and maximum environmental-friendliness.