I used the wrong oil - 0W-20

[ultramens]

hi all,

I used the wrong motor oil when i did my oil change a month ago. After reading some post and looking at one of my empty bottles, I discovered that I had used 0W-20 instead of 0W-40. Should I change the oil right now? or can I wait till my next oil change to go back to 0W-40. Thanks everyone for the help.

[RFM]

Change the oil if possible, 20 is too light.

[Sputter]

Change it.

[1schoir]

The fact that you are in Orlando, Florida (warm temps) also dictates that you should change it.

Regards, Maurice.

[White987S]

I agree. Change it.

0W20 is the recommended fill for my DD Eddie Bauer Explorer with the V8. I have only used that weight a couple times before changing to synthetic 5W30. Truck runs better and with better MPG's.

[cyclocross]

Are all nine+ quarts 0W-20 or just the one bottle? If it is just the one bottle then the mix is approximately a 0W-38 which will have no effect on the motor.

[RFM]

Only the complete quantity will give the right specifications, sad.

[cyclocross]

Only the complete quantity will give the right specifications, sad.

Maybe all (or all the oil) is not lost. 8 quarts of 0W-40 and 1 quart of 0W-20 will give viscosities of 74.7 cSt at 40C and 13.4 cSt at 100C. These values are within 5% of the 0W-40 spec's. This should not be a problem for street driving. If the car is going to be tracked then it should have the 15W-50 in the first place. I wonder what the viscosity tolerance is during Mobil 1's blending and bottleing.

0W-20, eh? The Mobil 1 website lists only two 0W-20 oils. One is a racing oil that will not be available until Spring 2009. The other is an Advanced Fuel Economy oil. The racing oil has the advantage of twice the amount of anti-wear additive. However, that could shorten the life of the cat. converters. The fuel economy oil is just thin to cut friction.

Interesting topic.

RennTechers, enjoy the holidays!

[ultramens]

Thanks all, its not all 0W-20. I had 0W-40 in there and topped it off with 0W-20..... My next oil change is in 200 miiles (for me, that is a week of driving)... I will swap out all the old oil and replace it with 0W-40... Thanks for everyones help.... happy holidays....