What damage can happen to your car if you put in 10-30 oil instead of the manufactuer's recommended 5-20 oil

I went to get an oil change today, and for the first time was told my car needed 5-20 oil. This place has been doing my oil changes for the past year and upon looking at past records, it turns out they've been putting in 10-30 oil. I am concerned and would like to know what damage this may have caused my car. Thank you.What damage can happen to your car if you put in 10-30 oil instead of the manufactuer's recommended 5-20 oil
A lot will depend on the car and the age of the motor. the 10-30 is a bit thicker than 5-20, although most car manufacturers recommend a 5-30 or 10-30. The thicker oil will protect a little better in a colder climate, but it will make the oil pump work harder and raise oil pressure a bit which can be a bad thing if its significant. It can also cause some issues if your motor has tight clearances in it as it would be harder for the oil to go through, but if the motor has higher miles it will actually be a little better for a little thicker oil (not really 10-30, maybe 5-30) as the engine and clearances would be a little looser than when it was first made.





So all in all, if the car still drives great, there is no blue smoke from the exhaust, and your car isn't lower on oil when you get it changed compared to the last fill up (as long as its not burning or using a lot of oil) then it should be fine and there should be no real harmful effects.What damage can happen to your car if you put in 10-30 oil instead of the manufactuer's recommended 5-20 oil
Probably didn't cause any damage. 10-30 is a pretty versatile oil viscosity, and it still gives you fairly good low temp protection and high temp protection. Especially if you live in a place that doesn't get too cold in the winter, as it is the low temp viscosity that would be most important in this case.





If it is a Ford, I know that they changed the oil specs for the car in 2003, but the change had more to do with emissions standards than engine protection, if that helps you worry any less. Other manufacturers may have changed for the same reason.





If you are really worried, ask a mechanic (don't ask the dealer if the car is still under warranty).
The manufacturer is recommending 5W20 for a reason. The low viscosity is REQUIRED for it to get into the tight tolerances that the engine was designed with, especially during cold weather and when you start up your vehicle.





Think about it, why have they been using 10W30 all this time, and just NOW realized that your vehicle needs 5W20, there's a reason. The 5W20 is a lower viscosity.





Usually when a car gets older, tolerances that were designed into a newer engine get larger. Thicker oils help prevent burn off, and the reason it is used in older vehicles.





I would tell you to try going back to the 5W20 oil and see if you have burn off/Your engine burns the 5W20 oil. Easy way to tell is to check your dipstick on a every week basis and see if the oil seems to be going down. If not then you should be fine. If you oil level starts decreasing, it means that the 10W30 oil has increased the tolerances since it wasn't lubricating the engine properly. Stay with 10W30 and don't go back to the 5W20.





Think of it as taking a few years of engine life off the car. Difficult to prove, but you should have been watching what the manufacturer recommended.
some engines like the early saturn had small oil passage holes up to the valves, so if you used to thick of an oil it would maybe clog or in cold weather not even get up to the top for the first few seconds wich is very important if you dont want valve or leaky valve seal problems, if your car never had these problems the thicker oil wont harm it.
not much. The 5-20 is reccommended by the manufacturer because they got the most mpg. no need to worry.
Its not always needed for the tight tolerances..... some cars made before the switch to 5w-20, was deemed suited to use it.... 5w-20 or 0w-20 is a 20 weight at operating temp..... rather then the 10w-30 being a 30 weight..... 20 weights have shown to drop wear... and up mpg's in some engines. Heard of one guy use 5w-20 in a gm engine... the wear numbers shown by a used oil analysis was better then 10w-30. Your fine, but I'd make them use 5w-20 next time.
THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS 5-20 OIL BECAUSE IT IS THIN ENOUGH TO FIT BETWEEN THE TIGHT CLEARANCES OF A MODERN ENGINE. 10-30 IS A LOT THICKER AND WILL NOT FIT INTO THE SAME TINY SPACES AS 5-20.. TRY SUCKING WATER THROUGH A STRAW AND THEN SUCK HONEY THROUGH THE SAME STRAW. THE THICKER OIL WILL REDUCE ENGINE LIFE AND POWER WHILE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FUEL USED. USE THE RECOMMENDED OIL...
not much, actually it's good for you to put 10-30 in your vehicle after the first 30,000 miles....
no damage but if the car is under warrenty it will void the warrenty if anything it is better for the car it does not brake down as fast