My 2016 Fit has 41K on it and at its recent oil change, the dealer put in synthetic blend instead of Full synthetic (0W-20), without telling me.
Saw it on bill, and asked--was told that at 5 years old they start using blend instead of full synthetic from then on.
Seems strange to me to begin with, and stranger to base it on 5+ years rather than on mileage.
Has anyone every heard of this, or had this happen at Honda dealer?
Also was charged same amount; shouldn't blend be a bit cheaper?

 

Full synthetic is 0W20, but do you know what grade the blended oil was?

 

That's the thing, it doesn't say what the Blend is exactly--receipt just says "synthetic blend", whereas old receipts said 0W-20 Full synthetic. Filter also has a different part# this time. Sent an email Monday to service manager for further explanation of all of this, and no reply yet.

 

A Honda dealer that is doing non-full-synth oil changes on a Fit is possibly voiding the warranty, just to save a few shekels. This is just bad policy.

If they indeed are recommending and running non-full-synth for the Fit, I'd do an end around and go directly to Honda corporate and ask, Hey, if my engine fails prematurely and all my oil changes were done by the Honda dealer but not with recommended oils, is the dealer on the hook for repairs?

 

Actually I'm not sure that's true. I skimmed my manual and all it says is you need to use 0W20 (or 0W16) oil. It doesn't specifically say it must be synthetic only. In theory if a blended oil is 0W20 then it should be acceptable. Of course I can't recall ever having seen 0W20 blended on any shelf which is why I'm curious what grade they used.

 

I didn't think synth blend existed for 0w20 either.... but huh https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil-...uart/150683491 there it is.. i wouldn't skimp on oil, always full synth, and the highest mile rating available; then change it every 3-5k miles anyway.

 

I just searched the manual for 2016. It just specifies API certified and 0W20. It also actually says you can also use synthetic if it meets the specifications. So even if they could sqeeze a dinosaur down to 0W20 that might suffice.

 

I wouldn't go by assumptions, let the dealer explain what 0w20 oil exists that is not a full syn.
If the OP has mechanical issues that are lubrication issues ( VTC etc), he may have issues getting warranty coverage in the future.

 

I always forget my car is still barely under powertrain warranty, so am just assuming my dealer wouldn't do anything to void that--but you know what they say about assumers.....
Still no answer from service manager, and I vaguely remember service person who told me the "we use the blend on all cars 5+ years old" line saying that the blend was a different viscosity. I want some answers, and may, as someone suggested above go to corporate with it, copying local svc manager in the email or letter.
In addition, next oil change, I will write in all caps that I want 0W-20 Full synthetic, and see what happens.
thanks for all the replies so far!

 

If a dealer does it, then it can't void a warranty, right? Since they claim it's what they do for all 5+ year old cars. I am confused and upset with this dealer, and I am going to let them know about it, one way or another, especially if manager never replies to me by phone or email.

 

Hate to be the one to jump to conclusions, but I bet this is a longstanding practice at this dealer - possibly dating back decades. The idea used to be, as cars wear, the tolerances open up and a thicker viscosity oil would leak out (and burn up) less quickly. A customer whose does not come back in 4 months with low oil is a happy customer.

And really there is some solid logic to that. But it was more for old American iron that would start with nothing thinner than 10W40 and then go up as the engine started to burn oil at 50k miles (roll eyes). Today, tolerances don't "open up" as much because the parts are properly machined to begin with and there's less friction. It would be a badly made car that starts burning oil regularly at 5 years. The reason cars, and yes American cars too, go with 0W-20 today is: the lower viscosity leads to better fuel economy. It may enable some thinner oil rails in places too, like in valve control.

The "blend" is maybe with 10W30 so it ends up halfway in between. Or something similar straight out of a bottle (5W20?30?). I'm kinda confident that 10W30 for one change is not going to affect your car reliability much, if at all. I think my manual (2012) even says it's acceptable if 0W20 is not available, especially in warm climates. I did a higher weight one time by accident, changed it out again before winter, no effect. Maybe the heavier oil would make it harder to start in the cold. But, yes, it is NOT what Honda recommended, is it ...

 

This isn't a one of. The dealer obviously plans to do this every time this customer brings his car in for an oil change if they can get away with it. On my 2018 if pop the hood and look at the oil cap it has very clearly "0W20" stamped on the cap. It doesn't say "0W20 or something else if you feel like it".

 

That is BS by the dealer.

I use full synthetic, and change my own oil, so I know that its done correctly.

 

Dealers use what ever is cheapest. They might have that Mobil1 flag hanging in the service bay but those 55 gallon jugs hooked up to the bay drop down hoses is all Warren Oil Company product. How do I know? Every time I go in for bulk differential fluid they walk me back to the service area and fill up my 1 gallon jug with Warren/Redline/Sopus/Citgo.

 

You mean the dealers might not be using genuine Honda brand oils when doing customer oil changes? I'm shocked! Of course I can imagine how pleased the dealers must be to be able to charge Honda prices to customers for their oil changes while not actually having to pay for Honda's expensive oil to do those changes. Of course the dealers will still be pleased to sell the occasional Honda marked jug of oil to someone walking in off the street to buy one, but I imagine such purchases are rare.

Speaking of bulk oil drums, many decades ago when I was young I had a friend who worked at a private gas bar for commercial traffic. Because he felt he didn't get much respect from the drivers pulling in, whenever things were quiet he would go over to the lunchroom the drivers used and collect all the butts and ashes from the ashtrays, make sure that they were out and then dump everything into the bulk oil drum. That's the drum he frequently used to add a quart of oil or so to the vehicles when they were low (which was often because of the age of the fleet). Since that time based on what I saw I have never allowed anyone to change my oil or any fluid by taking new fluid from any kind of bulk fluid drum. Never!

 

manager finally contacted me and told me that the blend is 5W-30, so you are right, it's likely 0W-20 with 10W-30. He said that the error could be that they mistakenlly did put blend in it, or it could be listed on the receipt wrong, and they actually put in full synthetic (and he admitted the blend is not recommended for my car, now or ever). Will comp me the next full synthetic, which I will get done at my inspection due in March. Assured me that it can't hurt my car, and I am trusting him on that till March at least.
Still not sure why it happened, or actually what happened, but at least I got a response--don't know how or when they normally use this blend though, as when I asked if it was recommended for any of their cars, he said "No"!

 

If you start doing your own, then you can be assured it is correct.

 

So the dealer will comp you a full synth change, but leave in the non-synth oil? I don't think so. Time to report the problem child to its parents - Honda corporate. I'd be very interested in what they say.

 

That will accomplish nothing other than to hear from corporate that it is fine to use say a 5W30 oil for a single oil change as long as you go back to the specified 0W20 with the next oil change. I believe that that's the position most manufacturers take when something like this happens. Keep in mind that Honda is telling car owners with oil dilution problems (not Fits!) that it is fine to drive around with gasoline diluting your engine oil and raising the level noticeably above the full mark ....as long as it's not too high and you change your oil more frequently........

 

"was told that at 5 years old they start using blend instead of full synthetic from then on."

That was a lie from the very beginning. The goal with these people is always to kick the can down the road (do whatever is easiest at the moment to avoid dealing with the problem). In most cases, it becomes someone else's problem by the time the can gets too heavy to kick down the road, so these people don't have the incentive to do the right thing early on.